Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Need some help advice please for constipation from you kind people!

I had a colonscopy about 2 years ago and it confirmed that my colon had painful spasms and was given Bentyl. All it seemed to do is give me dry mouth and more constipation and make me tired. I've tried Levsin and Librax and they seem to do the same thing. I've had allergy skin testing where they put a drop of each thing that I maybe allergic to on my arm and nothing came up. I developed GERD and then lost my voice and my job and on top of it was dealing with the constipation and the colon spasms. I had the Nissen Fundoplication done to fix the problem as I couldn't talk. I tried Zelnorm and it worked at first but then it stopped working after awhile. Then I started taking laxatives. I tried stool softeners and glycerin suppositories. I tried increasing my fiber and now my colon seems to be lazy. Now I've been taking Lactulose but that seems to be giving me terrible gas. I tried taking Miralax but nothing seems to happen. I guess it takes time to work. Should I mostly stick to Osmotic laxatives such as milk of magnesia instead of those other stimulant laxatives with senna? I drink plenty of water. I also have a history of anxiety and depression and I'm on a anti-depressant (Remeron) but it doesn't seem to help. I thought about going on Zoloft but I know it gives me nausea but I may have to put up with that. I need something. I'm currently on disability and have Medicare/Medicaid. I don't know whether to contact a nutritionalist or what. I've tried Magnesium. I just got out of the Psychiatric hospital and was in there for 3 weeks. The problem is that a lot of pills seems to cause dry mouth which causes a problem. On top of this when I was in the hospital I developed a real bad cold and then both of my ears are plugged up. I went to the ear, nose, and throat doctor and he gave me amoxicillin but my ears are still plugged up. I have to let him know that I'm still having problems. I don't know what to do at this point. I don't know what to have in my diet. One minute I'm told whole wheat is good and then it isn't. I'm just so confused. I'm trying probiotics and acidophillis as well as yogurt. Should I avoid things like triscuits, wheat thins, and pretzels? I just moved into a different area so I'm trying to get in with a doctor. Should I have vegetables? If so, what kind? I tried doing Heather's diet but it didn't really help too much. Please give me some advice. Is peanut butter ok? I've been having 2 slices of whole wheat Roman Meal bread with 3 grams of fiber each slice in the morning with peanut butter for breakfast. I usually have salted pretzels for snack or reduce fat triscuits. I sometimes have applesauce. I don't know if I have to stay away from flour or what. When I had the allergy testing nothing came up. I tried having Kashi Go Lean cereal with rice milk and that didn't help. I drink mostly water. I don't drink juices as they tend to have a lot of sugar in them. Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated. Also, should I avoid ham, turkey, or chicken? What about other meats like pork or veal? I have to be careful of gassy foods since it's hard to burp. If someone could direct me in the right direction I'd appreciate it. I've also tried Flaxseed. It gets so bad that I don't even want to go out of the house. All it is mostly constipation. Please help me figure this thing out as I'm tired of taking laxatives. I don't know whether to do hydrotherapy or what. I've got both Heather's books but it's hard when you only get disability to afford these things especially when the stores are a drive since I live in the country.

thanks,
Timothy Dekofski

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