Hi Ashleigh,
I sympathize with you. I've had IBS-C for about four years now, and had my gall bladder removed three years ago. Please read this, as I think I can help.
I struggled with severe constipation (living on Milk of Magnesia two or three times a week to have bowel movements). Fat has been an issue for me, especially since gall bladder removal. But my digestion kept getting worse, to the point that any meal which had a fair amount of protein would cause instant bloating, gas, and increase my constipation. This really created problems, as I am an avid cyclist, and found myself so deficient in protein that I developed chronic tendonitis. I tried everything: peppermint, licorice, stool softeners, etc., but at best, these treatments only made life a little less miserable.
Here is the recent revelation that changed my life. An astute friend of mine suggested that I might have low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria), which is much more common than people realize. His son had this problem, and began taking acid supplements which greatly improved his digestion. I decided to try it, and it instantly changed my life. My bloating is quickly disappearing, I can eat normal amounts of protein again, and my bowel habits are quickly returning to normal.
The supplement is called Betaine Hydrochloride (or HCL), which is stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) derived from beets. It's cheap, and you can get it at any vitamin/health supplement store.
To find out if you have low acid, buy a bottle of these tablets. Try taking one tablet at your next meal, and make sure you eat some protein. If you develop heartburn, then you don't have low acid, and your problem probably lies elsewhere. If you feel no discomfort, try two at the next meal, and so on, until you reach four tablets, or begin to develop heartburn. Most people's threshold is around two tablets (I take four at every meal with protein).
If you feel improvement, I would suggest including a probiotic with each meal for a while (my favorite is Digestive Advantage). This will help displace any pathogens which have set up shop in your colon and help reduce inflammation.
What few people realize is that stomach acid is the primary driver for most of the other digestive enzymes in your system. Without sufficient acid, pepsin cannot do it's job, which floods your intestines with undigested proteins (bad). Worse, without sufficient acid, pathogens get a free ride right into your colon, complete with free food, setting up perfect conditions for overgrowth of pathogens irritating to the bowel. After recently researching this issue heavily, my suspicion is that low stomach acid may be the root cause of most cases of IBS.
For more information on this issue, check out the following sites:
http://www.medical-library.net/Hypochlorhydria.html
http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=13388
http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html
I hope this helps you as it did me.
Todd in Vermont
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