[twonK]

Hi all,I haven't posted for some time since my IBS-C has been mostly tolerable. Sure, many days I'm in a lot of pain and discomfort but it would typically be for only a day or two and not the sort of PAIN where you just want to wake up sometime in the future with it gone.Anyhow, the last 2 weeks have been horrific. It's the worst my gut has been for as long as I can remember. Painful to the touch and feels like someone's pulling wire rope though it. I've been cutting back right back to basics on food, have gone back to small portion size, increased water intake and have been doing enemas daily to get whatever was killing me out. No such luck.The only thing that's different of late is this nasal spray which lists sorbitol as the first (i.e. largest in proportion) ingredient. I take it to help with my snoring and I do 2 squirts per nostril before going to bed. That doesn't sound much but the liquid is fairly streaming out of my nose and down my throat after the second squirt. Is this a sufficient amount to cause such a terrible flare-up? Note that it's also sitting in my nose, throat and stomach all night which may well potentiate its effect.One thing that potentially harpoons my theory is that I've been taking the spray for a month - for at least 2 weeks before the flare-up. Is it possible that it didn't bother me so much at first but I've sensitised myself to it?I don't know, part of me feels that I'm just scrabbling for a reason for this horrible, disturbing flare-up that seemingly won't quit. I know that sometimes with IBS there is no logic to it but that's a pretty hard (non) reason to swallow right now :/Pete

 

[Kathleen M.]

I can't imagine how a tiny amount of sorbitol in your nose is getting to the colon or causing large volumes of gas.People aren't allergic to sorbitol so it isn't one that the longer it is there the worse it is.The reaction to sorbitol is in the colon where it gets turned into gas and can pull water into the colon. One molecule of sorbitol can only do so much. It isn't where one molecule cause hundreds of other reactions. It forms a couple of molecules of gas or holds and extra molecule or two of water in the stool.If anything it should make you less constipated, not way more constipated.The breathing problems at night can be enough to set off IBS issues. Also if you have any allergies to pollen the last couple weeks (at least here) have been horrendous for pollen counts and that could be messing you up all by itself. I'd be more likely to wonder if you react to the drug part, rather than the inert ingredients part (and usually even the highest amount of the inert ingredients is much less than the active, they are two different lists. And like I said with as bad as the pollen has been around here this year everyone, even ones on good allergy control, and even people without allergies, all seem to have problems just from the amount of junk in the air.

 

[twonK]

Thanks as always for a helpful reply Kathleen. As I said in my post I had a feeling I was perhaps scrabbling for some logic to this recent bout. Pain's easier to deal with if you can make sense of it and predict and prevent it.The constipation aspect of IBS-C doesn't bother me much truth be told. I just do an enema or glycerol suppository and that usually sorts me out. Any form of oral stimulant laxative results in extreme pain for 2-3 days for me. And others, such as Miralax don't have any effect other than making me feel more uncomfortable.I've not heard that breathing problems due to pollen can exacerbate IBS before. How is this - swallowing air and such? My allergies have started to pick up the last week or so as it happens. I'm actually taking the Astepro for excessive snoring, which itself is caused by the 90mg Nardil I'm taking for depression&anxiety. Thanks,Pete

 

[Kathleen M.]

If you aren't breathing at night, the physical stress of the lack of sleep will make every other health issue worse.There can be some direct link between allergies and the GI tract as histamine is active in both and it doesn't necessarily stay put in the nose.Allergies and even irrigation from just too much pollen in the air (like when there is too much dust or smoke in the air) can make it much harder to breath when you are sleeping. Although it can make it hard any time of day, when you have problems to start with, it really won't help.