I have some more questions:1. Do people with IBS tend to lose weight or be thin? I used to weigh under 100 lbs. until I was in my late 30's then I started to gain weight. I am now 61 and am 5'2" and weigh 140lbs. 2. How do carbinated drinks affect you? I sit better to stay away from them?3. Which is better for constipation? Laxatives or warm water enemas?4. I tried Metumucil at one time. It made me worse. Has anyone else had this problem?5. Does anyone take Donnatal? I have used it before and have some now. It doesn't seem to help much.
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Some people gain weight some people lose weight. It depends on how the IBS effects your eating habits and activity levels.There is no extra something that makes you gain or lose weight. If your weight loss or gain is all out of proportion to what you eat/how much you move that is a sign something other than, or in addition to IBS is going on.I don't find much difference with fizzy drinks. For some people it is the high fructose corn syrup more than the bubbles that is the problem.I'd think if you can get by with osmotic laxatives that is the best. A few people can get into trouble with stimulatory laxatives if they over do it. I don't think the enemas are generally harmful but I'd rather seem people keep the stool soft enough to move with an osmotic or stool softener than try to get the hard dry stool out.Fiber can be a problem. Some people have more problems with fementable fibers like psyllium (metamucil) but may be OK with other fibers like citrucel or benefiber.I use a different antispasmodic and it can help soem of the time for me.K.
Thank you for the info. I think that my weight gain over the years is due to metabolism changes as I have aged along with menopause of course.My appetite is generally good most of the time, so my weight is stable. I haven't had a lot of luck with stool softeners or laxatives. They take too long to work. When I get constipated, I get so uncomfortable that I need immediate relief and I can't wait, so I use a bulb syringe and plain warm water. This is especially bad in the evening and if I go to bed without relief, I just hurt all night.I have one more question:Why do several days or weeks go by with no IBS problems and then bang, several days with horrible symptoms. I don't vary my diet that much.
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Well the thing with the osmotics or stool softeners is they may work better taking them regularly all the time rather than waiting until after you are constipated and have hard to pass stool that needs to be flushed out.Most of the people here that do magnesium as an osmotic laxative take it every day to keep from becoming constipated rather than after they haven't had a BM for a couple of days.Diet is not in any way the only factor that effects IBS. It can wax and wane for no apparent reason. Stress is one factor people can sometimes relate, and it can be physical stress like for woman who still cycle the various parts of the cycle can set it off. If you are overtired/not sleeping well on occasion that can effect it. Emotional stress also effects it but sometimes it is the almost everyone on occasion overdoes things and get tired.K.
I do have quite a bit of stress in my life that I can do nothing about. My husband has serious health issues and we have serious financial issues as well. I am also my husband's sole caretaker. I think that the stress of these issues probably contribute to my IBS attacks.
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