Hi Everyone,
I have suffered from IBS-C (also with considerable gas trouble) for many years. My condition is further complicated by a rectocele. It has been a terrible struggle and sometimes it seems like my whole life revolves around food and bathrooms. But lately I have had some success and would like to share some strategies that have helped me.
First of all, I have eliminated wheat from my diet and have drastically reduced all grain intake. Although I tested negative from celiac sprue disease when I was "diagnosed" with IBS, it is known that many people are wheat intolerant. If you want a demonstration of why wheat might not be helpful for constipation, get some wheat flour and mix up some dough and feel how sticky it is! It makes sense to me that sticky foods might not help so much for people with constipation issues. For those with IBS-D the story is different of course. I am speaking to the C-ers here.
Needless to say, I stay away from dairy as well. I try to focus on whole fruits, veggies, some gluten-free whole grains, and high quality protein in small amounts. The emphasis is on fruits and veggies. Every morning I start with a fruit smoothie made with nut milk and ground flax seeds. Lunch might be a wrap made with a gluten free wrap and lots of veggies. For dinner I would have a small bit of protein and more veggies.
I think it is very important to avoid all processed foods. This includes all the highly processed dairy substitutes that people seem to be so fond of. These are basically vegan junk foods with no nutritional value. Focus on real whole foods. Also, I have found that eating too many different things mixed together leads to gas problems. I tend to avoid eating fruit mixed with other heavier foods. You can Google "food combining" to get some more tips on these issues.
Oh yeah, and don't forget to really chew your food thoroughly before swallowing. We are all in such a big hurry these days! Slow down and eat carefully. I have to remind myself of this constantly.
At least once or twice a day I drink a fiber shake made with a heaping tablespoon each of Heather's acacia fiber, slippery elm bark powder, and ground flax seeds. It is good to grind the flaxseed fresh with a small coffee grinder as the good oils in these seeds oxidize quickly upon grinding. I tried the acacia fiber alone but this combination seems to be much more helpful for me.
Castor oil packs are another thing that seem to have dramatically helped my IBS-C. At first I was skeptical and the whole thing seemed like a big mess, but really it isn't and it feels GREAT! Again, just do a Google search and you will easily find instructions. Any good natural food store will carry the castor oil and wool flannel you need. I use a heating pad and put a pack on my lower abdomen for at least an hour each day. Just do it while you watch your favorite TV show. I would be interested to hear if this helps anyone else.
I have also tried many supplements. Some that seem worth trying are digestive enzymes, probiotics, fish oil, and MSM. The most beneficial seem to be the probiotics. It also might be helpful to eat naturally fermented foods but I haven't had time to experiment much with this yet.
Another thing is to avoid any and all drugs if at all possible. I quit smoking a few months ago and also quit caffeine. I quit anti-depressants and started doing yoga instead. If anyone is interested in a gentle restorative series of yoga poses that are good for digestion and the lower abdominal region email me and I will send you a series that was given to me by a very experienced yoga instructor.
The reason I decided to write this post is that I seldom see posts from people who have had much luck dealing with IBS-C. From my experiences, I believe that our problems differ from those suffering from IBS-D. After a lot of trial and error I found a few things that have truly been helpful to me and I wanted to share them.
This morning I had something that resembled a normal bowel movement for the first time in years probably. If you suffer from IBS you can understand why I nearly jumped up cheering for joy.
Best of luck to you all. 
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ISB-C Things That Have Helped Me
