[20250]

I have been taking Fibercon since Dec. 13, 2 a day, and was getting good results with just a few IBS D setbacks. I went to the doc last week and he upped the dosage to 4-6 pills per day, I am at 4 per day since last Monday and over the weekend had what would have been a D episode but I think because of the increase in fiber bulking me up, I had two bad days of increased pain and multiple small stool sit downs. So I'm thinking there is something else causing my D episodes that Fiber alone is not going to fix. I felt better at 2 pills a day with a D episode once a week.Can anyone else relate to this or had this experience in the past? I'm going back down to 2 a day for now.Thanks,Brett Current meds are .50 mg xanax, each A.M. and Imodium every few days as needed.Hypno tapes, day 31I have Pamine but have been afraid to start using it as of yet.

 

[tltrull]

Why afraid of the Pamine Brett?Ive seen more side effects listed on allergy pills LOL!Im just suprised fiber worked this long for you! When I went that route it helped for about 2 weeks and that was about it. Thats too many pills for my taste, I could barely get down the 3 calcium per day.

 

[Prudy]

Just curious... what was his rational about upping your dose???? When I took a fiber lax it helped but, it also went a little too many BM's on occasion.. plus taking it at night was causing indigestion and too much gas...for me anyway..I guess I would say, if what you were taking was working.... Well, you know the saying... If it ain't broke... don't fix it...

 

[kitkat17 Lady of the Loo]

Hey oldie Brett, I too would go back to 2 a day. I tried the fiber thing 2 times before and it made my D worse.What is Pamine? I got the perscriptoin for the Robinul 3 months ago and have yet to start it. The Dr wanted me to wait till I got used to the BP meds and like you I am now afraid to take it. I need to try it to see if it is better thasn the Lomotil.Darned if we do and darned if we don't.Feel BetterKat

 

[Talissa]

quote: I had two bad days of increased pain and multiple small stool sit downs.

hey Brett, listen to your doctor. 2 days of "discomfort" is what I had when I went to high dose metamucil, then it normalized.Acc to ...com, for the system to adjust to the added fiber, it can take up to a week for diarrhea & up to 2 weeks for constipation...It's worth the wait! T-

 

[Talissa]

ps, here's the rationale for high fiber~../supplements/sol_fiber1.asp

 

[20250]

Thanks everyone for the words of advice, Appreciated much.Tracy, Pamine is a medicine that blocks the release of stomach acid. It is used with other medications to treat ulcers in the stomach and intestines. This is one of the new meds the Philly doc gave me to try last week. I searched this board, of course, and found alot of negative reactions from others who have taken it.Prudy, I know what you're saying, if it aint broke, don't fix it, but I was still having d episodes from the 2 a day dose, just not the pain that goes along with it. And my goal is to live without D, even once a week is too much for me. I guess I'm greedy. Hello There KitKat, It's me, Oldie,lol. After reading what Pamine does I'm confused as to why doc gave me this. I don't have ulcers in my stomach or intestines!

I've heard of Rubinol around here and you probably already looked up to see how others handled it. I'm thinking more and more that these tapes are our last hope. Talissa, Thanks for the links. I didn't realize there was so little fiber is in one big fibercon pill. But, Maybe I didn't word it right, I think I was constipated and ate something that normally would trigger a D attack, but instead of having a D attack to get it out, the fiber increase seemed to stop me up and cause some pretty bad pains all weekend. And for the second week in a row, I am totally lethargic the day after, my body is just dead, like I got hit by a truck. Now i know how Spasman feels.Thanks again, Brett

 

[Prudy]

I know how you feel... I too hate the "D" word... It is a dirty word to us who suffer..I was wondering you talk of being stopped up... One thing I was wondering... are you drinking enough water???? That can cause the fiber lax to go the opposite way... I know when I started taking the fiber lax... my doctor told me to drink lots of water... like about 2Liters... wow I did.. didn't think I could down it... but I did.. That and taking the lax kept me regular with no big bouts of D... no feeling of incomplete evacuation.... and no C... When that started giving me the gas and indigestion... I went from that to getting the fiber from foods... like oatmeal.. wheat bread.. veggies.. fruits... and that worked ok... until those very things then became my trigger foods... Maybe instead of upping the pills all at once.. maybe a gradual increase is better giving the body a chance to adjust before going for the full dose... Hope you find an answer for yourself..

 

[20250]

Some good advice Prudy, Thanks. I do make it a habit of drinking plenty of water but I don't think I'm getting 2 liters a day in me. I'm gonna take your advice on the gradual increase part. I'll go to 3 a day for week, and up it 1 a week and see if that helps. It's not something that I will do without because it has helped me with the diverticulosis and pain, except for the weekend that just passed. ThanksWhat is your situation? And how long have you been dealing with it? Do you have it under control and if so, what are your secrets?

 

[Prudy]

Well... I have IBS... I also have diverticulosis.. hx of CA colon polyps.. hemorrhoids.. anal fistulas and rectal abcesses..HTN and other issues.. Been dealing with it for going on 20 years.. always had the urgency with BM's it became worse after I had surgery on my abcesses and fistulas.. wasn't so much the IBS at that time..... but over the years and Status post gallbladder removal...that has become progressively worse... and the older I get... the worse it seems to get... I took metamucil for many years... to keep things in control... but as the food began to trigger more and more attacks.. and pain..that cause more problems then it solved.. I figured.. possibly diverticulitis was a brewing.. since it tends to be there in most people as they get older... and both my parents had it... So I began to watch what bothered me and started to eliminate it.. I procrastinated about getting a colonoscopy at 50... even though I knew my dad had colon CA... I still let it go... until I started to have bleeding problems... and bowel changes... so 2 years ago... at 55 I had my first... and there in discovered... the Divertiulitis... and the CA polyps... Polyps were removed... but the pathology revealed they were CA... so.. 3 mos later I had another colonoscopy to make sure he had gotten all the Polyps removed and left no stems... he is 95% sure it is gone... and so is the second opinion on it... I could have opted for a bowel resection.... but with a 95% assuredness... I went with getting the colonoscopies frequently for 2 years...Last one was done last Sept... and another clean bill as far as CA... and at that time... no irritation so UC was ruled out at that time... But, I continue to have the S/s of IBS... with the frequent bouts of BM's and the D... I have elminated so much from my diet... along with the foods I must avoid with the Divert..... also the foods that trigger my IBS.... Which I had thought I was doing quite well with until over the holidays... I had my worst bout ever... Of course... I had eaten things.. I know I should not have... and then the bleeding... diarrhea.. part of it a virus attacked me as well... which made it worse.. I had pains... in both upper quads... and lower groin area... A CT scan revealed no active bleeding... I was scared a diverticuli had ruptured... anyway... From there I went through all kinds of blood test... and stool cultures tests... and scans... you name it.. all inconclusive... Could have been a spontaneous bleed... an ulcer.. hemorrhoids.. fissure... So next week I am to see by GI... and we are going to sit down and decide.. just want the heck is going on with me..Like I said... way back I stopped taking the fiber lax... and I would take immodium when things got bad... but most times I just rode the waves.... and prayed ....But this last bout being the worst... I have ever had... with 2 weeks of diarrhea... and cramps.... not able to eat... following the BRAT diet to get things stopped up... I got so depressed this time... I was having anxiety attacks... and everytime the D attack would hit... I could feel myself going into a panic attack... I can understand people wanting to die then live like that... Scared me....My kids were at a loss... they just don't understand.. at all....I am doing much better now... and the day I joined here... I read Linda's thread on calcium and decided to give it a go... and thank God it has been helping me .... I still may have 2-4 stools a day... for the most they are formed.. with maybe a little loose... and that I can deal with....Funny thing is... I found this site through a client at work... he has Crohn's and he mentioned it... That was on a Friday... on SAT... I googled for it... and that is how I found it.... and I am so thankful... no one ever knows what one goes through with this condition... except those who go through it themselves.... So right now I am coping much better.. only a few attacks of D... still not eating everything ... but maybe that will never be... but as long as I can cope... and not have D all the time.. I think I will be able to get a handle......The sad thing is.... I thought old age was suppose to be the golden years... and it has not proved that so far... I am hoping this is the hitting bottom... and now all things will improve from here on out...

 

[20250]

We have a couple things in common. It sucks that you had CA polyps, hopefully it will stay away for you. 95% is pretty good odds. Calcium seems to help most people who have lost their gallbladder, so that's good that it's helping you some.