lifetime

[12chickens]

I am 75 and feels like i have IBS for a lifetime it strted in my 40 's most possibly after a bad DV caused by infection for which I was given antibiotics.

I have been investigatd twice found small polyps on second investigation not a cause of IBS

i have gone through every stage of IBS flatulence Diarhoea Vomiting etc and tried every "cure and diet" non really worked . I think it is stress related and linked somehow to my back pain caised by Osteoartritis and I have got nerves trapped unable to operate as have had one decompression

I have experienced IBSC for a some time and it is getting worse very painful and feel like my bowel has stopped peristalsis . My question is any one found the perfect laxative ?

[FRreedman]

Maybe not the perfect laxative, but one worth trying anyway. I have two Kiwi fruits every day and it certainly seems to work, in as much as I have 2BMs every 3 days or thereabouts

[xjrs]

I have IBS-C and have been prescribed Linaclotide for it and I am also taking Alflorex probiotic which has been scientifically studied for IBS and is available on a free 2 month trial on joining theibsnetwork.org. These in combination have reduced the pain I am in considerably and I have been able to tolerate more foods so that I am able to consume the extra fibre I need to have a BM without laxatives including 4 tablespoon oatbran, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 8 prunes, 2 tablespoon chia seeds and 3 shredded wheat (or GF version: Nutribrex) for breakfast, plus quinoa, wholewheat bread and whole grain pastas at other meals. These fruits are particularly high fibre and can help with BMs: hard pears, dried apricots, raspberries, oranges (contain a natural laxative) & 2 kiwi. In some people the Linaclotide also helps a lot with BMs which is its primary purpose.

There is some good advice about constipation here:

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

Exercise can help with BMs. The government recommends 150 mins of moderate exercise (e.g. walking as if you are late for an appointment) or 75 of intense exercise (e.g. jogging) per week. I also have a bit of a walk around straight after breakfast to get things moving.

You need to ensure that you are drinking enough fluids (2 litres of fluid per day).

If you really get stuck you can try 800mg+ of Magnesium Oxide. I used to take these for a regular bowel movement when having to be low fibre:

myvitamins.com/vitamins/mag...

- unfortunately out of stock at the moment.

I used to start around 800mg at bed time on an empty stomach, then increment by 100mg (1 pill) each night until I got a response the next morning or the morning after. Most of it goes straight to your bowels where it draws in water to bulk out stools.

This worked well when I was low fibre, but when I started to introduce fibre it became more unpredictable (either not working well enough or too well), so I had to give it up.