Too much?
#286437 - 10/14/06 09:17 AM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Is it okay to take Acacia, flax meal, Miralax and sometimes magnesium over the course of the day? Or is this overstressing my body?
My stools are pretty soft and watery and constant. I also have painful crampss. But, then some days I don't go hardly at all. I'm afraid if I quit one of the supplements, I won't go.
If I do stop one or more, which one do I stop?
I just want the most "normal" BM routine I can get...and I'm not too close. Either too much or none.
Thanks all.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I really feel that if you need all of that you should consult your docter. I try not to take over the counter stuff because even prescribed meds I have been on don't work but they may for you.Have you tried zelnorm? It didn't work with me but I know it does for some and is safe but from your docter you have to get it.
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My doctor know how much I have to take...and just keeps telling me to take whatever it takes to go. 
I have been on zelnorm in the past, but it didn't help.
What exactly do you take (supplement or meds) to manage your C? Did you ever try that low fiber diet?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Re: Too much?
#286554 - 10/15/06 02:09 PM
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Miso
Reged: 04/20/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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you definetly need to pare it down a bit, that is a lot of stuff, the flax and magnesium are the things your body naturally uses and the acacia helps things move smoothly, the miralax would be the one to try and stop. All in all i would say it would be easiest to eventually get down to just acacia and magnesium(natural calm) as the flax is great but needs to be refigerated and hpefully you will eventually get your IF from fruits and veggies. But go slow with paring down and give it time.
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I guess I should confess...I take Triphala too. 
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Re: Too much?
#286564 - 10/15/06 04:54 PM
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Draupadi
Reged: 07/16/05
Posts: 218
Loc: Santa Cruz, California
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I'm in the same boat...sometimes I feel like all the supplements and stuff I'm taking are doing my body more harm than good...I currently take two different kinds of SFS, peppermint capsules, triphala, omeprazole (for my gastritis) digestive enzymes, beano and zelnorm...but like you, I am afraid of experimenting with cutting back on any one of these things, because of the risk of making my symptoms even worse. When you're taking so many supplements and formulas, though, it's hard to know which ones are helping, and which aren't. I have made a follow-up appointment with a nutritionist who is familiar with Heather's diet, and who knows a lot about supplements, and hopefully she will be able to assist me in some of the detective work...are you seeing a G.I, a dietician, or any other professional who might be able to help you figure it out? Sorry I'm not much help, but I can surely empathize!
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Julia
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I can't believe you understand so well. It's really frustrating not knowing if we are hurting ourselves or helping, isn't it? 
I take Cal/Mag, triphala, flax meal, fish oil caps, acacia, probiotic, Miralax, Buspar, an AD, Sirraquel, natural calm. and last, but not least, digestive enzymes. Oh, valerian and peppermint capsules too. I think that's everything. I don't know what to keep and what to ditch, if anything. 
Please let me know what your nutritionist says. I have a GI but he is useless...nice, but useless.
If I had the money, I'd go to a naturapath or something.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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the list i take
#286581 - 10/15/06 06:51 PM
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Miso
Reged: 04/20/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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we all take quite a few things and that is all good, but its taking too many things for the same reason that is probably not best, like 5 different things to make us poop. I currently take
-multivitamin for nutrients i might miss
-AD for anxiety,ocd
-Omega 3 fish oil for dha, epa
-Turmeric for inflammation
-l-glutamine for healing gut lining and protein synthesis
-Digestive enzymes
-Probiotics
-Mag/pot aspartates for energy and balancing
lack in diet
-iron pill with b-12 and folic acid cuz i am basically vegan.
So yeah it is lots of stuff, but all for different reasons, i would probably only take 2 things per ailment, and if those 2 don't do it then change it up.
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But how do you decide which ones to keep and which ones to drop for the constipation? I can't tell if I was doing better with just the Miralax and flax to help bulk it up..or the acacia. Is Acacia, triphala, and flax meal too much too?
Oh, my doc just gave me Zelnorm too...to add the regiment.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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No I don't think it is so much fiber etc. I am so constipated regardless. I have another colonscpy scheduled. I have some better day this not being one. Its like out of the blue worse. I do know that with even the safer things you still need to keep taking more for it to work. I think taking that much in of anything is not good. Just take care. By the way I see a nutritionist. A few things just from a health stand point she says 3 meals/3 snacks enough fluids and healthy fats because they lubricate.
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acacia triphala and flax meal should be fine, like i said acacia and flax meal are essentialy food, its the tiphala or natural calm, the zelnorm or the miralax, just picking and choosing, i found that the acacia really helped stabalize me, but that i don't need it anymore, same with the flax. its really guess and test. sorry, no better answer.
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And it didn't help? Do you take any supplements/meds?
Also, how much fat are we talking about? Did she give you an example of a safe amount of fat for a daily menu? I fear the fat!
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Miso
#286607 - 10/16/06 06:40 AM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Are you going to not continue the Acacia afterall? I'm just afraid if I don't take Miralax, the Acacia will just build up in me since I seem to have slow transit.
I hurt so badly last night, though. I have to cut out some of all this stuff I'm putting into my poor body.
Thank you for your help.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Hi no I did not try the low fiber diet that wouldn't work for sure. I really think everyone is different and that is why this is so frustrating. Are you usually c though?Also your taking all this stuff but something isn't working I assume. Are you in pain,etc? I'm on an exchange diet and healthy fats really are suppose to help.Try a little at each meal/snack it takes adjustment if your not used to it.
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And in very much pain.
what are some healty fats to add? Avocado and salmon....but any others?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Certain fish,nut spreads,olive oil,flax.I am c too and with a lot of pain and gas/bloating but for me it maybe another problem because I have very high liver enzymes. Have you went for other testing for other issues? What about for celiec?
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I cut the Miralax down to 1/4 dose over the past few days, reduced the triphala from 4000 mg to 3000 mg and reduced the flax to 1 1/2 tsp from 1 T. Guess what?
Yep, I'm constipated. UGH. I'm afraid the fiber might be getting stuck in me if I have slow motility.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I was so hoping the Acacia would wean me off the Miralax. I don't know what to do. I hurt so badly tonight.
What would you guys do if you were me????
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I don't know, dear.
Acacia doesn't help me with my C, it only gives me a buffer to be able to eat things...
If you are desperate you can always take a strong laxative (dulcolax for example, its OTC), it feels bad, but it works. That's what I usually do when I haven't gone for a week.
Massage might help, too. My aunt (who is a lifelong C sufferer, I think she might have IBS too) said it helped her to massage the belly in a clockwise direction (you know, the colon starts at your right, goes up, goes left, goes down, so in that direction).
I hope you start to feel better soon.
Blessings
Jerry, IBS-C
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crank up the natural calm!
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Can I ask how much Acacia you take? Do you have to supplement with anything else to help you...like a probiotic or anything?
I saw you take Miralax too. Do you take a full dose of Miralax and athe Acacia?
Thanks so much!!
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I did take a whole teaspoon of NC last night. My doctor told me to cut back on the fiber as it doesn't help everyone.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I take about 1 tablespoon a day (1 teaspoon in the morning with the oatmeal, then two more in the evening with a smoothie). I don't usually take it during the day.
I don't take any probiotics.
Forgot to say, yes, I take a full dose of Miralax. Or was taking, before I decided to not take it any more (which was yesterday)... We'll see how it goes.
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Are you going to wean yourself off....or go cold turkey off?
I hope you have an easier time than I. I think I will have to go back up to a full dose. 1/4 dose isn't cutting it. Stupid body. I hate taking meds...or needing to take them.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Cold turkey... I didn't like it anyway, I think it was giving me too much gas (it's one of the side effects of it). Its my second day off Miralax and on Magnesium sulfide... and I had a normal BM. I think it's the Magnesium Sulfide that's helping. I am also sleeping better -- for almost the whole night, which is impressive for someone who dreams the weird stuff I dream about...
However, the big thing with my IBS, I think, is my period. It's due in a week so we'll see what happens then. When that time of the month comes (judging from the last two months experience, I didn't know I had IBS before), neither Miralax nor anything helps, even if I am not C, I am in so much pain that I would literally fall convulsive on the floor a couple of times a day...
My doctor told me that most people who take Miralax need a full dose (after I expressed the hope I would not need a full dose all my life). Thus I don't think any half, fourth or 6th doses would do, I myself have tried halves and 3/4s and it doesn't work... (I tried a 5/6th once, and it did work, but I think 5/6 is too close to 1  )
Jordy are you taking Natural Calm? How much magnesium does it equate to? Did you increase your dose?
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Sometimes I take it and sometimes I don't. I think I will rev it up if I am going to try and stop the Miralax, though.
3 teaspoons equals 615 mg magnesium citrate. I went from 1/2 teaspoon to a full teaspoon last night...and it helped some.
That's weird about 1/2 doses not doing anything. You would think 1/2 dose would have some effect over zero doses. How long were you on Miralax? I think it's been pretty good for me, overall, so I don't know why I'm trying to get off of it so badly...except that it is a medical laxative, which I don't know if I trust.
Where do you get magnesium sulphide? Is there a product? How much of it do you take?
I also take a cal/mag supplement during the day...so I get about 600 mg from that in a day....to try to balance off the calcium constipation.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Are you still increasing the Acacia? Or, are you happy with the 1 tablespoon? Is it treating you well?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Quote:
That's weird about 1/2 doses not doing anything. You would think 1/2 dose would have some effect over zero doses
You would think, yes, but it did not for me. I have been taking it for the last two months and a half (I think it's getting closer to 3 months now), but, as I mentioned, it was giving me gas.
Quote:
Where do you get magnesium sulphide? Is there a product? How much of it do you take?
I got it from the local pharmacy, a Duane Reade store (New York City's equivalent to CVS) and that's what it sais Magnesium Citrate (did I say sulphide before? I am sorry if I did), and it has different flavors. It comes in bottles and you don't have to mix it yourself, it is already mixed for you  .
1 fl oz from the bottle, it sais, equals to 290 mg Magnesium content (that's exactly what it sais) and i take 2 ounces (so that would be 580 mg). I don't dare to lower it, since I seem to have hit the right dose for me from the first try and the improvement in my sleep is so amazing too.
I don't know much about Cal-Mag supplements and I don't take one. Is it giving you C? If so, why don't you stop it and rely only on the Natural Calm for your magnesium... I think I will be able to get my calcium from other foods, like rice milk and almond milk
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No, I am not increasing the Acacia. I think that's enough for now and I don't want to shock myself. I feel pretty good now, yes 
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I need to take calcium for my bones, unfortunately. Which I didn't have to bother with it and add another factor to this equation! But, it's not an option not to take calcium.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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why do you NEED to take calcium, do you have osteopena?
often we are magnesium deficient and that is what hinders our absorption of calcium, but then again doctors don't stop telling us calcium, so who knows, it depends who you talk to.
I struggle with that dilema as i would prefer not take yet another thing and i am young so it is not dire yet, but i am considering it, so who knows.
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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without your Miralax?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Jordy, I am doing OK, thank you... I am a quite C (but I go every day), and a little unstable, because of my... episode on wednesday (when I had too much of what I had cooked myself... I think this IBS thing is making me a better cook, yum )
How are you? I am worried about you. Still bloated and in pain? Even though you go every day (with the Natural Calm) right?
You're in my prayers... I don't know how to help you and what's going on with you. You take digestive enzymes... you take acacia... you take IF (although maybe it's too much since it was causing you pain)... I just don't know. May God help you where people cannot.
Blessings
Jerry
P.S. I was thinking something. I am kind of active... how about you? Do you do any sports? I don't do much sports, but I go out with my bike, walk and maybe will start swimming again (when weather becomes too bad for biking)... Activity helps C you know.
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I hope you been getting my emails.
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The joy of the Lord is my strength !
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Hi Abi
#288351 - 10/29/06 12:34 PM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Thanks for asking. I feel better than yesterday at least. One day at a time for me. Never know what I'm gonna have to deal with.
Yep, I received your email. Will respond soon. 
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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What you wrote, this "It's really frustrating not knowing if we are hurting ourselves or helping, isn't it?" is everything about me, my life, my struggle and my pain.
Thanks for writing it. I will never feel as alone now.
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