I'm going to anyway. About a month ago, I decided I couldn't stand the horrible bloating I was experiencing. My stomach would get so big it looked like I was 7-8 months pregnant. I was miserable! I had tried every soluble fiber available and my constipation was getting worse.
Out of desperation, I stopped the soluble fiber altogether. Just quit it cold turkey. And within several days, the bloating was gone---and my BM's returned to normal. I have even had BM's during the day which I haven't had in years!!!!
I haven't felt this good in years! In fact, this morning I cancelled the appointment I had with the IBS Center at the UNC Chapel Hill. I felt silly going to see the specialist there since my problems are minimal now.
I'm not suggesting that everyone throw away their soluble fiber. However, it certainly worked for me!
Ya know I think this happens to people a lot. What kind of SFS where you on? How much were you taking? I know that Bev got pretty sick when she was taking TOO much acacia. Now she is on benafiber (I think) and is doing much better.
I was on acacia for awhile and increased to much to fast and BOY oh BOY was I in a mess. It was horrible. I have stopped SFS too. But I am trying to start up again. This time with citrucel. I was on that a few time and it helped. I switched to acacia because you were getting more fiber than in citrucel.
Anyhow, I think it's very individual. Some people cant live with out SFS and some of us cant live with it!!! Bodies are so WEIRD!!!
I haven't found a SFS that agrees with me either. I guess I am one of those that can't tolerate them. I know they have helped a lot of people on the boards, though.
I seem to do OK if I watch my triggers, read all labels, and take my Librax for stress. Sometimes, though, I mess up like when that creme cheese blueberry dessert or brownie was forced on me at work ! ha ha.
Reged: 08/09/04
Posts: 2996
Loc: South East Michigan
I am glad you said it. I thought I was crazy. I know I've read some people that can't take it but I thouht it just bloated them. It made me feel so much worse no matter how little I took. I still have some tummy pain kinda feels like i am all brusied on the inside. But no where near the pain i felt with the fiber. Thanks for letting me kow I am not crazy. God Bless Heather7476
I tried them all---Citrucel, Benefiber, Acadia, Fibercon, Fibersomething else. .....you name it, I tried it. They all made my C worse. (and yes, I tried adjusting the dose, from a very small amount to a very high amount. Didn't matter!)
I'm wondering if the soluble fibers are not better for people with D---and not C. If you're constipated and you're eating soluble fiber and you take the supplements, it seems to me like it's just stopping your system up. At least for me, that's what happened. It's like my colon wouldn't move at all!
Now that I'm off of them totally, my body is working again. Hallelluhiah!!!!!!!!!
Of course, another no-no (caffeine) helps me. I have my Rice Chex with rice milk for breakfast, then drink a Diet Coke and within a few minutes, voila, I have a BM.
I think I need to do a commercial, "Have a Coke and a BM!"
Sorry, but we have to have a sense of humor when dealing with this subject!
Congrats! I am so happy for you. Perhaps I should give it a try.
I take 4 capsules of Citrucel per day - two in the a.m. and two in the p.m. I was not as bloated nor as gassy before I started taking the fiber and like you, I would drink a cup of "decaf" coffe and voila I would have a bm too.
You have given me something to think about that's for sure.
When did you stop taking the SFS and how long was it before you had a bm?
Please share with us, share with us! I cannot fit into skirts, dresses nor pants because of my bloating. I just purchase pants with elastic around the waist; but when I am severly bloated, the rubber constricts on them.
Good for you - keep us posted please.
Lene
-------------------- God never promised life would be easy, but he did promise to provide a way out!
Yep for one week I was in such pain....I thought I was going crazy and it was because of the acacia and increasing it to much. I did stop it and took a break. Then a few months laster I tried it again and the same thing happened on a small dose. So I have a jar full of acacia that I will probably never use! It wasn't worth the gas, bloating and everything else it caused!!!
I think the only SFS that has worked for me was the powder citrucell 3 times a day full amount. I worked my way up to the max dose. But then I was getting sick of drinking that 3 times a day. I was mixing it in orange juice. Then I didn't like all the sugar and caloried I was drinking....and citrucel is NASTY in just plane water!!!!
So as of now I'm not on anything. Makes me wonder WHAT I should do. Maybe I'll give that a try again.....OH if I had one wish I would wish for IBS to go away for everyone!
I'll keep dreaming!!!! Maybe someday!!! Thank goodness for this site though. If it weren't for this site I know I would still be eating things that were bad for me. (sometimes I still do, I have no will power lately)
Anyhow, I'm glad that you figured out your problem. Its nice when a light comes on and you say....OH thats the problem!!!!
BL, I'm glad you're feeling better for whatever reason. I'm just the opposite. My body took to SFS like a duck to water. It has helped me enormously. I don't even bloat up like I'm pregnant anymore. I'm not sure I understand why it helps some people and not others. I am a D, but there's been a number of C'ers that say it helped them too.
I'm IBS-C, and there's no way you could convince me to stop my SFS! I've used both acacia and Citrucel, and they have really helped me.
I must admit, though, that the symptom they helped the most with was not the C so much as my guts churning and chirping at me day and night. I remember walking to the train station the first week after I started Heather's diet with Citrucel and being amazed that my belly just felt...neutral. Not empty and cramping, not full and bubbly, just neutral. I had a big smile on my face that day! My SFS also helps keep the occasional stress-linked D attack much shorter than it used to be.
As for my C, it's taken a bit longer and requires exercise and lots of insolubles and the occasional non-decaf black tea. But I've made progress, and getting rid of the chatty belly and multi-day D attacks makes my SFS very dear to me.
Posts
I hate to say this, but .....
Maybe someday!!! Thank goodness for this site though. If it weren't for this site I know I would still be eating things that were bad for me. (sometimes I still do, I have no will power lately)
I remember walking to the train station the first week after I started Heather's diet with Citrucel and being amazed that my belly just felt...neutral. Not empty and cramping, not full and bubbly, just neutral. I had a big smile on my face that day! 
