Chamomile tea tends to work better for my spasms than the peppermint and helps me 'go', usually within thirty minutes. I use teabags and steep two at a time leaving them in my cup making for a strong brew. Once I feel 'done', my tea is regular strength for the rest of the day. With the diet and Chamomile tea I have gone off of the anti-spasmodic medication. I am now off all meds!
I was strict with my foods when I started a few weeks ago. No insoluble foods until I was pain free most of the time. With no insoluble fiber during this time I struggled with constipation but the diet along with my medication helped the spasms get under control. I then discovered how well Chamomile worked for me and was able to drop the last med two days ago.
I get some spasms after eating or while driving in Houston rush hour traffic but the tea gets me relaxed again. A glass of wine when I get home helps also. I don't drink wine if I have the burning pain in my lower abdomen because it makes it worse. But I rarely have that now. Three weeks ago it was 24/7 and had been for the last two years!
I am taking the full dose of Acacia now (1 tablespoon 3x a day) and at bedtime I take Metamucil. I take more than the recommended dose of Metamucil. It took a while to work out the right dosage for me but it is around 1 3/4 tablespoons. Anymore than that and my stool is too loose causing severe spasms and the burning for hours in my lower abdomen. As long as I take it at night I have a bm in the morning after my tea and have no gas or bloating the next day.
I get up at 5:00am take my Acacia with water then have my tea. I am at work by 8:00am and usually have another cup of strong tea if I need it to help go again. I do not eat until after I feel done. This seems to let my digestive system concentrate only on emptying. If I feel finished and I am hungry, then I eat. Usually it is oatmeal or a soluble fiber food with a V-8 (provides a little insoluable fiber without bulk and has always been soothing to my system). I drink an 8oz or more glass of water every hour and then what I need once I get home to get me to at least 128oz of water for that day. Soups and my V-8 are not counted into the 128oz but cups of tea throughout the day are. I hope this can help someone trying to work out a system for C.
-------------------- "I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work." Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
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So far this is what is working for my IBS-C
