[Guest]

Has anyone experienced IBS like thison't go to the bathroon more often then once every 3 to 4 days, and each time you go it may take up to an hour of forceful pushing to fully move you bowels. Sometimes you must use an enema or take a laxative to get anything out, and that doesn't always clear your intestines completely. Even right after going to the bathroom and completely clearing your intestines, as soon as you eat again, your stomach inflates like a huge balloon and you have incredibly large amounts of extremely uncomfortable cramps. You always have a lot of gas and your stomach is constantly inflamed. The gas is so bad that you have to wear your pants extremely low because they won't stay up higher because your stomach is so inflamed that they just fall down to your crotch area. Please let me know if anyone else has these symptoms and if you have found anything to help them. Thanks.

 

[GailSusan]

Yes, time to go to the doctor, now. I had three operations last year, two of them related to severe constipation. My bowels were so hard and sharp they tore through my colon. There are things that can be done - bowel softeners, fiber, magnesium tablets, etc. ------------------***Gail

 

[LNAPE]

Some people have been having some success with taking a magnesium supplement. 400 mg is the daily recommended amount but you should probably start with less to see what happens.Linda

 

[TH3255]

I have the exact same type of constipation you have, nothing moves, it's hard and dry and I'd have to push for 20 minutes to get something half the size of a golf ball out. Here is what I have found that works:1. Colonic 2. Home enema using fleet or hot water bottle type3. Oxy C (this works great !!!!!) http://sightings.com/products/oxy-c1.htm 4. Green vibrance-used daily this should keep you regular: http://www.vibranthealth.org/green.htm 5. Adding oils to your diet (several tablespoons a day)6. Mineral oil if you're in a pinch for overnight releif, although this stuff isn't good for long term use but once in a while it's ok and will work What doesn't work for my (our) type:Fiber (contrary to popular beleif) this stuff backs us up by adding more bulk which is absolutely the opposite effect of what we need.I hope that helpsTH

 

[Guest]

As an addition to my previous comment, I just want to clarify that the list of things I wrote, I'm not suggesting doing them all at once, they are just some options I am recommending. Just wanted to clarify that in case anyone was thinking I was suggesting doing all of them at once

 

[Guest]

I suffered from constipation like you that required me to use an enema for relief and my gas/stomach pains were so bad I was dx'd with 'gastritis' all last year. Here is what helped me. I have a bm every day now, am off all my prescriptions and am living a 'sorta' normal life.I start off each a.m. with 2 big glasses of water, it seems to flush me out and I have a bm within a hour.I take Citricel(metamucil caused more gas) 3x a day.Drink water all day.No coffee or teas-caused me bad stomach achesTake a good Mutiple Vitamin with MagnesiumI avoid all grains esp. wheat products. Do eat small amounts of rice(white and brown)I avoid chocolate.I eat as much fruit and veg's as I can stand.For gas pains I find relief from charcoal tablets.For Achiness in GI tract I find relief from Pepperment oil tablets.I found all this out by doing an elimination type diet to find out what foods bother me and which do not. It is amazing how 1 slice of wheat bread or a few brownies can mess up my whole GI tract, but it does. I am so happy to be off the antispasmodics prescribed by GI dr. He was amazed with my progress and feels I have 'cured' myself as much as possible with this stupid condition. I cheat on my diet and pay for it sometimes. I really miss drinking beer and eating brownies but I don't miss the pain they brought into my life. I was very sick and very miserable. I do not feel my condition was caused by any type of mental stress. I feel it is diet related. Good luck to you.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the responses, they are very helpful. Some follow up questionso you think that all grains are bad or just whole wheats?Are any of the things you all mentioned you use (such as green vibrance) you suggest I try first?Any other comments would be appreciated.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Some people have specific problems with certain grains (grain problems is not seen in all people with IBS), Keeping a food diary can help as can eliminating certain foods and recording the results.Starches are a problem primarily because they get into the colon where the bacteria eat them. This is a problem for all grains other than rice and also potatoes. If gassiness is a problem limiting starches other than rice can help.Proteins like gluten found in wheat, barley, rye. and sometimes oats can be a problems. Although this is more associated with diarrhea than constipation.Generally for constipation whole grains (of whatever type) are better than processed grains as the fiber can be quite useful. And some people find that processed starches seem to gum them up more than whole grains do.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html [This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 06-11-2001).]

 

[Kathleen M.]

Double post...sorry.[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 06-11-2001).]