Acacia fiber dosage and anal fissure
#369138 - 01/30/13 05:44 PM
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Lreser
Reged: 12/16/10
Posts: 18
Loc: Ohio
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Hi everyone,
Just a quick intro again. I've had IBS-D for over 20 years after receiving a horrible round of antibiotics for pneumonia. Back in September for some unknown reason I had 3 days of constipation and developed an anal fissure.  It is by far the most horrible thing I have ever dealt with including 2 emergency C-sections. I am praying I don't have to have surgery to heal it but for the moment I don't have much hope in it healing on it's own. Apparently you can get a fissure from diarrhea as well. Never knew that.
I thought I was getting stable. My IBS-D symptoms were few and far between. Life was so good!!! I take 2 rounded tsp. of Benefiber and 1 pro-biotic every day. Now I also have to take 2 stool softeners for the fissure and apply nitro-glycerin cream topically twice daily. As if dealing with IBS isn't enough.  Crazy.
I have a couple of questions:
1. I tried acacia fiber in the past and it made me have horrible gas. I was using maybe an 1/8th of a tsp. once per day. Should I try this again since I've been using Benefiber for quite some time with no problems? I'm wondering if the Benefiber caused the constipation? Too much maybe?
2. If I start using acacia again, can I still use my pro-biotics since acacia has PRE-biotics in it? Can you take pro and pre-biotics at the same time? I think the pro-biotics have helped me immensely.
I have the hypnosis Cd's and plan to start those on Feb. 1st as well.
I need to keep things very, very soft right now without causing diarrhea so this stupid fissure will heal so I don't want to overdo anything. Any advice?
Thanks so much!
Lisa
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Lisa
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Anybody?
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Lisa
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Hi - I'd stick with what's working for you. Too much Benefiber can't cause constipation, it could just cause bloating and gas till your gut adjusted to the extra fiber.
You ideally want a prebiotic fiber like the acacia, because it will encourage the growth of the probiotics in your gut. It's an ideal combination, and you don't have to take both items at the same time of day, though you can. I don't know what's in the Benefiber (they keep changing their ingredient, and foreign countries are now different than US on top of it) so I don't know if it's prebiotic or not.
Hope you are feeling better soon.
XXOO
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Thank you so much for answering, Heather. So if I switch back to the acacia I can take pro-biotics, too? It's okay to take Pre-biotics and pro-biotics?
Thanks again!
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Lisa
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Yep!
#369146 - 02/01/13 03:49 PM
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Heather
Reged: 12/09/02
Posts: 7799
Loc: Seattle, WA
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In fact, it's a great combo to take prebiotics and probiotics, because they will be stronger together than alone. You don't HAVE to take both, but they are synergistic, so it's a good thing.
XOO
H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Re: Yep!
#369149 - 02/01/13 04:13 PM
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Lreser
Reged: 12/16/10
Posts: 18
Loc: Ohio
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Thank you!!
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Lisa
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I have not been on this site for awhile but after what I have just been through I wanted to offer any wisdom I have gained. I am recovering from an anal fissure that I was starting to think was never going to go away. I have also had IBS for as long as I can remember. I thought years ago it was IBS d but now I think it was C with the resultant diarrhea associated with being constipated. Long story short, trying everything under the sun decided to try a new med for IBS which gave me horrendous diarrhea and then a fissure about four months ago. It would start to get better but then re open and was a vicious cycle. I tried nitro, dilt, and all other various creams. I finally saw a colorectal surgeon and had the spincterotomy and fissure repair a week ago. I have hope again! Yes I am sore from the surgery and having someone do surgery on that part of your body is scary but really it is so much better than before. I had so much pain I would be writhing in bed crying. I later learned that I was having spasms and that due to scar tissue my spincter was healing, then reopening, thus making the exit site much smaller. Due to the limited circulation to that part of your body things just don't heal well down there once chronic. Since having the surgery I also have not had any IBS symptoms and having a BM has been more close to normal than I can every remember. I wonder if my IBS was related to that? I am happy to give more details if needed, just don't suffer a day longer. They gave me such good meds and the surgery was over in ten minutes.
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Haven't been here in a while but unfortunately am still dealing with this awful fissure! Probably heading for surgery. Kate L if you are still on here, how are you doing now? I tried to reply with a private message but it didn't work. Hopefully you're still here!!
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Lisa
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Lisa,
I have dealt with fissures in the past and yes, they are awful. I don't know if the PM works here as I've never used it. If you want, my e-mail is sdmielke@yahoo.com. I can give you an idea of a few things that have helped me. Just put FISSURE in the subject so I won't delete it. I understand how miserable you are.
Edited by reindeer (11/21/13 01:33 PM)
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Hi Lisa - if you're stable with your fiber I wouldn't change. Soluble fiber of any kind, including Benefiber, can't cause constipation. If anything, you'd want to gradually increase your soluble fiber dose to manage constipation - it typically takes a higher dose than diarrhea.
The Tummy Fiber does have the advantage of being a prebiotic. That is not the same thing as probiotics, which are the actual healthy bacteria. Prebiotics encourage the growth of probiotics, so they are two good things to take together.
I'd stay with what you're doing and if constipation is still an issue at all gradually increase the Benefiber.
Hope you are all better soon.
XOXO
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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