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By this I mean that I can't seem to resolve my only remaining major symptoms [ which I'm certain are due to insoluble fiber b/c I've eliminated everything else, per H's 2 books, that could be causing them....really!!], which are distention and discomfort that awaken, and then keep me awake, after about 3-4 hours of sleep each night.

It seems to be true, as Heather says, that bloating is the most difficult symptom to get under control and thus the last symptom to get rid of. So you're not alone if that's any comfort!

Not surprisingly, I'm constantly sleep deprived

Sleep deprivation in itself is an IBS trigger because of the stress it causes on the body. So you are absolutely right IMHO to have identified that as the key issue for you. Have you tried Benadryl antihistimine as a sleep aid? I highly recommend it. My mother takes it, even my psychiatrist and her husband take it! I take two every night about two hours before bed. It really helps. Also, the prescription medication Elavil (amitriptyline) is used to treat the chronic sleep deprivation in fibromyalgia and other problems. I take three every night and other than wicked dry mouth, it really helps. If you don't get the sleep deprivation cured, I don't think you'll be able to get your IBS stable. Again, just my humble opinion.

I miss my "window of opportunity" at 5-7 AM, which is the ONLY time my colon's peristalsis seems to want to work well.

Our body's biological clocks can be very "set in stone." I've always suffered from killing jet lag because my body insists on doing things at the time it's used to (sleeping, eating, peeing and BM's). But the time can be reset. It's possible to gradually train your colon to change its preferred time to later. Try adjusting the window of opportunity by deliberately waiting til 5:30, then 6 then 6:30, or even in 15 minute intervals. You could shift it like this once a day or once a week until you're on the schedule YOU want! And if your body objects just go back one interval for a while.

As I try to become stable I'm wondering:

- how much of the insoluble foods you listed can you eat each day?

Let's see. I can eat 2 slices of cracked wheat bread, plus a bowl of oatmeal, plus some canned pineapple plus a green veggie with dinner all in one day without any problem.

- how much at any one meal or snack?

Two slices of cracked wheat bread, plus the canned pineapple. Or a bowl of soup plus a dish of berries. So maybe two servings per meal at most. A snack would be one dish of berries with a flour tortilla or a few peanuts with a half a bagel.

-how long did it take you to get up to your current levels of insol intake?

I followed the breaking the cycle diet for several days after my last attack 8 months ago and then started adding back in the easy insolubles like cracked wheat bread, oatmeal, green peas. I didn't really start eating enough insolubles for a healthy diet in general until I started making sure I got a mininum of 5 servings a day of fruits and veggies per the FDA food pyramid. My first post on that subject was in March and my last attack was Jan 9 so I guess about two months of gradual increase got me to my current level of the past six months.

-do you start every meal or snack with some SFS?

Every meal but not every snack. I take it three times a day, before each meal. I also keep my meal times VERY regular for the reason given above. If my body is expecting lunch at 1:30pm and pumping out lots of digestive gastric enzymes to get ready, it's not happy if I don't eat and those gastric enzymes start chewing on my stomach rather than the food I didn't give it!

What do you use?

I happen to take Metamucil. I was very lucky. It was the first one my doctor mentioned and I built up VERY slowly to a full dose.

Do you think that the SFS has helped you to be able to eat more insoluble fiber?

DEFINITELY!!! It's like it provides a cushion to soften the blow from the insoluble.

-are all the insoluble foods you list eaten only via Heather's safe prep guidelines or can you eat fresh unground nuts and/or non- pureed berries when they are mixed into soluble fiber like rice or oatmeal?

Mostly according to Heather's recommendations. Otherwise I'm playing with fire. (Except for berries as long as don't eat too many or on an empty stomach. But I do NOT recommend it. Smush them or put them in a smoothie. MUCH safer. Oooh, you just gave me a great idea. I'm going to put some nuts in a baggie and smush them with a rolling pin to sprinkle on my cereal or oatmeal - yum!

-- how severe was your D-IBS 6 months ago and how longstanding was it?

I've been stable 8 months. The pattern of my attacks was always almost exactly the same. In the evening, after or at the worst DURING dinner, I would get severe cramps and have to run to the bathroom and have D. But once was never enough! About 15 minutes later, I'd have a second round of D, worse than the first. And 15 minutes after that, my insides would turn to water and I would just empty out completely. This would leave me weak and shaky and drained and feeling just awful, that night and all the next day.

The first time it happened was in 1999 (although I had milder symptoms most of my life) and it kept happening with increasing frequency until it was happening at least once a month. I had made it six months with no D twice since I started the Metamucil but then had another six months of D every few weeks when I finally got fed up and got serious about Heather's diet 8 months ago.

Any other tips or insights about "how to include and eat" insoluble fiber easily AND w/o causing problems, [beyond what's in H's 2 books] will be much appreciated. Thanks, your cooking-impaired new buddy! LL

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