Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: IBS-Cs jumping in would be helpful here (m)

Wow! It sounds like you've been having a terrible time. It also sounds like you have been dealing with some terrible doctors on top of it. What kind of doctor refuses to test their patients?
I live on the east coast of Canada and my doctors(GI and GP) have been great. I've been tested for everything under the sun. I think you should just ditch the doc you've been dealing with and find someone a little more empathetic.
Like you, I always had a problem with irregularity but, until recently, it has been much worse in the last two years. Have you tried stool softeners? They are not the same as stimulant laxatives and don't cause dependency. You should ask a doctor or pharmacist before you start taking them. In addition to this, drink water! Tons and tons of water! 2 to 3 liters a day at least and consider adding a soluble fiber supplement to your diet. I had been using Benefiber before I switched to Acacia. I take it 3 times a day a half hour before I eat. This had made a HUGE difference. I know it seems hopeless now but I've felt the same way. I used to go days and days without having a BM and the pain would bring me to my knees. Now I have a BM almost every day.
In regards to the diet... I was skeptical at first as well. The white breads and rice did make me bloated for a few days but my body did adjust to it. Now I swear by them. I really think you would benefit from trying it for a few days. Do you think it's possible for you to feel any worse? You don't have anything to loose. Also, be patient. There is no quick fix. Don't quit if you don't feel better right away. It takes time for your stomach to "calm down." You may also want to consider cutting the fruit out of your diet for a few days and see how you feel. I used to eat tons of it thinking it would help but it actually made me worse. I can eat some fruit like melon, peaches, mangos, and some berries but apples and oranges KILL me. I would assume this is because of the acid content. Eat bananas instead!
Sorry this is such a long winded post but I have just one more thing to add... I used to fast the same way that you do. You feel "good" for a couple days cause your bowel and stomach is empty... so you eat(the wrong foods). Then you stomach and bowel are full and you have a few bad days... then you don't eat. This is terrible for your body. I lost about 15 lbs doing this and for someone who is 4'11 and weighs about 95 lbs this is not a good thing. So I was down to about 80lbs of skin and bones. You also mentioned that you are hypoglycemic. This method of eating would be very bad for anyone with this condition. You need to be eating regularly to see any improvements at all.
I hope this helps you a least a little bit. Just know that there are people that understand what you are going through. You can come to the message boards whenever you need to vent your frustrations and know that at least 1 other person will know what you are going through. Complain away!!!
All the best

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*Amy*

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