Sad Saga Of Constipation
#330904 - 06/10/08 05:54 PM
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For over fifteen years I have struggled with continual constipation. My husband could never figure out why my clothes would fit one day and not the next. Or why when we traveled I wouldn't have anything to wear home. Constipation has been my "companion" for much to long and I have been determined to figure out what I can do about it. I have gone to many doctors, been tested for Celiac, eatten glutten free, vegetarian, and sugar free. It seems like I am always trying to find a solution to my problem. I have had a colonoscopy and everything looks healthy. Yet I cannot find relief to my problem. Just recently I tried a colon cleanse. I was just five or six days into the cleanse and I was so bloated and miserable that I couldn't sleep at night. My stomach hurt way up into my breast area. Desperate, I went online adn typed in constipation. (Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember a doctor saying that I had probable IBS) When Heather's site came up I felt like I had hit a gold mine of information for the very first time. I printed off fourteen pages and read and re-read them. I took them on a trip and read them to my husband. He too agreed that I may have found the relief and help I have been looking for, for way too long. I ordered Heather's book and anxiously awaited it's arrival. (And I sent my colon cleanse back realizing that it was not soluable fiber! No wonder I was backed up.) I have been over two weeks on Heathers diet. I have not recorded what I have eatten but I have recorded each time I went to the bathroom. I was estatic! I have gone every day but three. What a record for me. The problem is that now I am getting constipated again. I don't know what I am doing wrong. The only thing I can figure out is that maybe I am reintroducing flour, (which I took out thinking wheat was the culprit) and I am reintroducing sugar ( Which I have been eliminating over the past few years because I suffer with hypoglycemia...surprizingly enough, it hasn't bothered me.) I am using Heathers recipes and going easy on the raw veggies, but maybe I am not getting enough. I also use Benefiber, 2tsp. every morning. I get plenty of exercise and am drinking about 2 plus liters of water a day, but after reading more from Heathers site, maybe that is not adequate. Any how, I am desperate for this to work. I think I am finally on to something. I never really knew what soluable fiber meant. It makes sense. Please, is there any one out there that can help the new kid on the block find some much needed relief!! Thanks a ton to all my new friends.
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Hi Linda Jane, and welcome to the most awesome site on the web!! 
Well, I am so happy you found Heather...and us. You will find a lot of solid answers to your most frustrating problems here...and a LOT of support from some great people that know EXACTLY what you are going through - including ME!
I have had IBS with constipation for 7 years. Luckily, I found Heather about 5 years ago.
You will find that with IBS it is totally normal to have good days and bad days. Even good weeks and bad weeks. I really found it helpful many years ago, when I was newly diagnosed - to keep a food diary...with what you eat, and then how it makes you feel. It helped me to pinpoint a lot of my worst problem foods. Because everybody is different, what may make your IBS worse, may not bother someone else...and vice versa.
Anyway, I don't know if you have tried Heather's acacia fiber powder, but it is wonderful. I drink 2 tsp/day. One tsp. mid-morning on an empty stomach mixed in about a 6-8 oz glass of water. Then again mid-afternoon. It helps with the gas, bloating and constipation.
Also, if you are eating of drinking dairy, that may constipate you. AND...sugar is well known for slowing peristalsis, so keep it to a minimum.
If you have gone a really long time without wheat, then it just may take your body a while to readjust to it...sugar as well. I would back off a little on them and start very slowly. I think too much refined sugar OR flour is never good. It should be more of a treat instead of a staple.
Good luck! And may I suggest - get Heather's book:
IBS - The First Year
If you don't already have it. It is wonderful, and even 5 years later, I still look back at it quite a bit...AND it has several GREAT recipes in it that aren't in her Eating for IBS book.
Good Luck Linda Jane, and we look forward to seeing you on here! 
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FancyMom
IBS-A,Constipation predominant, GERD
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First of all, Welcome! Second of all, Be Patient! IBS-C is the harder of the two to treat, and takes a bit longer. It took me about a year on Heather's diet to really stabilize.
My "miracle cure" (in addition to Heather's diet!!) for constipation has been Natural Calm. Especially now, during my first trimester of pregnancy!! It's a magnesium supplement that you mix into hot water and drink like tea. I take a bit less than a tablespoon every evening and have a reliable BM every morning. Not sure what stores you have around you, but Whole Foods carries it. If you don't have one of those, google Natural Calm and order it online. You can also go to the "IBS Diet" message board and do a search on "Natural Calm". You'll get a lot of hits because it's something we've talked about quite a bit around here.
Good luck, and keep us posted! If you haven't yet posted on the diet board, I would recommend that as a good place to start. 
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Fancy Mom, Thanks for connecting with me. I can't tell you how excited I was to actually have some one understand my situation. I have been digging my heels in with not wanting to keep a food journal(I have done it several times for other foods related to my C problem) but I know it would be a help. So thanks for the kick that I needed to actually do it. I have not tried the Acacia fiber but will check into it. Right now I have been taking Benefiber, I like that it is tasteless and that it dissolves well into many foods and water. I have not been eating any dairy. I use soy and rice milk and some other vegan or soy products for cheese and "butter." My big question today is how do I incorporate insoluable fiber into my diet in a good, safe way. I am eatting small salads at the end of my meals and I eat alot of stir-fried vegetables with rice. I am at a loss with this. I have gained 13 pounds over the past year and a half and of course my doctor wants me to get it off. (So do I.) I am afraid that this diet will add more weight on and of course with being C all the time I feel even larger. Is weight a concern for anyone else with this issue? Thanks for the thought of getting Heathers book, I will look into that. What do you find most helpful in this book(The First Year) that would not be in her other one? I appreciate your help!
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Thanks for the encouragement! I actually have a new jar of Natural Calm in my pantry. I almost gave it to a friend last week since I wasn't using it. I tried it and felt dizzy on it, so I stopped using it. I wonder if I was taking to much. I wil try your suggestion. Have you ever tried it in the evening before going to bed? ( I am on my third day of being C!) I appreciate what you said about it taking a while for the diet to take a routine effect. I guess I wasn't prepared for that to be the case but I am up for the challenge, and will try to be patient. What tips did you find the most helpful with Heather's Diet? I have read the book through twice and consult it continually through out the day. Any tips are helpful! I made the baggette french bread and it is amazing. I don't know how much of it to eat in a day since I have been off of wheat for so long. Also I have made several quick breads which are delicious, but I run against the same problem with getting too much sugar in my diet.(Since I have low blood sugar.)My days feel limited even though there are so many suggestions to eat, I guess I havent figured out how to incorporate it all. I am not sure how to get a good amount of fruits and veggies in my day. Any help? Thanks!
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Actually, rather than rehash everything, check out my "success story" post here. I only take my Natural Calm in the evening since it can make you drowsy. The key is to start small, say 1 teaspoon, and increase it by a teaspoon or so each night until you have a "normal" BM that isn't diarrhea. If you get D, you've taken too much, so back off a little bit. I hope it works for you like it works for me!
And I can tell you, after re-reading my old post, that during my first trimester (I'm almost 12 weeks right now), IBS has been the LAST thing that has bothered me! I thought it would wreak havoc, but I've managed to remain really stable, which is great since I've had other things like migraines and heartburn to deal with!
Just remember that as a Cer, you are going to need more insoluble fiber (IF) than Heather does, since she's D. I can't tell you how helpful it is to BLEND fruits and veggies as much as you can in the beginning. I still eat a fruit smoothie every morning for breakfast, and I used to eat hummus with corn chips or pretzels for a snack in the afternoon (pregnancy has turned me off to the smell of hummus for the time being!!). Blend veggies and other things to make sauces or whatever - check the Recipe Index for ideas - because when they're blended they're WAY easier to digest. Blended soups are another great example (try this one). Gradually add in IF as you get more comfortable, just don't do too much at one time.
Good luck, and let me know if you have questions on the post that I linked above.
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Hi Linda Jane!
You said you liked Benefiber because it dissolves in water and you can sprinkle it on foods, because it is tasteless. Well, the acacia fiber is the same way. I like it because it dissolves in my water, or almond milk, or soy yogurt that I eat in the mornings.
Anyway, Lisa Marie is right! Blending your veggies and fruits is a great way to get some more fiber without upsetting your tummy. I like to incorporate them in my breads...like Heather's cinnamon Zucchini bread, or banana bread, or her apple spice walnut bread. They are all so delicious. I love to make muffins, freeze them, and take them out of the freezer one by one and eat them. They keep longer that way!
Just be careful to cook them (I find steaming is best because it keeps the nutrients inside the veggies) very well...until they are very soft. Really, the only veggies that bother me are the ones Heather talks about avoiding in her book - onions, broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, and hot peppers. But I also have GERD, so I can't even have powdered cocoa...BUMMER!
Your question about Heather's book - The First Year. It just goes into a lot greater detail the foods to eat, and to avoid, and why. Gives great ideas for different ways to eat to calm your tummy. Also describes the different medications for different IBS woes. It really is a book worth buying, and is much more detailed regarding the definition and treatment of IBS than her Cookbook. You may want to pick it up. I do know that if you don't want to order it online, Barnes & Noble has it...FYI
One of the most IMPORTANT things you can do for your tummy is take fiber before you eat. Acacia works GREAT!
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FancyMom
IBS-A,Constipation predominant, GERD
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Thanks for your insights. I will try the things you mentioned. Especially the Natural Calm! I am encouraged after reading your success story. It propels me forward with a positive feeling.
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I can't begin to say what a great day this has been for me. I feel so encouraged by what has been shared with me today and some new ideas as well for me to try. It is such a new feeling for me to have anyone to talk to about this besides my husband, even though he is my number one supporter in all of this. C isn't the greatest topic to have with friends. Especially those who have never experienced it. I appreciate the idea to incorporate the veggies in muffins and the bread recipes. Do you use the bread recipe and just put the batter into muffin tins instead of a bread pan? If this works it sounds like a good way to make several different kinds and freeze them, it adds variety. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definately be getting Heathers book, the summary was so appreciated.
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Ok, Linda Jane - You just HAVE to try Absorb Aid. I am telling you, it is the Bomb!! I believe it will really help with your digestive woes!!
FYI - They sell it at Whole Foods in small or large bottles, as well as online, and if you don't like them - which I KNOW you will, you can return them.
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FancyMom
IBS-A,Constipation predominant, GERD
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