Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Constipation and fiber question...

Hi, meg. Sorry I've been gone for about a week. I'm very excited about this message board and can see myself visiting every day, but I moved to a new town last week and was very busy. I ate several fast food meals during the move and haven't been feeling very well. That stinks, of course, but it's also nice to confirm that Heather's diet seems to be working for me and that some of the things I am giving up are not for nothing.

Yes, I base all of my meals and snacks on rice, bread, pasta, or potatoes. I eat a lot of bread and pasta because it is just more accessable it seems. I have found that a big key to this strategy is the water, though. I know that Heather emphasizes the water, but I've always thought that I drank enough so I didn't worry about it. I didn't have great success on the diet at first but the 4 tablespoons of Citrucel flushed out the hard, lumpy stools every 2 or 3 days so I was at least doing better. Then one time I took a road trip and ate tons of bread, rice cakes, and dry cereal but very little water because I didn't want to stop for the bathroom too often. That sent me into a week of painful constipation despite the Citrucel. It was after that incident that I started thinking about the water. I began drinking 16 8-oz glasses instead of 8 and it seemed to help. As you mentioned earlier, I am also always visualizing all of these starches, bread especially, as forming cement in my bowels but now I try to use that fear to remind me to drink enough water. I even put two pieces of bread in two bowls once and put a small amount of water in one and a lot in the other to help me visualize the difference. Oh and I also have found that when I am bloated after a meal and feel like the last thing I want to do is drink a bunch of water, if I drink some anyway it is uncomfortable at first but then it feels like it is washing through my system and it seems to even produce some gentle movement in my bowels and that is very soothing for someone who is used to being constipated!

Now keep in mind that I am far from identifying what exactly causes me problems and what helps. Plus I went on the medication a couple months ago so that also makes it difficult to identify problem foods and also solutions. But we all keep trying our little experiments, don't we? Hang in there. Something has to work. Let me know what you think.

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