[tsuben]

I've just joined this forum yesterday. I am so glad to have found it!The pain gets so bad, especially after dinner and through the night. It is lower abdominal pain. I am so confused right now with what to do. I am constipated for the most part, but sometimes in the morning I have diarrhea.What can I do? I don't want to start taking laxatives since I used to be bulimic and abused them severely. They are highly addictive for me. I just took some magnesium and have been drinking lots during the day. The pain is awful though. Maybe I am eating something wrong? I have been really trying to watch what I eat. Breakfast seems to be no problem. Maybe I am having too many veggies at lunch and dinner. I don't eat much protein or carbs. I don't drink alcohol. I do smoke (I know I need to give this up!!)..I also do not eat any sugar or flour at all. As far as caffeine, I have been cutting back and limiting myself to just the morning cup (a big cup) and that's it. I don't eat too much fat either. Maybe I need more protein and meat? I am living in a vegetarian community right now. I can go off the main campus into town and get some other foods if need be. Should I be taking probiotics? Stool softener? I had been drinking aloe vera juice for the few days too. When the pain gets really bad I end up taking activated charcoal, but I don't want to keep doing that since it absorbs all nutrients. Oh yeah and I do exercise and am not overweight. I could probably lose a little weight, but this is a touchy subject since I am recovering from anorexia/bulimia. Please if anyone has ANY suggestions/advice!!!Thanks so much

 

[jetboy]

I've just joined this forum yesterday. I am so glad to have found it!The pain gets so bad, especially after dinner and through the night. It is lower abdominal pain. I am so confused right now with what to do. I am constipated for the most part, but sometimes in the morning I have diarrhea.What can I do? I don't want to start taking laxatives since I used to be bulimic and abused them severely. They are highly addictive for me. I just took some magnesium and have been drinking lots during the day. The pain is awful though. Maybe I am eating something wrong? I have been really trying to watch what I eat. Breakfast seems to be no problem. Maybe I am having too many veggies at lunch and dinner. I don't eat much protein or carbs. I don't drink alcohol. I do smoke (I know I need to give this up!!)..I also do not eat any sugar or flour at all. As far as caffeine, I have been cutting back and limiting myself to just the morning cup (a big cup) and that's it. I don't eat too much fat either. Maybe I need more protein and meat? I am living in a vegetarian community right now. I can go off the main campus into town and get some other foods if need be. Should I be taking probiotics? Stool softener? I had been drinking aloe vera juice for the few days too. When the pain gets really bad I end up taking activated charcoal, but I don't want to keep doing that since it absorbs all nutrients. Oh yeah and I do exercise and am not overweight. I could probably lose a little weight, but this is a touchy subject since I am recovering from anorexia/bulimia. Please if anyone has ANY suggestions/advice!!!Thanks so much

the more i read about peoples symptoms the more i think ibs is either caused by food intolerance or anxiety/stress,mine being the latter.i do know that when we are stressed the body bypasses the stomach to concentrate energy to fight or flight and this causes digestive problems but also i think we need to relax to actual go.breathing techniques certainly help, as do yoga positions,i do both in the mornings along with 2 pints of water.i posted a thread about yoga on here thsi forum if you want to see.i seriously doubt being vegetarian is causing it though ofcouse you can have an unhealthy diet without meat but as you said you eat lots of veg so that i would doubt is the problem,always with fibre ofcourse you have to have plenty of water.quitting smoking triggered my ibs so i would take on one problem at a time,smoking if anything loosens bowels and the sudden change to the body that quitting would instigate might cause some problems,i would add that i dont regret quitting for a moment though.you are right to avoid laxatives,they make the bowel lazy,perhaps this might be a cause from your abuse in the past of them but a stool softener i believe is helpful,i try not to take them either as i hate any form of medication but i have been assured they are fine take.diet wise ive heard so many things that i dont think id ever eat anything if i believed it all but i think as with everything with ibs that we are all different and you are best to listen to you body and trial and error.peppermint tea and fennel tea both help but other than that you sound like you are doing the right things.i hope this helps in some way,good luck.