IBS-Cers...need some suggestions
#296968 - 01/17/07 09:56 AM
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line415
Reged: 09/09/06
Posts: 976
Loc: New Jersey
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I never thought I'd be asking for suggestions on "how to have a bm" since I am primarily D. Here's the thing: as I've posted before, I have been more IBS-A since starting Heather's diet. I take a moderate amount of Acacia/day (3 1/2 teaspoons which I just increased by a 1/4 teaspoon.) I also take Librax twice daily which is supposed to "slow things down" in your system but on days when I don't have bms, I usually intentionally skip it.
So I have been doing the ratio dance between SF/IF, sometimes getting more C, sometimes taking an immodium to prevent d, then getting a little C...you get the picture. Never a clear-cut week, just a crazy cycle of inconsistencies. And unfortunately I can't lock myself up in my house for a few weeks to work out the kinks. My concern is that I have a day of multiple BMS, then I won't go for 3 full days (and by day three I have gas and major bloating/discomfort), then I'll get another day of multiple BMs (ie., this morning I went 4 times in about and hour and 1/2). The blessing is that it is not actually "d" like before. It's less urgent (but urgent enough nonetheless if I'm out) and less painful, but I need to keep going almost to "empty my system of the buildup." Quite logical.
So yesterday I knew it was building up and I've been eating lots of IF. I drank water, exercised (treadmill...just a mile), did some sit-ups, and I've been doing yoga off and on. I even ate some Wheaties!!  (I had acacia and bananas prior to cushion it, but even then I didn't go. I had veggies at lunch with just a little rice...REALLY FELT LIKE I HAD TO GO BUT NOTHING. Then after dinner (green beans as my IF) I was soo gassy.
My question is, do any of you with c just jump right in at times like this and eat a straght whole wheat bagel or something? I was so tempted to just eat a bowl of raisin bran or another strong IF to just get it out of my system (I knew I was home and would have rathered dealt with the multiple bms yesterday than this morning when I had to go out.) I'm not talking about eating triggers. I'm just wondering what the "maximum, riskiest" amount of IF you eat at one time. And what are the results? Do you think I should decrease my Acacia by that 1/4 teaspoon that I just increased? (I drink smoothies with berries for IF, steamed veggies, raisins in oatmeal, and now even some whole grain stuff on occassion.)
Thank you for any light you can shed. I feel like now that I am "empty" I want to start on this clean slate and eat more strategically.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Why do you want to kill yourself with a WW bagel? What's wrong with plain taking a gentle laxative?
I don't have periods like you describe, sorry.
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I guess that's what I don't get though. What kind of problems does a c person have with eating a whole wheat bagel if eaten safely with SF? I would think that a c person would need more IF such as that to go. Does it just make you gassy or bloated? (I have had a 1/2 ww bagel with SF and I was okay...which for me just assumes that I didn't get d...could it have contributed to my bloating?)
As for natural calm...gosh...I'm terrified of anything that even remotely has a "laxative effect." In fact, I had taken a Correctol "little pill" I think it was called made for children (when I was an adult) and that was when I had a traumatic accident that I think was the spin-off into my IBS anxiety. Can you give me an idea of what a C'ers week is like in terms of bms and bloating, etc.? Are you stable? (Remember I am prone to d so I am just trying to figure out how to "space out" my bms better instead of being in IBS-A mode.) Thank you!!!! 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Well, WW is supposed to be too harsh. But if you can tollerate it, then, I guess it's safe. Does it make YOU gassy/bloated? It certainly hurts me, but we are different
Yeah I know you're an A, I just thought when you felt you are C, you could take something gentle enough to make you go without the added discomfort. I find natural calm too gentle at times.
I am a C, but with the way Heather's diet (thank you Heather) taught me to eat, I have a BM almost every day now. I am stable, have been for awhile. I usually have my BM in the afternoon and it is pretty much fine. I used to take Natural Calm (tried it), but it seemed too gentle and didn't make me go at all. Maybe I should have taken a higher dose, but I couldn't stand the taste. I found a generic version that tasted like cherry and did the trick I know, I know, I am such a baby, but Natural Calm does taste bad  That helped me stabilize, because I could afford to eat almost no IF and my body eventually stopped acting out. I don't need to take it anymore, because now I can eat IF too, but couldn't before.
Could your situation be caused by a viscious cycle? Maybe when you get D, you stop eating all IF, so you get constipated, then you start with the IF, get D, only to swing back to the other end. If you don't get IF do you get C only or are you still A?
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i am generally c now, but stable, i used to be A, so i know what you are dealing with, for me, if i didn't go for 2 days i would start loading up on the ground flax meal and drinking tons of water. i would take a tbsp in the morning and a tbsp at night, it works pretty well, might make you a bit bloated after the second amount, but it works.;
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Miso...what exactly is ground flax meal and would it give me a normal bm or "loose" (I am so afraid that if I get d, my body will revert back!). And that brings me to my response for Jeio...you know, you're sort of right that it's a cycle but I should start charting again when I take immodium. It only seems to be once/week now. I do have IF EVERY DAY...it's just a matter of how much. Sometimes I don't have it at a particular meal b/c I am anxious about something I have to do right afterwards. After posting this question, I had a normal bm this morning (after the MULTIPLE, but MUCH NEEDED ones yesterday!). Hurray...I was glad b/c normally it would feel like my body was empty so I might not have gone today. But I did make sure to eat lots of IF yesterday despite the many bms. And I don't want to jinx myself, but I have eaten some whole wheat and when I say I'm okay, I guess it's b/c I don't have d. I have to keep better tabs on whether I'm gassy. (This afternoon in fact I had a 1/4 of a ww bagel with 1/4 of plain bagel, acacia, and fruit for lunch...more on the IF side than usual. So far so good.) Oh, and I reduced my acacia yesterday and today by 1/4 teaspoon. It may have been coincidence, but when I went up, I think that's when I got more bloated (and it many days had passed for my body to adjust).
Miso, out of curiosity, how did you mangage to go from A to C? How much acacia do you take?
Thank you both for your help.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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You know, WW might just be OK for you. Just keep that in mind, people tolerate different kinds of IF differently. Reducing the acacia should be OK as long as it's enough so you don't get D. I only take about 2 teaspooons of acacia a day (and I forget sometimes) and that's enough for me (used to take 3 teaspoons, but reduced, because I couldn't continue taking my mid day dose).
I am glad you had a BM (and that you ate IF). You are probably less bloated right now. Btw, is it always a cycle like this? D-ish day and then 3 days of C-ishness, then again D-ish day, etc?
You seem to be on the right track, being systematic like that. You'll get to the bottom of this
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I thought I was one of the only ones taking a low dose of Acacia. It seems like most people are in the tablespoon range. To answer your question, I guess it has been 1/2 and 1/2...sometimes that cycle which seems to occur "naturally" and sometimes that cycle which is more obvious b/c of taking immodium (for an anxiety day) which I completely understand sets the system off. I'll keep at it and yeah...I really hope ww is my friend. I'm really enjoying introducing it again, even if in small amounts.  Thanks.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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When i say ground flax seed, i mean the stuff you buy in the refirgerated section of the health food store, it is flax seeds that have been ground up finely so that your body can digest them without just passing right on through as they would if they were whole, it is usually in a vaccuum sealed bag and costs between 5-10 dollars for a big bag and you only need 1-2 tbsp a day. When i get constipated and lately that isn't much i do 1 tbsp in the morning and one at night, or 2 and 2, and by the next day , i go, sometimes there is some cramping, but it is a nice natural way for your body to go, so i deal with it (more likely on the 2 and 2 dose)
I went form A to C as follows.
I used to be constipated for 4-5 days going only tiny amounts daily knowing that it was all building up and by the 4rth day i was feeling bloated, tired and nauseous, then i would finally go, but it would be D, then it would start all over again. After adjusting my diet, cutting up cheese and yogurt, and all meat i was still c, but without the d attacks, after taking the acacia and flax i started to go normally, now io take neither and still go everyday since my diet is full of IF, i don't eat any white flour products, never have.
Thats my story.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I buy the whole flaxseed and grind up what I need with a coffee grinder. That way it is fresh and I don't have to store the flaxseed in the frig plus it is cheaper.
Snookie, IBS-C
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Snookie, IBS-C
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