[yank]

Since January 27th I have experienced severe diarrhea and only was diagnosed 2 weeks ago. I have been taking psyllium capsules to try to turn things around, and now, in the last two days, I am constipated and bloated. What do you "Old pros" recommend? I am at my wit's end. This is just horrible, isn't it? Haven't been out for 7 weeks except for tests and to doctor...PLEASE< HELP !

 

[Auroraheart]

I dont know about the capsules you are using; but I can offer some tips that some of us that had bad D (diareeah) have found workedFirst of all, have you noticed any foods/liquids that seem to "trigger" your D? Cabbage, onions, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol are all some pretty common ones. Keep a diary of what you eat and see if there are any trends where your D is worse.Calcium seems to work for many. You need to take magnesium with calcium in order for the body to absorb it. Thats kind of a double edged sword since magnesium can cause D. I take a multivitamin every 2-3 days and thats good enough for me. Any more than than that and I actually get constipated!There is a hypnotherapy area to this BB. Some here have found that was what works for them. Give it a shot, or visit that area to see what members there can suggest. (never done it myself)Good luck to you! And welcome to the BB!

 

[yank]

Thank you very very mcuh...I AM keeping a food diary and also my liquids, too. Psyllium is found in health food stores and it adds "bulk" to the stool...I have diverticulitis and have been taking psyllium for years (10 or more) but this is a whole new area and I HATE IT...also am not a very "patient" patient! Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[spin54]

Hi, just to put in my few cents.I have found that calcium (along with magnesium) and soluble fiber capsules have really helped me with my D. I have also recently started the Digestive Advantage for IBS tabs, and they don't seem to be doing much, but it hasn't been long.Keep in touch.Scott

 

[yank]

Thanks for this. I recently had blood tests in which my calcium levels were way too high and on doctor's recommendations had to stop taking calcium supplements!I don't know about "digestive Advantagge"...if it's available here in Canada. I am an American citizen living in Canada with Canadian husband..some things are not available here that are at "home" and vice versa.

 

[Auroraheart]

I had too much calcium at one point too...I wasnt drinking enough fluids.

(I HATE water!) I actually developed kidney stones from having too much calcium in my body and not flushing it out. Thats why I am really careful with how much I take now for calcium.You mentioned you moved here from the USA...was that recent? I find that stress really affects my IBS D and moving is SOOOO stressful. (I just moved 2 hours a few weeks ago) I forgot one other trigger many other D people have too....lettuce.

I can only eat that in small ammounts too. I actually found that I had to keep track of my stress level and what I ate...certain foods I can have when I am less stressed as compared to when I am. Steak bothers me too...I think its the roughage in red meat.

 

[missC]

have you tried organic lettuce auroraheart? apparently the pesticide residues in chemically grown lettuce can be horrendous, it's one of the worst things that way. also there's no roughage in any meat, truly! maybe it's the animal protein? my gut hates animal protein.

 

[yank]

thanks for all the good info...I'll take it to heart...or is that gut ?I wonder how all of you have managed to give a "normal" appearance with all this going on? I seldom, if ever, even heard about it and it's so very devasting to me at this point...I'm used to being very very active...out every day,etc. and have been a prisoner in my own house for 7 weeks!How long can I expect this bout to go on before (if ever ) it settles in to something more routine?

 

[Marius]

Yank,One thing I can say about my experience with IBS-D is that the more freaked out you let it make you, the worse it will get. This syndrome is perverse; it is both aggravated by and causes more anxiety. It's easy to say: 'Don't get worked up about it.' But you have to understand you will only make matters worse for yourself if you indulge in your anxiety. The best way to become a little calmer about this condition is to read as much as you can, & try a variety of things to see if they work for you. Be systematic: don't throw multiple fixes or cures at the problem at one time. It's very easy to misread what works or doesn't if you don't take things one at a time. At least you will have a sense of trying to do something positive. The biggest factor in controlling my symptoms is not diet, but stress level and how I react to stress.