Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: "Pills, Powders, And Potions"

Hi Adam, I've had IBS-C for over 5 years now, so my situation isn't the same as yours. I don't have the money to afford the products that Heather offers here on here on her website, although I try to afford to cook soem of the IBS recipes on the IBS recipe index.

I can't offer you any advice and I wish I could, except that I empathize with you - I just happen to have C more than D.

I used to have a tea ball (one of these days I'll have to buy a new one) and I used to use fresh peppermint, fennel, and basil. I had gone to a natural foods store and purchased a box of peppermint that you'd measure into the tea ball and let steep for peppermint tea. I was so desperate I also tried buying fennel seeds from the spice aisle, crushing them to release some of the oils and steeping them int he tea ball. I did the same with the basil. It was like the poor-woman's tea, rofl. I try to remember to take a multi-vitamin every day after eating, but I sometimes forget. I recently purchase a clear fiber supplement called Citrucel (supposed to be clear and tasteless and you can mix with any drink as long as the drink isn't carbonated) and I try to remember to take the citrucel too, but I admit I usually take it less than 3 times a week and not daily. I used to take Benefiber chewables but they were powdery, although they seemed to cause less gas than the citrucel. The citrucel even says doesn't cause gas! It causes a little bit, but not much at all. I avoid anything with psyllium. I won't buy metamucil at all. I used to be on Effexor but I was on twice the dose you take. If you don't mind me asking, how are you feeling? I know anxiety can make IBS feel worse, it twists up your insides and makes it difficult for your body to relax and digest.

I have never tried Immodium - I'm afraid to, I keep thinking I'm going to be stuck somewhere too far from a bathroom and I'm just gonna lose it! *giggle* Zyrtec never seemed to bother me, but then again, my IBS might be slightly different from yours. Zyrtec also never helped my allergies either, so I just stopped taking it. I'd like to know how the peppermint capsules and acacia fiber work for you, I'm very interested. Drinking peppermint tea sometimes made me more bloated, even though some of the pain was gone - fennel did the same thing, made me bloated, but then again I was drinking water, not just swallowing a peppermint capsule. I want to know if the acacia and peppermint capsules work better. In a pinch I sucked on an Altoid mint (even tho caffeine is sometimes bad for some IBS sufferers, the peppermint can be soothing) and I have also dissolved an Altoid in hot water. Caltrate is calcium right? Fibercon is more fiber, too?

If I'm understanding correctly, you're taking a lot of fiber each day - that's gotta be nuts (no offense meant). You have IBS-D and you're taking that much fiber? Are you trying to poop out your entire lower intestines? I'm not criticizing you, I'm being a little goofy, offering my thoughts, and asking for your opinions, Adam.

So I am very sorry if I offended you in any way.

Heather probably knows more than I do. I am not a doctor, but I do pride myself on having spent most of my life studying the human body and its reactions. I'm very aware of my body, what I put in it, and how it reacts. Sometimes I'll cheat and I'll pay for it in an hour, other times I won't pay for it until weeks later - makes it hard to determine if I truly made a boo-boo or not. But all I know is that there *IS* such thing as too much of a good thing. If your body doesn't need the extra vitamins, it's gonna flush it out in your urine, if it can't do that, it'll build up in your system and cause problems later. I'm not trying to scare you at all, just relating my experiences. But your body isn't mine. I'll shut up now since I think I've eaten both my feet and feet aren't really good to eat imho. Good luck with your regimen, let us know how you do. Take care.

Sommer

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XOXO from lil' ol' me.

(IBS-C, mood disorders, etc., etc.)

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