About to hire a private investigator....
#68641 - 05/07/04 06:21 PM
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ok so...
I need some answers.. especially from those of you who are wiser when it comes to all this stuff..
i've been taking the fiber supplements, 1 fibercon before eat meal, I've been following the diet to the best of my knowledge, and i've been on this board every single day!
I must say, the diarrhea (knock on wood) seems to be fewer.. but they are not all that far between. Granted, I've got it down to once or twice per day.. which is a big advancement considering I used to be in the bathroom anywhere from 2-12 times a day with DDDDD.
ok well what I need help with is.. not to be graphic, but my bowel movements are still in no way solid formed bowel movements. They are still very diarrheay (not pure water sometimes like before.. but still not regular).. luckily they stop after once or twice, which is great! My problem is not so much the consistency, I mean at this rate I'd die of shock if I ever had a normal poo.. my problem is that they are still URGENT. I mean I still get a stomach ache and its like ohhhhh crap I gotta go! Which is really really really what I hate about IBS and want to stop. I still get the cramps and still have to go go go!! I hate the fact that I have like 3.333333 seconds to get in the bathroom before my stomach explodes!! ok this is the longest and most disgusting post ever!!
Ok.. this is what I ate yesterday.. Honeycomb cereal for breakfast, leftover pasta that I got from this website which consisted of peas, carrots, lemon juice, and chicken broth for lunch.. and for dinner I kinda invented something random but that I thought would be perfectly safe, Steamed tiny tiny peices of zuccchini, squash and carrots this a tiny bit of garlic, over minute rice cooked with chicken broth instead of water and a peice of french bread!! But lo and behold, I got cramps an hour later and had a not normal poo. How can I stop the urgency and the cramps? would peppermint caps help at all? I mean this is a kinda big change, considering a month ago I'd probably be running from the table after my last bite and on the toilet at least 3 times.. but still.. what am I doing wrong..
Do you think this is just how it will be once a day forever, maybe my body just can't make normal ones?!?
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Your subject line made me smile!
Now seriously, this is NOT how it will be forever. As I just said to Kelly (Vicam), there's no way anyone can know that for sure! If you could, I'd start asking you for stock market tips!!
I'm so sorry you're still having trouble. Two things come to mind. If one fibercon before each meal is all the fiber you're taking, that's not enough. Go re-read Heather's sticky post at the top of the list. I had to work my way up very gradually to one teaspoon three times a day of Metamucil (makes some people gassy but works great for me, pick one that agrees with you through trial and error).
But even that didn't help me when I was really out of control like you. I had to resort to meds to help me break the cycle -- Imodium to slow things down until I could get stable and an antispasmodic called Bentyl to stop the cramping and urgency. At first I took it only when I thought I needed it, but my doctor scolded me into taking it twice a day, every day. That finally did the trick and I haven't had D since Jan 9, almost four months.
If I can do it, you can do it. Hang in there, okay?
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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I actually took an antispasmodic medicine, (hyocyamine) for about 3 years. My doctor had me taking 2 pills a half an hour before each meal and they really didn't do much to help me!! finally, I just said screw it, i'm sick of paying for these and they are not helping and just went off of them. Having any sort of drugs sucks, and since they weren't helping I didn't want any unecessary drugs in me.. However, I also had no clue about this diet before when I was originally on them. I basically ate anything, I mean I new what to avoid and I did... but
oh wait sorry I just had to rush to the bathroom with another attack of D.. arhhhhh this is just what I'm talking about..
back to my story.. maybe I should consider trying them again considering I now know better diet plans etc.. maybe they would help. maybe that is something I should consider..
So, how did you get d-free for four months. I'm jealous and I can't wait!
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oh and also.. how gradual, should we be adding fiber.. I started on this site on April 15th and started fiber then too after reading everyones posts. So I started with 1 pill twice daily, last week I added another pill to that. How slow are we supposed to go, or am I going waaaay too slow and should add more at a time?!?
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I take Buscopan to help with that myself. It's great and really helps me out loads and I find it hard to believe there is anyone who had worse problems with D than me. I would 12 immodium a day and by the next moring be sick with D again.
Anyways Buscopan helps plus sometimes something like chamomile pills just for the fact that attacks can often happen just because of stress. I used to get attacks because I would panic that I would have an attack. Silly huh?
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When I have a real bad D episode I will take a day or so off of eating hardly a thing. Lots of a drinkable fiber, 2 or 3 glasses, I spread them out over the day and snack on fat free saltines all day (maybe 20) and a plain baked potatoe for dinner. Once I fell confident my intestines have settled down I slowly add things. And I would hold off on the green veggies for a few days also, they always give me gas which only makes the D episode worse. I hope this will help.
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and I'd switch to a powder to make things easier. If you stay with the pills, you'll need to work your way up to 24-30 pills a day. With powders like Acacia or Benefiber, you'll only need to work up to 3 tablespoons a day. I also think the powders in general work better than the pills - the pills are great for keeping on you for travel and restaurants, but at home try the powders.
There's a sticky post at the top of the board all about soluble fiber supplement dosages.
You might also try very strong, hot peppermint tea and the peppermint caps. They'll both help stop the spasms and thus the diarrhea.
Also, ask your doc about a different anti-spasmodic. Different varieties work better for different people, so try a few of them before you give up.
- 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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I think I will order the acacia and the peppermint capsules now. It is worth a shot! Hopefully I will tolerate the acacia and it will help me out!
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I don't know if you do, but do you take calcium? I know some people on here take it and it helps slow things down(not calcium citrate though).
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IBS-C
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I have a problem with chicken broth. I think it's the canned kind and probably has something to do with preservatives or something -- but I would have terrible D and pain from "safe" foods and I finally saw the pattern -- chicken broth.
I agree with the others about upping your fiber and all that - but just thought I'd mention the chicken broth as well. I know some make their own -- and that may be the key for me. Some of us have different triggers... but I thought I'd mention it for you to watch and see if it might be a common factor for you.
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How did I get D-free for four months?
Well, to start with I didn't duplicate the combinations of triggers I had for my 50th birthday dinner last year: champagne, lobster and chocolate cake! Yep, I got diarrhea for my 50th birthday!!
Seriously, there are three keys for me:
1. Fiber supplement, maximum daily dose. (I happen to take Metamucil, but there are lots of different ones, including Heather's acacia.)
2. Anti-spasmodic taken twice daily. (Again, I happen to take Bentyl, but there are lots of different ones, including Heather's peppermint caps.)
3. HEATHER'S DIET!! No alcohol, no coffee, no high fat or fried foods. Lots of soluble fiber foods. Many small meals and snacks so I don't stress my tummy with too much to digest at once. Cautious consumption of safe protein and insoluble fiber.
And for me, it took ALL THREE. If I stopped doing any one of the three, I'd be running for the bathroom again, just like you!
Hope this helps. And don't give up! That's an order!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Hi,
Sorry you are having such a hard time. I know people are probably tired  of me bringing this up but could there be sorbitol/mannitol in anything you are eating( even vitamins, toothpaste, etc)???? Also high fructose corn syrup is something else to watch out for. Both of these are very bad triggers for me and I learned the hard way before I found this website. Just thought I would share this with you.
Good Luck
Barbie
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My daily vitamin contains 45% of my daily value of calcium. Do you think I need more?
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really that is interesting... I will have to check that out. I never really thought that chicken broth could be that bad. Right now I'm using stop and shop brand boullion cubes, and there is probably a better and safer alternative. i'll have to keep an eye on it and cross my fingers that this is not it! chicken broth is a main staple of all of my meals! 
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Sorry, I obviously know that I should aim for 100% of my daily value in calcuim, I guess I just thought that I made up for some of it that my vitamin was missing with my meals. I def don't want to overdose on calcium, I heard that can be worse.
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Quote:
Sorry, I obviously know that I should aim for 100% of my daily value in calcuim, I guess I just thought that I made up for some of it that my vitamin was missing with my meals. I def don't want to overdose on calcium, I heard that can be worse.
No that's a valid question, honestly I'm not sure what people here use as far as amounts. Do you get much calcium in your diet? Maybe take an extra 400mg(or less?) pill of calcium carbonate a day and see if that helps. Make sure you take it at a different time of day then your vitamin pill though, your body can only use 500mg of calcium at a time.
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IBS-C
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You gave me my (much-needed) laugh for the day when I read your comment about "made me sound like an idiot."
Back in February I spent a couple weeks in the hospital recovering from two surgeries, and for quite a while I was on 24-hour morphine and lots of other fun stuff, a dozen or more pills a day plus about 7 bags of stuff hanging from my IV -- and I had this GREAT roommate about 75 years old recovering from major hip replacement surgery. She was on major drugs too. We turned into great pals and when we couldn't sleep we'd lie there and whine and bitch and moan and stay up talking all night. The nurses were like "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING STILL AWAKE TALKING? YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ASLEEP!" and we laughed and told them we were having a slumber party and they should bring us graham crackers and pain pills and applesauce. Too fun. But when I read your crack about "made me sound like an idiot" I remembered one night Rosemary said something pretty funny and I said "well I just think you're on drugs" and the two of us nearly fell out of bed laughing.
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You have to sort out what works best for you. The time it takes to get it right is what sucks the most but working at it and sorting it out is worth the benifits!
I take fiber 5 times daily...Always before I eat a meal!!!
I also take something called Librax...
It has been the biggest help so far!
I also started to take Zoloft and WOW...I am not a depressed person but, if I go a day without taking it...My D comes back right away.
Good Luck to you!
M
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Hi LauraSue,
Did you take 2 immodium twice a day every day? Morning and evening? (that is 4 in total) Didn't it constipate you? How long did you do this before stabilizing? Thanks!
Roz
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No, no, no. I take BENTYL twice a day, NOT Imodium!! Sorry for the confusion! Bentyl is a prescription anti-spasmodic. I mentioned it it the same sentence as Imodium but I didn't mean to imply that I was taking that much Imodium -- that would constipate a HORSE!!
Sorry. Me bad!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Thanks for the clarification.  I see you are located in NYC..we're in nearby Westchester County..do you have a good GI doctor that you use? We have struck out 3 times so far Thanks again!
Roz
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No, I've actually never been to a GI specialist. My primary care physician is very good and made the diagnosis and helps me manage it.
Sorry I can't help out.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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