Does anyone have a change from constipation and hard stools to softer stool for no reason

[Merlinjardin]

I have had hard stools for a year, not taking any laxatives. Eating same diet. 50 50 bread. Chicken and fresh veg. Gluten free digestive biscuits . Few wine gums. Drink water. Coffee in the morning. My toilet is now much softer , suddenly changed about a week ago. Still having problems to completely empty my bowel. Use a micro enema. But feel a bit numb in my rear after.

[Frasina]

There are people who get both constipated for many months and then have loose stools often also for a few months. The patterns of things such as IBS can go this way. It may be an idea though to speak to your GP and explain this. Stress can be a contributing factor...

[Merlinjardin in reply to Frasina]

Yes thank you for your reply. Will be speaking to hospital consultant next week. My stools are more normal now with no change of diet. So confusing , still a lot of wind.

[Frasina in reply to Merlinjardin]

For wind pain I take Buscopan - find it works better than other over counter meds but you are only meant to take for 2 weeks although my gastroenterologist said you can take for longer if you do not take it every single day... maybe give it a try? They do an IBS version.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Frasina]

Yes I have buscopan, and I take if need too, paracetamol also helps. Take omeprazole for my reflux. And also one ondansetron a day helps push food down and pass wind. Have tried most meds over past year , try to cut down because I was like a zombie. Use to take senakot which I stopped a year ago but think it has caused bowel problems , they don’t work properly. Think this is going to take a while yet.

[Frasina in reply to Merlinjardin]

It really is trial and error; I also have acid reflux so take omeprazole as and when I need it. Hope you find the right meds and agree that it takes a while to sort out... Good luck.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Frasina]

Thank you good luck toox

[Boxroad]

Yes I do, have you checked out fibre in the veg you eat? There are two types of fibre, soluble and insoluble fibre, and you need to get the balance right, do you keep a food diary? When mine changes I can normally check my diary and see what made me block up or loosen up depending on what veg I have eaten.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Boxroad]

Have not changed my diet, same veg as before. Stools easier to pass so some progress. Yes will be speaking to consultant next week and dietician calls regular. IBS is so unpredictable. Slowly improving long way to go. Thank you

[Merlinjardin in reply to Merlinjardin]

Also had covid booster in December 19th don’t think that has effected me, some people are saying they get side effects from it with there IBS. Maybe a coincident. But used Moderna other two were Pfizer .

[Boxroad in reply to Merlinjardin]

Has your dietitian spoken to you about the two fibres? I have been IBS over thirty years and at no stage did my dietitian tell me about the two types of fibre until I asked them first. Soluble fibre soaks up the liquid in the bowl while insoluble fibre don’t soak up the liquid, like sweet corn is a insoluble fibre that is why some people see it in the toilet after going, if you research into it you will be amazed at what we think is good for IBS can make our issues worse, are you in England? Look up wsh.nhs.uk And our bodies do change as we age.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Boxroad]

Yes I am aware because when my stools were hard I was given hyfibre to take. Don’t take any supplement and stools have changed . Still trying to get diet ok. Thanks

[Boxroad in reply to Merlinjardin]

Potatoes are soluble so help soften the stool potato skin in insoluble, I find to much soluble can bind me up but cabbage, kale ect are insoluble and can give me diarrhoea if I eat to much of it. I was diagnosed with diverticulitis a few months ago and if that is in a flare up in can cause diarrhoea where the little pockets get blocked then get infected, that is why small seeds rice ect are not good for diverticulitis as it gets stuck in the pockets in the bowl. If I eat tomato the seeds can cause me lower left abdominal pain.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Boxroad]

Yes I eat potato not the skins, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and only plain chicken breast cooked in foil. I have some gluten free digestive biscuits which seem to help make me go. Hand full of wine gums. Some 50 50 bread and dairy free butter. Only drink water. Coffee in morning helps my bowels open. I haven’t had diarrhoea as such. Still only 7 stone. Lost 3 stone at the beginning of last year when I was very poorly. So long road back .

[Boxroad in reply to Merlinjardin]

I would not be able to tolerate the 50 50 bread, I only have free from bread, I can’t tolerate tap water at all not even boiled, where I live in Essex the tap water in hight in fluoride and that don’t agree with me. A few weeks ago my wife started a terrible cough, she was sent for chest X-ray in case it was cancer, then she noticed it was worse when she drank tap water so we only have spring water and her cough has pretty much cleared up.

[Merlinjardin in reply to Boxroad]

I live in Essex and only drink bottled water even use it to cook the veg in. Did not like the free from bread. I am in Harwich near clacton.

[Boxroad in reply to Merlinjardin]

I am about 10 miles the other side of Colchester from Clayton, half way between Colchester and halstead. I don’t really enjoy the free from bread but it’s better than being unwell

[Merlinjardin in reply to Boxroad]

Yes

[winfong]

When I first got IBS, I was constantly switching back between C and D. I always thought of it as kind of the gut equivalent of being bipolar. I don't think it's that uncommon.