[Guest]

I have been diagnosed with IBS D. I have had countless tests which discovered I have a very fast transit time(how long it takes for food to travel from the mouth to leaving the body). Currently anything I eat in the evening is departing my body at great speed less that 12 hours later. I have been suffering from this for two & a half years & during this time have put on about 30 - 40 lbs. I think the weight gain is related to the transit time problem. Has anyone else got this problem. I feel that if the food is leaving my system so quickly there is no way I am absorbing enough goodness and maybe I'm only absorbing fat. Any comments would be appreciated as I am getting fed up with the weight gain.

 

[Guest]

Thank goodness I have finally found someone that has gained weight from having diarrhea too! I have had the same problem. My symptoms started about 2 1/2 years ago and after testing, had my gallbladder removed in July 1999. I can have diarrhea for a week and gain 6 pounds! I would really love to find the solution to both of these problems! I have been trying the Caltrate 600 as I have read great things about it on this BB. Yes it does stop the D but for me, it is like a dam holding it back, so you still have the cramps and urges, just can't go for awhile and then it ends up in D to get rid of it. Guess I have to play with the dosage somemore. When I tried the effexor, I got severe cramping and D, but then I usually have the opposite effect from drugs anyway. And the tests with the barium!!! BIG TIME D! Did anyone else have that problem? Maybe someone has the answer for our weight gain problem. I'm sick of being a rolly polly. I thought it had to do with becoming dehydrated and the body trying to keep the fluids up since I notice hand and feet swelling also. Do you have this problem?

 

[Kathleen M.]

My transit time has always been about 14 hours or so (foods that don't digest well at dinner are usually out in the morning BM). Diarrhea, no diarrhea, IBS, no IBS, being fat, being skinny; so I don't know if the weight gain and the transit time are related, but both things can be going on in the same person.One thing to look at is how many calories you consume vs how many calories you burn. When I have IBS going big time the main thing that happens is my calorie burning goes way down. When I have an IBS attack (which used to be daily but is now in remission so is rare) the only thing that controls the pain is to sit very, very, still. The not moving around thing was a big issue with my weight and IBS.K.------------------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

 

[flux]

quoteut on about 30 - 40 lbs. I think the weight gain is related to the transit time problem

You have me confused. One concern about a diarrhea causing condition is weight loss, which would presumably be due to malabsorption.That does not occur in IBS.That you are gaining weight would suggest you don't have any sinister going on.I'm not sure what you mean by your having "countless tests" which have discovered you have a fast transit time. Studying transit time requires specialized tests and they are not done commonly so I wonder what tests you have had done.I can't imagine how having decreased transit time (which you may or may not have) could cause the opposite of the expected effect: weight gain.------------------I am not a doctor, nor do I work for profit in the medical/pharmacological field, but I have read scientific and medical texts, and have access to numerous sources of medical information that are not readily available to others. One should always consult a medical professional regarding advice received.

 

[Guest]

I was put forward for a drug trial so they had to do the following tests:colonoscopyBarium follow through (it took 15 minutes for the barium to be in the right place for the Xrays to be done)Taking radio opaque discs in capsules at a set time for three days & then being xrayed to see where they were in my system (they had all gone through and there were only a few left out of about 80 discs)Drinking lactulose & then doing breath tests to see how long it takes for gas to be producedWearing a nasal tube for 24 hours to monitor gases at the entrance to the large intestine (i think) damned uncomfy that one!!Having probes placed inside my bowel to monitor activity for three hours, also uncomfy.I was on a trial for Clomipramine (tri cyclic anti depressant) which apparently is proving useful in the treatment of diarrhoeal IBS & fast transit times. I had to come off the trial as it made my blood pressure shoot through the roof.I just find it odd that since I started with IBS D my weight has also increased. I have joined WeightWatchers & followed their diets (which I have successfully followed before) and gained weight instead of losing it. Therefore logic states that there is a connection.

 

[william brown]

transit time, or "colon motility" can be tested. I was on a study at Mayo by Dr. Michael Camilleri in Nov/99. They feed you a prescribed diet, with a radioactive pill and record with a gamma camera the transit time, ever hour, the at 12/24 and 48 hr intervals. This was then repeated after a 6 week dosage of lotronex, which, in my case, raised the transit time to normal. That's alot of what lotronex does, as well as creating a firmer stool. WWBrown

 

[Kathleen M.]

Have you had your thyroid checked? Weight gain is sometimes associated with low thyroid.Is your activity level different now than the last time you dieted. Even small changes in activity level can make a difference over time in the calorie burning department.Additionally metabolism can change as you age. My family has a pretty typical drop in the metabolic rate as we approach middle age (thus the Mottus family diet of eat 2/3 rds of the portions you always used to eat...eat all the same things, just eat less of them).K.------------------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

 

[Guest]

I don't have this problem, but have an idea on the cause of the weight gain-here goes...I'm thinking that b/c you have had diarrhea for so long and your body possibly hasn't had alot of nutrients and calories to live on during this time, its actually as if you've been on a starvation diet. I know when that happens the metabolism slows way down and you can actually start gaining weight. If this is going on probably the only thing to cure the weight gain would be to exercise more and find somethign to stop the diarrhea so you have more calories to work with. You'd initially probably gain even more weight, but once your body realizes its not in starvation mode anymore it will start becoming less efficient(thus burning calories more easily). Right now b/c of the diarrhea your body might have just become too efficient converting everything into fat and making the most of each calorie.Not sure if this is a lame idea or what. Kmottus what do you think?

 

[Kathleen M.]

IF the diarrhea is causing a problem with absorption of calories, and that can be a big if as that sort of thing is often associated with other health problems (and it would have to be just balanced that it kept you in starvation mode no matter what you ate and didn't ever go into a more severe mode where you'd start losing weight rapidly no matter what you ate or had other health problems going on), you could be getting enough to live off of, but in the "starvation diet" range. The 1200-1500 calories a day range that can have you maintain or even gain a little weight as your bodies metabolism shifts into low gear to keep you from dying.Some people slip into starvation mode better than others. That's one of the reasons exercise is often needed and diet alone sometimes doesn't cause weight loss. It helps to keep the metabolic rate up, and dieting in the 1600-1800 calorie a day range can be better for weight loss than stricter diets. Some diets get around this by having rest days where you eat what you want so that way you break up the "famine" mode.Most of the times if you have malabsorption your a pretty sick puppy. And I've had short transit times my whole life no matter my weight and test healthy as a horse.Really you only absorb nutrients from your food for the first 3 hours or so. So 12-14 hours may just mean it's going through the colon a bit fast. Now if they did a short term transit thing and found an abnormality in the small intestine vs the overall transit time then there is a bit more evidence something in the GI tract is effecting something.K.------------------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

 

[flux]

quote:Barium follow through (it took 15 minutes for the barium to be in the right place for the Xrays to be done)

This doesn't necessarily mean your transit time is fast. X-ray material can just slip on by. The guts have no reason to hold it.

quote:aking radio opaque discs in capsules at a set time for three days & then being xrayed to see where they were in my system

There isn't enough information to know the results other than you don't have delayed colonic transit.

quoterinking lactulose & then doing breath tests to see how long it takes for gas to be produced

These days I don't think highly of the lactulose breath tests.

quote:Wearing a nasal tube for 24 hours to monitor gases at the entrance to the large intestine (i think) damned uncomfy that one!!

This sounds like 24-hr pH monitoring. This would tell you if any acid is working its way back up your esophagus.

quote:Having probes placed inside my bowel to monitor activity for three hours, also uncomfy.

This sounds like antroduodenal manometry. This would tell you about your pattern of MMCs and about gastric emptying rate.

quote:I was on a study at Mayo by Dr. Michael Camilleri in Nov/99

This particular test may not be reliable if they were following the technique they follow.

 

[eric]

Just some info since that was the topic of the thread.Am J Gastroenterol 2001 May;96(5):1499-506 Related Articles, Books Colonic motility abnormality in patients with irritable bowel syndrome exhibiting abdominal pain and diarrhea. Chey WY, Jin HO, Lee MH, Sun SW, Lee KY. Rochester Institute for Digestive Diseases and Sciences, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York 14607, USA. OBJECTIVES: Although colon dysmotility is recognized as a pathophysiological factor in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it has not been characterized. We have investigated motility patterns in IBS patients with abdominal pain and frequent defecation or diarrhea and in healthy volunteers. METHODS: A recording catheter that had six polyvinyl tubes with infusion ports was placed in the transverse, descending, and sigmoid colon under fluoroscopy. After 2-h basal recordings, motility responses to cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) and a meal were studied for 3 h. The motility index (MI) and number of high amplitude propagating contractions (HAPCs) in 10 IBS patients were compared with those of 10 controls. HAPCs were correlated with abdominal pain, and colon transit time using radio-opaque markers was determined. Using human colon muscle strips, the effect of CCK-8 on muscle contractions was also studied. RESULTS: The MI and mean number and peak amplitude of HAPCs in IBS patients were significantly greater than in controls. These abnormalities paralleled markedly shortened colonic transit time. Abdominal pain coincided with >90% of HAPCs. Dose-dependent muscle contraction by CCK-8 was profoundly suppressed both by loxiglumide and atropine. CONCLUSIONS: The dysmotility in this subset of IBS patients was characterized by significantly increased occurrences of powerful HAPCs that paralleled rapid colon transit and were accompanied by abdominal pain. Thus, it is suggested that this powerful contraction is one of the causes of abdominal pain. The action of CCK-8 seems to be mediated via the colon enteric nervous system. PMID: 11374689 ------------------Moderator of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anxiety and Hypnotherapy forumI work with Mike and the IBS Audio Program. www.ibshealth.com www.ibsaudioprogram.com

 

[Guest]

After "talking" to you all I decided the best course of action was to visit my Doctor (GP) again. I did this & ran through my symptoms with her - constant D on a daily basis for two & half years. She put me on Codeine Phosphate to slow down my transit time & Methylcellulose tablets to add a bit of bulk. Boy did this work. I was only taking tablets for one day & did first solid motion for two & half years. Then I didn't go for two days - without feeling bunged up and C. I am so happy at the moment. I am currently going once every two days, no pain, no wind, no noisy stomach and no panic to get to a toilet in about two seconds and no damned awful smells.Regards to allHappy Caroline------------------

 

[Guest]

After "talking" to you all I decided the best course of action was to visit my Doctor (GP) again. I did this & ran through my symptoms with her - constant D on a daily basis for two & half years. She put me on Codeine Phosphate to slow down my transit time & Methylcellulose tablets to add a bit of bulk. Boy did this work. I was only taking tablets for one day & did first solid motion for two & half years. Then I didn't go for two days - without feeling bunged up and C. I am so happy at the moment. I am currently going once every two days, no pain, no wind, no noisy stomach and no panic to get to a toilet in about two seconds and no damned awful smells.Regards to allHappy Caroline------------------

 

[Debbie Benning]

On the weight issue: There are two things which I definitely think have a bearing on wight gain or inability to lose weight in my case and they are: 1. foods I eat. I can't eat many of the healthy foods like fruits and many veggies that would fill you up. Many times I am resticted to what I call "white" food-rice, bread, pasta etc. which I guess is slow to metabolize? and 2. the minute I set out to exercize I have the urge to go. So forget about walking or running outside, forget about the health club etc. I recently bought a treadmill but I get very discouraged and lately I have been feeling so bad that I just look at thing with guilt. I know I have read, don't know where, that folks with IBS are not necessarily thinner than most in fact tend to be heavier or have diffivulty losing weight. I don't know on what basis that claim was made but I know it is true in my case.

 

[Debbie Benning]

On the weight issue: There are two things which I definitely think have a bearing on wight gain or inability to lose weight in my case and they are: 1. foods I eat. I can't eat many of the healthy foods like fruits and many veggies that would fill you up. Many times I am resticted to what I call "white" food-rice, bread, pasta etc. which I guess is slow to metabolize? and 2. the minute I set out to exercize I have the urge to go. So forget about walking or running outside, forget about the health club etc. I recently bought a treadmill but I get very discouraged and lately I have been feeling so bad that I just look at thing with guilt. I know I have read, don't know where, that folks with IBS are not necessarily thinner than most in fact tend to be heavier or have diffivulty losing weight. I don't know on what basis that claim was made but I know it is true in my case.