[Kathleen M.]

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.

 

[Kathleen M.]

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.