Any IBS type C constipation sufferers here ?

[Worrier29]

I was diagnosed 2 years ago with IBS constipation and I still don't know what triggers it and what does I have it constantly anything I eat makes me bloat so bad that I look heavily pregnant and it can stay like that for days I can go 4 to 5 days most of the time without being able to go to the toilet the doctor has prescribed me laxatives and now I can't go without them , I'm.sick of every type of food I eat making me severely bloated and constipated I just want to be able to eat like a normal person without all of that and the discomfort and pain and swelling in the stomach, also I went to get probiotics from Holland and barely and it said on the pack I can't have them if I'm on anti depressants so I didn't get them but I'm pretty sure from restrictive eating from having my stomach condition my gut bacteria is not balanced at all causing everything to affect it foodwise and I tried probiotics in the past and it made My bloating worse but I didn't stick to it and only kept on them for a day because the severe bloating panicked me so I didn't take them again

[xjrs]

There is an article here that explains that probiotics might make symptoms worse initially, but this should subside over days or weeks:

medicalnewstoday.com/articl...

Here is how I handle my IBS-C with IBS pain from food intolerances:

What is your fibre intake like? To improve constipation in the short term you can try ground flaxseed on your breakfast, starting at 1 teaspoon and increasing at 1 teaspoon every 2-3 days - you'll need to consume extra water with it.

There are also medications that help IBS-C. I have been prescribed Linaclotide for it. I also take Alflorex probiotic which has made me more tolerant to taking in the extra fibre I need for a BM.

These foods are also high fibre:

8-9 Prunes

2 tablespoon chia seeds (soaked for 10-15 mins in milk or non dairy milk with cereal or water)

Shredded wheat (or if GF: Nutribrex)

60g Quinoa

Wholewheat bread

75g Whole grain pastas (if GF: Buckwheat)

2 Hard pears

5 Dried apricots

90g Raspberries

1 orange (contain a natural laxative)

2 kiwi.

I find that I need to have 1 orange or 2 kiwi a day and then another high fibre fruit later in the day to help with BMs. Introduce new foods and any fibre increases slowly, starting with one new thing at a time, waiting for 2-3 days for a response and keep a food diary. You may not need to consume as much fibre as I do.

For breakfast I make a porridge of 4 tablespoon of oat bran and 4 tablespoon all bran (wheat bran), 2.5 small cups of water and microwave for 10 mins. I then mix in 2 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and leave to stand for 15-20 mins since the chia seeds need to form a gel. On top of that I place 8 prunes and eat. The best thing to do is to start with normal oats in similar quantities and, if needed, replace one of the tablespoons of oats with oat bran for a couple of days, carrying on doing this every couple of days until you get to 4 tablespoon of oat bran and 4 tablespoon of oats. Then start replacing with wheat bran in the same manner. You can then add the other ingredients one at a time. You might find you do not need the complete 'recipe' to have a BM. All these individual components are down to tolerance e.g. you may not tolerate wheat (see later about Alflorex), so it is best to keep a food diary (I do this on a spreadsheet) recording symptoms for up to 2-3 days after each change.

I also take 30 drops of ginger extract before bedtime to aid motility. You may need to work up the dose to say 7 drop increments each night.

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).

There is some good advice about constipation here:

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

Failing dietary measures, you can try Optifibre, which needs to be worked up to a dose according to instructions. You may not need the full dose - watch out for gas and increment to a level that is acceptable for you.

Some people are more prone to constipation due to their intestinal anatomy. Through colonoscopies I have been told that I have a long loopy (redundant) colon. This means that food takes longer to pass through and in the mean time the intestines have more time to suck out water from the stool, drying them out and causing constipation. I have found that I need to consume much more fibre than other people to have regular BMs.

I have also found useful having most of my food at meal times, leaving 4-5 hours of not eating between meals, eating my fruit snack before a meal. This means that your digestive system has time to process each meal. It also allows something called the MMC (migrating motor complex) to run which sweeps food waste from your small intestine into your large intestine. This only happens when you have an empty stomach. When people snack regularly, it prevents the MMC from working properly. I also find the larger meals help to push things along better than drip feeding through snacking.

If in the long run, weeks/months probiotics progressively make your symptoms worse, you could discuss the rare possibility of SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) with your GP or gastro. Though generally speaking this tends to cause severe diarrhoea, though there is a type of bacteria called archaea that can make you more constipated. However, I'd probably say it is unlikely that you have this. It has a distinct list of causes and if you don't have one of the causes, you won't have it. Avoid anyone outside of the medical profession on this since there are many people making an industry out of this. Also the tests for it are inaccurate.

[Dolly38 in reply to xjrs]

That is an amazingly helpful reply. I have several medical issues and floppy colon is one of them. IBS diagnosed years ago and coeliac two years ago. Take laxido in varying doses ! I could go on and on but your reply sooooo helpful. Thank you

[Gold22]

Hi I have IBS-C, suffered on and off for years. I have a slow transit and intolerances. I have tried various things. What is working really well for me is a barley supplement called Juvia. It has totally transformed my bowel. It is available in the UK but not yet on nhs.

[Wonderwall3 in reply to Gold22]

I would love to take JUVIA, but unfortunately it is prohibitively expensive as I am retired and on a low income. I tried to find out if I could participate in a research study which is being run by Swansea University, and which is evaluating whether it should be available on the NHS but unfortunately, I live too far away.

[Gold22 in reply to Wonderwall3]

Oh dear sorry to hear that, let’s hope it’s on nhs soon

[Wonderwall3 in reply to Gold22]

Thanks, me too.

[Matrix]

Bless you I suffer with both ,I have discovered something called linseed seeds and I say seeds they work better than the milled seeds .I have to say the seeds give me a bowel movement most days .I have two dessert spoonful most days .Hope that helps .🤗🤗

[Gizmo6]

I was originally told I had ibs c about 30 years ago. I was like you had awful constipation. I would try alsorts to try ease it. Always hated laxatives as they would either cause terrible stomach pains and gas or I'd have trapped gas and awful bloating. Nothing really helped. Over the years I think you learn what your body can and can't tolerate. I haven't found a probiotic that has helped to this date. I'm now more mixed with different intolerances. I struggle with lactose intolerance, I'm not as bad as some people I can tolerate small amounts of milk. Too much fibre can cause gas and give me diarrhea and bloating. I also suffer with acid reflux. I started on slippery elm I found they helped with acid and constipation. My body seemed to get use to taking them after a couple of month. So the assistant at Holland and barrett advised me to stop them for a month or 2 then restart. So this is what I do now. They definitely help acid reflux I think they are the reason I'm more Mixed now. I hope you find what helps you