Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Aack, none of them!: Heather, help!

Hi - Stool softeners do seem to be a safer bet, and some folks on the board have had much better luck with them than laxatives. If you have a GI doc you trust, and he/she says these are safe for you and won't cause bowel addiction, I'd go with what they say.

One thing though....what diet do they have you on? If it's super high in insoluble fiber, this could be a problem. For people with normal guts, insoluble fiber will definitely have them pooping up a storm (love that phrase!) But if you have IBS, you do NOT have a normal gut, and insoluble fiber can cause such spasms and cramps of the colon that motility actually slows or even halts, and constipation worsens. I'd double check on this, and make sure they've got you on a high soluble fiber foundation first and then have you incorporating insoluble fiber as carefully as you can so that you can eat a lot of it, but safely.

- 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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