Question regarding FIber??
#343453 - 03/19/09 11:56 AM
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OK so I have IBS-C which is unrelenting. I used to be able to eat high-fiber cereal, Fiber One, which really helped me with the constipation. Within the last few months, I have developed horrific bloating and now I can no longer tolerate my cereal. Since I have cut out my cereal, I cannot go to the restroom whatsoever and have resorted to laxatives once a week. I have tried Mirilax in the past will little success (it gave me terrible lower back aches). When I do need to go, I take Milk of Magnesia which does the trick, but I can't see me continuing to do this every week. Metamucil and other bulk-forming fiber supplements do nothing but make me bloat. Does anyone have any advise as to what I can take, or what has worked for you? I'm miserable. Thanks!!
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Hi! I know your pain. I was in the hospital for a couple of days with a fecal impaction. (Gross) I used to eat the Fiber One as well, it worked so well for constipation, but then, it turned on me and I got the same symptoms (bloating, gas, etc) that you are experiencing. The following is my normal routine, and usually, by 9:30 I'm going to the BR:
Wake up at 5, take Miralax, exercise for 30-60 min.
Get in shower and get ready for the day.
Eat breakfast at 7 of Oatmeal (Quaker Original) mixed with 3T of Heather's tummy fiber (you need to start at low dose and work up to a few tablespoons)
I usually put a cup of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, or any kind of fruit i have on hand in my oatmeal(the berries usually do the trick)
And a cup of soy milk.
For a morning snack around 9:30, I usually eat a banana and some grapes or some kind of fruit and/or soy yogurt.
I'm in BR by 9:45
I do take Amitiza for bowels as well. I think it helps, too, but not really sure because I've been on Miralax for so long now.
If I don't take the Miralax at least an hour before I eat breakfast, there's no BM. So even if I don't have a chance to exercise, I still take it before my shower.
Us constipated people need more IF than D. That is why I add berries to my oatmeal. They are full of IF. Also, I try to eat some IF with every meal unless I'm just feeling awful. We also need a bit more fat than people with D. I'm not meaning a greasy steak or fried chicken, but half an avocado and some edamame or a few nuts with a SF meal really helps. I have eaten a piece of breakfast sausage with my fiance for breakfast before and went straight to the BR, but I regretted the decision afterwards, I was bloated and gassy, and my bowels no longer liked me! 
I hope some of this helps. I have dealt with constipation for 15 years or so. It's not fun, and can be very depressing, especially the pain.
One question: did the milk of magnesia not lock up your bowels because of the stimulants? I can't take stimulant laxatives, they hurt too badly!
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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Thanks for all the great information!! I will have to give this a try. Milk of magnesia works well for me. Actually, my GI doc recommended taking a tablespoon or two every night instead of the miralax. If I take a full dosage and drink a lot of water, I get full relief within about 6 hours. A major downside is it tastes AWFUL!! Sometimes I get cramping, but it is not near as bad as harsh stimulant laxatives like Ex-Lax. I can tolerate Dulcolax as well. I think my bowels are made of iron because I don't really suffer from too much cramping from my gas, I just get abnormally distended!
I've suffered from C for the past 8 years. I feel like my bowels are locked all the time, as I never go on my own anymore. I hate taking laxatives, and up until this last month I was only taking them about once a month or so. It's no way to live, especially at 27. I am getting married in May and I am a mess about how this and the bloating will effect my wedding/honeymoon.
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Well, I'm glad the Milk of Magnesia does well for you.
I'm getting married in May as well! I'm 26 and my fiance is 27. Wow, we have a lot in common! I too am worried about my wedding/honeymoon being messed up because of my bowels, I'm hoping I can control everything ok, but there's no way to tell!
I can't wait for the wedding; are you as excited as I am? 
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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Planning a wedding is notoriously stressful so the resulting anxiety may be aggravating your IBS. You could try the hypnotherapy program or some other stress reliving technique like yoga.
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Stable IBS D
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Hi Heathernes,
Once you really start to understand what causes the IBS it will make a lot more sense. The 2 key strategies we recommend to get the constipation or diarrhea to stabilize involve dietary changes to address the triggers that are affecting the dysregulation of the nervous system in the gut that controls the motility (frequency – too slow or too fast) and soluble fiber (acacia is the most tolerable for IBS) to help address the consistency of the bowel movements. The dietary triggers are the same for both diarrhea and constipation IBS, the individual just responds differently by either slowing down or speeding up the motility. Removing the dietary triggers for a while will allow the gut nervous system to calm down and ease the dysregulation that affects the motility. Once it is calmed down, the frequency will begin to normalize and you can then carefully start bringing things back into the diet following all of the tips Heather talks about in her books to prevent IBS from getting irritated again. To get the best results you should tackle IBS with both approaches……diet for normal motility/frequency and acacia for normal consistency. The fennel (for gas/bloating) and the peppermint caps and teas (for pain associated with cramping and spasming) are to help you manage the associated symptoms that often come along with IBS. The peppermint is soothing and calming to the dysregulated and hypersensitive nervous system in the colon. They are designed to calm things down before the food gets there to prevent any trigger foods in the meal from causing a flare up of the IBS nervous system dysregulation. Soluble fiber also works like a cushion between your colon and these trigger foods to help minimize the effect and in turn minimize the chances of aggravating IBS.
Taking too much acacia too fast can cause increased gas and bloating. Acacia is one of the lowest gas-forming fibers out there and going slow makes the gas issue totally avoidable. Please be patient because this really does work.
We recommend starting with ½ teaspoon twice a day (daily dose of 1 teaspoon). You can split the daily dose up as many time as you like throughout the day, just divide it by 2 or 3 depending on the frequency you prefer. Try to increase the dose every 4th day or so by a teaspoon (add this to the daily dose). If you get increased gas and bloating by jumping the dose up by a teaspoon, try cutting this in half. Some people with IBS are so sensitive they have to go up at ¼ teaspoons every 4th day. Keep stepping up the dose every 4th day or so until you find a dose that resolves your constipation and/or diarrhea. Constipation is usually resolved with a daily dose of 4-5 tablespoons/day and diarrhea/loose stools usually resolves at a lower dose of 1-3 tablespoons/day. You shouldn't take more than 5 tbsp/day. The maintenance dose is different for each person depending on their specific symptoms. Dietary changes are often necessary to make lasting changes. In the beginning until you stabilize, it works best to take the acacia before each meal to minimize the effect of trigger foods in the meal and to calm the intestines before the food arrives.
I would suggest reading both of Heather's books so you can thoroughly understand all the ways to help stabilize IBS. The diet and soluble fiber will work more with the cause and help to stabilize you. Acacia helps people with diarrhea to have formed bowel movements and people with constipation to have softer and easier to pass bowel movements. People often experience significant improvement within a couple weeks when they make the dietary and fiber changes at the same time; although, constipation does take longer to resolve than diarrhea. It is not uncommon for constipation folks to increase the acacia very slowly because they are more likely to have trouble with painful gas and bloating. It can take 1-2 months to work up to the daily dose of 4-5 tablespoons/day sometimes. It will only make you miserable if you increase the dose too quickly. Important changes are taking place inside the colon as the body adjusts, so just be patient and let your body gently adjust to the acacia. Constipation folks will often need to continue to use whatever methods they were using previously to keep things moving until they are able to work up to the 4 tablespoons/day dose or so. Please don't stop everything cold turkey and make yourself sick because this will take some time. The overwhelming feedback I hear from people is that once they reach this dose it is a magical experience and they are able to stop relying on the other medications etc they have always needed to have a normal movement at least once a day.
Go ahead and print up the IBS Patient Handout by clicking on this link. http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/cheatsheet.asp. This gives a list of soluble/insoluble fiber foods and trigger foods to stay away from.
I hope this helps!
Erin
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Erin Dudley, MS, CN
Certified Nutritionist
Heather's Tummy Care / Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
IBS Education, Support, & Products
Toll Free: 866 640 4942 Direct: 206 264 8069 Fx: 206 264 8072
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This email is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. Heather Van Vorous and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this email and/or any web site(s) linked to/from it. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this email
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I'm so excited about the wedding!! Yes, it is a little stressful but I am enjoying it. That's funny that we are both the same ages, our fiancee's are the same age, and we are both getting married in May. Mine is the 16th, when is yours??
I pray every day that I am not bloated while we are in the Bahamas. I can handle it at home, kinda, but I really don't want to look pregnant on the beach. Especially when I have worked out so hard to get into shape.
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What flavor/variety of Fiber One did/do you mostly eat? The raisin bran or the honey clusters??
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I used to eat the honey clusters and the good ole fiber one bran cereal. The little stick looking things were my favorite. I can't eat any of it anymore; it gave me terrible pain/gas.
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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Mine is on the 16th too!!!! How weird is that? Bahamas sound like fun! We are going to Big Cedar Resort in Missouri. We are an outdoorsy couple, so this will be perfect for us. It still might be a little cool up there, so I don't have to worry about a bathing suit too much  . I have slacked off with working out lately, its so hard to get up in the morning on this new medicine my GI has me on for the stomach pains (Elavil, that is). I sleep so well that I can barely get up in time to get dressed and eat breakfast! I've tried to exercise in the evening, but after work, I don't want to do anything!
Almost everything is done for the wedding, so we are almost through stressing out. The invitations are going to go out this week, and this weekend, I go for my last fitting in my dress. *excitement*. I can't wait!!!! My dress is 60 years old; my grandmother wore it as her graduation dress, isn't that neat? We picked out flower arrangements last weekend and the caterer and photographer are set! How are your plans going?
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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