Giving up coffe w/ IBS-C
#314266 - 08/30/07 05:33 AM
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snow
Reged: 08/30/07
Posts: 1
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Hi everyone. I am new to the IBS diet. I have IBS-C and have been on Miralax for eons. Left to my own devices I would never have BM's on my own (my record is 21 days w/ no BM when I was a teenager!). With the Miralax I "go" pretty regulary but still struggle with feeling VERY bloated, gassy, and incomplete evacuation. The Miralax sometimes gives me D but I never have D when I am not on it. The first week on the IBS diet I felt great. This week, not so good. I have that pregnant-looking bloated belly and I am just miserable. I have been taking Acacia, just 1/2 tsp once a day so far, though yesterday I took 1/2 tsp twice a day. I have tried to give up coffee several times over the past few weeks. However, that one cup of coffee in the AM is the ONE thing I can rely on to make me have a BM. I am really struggling with giving it up because I wake up so bloated and miserable, and having a BM gives me at least partial relief. The low-dose of acacia is making me more bloated too. I understand the physiology that Heather explained with the "internal charlie horse" and coffee contributing to C in the long run. But on a day-to-day basis, when I need to button my pants and go to work, it is just so hard to give up the coffee and face dealing with not having that morning BM.
How have the rest of you with IBS-C dealt with this? Did cutting out coffee really help you, and how long did it take before you started to see improvement? Any advice or encouragement is appreciated!
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CUt out coffee. I amd IBS -A so I too have been 3 weeks without a BM and than another 2-4 weeks of non stop D. Acacia has helped -so keep that. I too would use coffee to help kick start my day. I have now used only herbal teas and fennel tea is great for the bloating. It will take a bit to get your body use to the new diet. Stick to the diet and drink fennel to help with the bloating. I will have a few cups of fennnel a day. Also look at your diet to see what else might cause bloating. You may have triggers you are not aware of such a peppers and veggies, fruits?? I know I had to cut out foods that bloated me or were high in salt and that changed a bit for me.
Hope this helps and hang in there it does get better.
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I'm so sorry you're going through this. I know EXACTLY how you feel. I too have IBS-C and I know the bloating, pregnant feeling stomach feeling. Well I started the IBS diet and followed all of the guidelines along with the acaia fiber and fennel tea and it helped immensely. I also love, love, love coffee and it was really hard to give up. And I too thought the exact same thing, how can I give up something that helps me go to the bathroom??? After a short while of giving it up, along with the other changes, I noticed a HUGE difference. So I really recommend you try it and for the first few days it'll be scary b/c your body is used to going with the coffee but it will stablize. In fact, I miss coffee so much (but I'm too scared to try it again) I'm looking for a good coffee substitute. I also take a product called Senna Prompt in a pill form and that seems to help too. Right now I'm fairly stable but I live in TX where it's humid and I know it's causing my IBS to flare up, plus I stopped eating alot of insoluble fiber foods which I know isn't good, so I need to get a good balance back. Overall, I'm in much better condition than I was a year ago and I know it's b/c I gave up coffee and started following Heather's guidelines. Hope this helps! 
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I am also new to the IBS diet and I am also IBS - C. I love coffee as well. I can not give it up because it also helps with BMs. I drink an iced grande soy latte every morning. I am ok if I only drink one in a day. I really crave that second coffee in the afternoon, but the consequences outweigh the benefits. I drink 16 oz of water before I have my latte in the morning. I learned to do this from my acupunturist. I think it helps me with the coffee. I know that the diet says to strictly cut out coffee, but it is not a huge trigger for me. Everything in moderation I guess. Maybe drip coffee does a different number on ya.
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Try Soyfee as a coffee substitute (soyfee.com). It won't help with making you go to the bathroom, but it does taste VERY MUCH like coffee and you can have it in the AM and mix your acacia in. I was d originally but I have also been A so I know how you want that coffee to help you "go." Just find an IF food that works well on you. Usually if I have a smoothie that is heavy on the blueberries or some cantaloupe coupled with a bit of SF, I can go. But otherwise, no...remember exercise and water too. Good luck.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I am ibs d and thought that coffee was a major factor in my problems, however I have since been to a nutritionist who put me on a wheat, dairy, sugar, red-meat free diet and I feel fantastic. My ibs has literally disappeared and despite the diet sounding a nightmare (it's only for a month then gradually introducing things back) it's not that bad and I'm still having my morning cup of coffee. instead of running for the loo every morning, I'm now going leisurely and 'normally' every day. I cannot stress enough how important it is for people to visit a nutritional therapist if they can -even if it's in conjunction with Heathers diet. My nutritionist reckons, although I may not have intolerances, I may be sensitive to wheat and dairy- and I was eating a lot of bread on Heathers diet and not feeling any better.
so an elimination diet may help 'stabalise' you and you may not have to miss your morning coffee fix after all! good luck!
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