Hi everyone. Although my first posting I have followed this forum for 12 months and must say it is very informative and helped me steer my way through all the information. I have also joined the IBS Network. Did not realise how many people suffer from this dreadful syndrome.
I was diagnosed with IBS D 6 years ago and have been diagnosed with IBS and chronic constipation. Have had a full body CT Scan privately in Jan this year ,which thankfully was clear , colon and endoscopies a few years ago. All bloods and celiac , h-pylori and the FIT tests are negative , just waiting for FBC and Vitamins blood test results.
What I can't work out is why my bowels will not work without the use of laxatives. I have made significant life style and diet changes (increased fibre and almost excluded bread). My pain level has significantly reduced. When I ask the Gastro Consultant all he says it's part of the IBS symptoms.
I'm not convinced and would look forward to your inputs. Thanks for reading.
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guitarman49
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You could try to re-train your bowels, but it is not a quick fix. I think you need to soften your bms , before you try to re train as you may, otherwise, end up with more problems. So use a natural laxative (Lactulose) and also try the following: Eat two Kiwi fruits per day, drink at least two litres of water per day, and walk at least 1mile per day, on top of your normal regime and diet.
Now, if you decide that you want to go to the toilet in the morning when you wake up, then every morning you go into the toilet, and sit there for 20 minutes. If you have been productive you should leave the toilet, if you have not been productive after 20 minutes, you should still leave the toilet. Do not go back into the toilet, until you need to empty your bowels. The following day, do exactly the same. After about three or four days, you should notice that you are producing wind during this visit, that is fine, just carry on, remembering to leave after twenty minutes. You should after a week or so start to be more productive and begin to reduce the Lactulose you are taking. I would suggest you continue with the Kiwi fruits, because they taste quite nice.
Thank you. Already on the water and Kiwi fruit and will certainly take your advice on re-training and Lactulose a go. Fingers crossed. Will see my GP on Monday next week as my Folate is very low and my B12 is close to being significantly deficient. Not to sure if it's related to the IBS. Thanks again.
Very common in IBS-C is a long, loopy (otherwise known as redundant or tortuous colon). I found out I had one via a colonoscopy last year. Since the colon is longer than average and stools have a more difficult journey, more water gets absorbed since they stay in the colon for longer, making stools harder and more difficult to pass. I was also diagnosed with visceral hypersensitivity (intestinal nerve pain). I am on Linaclotide for both these conditions. It has reduced the pain considerably, although it hasn't helped with the 'C' is does for some people. I too used to have consume a huge amount of fibre to achieve a BM and didn't know why until I had this diagnosis. Previously due to the pain I was on a highly restricted diet (including low fibre), which made things worse and I had to take high dose Magnesium Oxide to act as an osmotic laxative to allow me to have a BM. Now I am on the medication I have been able to expand my diet further and add lots of fibre back into it again (prunes, oat bran, ground flaxseed, chia seeds and even trialing wholemeal bread again which I haven't consumed in years).
Have you read the advice here about constipation?:
You might need to be cautious about Lactulose since it can cause excess gas in some people, particularly IBS sufferers, but no harm in trying and see how you get on - there are other suggestions in those links - with the medicines they say to try things in the order they are presented on the page going from less aggressive to more so.
When you say you are low on B12, just wondering if you've been following a vegan diet, since this can cause B12 deficiencies? Just a thought.
Thank you for your inputs , good point relating to a tortuous colon. Will ask the Gastro Doctor. I am pleased to read your symptoms are improving.
Just started yesterday with the lactulose trial , you are right about the gas , but I will stick with it for a few days. Interestingly also for the first time this morning I used one of those toilet stools to raise the legs into a 'so called squat position' . It worked and had my first painless easy BM in 3 months without the use of suppositories , maybe the lactulose also helped. Fingers crossed.
Thanks also for the reference to B12. I'm not vegetarian however I have GERD medicated with a large dose of PPI's so I believe I have functional B12/Folate deficiency due to poor absorption. Have appointment on Monday to discuss with GP , I'm hoping he will put me back onto the B12 injections after stopping them 7 months ago. This is why I mentioned the possibility of the relationship to IBS and Gerd.
Yes. I have a squat stool myself. There is a strong relationship between IBS and GERD and I can suffer from both. People with IBS can have more gases in their system which builds up and puts pressure on the valve that sits between the stomach & the throat which allows stomach contents to flow back. I am more likely to have GERD symptoms the more constipated I am. Have you been referred to a dietitian to take you through the fodmap diet, which might reduce gases? The only downside is that it can mean less fibre and worse constipation, plus fodmaps are good for your health. I found the fodmap diet great when I had IBS-D, but can work against IBS-C. For GERD I have plastic bed risers which raise the head of the bed by 20cm to keep the contents of the stomach there overnight. I've also used a wedge pillow but found this hurt my hips due to my side sleeping position.
Good that you've had luck with your BM today. Hope your doctors' visits go well.
Hi, I know exactly how you feel. I've had endoscopy, colonoscopy, CT and gut transit test. All showed as negative. Gut transit was borderline slow transit but my consultant said nothing to be really concerned about. The only thing that's helped has been fodmap diet along with prucalopride to increase transit time. I had about 10 weeks of relief on the elimination phase but once high fibre, gluten and lactose were reintroduced everything went haywire again. Now I'm back on gluten and lactose free, small low fibre meals and things improving again. My consultant recommended a book by Suzanne O Sullivan which is basically about extreme psychosomatic symptoms. It doesn't give you an answer but shows just how debilitating they can be. My IBS is classed as functional ( though I refer to it as non functional!). At least having read this I can accept what's happening even if I don't understand it. Trying mindfulness and yoga an trying to remain hopeful. My thoughts are with you.
Hi Thank you for your post , it's always interesting to understand what other people are experiencing and how IBS and the effect the symptoms have to our quality of life. I hope it improves for you.
My life with IBS and other gastro problems started in my late twenties and has been with me for the past 40 years and I still find it hard to accept that medical science can not explain and find a cure.
Hi Ronnie Sorry to hear you also have issues , appreciate your inputs.
Thankfully for the past few days I have had some relief from the pains and find the 'squat stool' to be of great benefit and help regarding loo activity for the constipation.
Now trying to tune the amount of fibre and diet for constipation relief as I think this is what generates most of the pain and discomfort.
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