Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Jordy,

I no longer take the acacia. I haven't for a long time. I think at one point (when I was at my worst) I was taking 6 scoops of citrcucel (a/b 12g SFS) and and a/b 10g SFS worth of acacia (don't remember exact dose). Plus I ate a ton of both SF and IF. And drank a ton of water. And I was very strict with the IBS diet...except I probably ate more IF than a lot of people. I don't know that it really helped that much since my problem was rectal prolapse and not IBS. But I also don't think it made things worse. Now that I've had my surgery I take a/b 2 scoops of citrucel a day. And I take 2 doses of Miralax. I do try to eat healthy and get plenty of fiber to keep things working well. But I don't follow the IBS diet anymore since I don't have IBS. My diet is also a little skewed right now b/c I'm pregnant. So that makes the C worse. I'm hoping that after I have my baby my system will work better again...like it did shortly after surgery. As far as water, I try to drink at least 100 oz. a day. I need a lot in order for the Miralax to work. Yes, tea counts as water. Just about any liquid can count...and will help. If your stomach can tolerate them, koolaid, juice, gatorade, herbal tea...they can all count towards your total fluid intake for the day. Don't get too hung up on water itself...any fluid will help. Most things contain a lot of water anyway.

A SFS doesn't work for everyone, but if you are going to give it a good try you do have to start small and work your way up. That's just the way our digestive systems work. And I always spaced out my doses throughout the day - morning, afternoon, evening. Too much at once is hard to handle.

I've had the best luck with Citrucel. I've been taking it every day for almost 5 years now. I do one scoop in the morning (a/b a half hour before breakfast) and one scoop about an hour before dinner. Seems to give my intestines a little cushion/coating to make digestion easier. But it's a small enough dose that I'm not overding the SFS.

Sorry I can't be of more help since I don't really worry about IBS these days. But hopefully this has helped a little. Keep up with the SF as a cushion, followed by IF to help the C. And drink lots of fluids. That's the best advice I can give.

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~Mary
Had surgery for rectal prolapse in Sept. '06 and feeling good now! Loving life with our IVF miracle #1.

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