Hi everyone, sorry I know I post a lot on here.. it just seems to be the only place I can get help! I rang my GP the other day.. quite clearly seeking help and he sent me a link to the nhs IBS website.. and told me not to eat sweeteners. EYE ROLL...
My current situation is daily loose stools with gas and urgency.. worse in the morning, especially on weekends. I can go 4/5 times before leaving the house on the weekend. I have hemmarhoids at the moment, which I guess might not be helping, and are making the stools sticky and causing a bit of a mess with wiping.. (gross). My stools are always type 5 (unless I am having a really bad flare with the sweats, cramps and type 7 outburst). Bloating is also a problem, worse after lunch and dinner. I look 4 months pregnant by the evening! I have to go out on my lunch break before eating my lunch, otherwise I will get gas and urgency if I go straight after eating.
My issue is I don't know if I need more fibre to bulk the stool, or less fibre to stop the looseness and urgency! I keep reading conflicting information. I tried Psyllium before, which looking at my old food diary, seemed to stop the looseness, but not bulk the stool or help the bloating.
Now i have been trying optifibre (a different type of soluble fibre) and I don't know if that's making me worse, or if I need to ride it out. Also been on alflorex for about 3 weeks, again, I don't think that's making an improvement. I try to have oats in the morning.. but don't know if that's causing looseness.
I have also tried Enterosgel and Sac Boullardi. I remember being on both to get me through a holiday, and I was fine until I had one massive outburst before the transfer came and I couldn't leave the toilet!
I am completely lost with it all now.. I don't know what to try or not to try. I don't have dairy, sweeteners caffeine, or beans etc.
I'm going to Brazil for my honeymoon in 6 weeks which I am dreading.. how sad is that?! And I have a court case with work in 4 weeks which I am already petrified of.. being stuck in a courtroom!
I was thinking of trying Low fodmap again, but i have left it too late now and I don't want to restrict myself further before going away.
Sorry for the long post.. Just want my life back and to be able to look forward to my honeymoon!
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JT1992
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See a gastroenterologist. I have similar issues, although not quite as bad. My dietician and MD have told me to take 3 teaspoons of Metamucil every day in late afternoon and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. I am also on a modified Fodmap diet. I have no medical qualifications, so am just saying what I have been told. It may not be right for you. I have also been recommended the Align probiotic. I would try to keep your diet somewhat bland until your wedding and be especially careful of onions, garlic and stone fruits. Also you may want to check for SIBO as that can make wiping difficult as stools are sticky.
I saw one years ago who referred me for a Colonoscopy which came back fine. After that he just waved me off and said to cut out dairy. I brought up SIBO with my GP and they just fobbed it off and said its very rare unless you have had surgery. Which I know after reading on here is not quite true. Which probiotic did you get recommended? Align looks like a brand and they have quite a few different ones? How did you find the Metamucil? Did it not make you looser? Thank you for your help
I am in the US. Here Align is the name of the probiotic. I believe Amazon carries as do most drugstores. My gastro said not to take it for more than 30 days to see if it helps. The newest thinking, at least here, seems to be that probiotics don't really help too much and can cause SIBO. Also, you are right -- surgery has nothing to do with SIBO. Maybe the doctor was thinking about C. difficile. I did get SIBO with no apparent cause. I felt fine on the Metamucil. It seemed to just generally help straighten things out. I do think you are spuuosed to start it gradually ie. one teaspoon -- and work up. There are directions on the container and also on the internet. Be careful, though, if you try it, that you get the one with real sugar, not the one with a chemical sweetener. Mix with a lot of water. x
The specific Align recommended for IBS is bifidobacterium longum 35624. Saccharomyces boulardii is also often recommended. I wish I could recommend a magic pill for you. My magic pill if I’m anxious is a very very low dose of a benzodiazepine, which cuts that brain-gut connection. Anxiety = immediate diarrhea for me. I take it only occasionally as needed.
For a bulking fiber supplement I take Citrucel and like it very much. I still poo a lot, mostly in the morning, but the poos are normal. And there’s no urgency. For your trip to Brazil, you might consider taking Imodium. I’m wishing you the very best and hope you have a wonderful honeymoon!
Start slowly, one teaspoon to start and full glass of water. Every week add another teaspoon until you reach three teaspoons, which equals a tablespoon. If need be, you could add another teaspoon or more in the evening. Remember a full glass of water, and stir often as you drink it. I use the kind with real sugar, not the fake sweetener. I’m sorry I didn’t mention to go slowly with your dosing in my other post. Glad you asked!
I will have loose stools if I go for the whole "5 a day" thing, or eat too much fibre. Too much fibre seems to be a lot less nowadays than it used to be when I could eat 2 portions of chopped fruit with bran flakes for breakfast!
Oats do me in. Yes, I know they're supposed to have soluble fibre and that's supposed to be good, but nope. They act like a laxative for me.
I peel and skin everything and that helps. I can handle the fibre in about 16 vegetables, and sometimes brown rice, but not much else. Not even quinoa nowadays.
So, apart from my steamed veggies (about 60% low Fodmap), I eat slightly more "binding" foods, like white rice, white pasta, ciabatta toast etc. I hear the Japanese and Chinese eat white rice daily and they are okay, but I don't eat it daily, and I always buy organic.
I am now pretty stable on a very plain but fairly healthy diet. But 5 a day is too much for my gut.
Proteins are fine for me. I eat fish of all kinds and eggs. Occasionally a few nuts (Walnuts and Brazil nuts, and sometimes roasted peanuts) which are friendly so long as I don't overdo it.
Basically fibre makes me looser. I go from normal type 4 to type 5 if I've eaten something with more fibre. But as IBS goes, sometimes for no reason at all, my gut is fine no matter if I have or not!
Fruits make me "go", so I eat few of them and only a bit at a time. If I eat fruit I always peel first. Kiwi is one that isn't good news, though it's so nutritious. It gives me really loose stools. Great for constipation!
Artificial sweeteners are very bad news for me. Sorbitol acts as a laxative. Some other food additives are awful, so I read labels now. Even high-mineral bottled water isn't okay for me, and I buy low mineral when I can.
Have you tried Imodium? I didn't, so can't give a personal story about it, but I was thinking if you find a "sweet spot" dosage, it might firm up bowel movements but not make you constipated? You could experiment?
I do find Imodium helps, although I use the generic version, Loperamide, which is much cheaper. Planning ahead works for me, so if I have an event, I start two days before and take one capsule, another on the day before, this usually slows everything down, but if necessary, I take another on the day itself. This has been a trial and error process. Also, If I have an early morning thing, I skip breakfast because that invariably has me dashing to the loo afterwards. If you can find a way of managing your symptoms most of the time, it helps a lot. Congratulations on your wedding.
When I was working, I would take one regularly if I was going into the office or travelling for work. It makes life a bit less stressful. WFH, and I wouldn't bother. My SIL was on 12 a day on prescription after a bowel operation, obviously under medical supervision. You could ask your GP about taking them regularly, especially in view of your upcoming wedding and honeymoon.
Hi, it really depends on the underlying cause of your bowel problems if you should eat less (no) or more fibres. In my case, with a chronic functional bowel problems without currently known root cause, I found that eating no fibres or as less as possbible (white bread), low/no fat are somewhat helpful in alleviating my symptoms. Also I drink lactose free, low fat milk and eat lactose free cheese. You could try to go for a low/no fibre, no/low fat and lactose free diet for a week to find out how your gut/body reacts on this diet. Besides I do take 5mg bisacodyl, a prokinetic, to keep the flow in my intestines. I take one tablet, often cut it in half, every other 3 hours during the day. It's by trial and error I found that this is working for me. I'm now waiting for my first appointment in a tertiary hospital in Belgium because in the Netherlands, where I live, the consultants don't want to do any further current available examinations to rule out possible underlying causes for the functional gastrointestinal disorder I have unfortunately.
This is the kind of diet I'm following now because of my undiagnosed functional gastrointestinal disorder but don't eat vegetables (yet):
a diet low in fat, fiber, lactose, and fructose
cooking all vegetables and passing them through a blender to make them easier to digest
Sorry to hear you’re suffering so much. They say to go on Fodmap diet 4-8 weeks. It helped me. Have you tried eating foods that stodge up like eggs, white flour, rice?
I don’t eat garlic, onions, leeks, some fruits, anymore.That has helped.
Does Imodium help you, maybe to get through your court case. I take Codeine Phosphate (prescribed) as and when and helps me getting so anxious and needing the loo but told not to take all the time.
Hope you can find something that helps.
There’s a lot of talk about gut microbiome and healthy bacteria.
Hi Pinkpop21.. can I please ask at what point you take the Codeine? when you get cramps? Or when you know you might have a trigger coming up? I have Endometriosis so take it every month.. and during this time it does stop the D and makes me feel a bit calmer.. wondering if it is something i should consider for events
I have had similar problems to you and managed to get referred to a dietician who advised me to go on a low fibre diet. It has helped although I can't see it as a long term solution. No fruit and vegetables, no grains, nuts etc Basically just white breads and meat, potatoes, pasta rice. Quite boring but gives your system a rest.
I agree entirely with Babsy Wabsy and would shoot myself if they stopped producing Imodium.They are perfect if you need to slow everything down for a special day and you would soon work out when to take them.I find taking the day before and the actual day works well.Hope you have a lovely wedding day and honeymoon.Best wishes.xx
thank you everyone for the comments. Imodium is definitely my best friend.. but because I don’t know if I’m actually constipated causing the D I am scared to use it too much. I do use it when travelling or visiting the husbands family because my anxiety goes into overdrive and I can’t get off the toilet!
I’ve also had floating stools the past two days which is another spanner thrown in.
It’s just so hard knowing what to take, what not to take, what’s making things worse or better. I have been trying alflorex which I’ve seen such good reviews on but I’m starting to think maybe that’s actually making me looser
has anyone tried using Imodium on a low dose throughout the week long term? My GP said that’s the next thing to try, but because I’ve always got hemmarhoids I’m worried about causing constipation. I also don’t want to become immune to them by taking them too often if that is even a thing ? Because I rely on them so much in anxious situations
you won’t get hooked on immodium but if it gets the stage where you think your getting constipated leave them off for a while, I should actually be on immodium for the rest of my life but I’ve got stomas so there’s really no point me taking them because they end up in stoma bag after 5 minutes 🤢
Forgot to mention, I also have Endometriosis and I've just been reading that the Endo can cause severe bloating.. one thing after another! I might go back to trying Psyllium Husks as I found that made me more on the C side which was much easier to manage, but I was really bloated... which at the time I thought was due to the Psyllium but I didn't realise I had Endo then too. :/
It's a shame that you have the 6 week deadline. They say Alflorex should be tried for up to 3 months. Precision Biotics the manufacturer of Alflorex have a help line, so you could try them. Again Optifibre needs to be worked up to a specific dose over time. Unfortunately all of these things take time. You could also try the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app, which also might help with travelling.
Are there any foods that you know that you are safe with. Is it possible to 'play safe' whilst you are away?
In terms of fibre, you could reduce initially to see if that helps you gain some short term control. If you want to stop loose stools because you are desperate, white jasmine rice with lean protein will stop anything going to your colon and will only be digested in the small intestine to give your bowels a break. Once things are more stable start adding some bland veggies e.g. carrots initially. You can then progress to peeled potatoes instead of rice. None of this is suitable long term.
In the long term, when things are under more control, ensure that the Alflorex trial is 3 months. See if this helps you to become more tolerant to different foods including fibre. Failing that try FODMAP elimination and reintroduction under the guidance a dietician from GP referral. Alongside all of this try the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app.
If none of these measures work long term, ask for a test for BAM (bile acid malabsorption), which is a different condition with similar symptoms.
If that is negative, you may have one of the rare cases of SIBO, but this is only if you are suffering from a distinct list of causes i.e. if you don't have any of the causes you won't have SIBO - I have listed them previously see 3rd xjrs post here:
hi it’s a horrible problem to live with..I have cut out fibre … for years docs told me to take fibrogel every day but a couple years of years ago I stopped it and also stopped eating dark green veg etc so cut out high fibre … much better … I drink water a lot which I hate (rather a g and t 😊)
It’s helped .. if I am going out I make sure I take movicol.. so essentially trying to clear out everything.. a bit like calling in Dynarod to clear drains …
I have had it for about 45 years .. I am positive low fibre is the only way ..
I do agree about low fibre having experimented in my own way and with what suits me or not. I still eat some fibre foods (veggies and sometimes brown rice) and am OK on them, but if I have more it's not good for me. I would rather feel well and fit than worry about not getting max. fibre! I have cut down fibre to about half of what I used to eat, maybe a bit less, and feel much better for it.
sounds like you have a lot of stress in your life right now. Do you have a way of coping with it - meditation, yoga, massage, gardening, reading or look at cognitive therapy? Might help.
can you get referred to a functional bowel clinic. these are usually run by nurses and look (as it says on the tin) at how your bowels function physically. they are run usually for people who have had some sort of surgical intervention and need to learn how to use their bowels again, but I've managed to get my GP to refer me to one. haent gone yet so fingers crossed
I've just found out that whilst I am in court for the week, i am being cross-examined as a witness. My anxiety does play a massive part in my IBS, and the times I am worst is when i feel trapped.. i.e in a car with people I don't know.. going into a meeting.. going on a plane.. so being put in a witness stand in a court room is massive for me.. if anyone has any tips for dealing with this on the day I would be greatly appreciated!!
I'm currently going to stop the alflorex and optifibre, go back onto Psyllium Husk, reduce gluten, and Enterosgel for the bad days. I'll be doing the Nerva app up to the court date, but it's on the day I am mostly fearful of, especially because it looks like I will be up right after lunch (belly churns just thinking of it!!)
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Just want my life back and to be able to look forward to my honeymoon! 
Low fibre / Low residue diet 
Insoluble fibre
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