a big problem..

[Poppyseed8]

has this happened to anyone else please, I started taking milled flaxseed with my morning weetabix & fibergel all was good until I had another health issue to deal with UTI which I had to have intravenous antibiotics for 7 days as ciprofloxacin didn’t touch it that was a fortnight ago so it’s not the antibiotics it was a bad one and that in turn could have upset me kicking in IBS.. But since Saturday I have had very loose stools and cramping wind & pain as I know this can be IBS anxiety related has anybody else had this problem in the second week of taking flaxseed or was this just me feeling anxious about my UTI I have stop the flaxseed now but still loose stools after 3 days of no flaxseed

[Lilagrace87]

Antibiotics will wipe out all the good bacteria in our intestines, stomach etc though, so it can have a knock on effect where your body takes time to build back up the good bacteria. Taking some probiotics is usually advisable after antibiotics to help this process anyway as it can lead to loose stools.

If it was flaxseed it can still take a while for that to be out of your system so give it a few more days to see i think x

[MistyDay]

It is probably the antibiotics. that have done it. I would stop fibergel and flaxseeds whilst you have loose stools and eat a nutritious diet with small regular meals then possibly add a course of probiotics. I hope your infection clears completely soon.

[Snowcat18]

Hi. This is more than likely to be the antibiotics - especially ones that end in ‘…Cillin’ they’re known for this. You had one course then another one intravenously so that’s depleted a lot of your good gut bacteria too. It can happen even a few weeks after you’ve taken them so it’s very early days. Your body will recover naturally or you can try some probiotics.. however if the diarrhoea gets worse and/or is bloody, and/or you’re running to the loo several times a day, it’s time to seek medical advice to rule out C diff which can sometimes (but not often) occur after taking antibiotics. It’s hard when you have IBS I know to work out what’s down to that or something else but if you’re worried speak to your doctor - I’m glad the UTI cleared up - I know how miserable they are!

[Misspomfrey]

It's unlikely to be the flaxseed then, but it might be an idea to not have as much flaxseed till you settle down. I use it regularly but not raw, I put it in the bread that I bake. I use a lot of seeds and fortunately I have no problems with them.

[xjrs]

You may find some information here of help:

ibsresearcher.com/rebuildin...

You'll need a good probiotic to help bring your gut bacteria in shape after the antibiotics. There are also tips in the link about how to protect your microbiome if you need to have antibiotics again.

I find it annoying that GPs don't recommend protecting your microbiome whilst on them. There are so many people out there who have tummy troubles due to antibiotics, which are necessary, but can even cause IBS in some people without proper protection at the same time.

In terms of probiotics, Alflorex has worked best for me.

[Luisa22]

I'm sorry you had this bad UTI, but the antibiotics hopefully did their job of not letting it spread to your kidneys.

Your upset tummy is most likely because of the antibiotics rather than the flaxseeds you were happily eating before.

A probiotic might help? There is one particular strain that I have heard helps :

"Saccharomyces Boulardii" That isn't actually bacteria of any kind, but a yeast, and can have good results with antibiotic related bad gut reactions.

[Trec]

I take milled flaxseed daily with my porridge and find it helps with IBS-C but wouldn’t take it when suffering from an upset stomach as I have been recently as a reaction to an Osteoporosis medication. I stopped the flaxseed immediately and started to eat a low fibre diet as advised when, after a similar reaction when first given the tablets in hospital after a fall,I ended up in hospital with Colitis. My GP recently persuaded me to retry the tablets but with a similar reaction I’ve stopped them but am still feeling the effects. There is lots of advice re a low fibre diet on the net but stay on it as short a time as possible before introducing higher fibre foods as you feel better. I hope you feel better soon.

[JCB56]

I have been taking flaxseed for years but recently stopped for a while because my son suggested that too many seeds might be irritating my digestive system. I can only speak for myself, but a week without them didn't improve things so I am re-introducing them now and already my bowels are a bit more 'normal'. With regard to probiotics, I have read that some of the products which contain inulin may aggravate symptoms for some people with IBS, although other studies have found that inulin is helpful. I suppose once your digestive system is inflamed, then it's likely to be more sensitive than usual. My diet is a work in progress and I really struggle to pinpoint specific foods and supplements which help or aggravate symptoms. I am gradually getting a better idea but it's very hit and miss! Do hope you start to improve soon.