Help? Advice? I think I'm losing my mind!!
#332411 - 07/14/08 07:30 AM
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Brityn
Reged: 07/14/08
Posts: 4
Loc: New England
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Hi, let me start by saying I'm new to these message boards, and I thank you in advance for reading my post!
I've been suffering from constipation for about 16 years. It started not long after I got out of college, and was obsessed with my weight - I started drinking "Slim Tea" which was simply senna ( a laxative ).. I think I did that for about 5 years. I stopped that and never took a laxative again, for fear I had done some severe damage to my intestines. Probably about 6 years ago though I brought the issue to my PCP and he said that I couldn't have done damage and to eat more fiber. I didn't follow up again, thinking of course that I was just doing something wrong and of course being embarassed about it.
This past September I decieded to become Vegan. I have a 5 year old, and a 2 1/2 year old and have been seeing a Therapist for 2.5 years for PPD. I had broken my foot and was upset about gaining weight because I couldn't run - and she suggested a vegentarian diet. Well, my constipation got even worse. I tried ( I swear ) everything - I tried a probiotic and I tried going Gluten free ( which seemed to help for a little bit. ) I went back to my PCP and he ran tests for Celiac and referred me to a GI doctor. The GI doctor scheduled me for a Colonoscopy ( which was clean ).. and my celiac tests were negative. Now my Therapist is vern much into Homeopathy and using food to treat what ails you.. so she has had me trying everything - digestive enzymes, aloe vera juice etc. And now she has me going gluten free again.
But I'm losing my mind! I've ruined so many undergarments because my constipation is so bad that when I pass gas, I pass stool. The other night it was so bad that at 4am I used an enema to get some relief! My stomach is horribly distended.. I've popped so many buttons off my pants because of it! Oh and the gas.. its horrible.. my poor family and co-workers!
I have been using Heather's teas, the peppermint capsules and the acacia fiber. At one point I was using her cookbook as well. I've been convinced that I have a food allergy.. but now I'm thinking maybe if I just stick to soluble fiber, I could be okay??? Any words of wisdom? I seriously just want to stop eating!!!
I'm currently taking Miralax with 1.5 tablespoons of acacia fiber every night.
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IBS-C w/Gas
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Hey Brityn, welcome.
You sound like you sure have had a rough go.It is possible to damage your colon using sennna but by the sounds of it you are ok.
I have IBSD so I'm not sure how much I can help but have you gone back to the basic of the diet?
When I'm not doing so good I live on white bread, and bananas.
There are alot of helpful people on here so maybe someone with c and help more.
Good luck to you.
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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The latest IBS research suggests that all IBS suffers including those with IBS-C should try substantially reducing or eliminating whole grains and other high IF foods from their diet. In other words, they should reduce consumption of IF foods and increase SF foods. You might give this approach a try for 4-6 weeks and see how it works.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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reducing the whole grains and high fiber foods. I think this is much harder when you are doing a vegetarian diet and certainly a vegan diet since legumes and whole grains are staples. Try to eat lots of organic tofu, baked or sauteed, or right out of the container. White rice, bananas, rice cakes, applesauce are all fairly safe. I have found that I can eat organic refried beans that are not really fried. HTH.
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Hi Brityn,
I'm so sorry you're having such a hard time! I can relate, as I used to have a physical dependency on stimulant laxatives. The "rebound" constipation, gas and bloating was almost unbearable!
You won't find a whole lot of people on this board who support the use of aloe vera juice (Heather does not recommend it), but it helped me out a great deal, especially when I was recovering from the laxative dependency. I also take digestive enzymes, and eat extra flax seeds when constipation is a major issue.
I can also relate to having food restrictions while following the IBS diet...while I am not vegan or even vegetarian, I have type 1 diabetes, and have to watch the amount of sugar and refined carbs I consume. I also have problems with dairy, tomatoes and wheat. Sometimes it feels like I am losing my mind, with all these things to consider every time I eat! I also went through a period of trying every different supplement, herb, vitamin and homeopathic treatment (you name it!) to help with the IBS symptoms...some of them worked, and some of them didn't, and all of them left a significant dent in my bank account! It can be really overwhelming and confusing trying to find the best way to treat your IBS, especially when you have food allergies or other dietary restrictions. My advice to you is to carefully watch how your body is responding to everything you're doing/taking. Eliminate the things you know aren't helping you, and keep doing the things you know are helping you. Meanwhile, do try to incorporate more soluble fiber foods into your diet...
I've found that there are plenty of foods I can eat that are appropriate for my personal health needs, and still fit into Heather's diet. I've had a lot of success eating baked sweet potatoes (which have more fiber and nutrients than the white ones, but are still mostly SF), soft, peeled mangoes, well-cooked carrots and squash, rice, quinoa, spinach, and tofu. You can also get rice pasta and rice bread that work really well if you really do have a problem with wheat or gluten. Rice cheese is also a great source of vegan protein that is very easy to digest. If eating is too much of a struggle sometimes, try making smoothies with a base of silken tofu or rice/soymilk, flax seeds and bananas or mangoes.
I hope that helps a bit. It's a process, and you just have to keep working at it. But I hope you get some relief soon!
Take care!
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Julia
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Thank you Julia! I'm so hoping this soluble fiber thing will do the trick. It makes so much sense. What stinks is that I cannot tell what foods are causing me issues because I feel terrible all the time - food diary's aren't helping at all!
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IBS-C w/Gas
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Thank you so much. It makes sense - I got worse when becoming vegan - which is when I started eating allot more greens, legumes etc.
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IBS-C w/Gas
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I totally agree...
What with the diabetes, and being totally "health conscious" for so many years, I've had to throw out that concept that whole grains, beans, and "roughage" were the best foods for me to be eating. Any health benefits of these foods are not worth the pain and suffering of the digestive problems they cause me!
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Julia
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Brityn,
I have struggled with IBS-C as well. We all have to find the balance of SF and IF in our diets. For me, I have to have a lot of IF. I also have to eat whole wheat and/or whole grains with fruits and veggies EVERY day. It's really important for people who are constipation prone as the IF pushes everything through. As long as my diet consists of mostly IF with some SF to cushion it, I do pretty good. I also drink about 80-100 oz. of water a day.....it's needed to push that fiber along. I have a liter bottle of water right next to my bed and drink almost the entire bottle even before getting out of bed. When I first started following the diet guidelines and the majority of fiber was SF I could never get a decent BM. It really takes time and lot of experimenting of what works. Even then, some days are just off. Best of luck.
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Update!
#332536 - 07/16/08 04:08 AM
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Brityn
Reged: 07/14/08
Posts: 4
Loc: New England
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It's only been a few days - but I've been eating only SF - rice chex with banana and soy milk for breakfast and lunch, rice for dinner.. and I'm doing SO MUCH BETTER!! I can't not BELIEVE the difference! I'm still a bit gassy, and yesterday my stomach was still distended.. but I'm having great BM's and this morning my belly feels great!!! I don't know what I did wrong the first time I tried Heather's diet - I must have tried SF along with other foods. When do you think it would be a good time to start adding IF back in?
Thank you so much for all of your responses!!!
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IBS-C w/Gas
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