I am a new memeber although I was diagnosed with IBS eight years ago. My symptoms are usually very mild, but the last 3 months have been difficult. I don't suffer from diarrhea, per se, but I have anywhere from four to 10 movements in about a 2 hour span nearly every day. It is very exhausting and upsetting (which makes things worse). My GI put me on a high fiber diet a month ago and I'm still having problems. He recommended yesterday that I start taking Citrucel three times a day. Does anyone else have this many movements and did Citrucel work? My GP also put me on Levsin, but that doesn't seem to help much. I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so I'll be sure to pack plenty of Immodium (an IBS-D suffer's best friend).
Many Morning Movements
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
That number of bowel movements in the morning is fairly common amongst people who have diarrhoea predominant forms of IBS. I used to have that many but now I'm down to about 5 (and often less) but still in the space of about an hour. I've never tried Citrucel. I take a tricyclic antidepressant (which slows the gut) as well as daily immodium. If you haven't been helped by the high fibre diet it might be worth going back to your specialist as most specialists realise that some people's IBS is actually worsened by fibre. I hope that you manage to have a good vacation despite your IBS.
That number of bowel movements in the morning is fairly common amongst people who have diarrhoea predominant forms of IBS. I used to have that many but now I'm down to about 5 (and often less) but still in the space of about an hour. I've never tried Citrucel. I take a tricyclic antidepressant (which slows the gut) as well as daily immodium. If you haven't been helped by the high fibre diet it might be worth going back to your specialist as most specialists realise that some people's IBS is actually worsened by fibre. I hope that you manage to have a good vacation despite your IBS.
I was the same way as you in the morning but it was like that for me always. I never could get to work and I barely could make it there, then when I was there I was back in the bathroom again. Finally I had it. I now have narrowed it down to 3-4 movements every morning. You don't want to do what I do though. I sit in the bathroom for 1/2 hour to 40 minutes 3 different times in the morning At 4:30 in the morning at 6:00 in the morning and at 7:30 in the morning. Like I said, no less than 30 minutes each time. After what comes out of me on its own, which ususally shoots out, I manually force whatever is left to come out. I put a roll of toilet paper on my left abdomen and lean forward and push with all my might every bit of gas and every bit of D that is in there waiting to haunt me for the rest of the day. It is like a battle everyday, while I feel what's inside me fighting me not to come out, swooshing back and force under my hands. This may seem strange to you but if I can get all that gas out then everything else comes out too and I can live in somewhat peace until the cycle starts all over again. I have done this for 15 years now and everyday I wait for my insides to just fall out one day in the toilet from so much forcing. I call myself the human whoopee cushion because that is what it seems like. If I didn't do this, and every so often I give myself a break from this on a weekend, I would never be able to exist in life, meaning I could never go anywhere, I couldn't work or anything. It is the only thing that ever worked. I take librax and lomotil for years, have tried citrucel and metamucil, but fiber is my enemy. Most of my movements come out by way of pain, cramping and D, and if not D I don't know how to categorize it except to say peices and peices etc., then the rest have to be forced out. Dreadful.
I was the same way as you in the morning but it was like that for me always. I never could get to work and I barely could make it there, then when I was there I was back in the bathroom again. Finally I had it. I now have narrowed it down to 3-4 movements every morning. You don't want to do what I do though. I sit in the bathroom for 1/2 hour to 40 minutes 3 different times in the morning At 4:30 in the morning at 6:00 in the morning and at 7:30 in the morning. Like I said, no less than 30 minutes each time. After what comes out of me on its own, which ususally shoots out, I manually force whatever is left to come out. I put a roll of toilet paper on my left abdomen and lean forward and push with all my might every bit of gas and every bit of D that is in there waiting to haunt me for the rest of the day. It is like a battle everyday, while I feel what's inside me fighting me not to come out, swooshing back and force under my hands. This may seem strange to you but if I can get all that gas out then everything else comes out too and I can live in somewhat peace until the cycle starts all over again. I have done this for 15 years now and everyday I wait for my insides to just fall out one day in the toilet from so much forcing. I call myself the human whoopee cushion because that is what it seems like. If I didn't do this, and every so often I give myself a break from this on a weekend, I would never be able to exist in life, meaning I could never go anywhere, I couldn't work or anything. It is the only thing that ever worked. I take librax and lomotil for years, have tried citrucel and metamucil, but fiber is my enemy. Most of my movements come out by way of pain, cramping and D, and if not D I don't know how to categorize it except to say peices and peices etc., then the rest have to be forced out. Dreadful.
I am the same way, go so many times that it seems like it wont stop sometimes, usually over 3-4 hours in the am after I get up. It can be very distressing. I take fibercon which I think is the same as citrucel. It has helped my poops be formed but I think the down side of fiber is that it bulks your stools up so there is "more" of it so to speak. Hope this helps
![]()
I am the same way, go so many times that it seems like it wont stop sometimes, usually over 3-4 hours in the am after I get up. It can be very distressing. I take fibercon which I think is the same as citrucel. It has helped my poops be formed but I think the down side of fiber is that it bulks your stools up so there is "more" of it so to speak. Hope this helps
![]()
I know when I do go it's like 4 or 5 times in a hour time spam. So if I am out I can't just say I am going to run to that bathroom I need to sit there for a while. Also the pain is like when I had labor pains having my children meaning it comes in painful contractions/waves. I only hve this happen maybe once a week tho I have been doing relaly good but what triggered me this very moring was a bowl of my daughters corn pops even tho they were dry they really messed up my tummy. So I can add corn pops to my trigger list. lol
I know when I do go it's like 4 or 5 times in a hour time spam. So if I am out I can't just say I am going to run to that bathroom I need to sit there for a while. Also the pain is like when I had labor pains having my children meaning it comes in painful contractions/waves. I only hve this happen maybe once a week tho I have been doing relaly good but what triggered me this very moring was a bowl of my daughters corn pops even tho they were dry they really messed up my tummy. So I can add corn pops to my trigger list. lol
Joined
·
295 Posts
My doctor mentioned that IBS is most common in the morning because it is when your colon is waking up. If I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time in the morning I get up early to get everything out of my system before I go anywhere. My doctor also recommends popping Immodium in the morning if it starts out bad. This really does help with the frequency of my bathroom visits.
Joined
·
295 Posts
My doctor mentioned that IBS is most common in the morning because it is when your colon is waking up. If I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time in the morning I get up early to get everything out of my system before I go anywhere. My doctor also recommends popping Immodium in the morning if it starts out bad. This really does help with the frequency of my bathroom visits.
Thank you to everyone for their responses. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who is suffering. I was becoming tired of non-IBS suffers telling me that my number of movements was not normal. Obviously it is. My vacation went well, I only had problems for half of the mornings. I took half doses of Immodium on those days (I have problems if I take a full dose) and I was able to have fun after an hour or so. I'm beginning to think that my primary trigger is my hormones. They've been out of whack for several months now. I doubt the high fiber diet is going to help that.
![]()
Thank you to everyone for their responses. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one who is suffering. I was becoming tired of non-IBS suffers telling me that my number of movements was not normal. Obviously it is. My vacation went well, I only had problems for half of the mornings. I took half doses of Immodium on those days (I have problems if I take a full dose) and I was able to have fun after an hour or so. I'm beginning to think that my primary trigger is my hormones. They've been out of whack for several months now. I doubt the high fiber diet is going to help that.
![]()
Joined
·
54 Posts
MORNINGS are the ABSOLUTE worst time for me
Joined
·
54 Posts
MORNINGS are the ABSOLUTE worst time for me
I am glad to hear that I'm not the only person with bad mornings. However, 1 minute I can't go at all, then the next I'm racing to the bathroom hoping I can make in time. It comes on so sudden. It messes up my schedule in the morning to the point that I'll be late to where I'm going. It's been this way for the past4 or 5 years and I've learned to just put up w/it. I am frustrated though. I do no have diarrhea.
I am glad to hear that I'm not the only person with bad mornings. However, 1 minute I can't go at all, then the next I'm racing to the bathroom hoping I can make in time. It comes on so sudden. It messes up my schedule in the morning to the point that I'll be late to where I'm going. It's been this way for the past4 or 5 years and I've learned to just put up w/it. I am frustrated though. I do no have diarrhea.
I have had this morning type of IBS for many years. I have learned to minimize it for my particular problems. The labour like pains are the worst and I found Dicetel (Canadian) worked well for this (taking one pill as soon as got up) till I started taking medication for arthritis making it redundant. The biggest change for me was reducing stress. I did this by quitting my stressful job and switching to one with flexible hours plus an understanding boss. I also created a less stressful morning environment for myself, reading a good book between episodes so I was not constanting thinking about the amount of time I was spending in the bathroom when I should be somewhere else. Watching trigger foods which increase as you get older. Treat hemorrhoids promptly as they create a feeling of repetive urgency. When I eat poperly, I am not doing too badly at all.
1 - 20 of 21 Posts
Join the discussion
