Reached the End of My Rope! And Now Reaching-Out to You All for Help!!!!!
#327136 - 03/24/08 11:39 PM
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Hey all...
I've been told by my doctor that I have IBS however it is just speculatory(no tests have been done) - Not to say that I may not have it. It IS certain that there is most definitely SOMETHING wrong with my GI tract. I go through cycles of diarrhea/constipation, which is more commonly chronic constipation. I recently was in the hospital with terrrrrible pain from severe constipation, a problem which took a week of starving and tons of laxatives to fix. The constipation has been a problem I've been having since I was a kid, and this isn't the first time I ended-up in the hospital because of the pain....Yet doctors don't seem to want to help me, and act as if I'm bothering them somehow when I ask them to TEST ME for any ILLNESSES! I just want to know WHAT is wrong....I appeal to my doctors for help but they treat it like it's no big deal and whenever I'm having a lot of trouble, prescribe me laxatives and enemas. At the hospital I had to literally force the doctor to take an X-Ray, something she thought wasn't really necessary(although I was having the worst pain I've EVER felt!).. I'm sick of it. And I'm sick of the health care I get in my country(Canada - where health care is free, and you get what you PAY FOR!). I'm currently waiting on an appointment with a gastroenterologist, and have been waiting for months.
In the meantime, life is hell.....Literal HELL. I fast for two days, then for a day I eat...Then I fast for two days. It's the only way I can feel somewhat normal and free of pain. In the past, this lead to me a pretty bad eating disorder....And the fasting cycle makes me feel horrendous, because I'm hyperglycemic.
As for the IBS-diet for constipation that I read about on here, it would totally aggravate my insulin-resistance/hyperglycemia. "White food" as well as most fruits give me massive headaches and make me feel bloated. I've read about Elaine Gottschall a little bit, and how a low-carb approach can be helpful for those with IBS....But I always read advice online that advises against this. Why is that?????
I've been a low-carber for a long time, eat tons of vegetables, mostly natural foods, and eat CLEAN...So what's the deal?? Oh also...Psyllium and other fibre-supplements always makes the problem worse. Have you ever heard of something like that??? I tell the doctors about it and they tell me I'm nuts. So I have been taking psyllium + inulin anyways and recently cut it out because taking it makes me want to crawl into a hole and DIE.
So....Is there really no diet for me that will help? Because I'm beginning to feel that way.
Please forgive me for the long post, I'm brand new! And this is my last desparate attempt to find some sort of direction  Living this way is driving me absolutely insane and it feels like it has already, in many ways, succeeded in ruining my life...
...Thanks in advance for ANY help. I truly appreciate it.
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Much blessings to everybody for good health and true happiness ~ Jaya
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I'm sorry you're having such a terrible time. You're absolutely right to insist on having tests down. There are other conditions that can mimic IBS and you need those eliminated before an IBS diagnosis can be made.
In the meantime - while you're waiting for your GI appointment - maybe you could do some more reading about Heather's approach to IBS. In particular, if you've only learned about it through these Boards you don't have the whole picture. If you do more reading she explains why "I've been a low-carber for a long time, eat tons of vegetables," and taking psyllium and inulin may not be the best approaches even for constipation.
Here are some links to try:
Diagnosing IBS - This is a list of the conditions that should be eliminated and the tests that should be done before IBS can be diagnosed
Old post of mine - This points you to the information on the Website *outside* these Boards that will give you the basics on Heather's approach
What about diabetes? - This is a FAQ where Heather talks about using her approach if you have diabetes. This should address some of your concerns about your blood sugar issues.
Soluble Fiber Supplements - Heather describes the various SFS. As you'll see, psyllium is part IF which may be irritating to your gut; inulin can cause bloating in some people.
I hope some of this helps. Good luck with your GI when you finally get to see him.
Take care.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Thank you so much for all the info!!!!! I knew, I just KNEW that psyllium and inulin weren't right for me. It just infuriates me that the doctor would tell me to, "just keep taking it and things will get better".
About the glycemic concerns, unfortunately that page doesn't address my problem, as hyperglycemia is like the opposite of diabetes. So wheat, corn, anything with starch makes me feel sluggish and makes my head hurt. Contrary to the dietary restrictions for those with IBS, I find that fat doesn't seem to negatively effect me, even helps my condition and eases the constipation somewhat. I've noted some people saying things like "it's good to eat oilier foods to oil the bowels". Is there any truth to that??
It's so tough to figure.....And the doctors don't make it any easier. I'm considering even going to one of the Mayo Clinics in the U.S. and paying the big bucks to do it, just so I can get some decent medical attention, and a proper diagnosis.
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Much blessings to everybody for good health and true happiness ~ Jaya
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Several things.
First, I'm a little confused about your blood sugar issues because I thought hyperglycemia was a kissing cousin to diabetes - they're both high blood sugar conditions - while hypoglycemia is a low blood sugar.
Second, when you say that some people say to eat fat to oil the bowels you're mixing apples and oranges. Heather's approach is based on not irritating the digestive system so it will calm down and work more smoothly. That means a base of Soluble Fiber combined with safe protein and enough IF for good health and to keep things moving. She recommends a low level of fat because fat is a big IBS trigger. Other people recommend other approaches but it's not very helpful to mix and match since Heather's approach is a co-ordinated one.
Third, doctors. Here's a link to a long thread about good doctors: web page. You can dig through it and see if there are any doctors near you. You'll also notice that in the first post - by Heather - she mentions Dr. Lucy Harris who moved to the Mayo Clinic in Arizona (I don't know if she's still there or not).
I hope some of this helps. I put something in the subject line that might get you more responses from people with C.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Wow! It sounds like you've been having a terrible time. It also sounds like you have been dealing with some terrible doctors on top of it. What kind of doctor refuses to test their patients?
I live on the east coast of Canada and my doctors(GI and GP) have been great. I've been tested for everything under the sun. I think you should just ditch the doc you've been dealing with and find someone a little more empathetic.
Like you, I always had a problem with irregularity but, until recently, it has been much worse in the last two years. Have you tried stool softeners? They are not the same as stimulant laxatives and don't cause dependency. You should ask a doctor or pharmacist before you start taking them. In addition to this, drink water! Tons and tons of water! 2 to 3 liters a day at least and consider adding a soluble fiber supplement to your diet. I had been using Benefiber before I switched to Acacia. I take it 3 times a day a half hour before I eat. This had made a HUGE difference. I know it seems hopeless now but I've felt the same way. I used to go days and days without having a BM and the pain would bring me to my knees. Now I have a BM almost every day.
In regards to the diet... I was skeptical at first as well. The white breads and rice did make me bloated for a few days but my body did adjust to it. Now I swear by them. I really think you would benefit from trying it for a few days. Do you think it's possible for you to feel any worse? You don't have anything to loose. Also, be patient. There is no quick fix. Don't quit if you don't feel better right away. It takes time for your stomach to "calm down." You may also want to consider cutting the fruit out of your diet for a few days and see how you feel. I used to eat tons of it thinking it would help but it actually made me worse. I can eat some fruit like melon, peaches, mangos, and some berries but apples and oranges KILL me. I would assume this is because of the acid content. Eat bananas instead!
Sorry this is such a long winded post but I have just one more thing to add... I used to fast the same way that you do. You feel "good" for a couple days cause your bowel and stomach is empty... so you eat(the wrong foods). Then you stomach and bowel are full and you have a few bad days... then you don't eat. This is terrible for your body. I lost about 15 lbs doing this and for someone who is 4'11 and weighs about 95 lbs this is not a good thing. So I was down to about 80lbs of skin and bones. You also mentioned that you are hypoglycemic. This method of eating would be very bad for anyone with this condition. You need to be eating regularly to see any improvements at all.
I hope this helps you a least a little bit. Just know that there are people that understand what you are going through. You can come to the message boards whenever you need to vent your frustrations and know that at least 1 other person will know what you are going through. Complain away!!!
All the best
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*Amy*
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Thank you so much for the supportive words!!!! So very encouraging!!!!
It seems as though every doc I go to treats the irregularity as if it's not a huge deal and I'm making too much of it...Yet they have no way of knowing that it's "just nothing" because they don't test me for anything. I really hate all the doctors here....They're just....Morons.
Oh and I'm hypERglycemic, not hypOglycemic. I noticed that was causing some confusion.. Meaning that my blood sugar is naturally pretty high, so sugars and carbs make me feel horrible. Fruits I don't eat anyways(the sugar gives me headaches).
And I am DEFINITELY going to try the acacia. I'm heading-out to get some tomorrow(we had a terrible snowstorm today). I'd buy it off this site but I have no creditcard  So there's this all-natural acacia I found at the GNC in the Fiber 35 Diet line of products...Gonna give it a try, hoping it'll help me some.
I've taken stool softeners(Ducosate Sodium and sometimes Senokot-S which is stool softener with some sennoside, not much though) and am currently taking them on the days I actually eat - hah! Yeah I know fasting is stupid and a sure way to a state of malnutrition...It just makes things so much easier, temporarily....Til I get dizzy. Ugh. This is so not a way to live.
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Much blessings to everybody for good health and true happiness ~ Jaya
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Quote:
The white breads and rice did make me bloated for a few days but my body did adjust to it. Now I swear by them
They honestly don't increase your C? How often do you eat them? Do you limit them?
And the bananas too? How do you get your IF in order not to be so C????
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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I eat IF too but I always make sure to have white pasta or rice as a base. I'll have cooked veggies with rice and pasta sauce. I recently started adding a little bit of bran cereal to my regular cereal in the morning. This helps a lot too.
When I initially started to stabalize I cut out all IF and only had SF in the form of white breads and rice etc and it actually gave me D for a while. Once I added the veg it improved quite a bit.
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*Amy*
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Do you have white rice and/or pasta/white bread for every meal every day? It seems like if I have white rice one day, the next I am C. I can't believe you went D!
Thanks...oh, what kind/how much of bran cereal do you add to your regular cereal (and what kind is that)?
Thanks so much. Oh, how much Acacia are you taking? Can you tolerate any fruits?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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PS
#327219 - 03/26/08 10:13 AM
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Jordy
Reged: 08/12/06
Posts: 2095
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Sorry so many questions!
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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