I had NO idea I'd ever have this diagnosis. so I was pretty shocked to find this out at my age of 47.
I've had constipation problems on and off from having abdominal surgery to have a total hysterectomy two years ago. I had to go back into the hospital for emergency post op the few days after being home from the hospital.

I wound up having such pain and vomitting that I thought I was going to die. It wound up being a partial obstruction of the small intestine. they made me stay in the hospital for four days with only fluids for the first 4 days. I didn't realize how the body wants to chew something solid after only having liquid forms. like jello, plain broth, no tea and no coffee. I begged for a cracker once my appetite finally came back and that was a sign my intestines were healing. It was like being starved to death. I realized then how I always took for granted and never thought what people go thru with intestinal disease. I have more compassion and understanding now when I hear someone suffers with it.

so two years have gone by, I have very large BM's on certain days which make me shocked it's comging from my body. the past few months my stomach has got bloated to the point I look four months pregnant. I am not overweight but am considered underwieght for my height.
I always had a stomach of iron and can eat like a truck driver. so this is why I'm shocked my dr is telling me I have IBS. spastic colon.

I wound up going to the ER again a few weeks ago for severe sharp pains that ran from my upper abdom. and then would shoot down to the appendix area. they thought I had a gall stone. they did a Cat Scan and saw that i was filled with feces up to my chest. I had no idea because I had been going to the bathroom with huge bm's but I always felt like I'd have more to expel but felt like something was blocking me.
I didn't know that just becasue I was going to the bathroom that I was empacted with feces. If I had a problem one day not going, then that would start off a cycle again. I didn't call my dr and thought I was just having minor problems. I'd eat a green apple before going to bed, I ate loads of cherried which always helped as a cleansing and peaches work too.
I think they're natural cleansers. but after awhile, they stopped working for me.
my report of the ct scan was sent to my gastro dr who told me over the phone what to take. he told me to take senekott, plus metamucil, and mirilax. I didnt' not take all the recommened things but am taking a colon cleanser that works great without having the effects of horrible gas. I don't want to become dependent on the senakott because my general dr just told me hte other day it's not safe to take it long term. he told me there's a new medication he just read about last month and that it's FDA approved for pateints who have IBS and that it's safe for the colon.
I was also diagnosed after having a colonscopy in 2006 with a pigmentation of my colon. it's from taking too many laxatives. which I wasn't taking at all but was on a routine of taking bowel cleansers. there's a certain product that's in the laxatives that was also in this bowel cleanser that was said to be safe.
we have to be very careful to read what the ingrediants are in a any over the counter product. they can damage the colon.
they say after time the black pigmentation can go away if the person stops using laxatives.
I am now here on the IBS board which suprises me that i have this at such a later part in my life.
I have a problem with my spine and have spurs on it thinking maybe this was causing pressure on the nerves and maybe effecting me not being able to totally expel the bms'.
I didn't know that having IBS meant having constipation. I only thought it was when you have constant diahrea many times a day and that it's caused by stress.
so I'm learning new things here and if anyone has anyother suggestions for the constipation, please feel free to offer advice to me.
I have to call my gastro dr to let him know how I'm feeling and doing since using the products he told me to use.
what kind of tests do they perform for IBS? he's only verbally talked with me after reading the radiology report.
I just want this to end and go away. I'm so vain about by swollen belly and I know this is a sign I"m filled and need to get it out. it is toxic and I know it can make a person feel sluggish and tired. I was always wondering why I was always feeling so yucky and horrible by the time work was half way thru the day. all I want to do is go home and go to sleep.
so having IBS can make you feel so tired too?
I'm learning. thanks for letting me come and share my story and experience of having IBS.

Linda

I too was dx with an impaction a few years ago. However, I did not have large BM's like what you have described. I had daily movements but it was more a combo of soft to loose several times a day, always leaving me feeling not quite emptied. I too was surprised when the GI doc told me I was F.O.S!

He gave me two options for thorough emptying. The first was similar to the regiment you described except he recommended Magnesium Citrate which stimulates movement without the cramping of other laxatives. It is often used to prep before colonoscopy. He told me to stay away from Metamucil (which I had been taking for years) because it is an insoluble fiber made from psyllium husk which is very harsh for IBS C.

OR:

The second recommendation was to have colon hydrotherapy. This is a treatment that will cleanse the bowel naturally and thoroughly without artificial stimulation and helps "remind" the bowel what it's supposed to be doing. I went with this treatment because after years of using laxatives and (like you) colon cleansing products, I felt it was time to try something more natural. I was thrilled with the results and really never felt better than when I was undergoing these treatments.

My GI guy advised staying away from OTC cleansing products. They will encourage dependency as they are artifically stimulating the gut and eventually the colon will lose it's natural muscle tone and "forget" how it's supposed to function. Any product, even "natural" ones, that stimulate BM's will cause the dark discoloration of the colon. I have it too.

well thank you bellyblues for your reply and for your story.
I had a feeling just from reading others experiences that my dr was making a mistake for telling me to metamusil. I heard that some experienced gas from it, which I do not want. plus the fact that if I continue using laxatives, my body will forget how to go on it's own and I'll become dependent on them. which is not what i want to happen.
why on earth would he have suggested me to take the senakott when he already knows I have that discoloration of the colon. he probably didn't have my chart in front of him when he read my report to me over the phone. I cant' think of why else he'd make a mistake like that?
I dont need the miralax at the same time with senakott because that senakott is already making soft stools. that's what the mirilax is supposed to do.
anway, my tummy is much flatter today like it used to be. I've been taking 3 senakotts' at night before bed and I have three movements in teh course of the morning, which is the way I used to go before.
if only it would continue doing this without having to take anything.
I'm afraid I won't be able to afford the cleansing threapy that you've suggested.
people here in NY are greedy and charge tons of money for any type of alternative therapy.
if there's a way I can do this cleansing myself, I want to know if I can learn it.
I'll have to start researching this and I'm grateful to you that you brought this info up.

many thanks,
and good luck to you.

Linda

Combining senokot and miralax seems extreme to me as well. I have not used miralax but many posters have had success with it. I am also not familiar with it's active ingredients and don't know if it contains a stimulant. This might be something you want to explore before taking it. Senokot however is a laxative and not something I would want to be taking every day.

Darkening of the colon is not anything to worry about. A GI doc would not typically be concerned with this.

The treatments I mentioned are not terribly expensive and many clinics that offer this procedure will accept insurance if you are referred by a doc. Trust me when I say that the "do it yourself" cleansing products are really not good for someone with IBS.

Living in NY, you should have many alternative clinics to choose from. You might want to make some calls to see if they accept insurance.

Good luck!

wow bellyblues,
I'm shocked that insurance companies are covering holisitic practices.
usually they don't.
I couldnt even afford the $50 copays they wanted me to pay for physcial therapy for my arthritis. I never went.
it sucks when you have insurance and you still can't afford the payments.

I'm hoping it's just not a fly by night thing that people make money off of innocent people.

I'm very leary of new things. people who are suffering and have no alternatives will try anything. well not me.

I also know that melanosis coli is nothing to worry about. that's what my gi dr told me too.

I feel guilty everytime I take the senakott's now. I finally find something that really works without cramping and now I find out it's not good for us.
go figure.

I woke up this morning with cramps in my legs like a squeezing in them. I'm wondering if the laxativs are causing this too happen? leaching out potassium too much you think?

Not all clinics will take insurance but those that are licensed and reputable might. Mine did, with a recommendation from the doc.

This is not a fly by night treatment. Colonics have been around as a treatment for years. While it's been revived somewhat by the holistic health communities, the practice itself is as old as the hills.

I understand your reluctance to try new things. I was so anxious about going that I took my therapist with me the first time! But the whole approach made so much sense to me that I couldn't find any valid reason to deny it's potential.

Please don't feel guilty about doing what you must to keep yourself feeling functional. If that means taking a laxative right now, until you figure out a better way, then by all means do it. I have relied on fiber laxatives in the past because that was all that got things moving. I use herbal supplements now but I'm not happy about that either. My dream is to be free of all daily motility stimulators and have a colon that works on it's own. In the meantime, if I want to be able to function in the world, I have to do something or I'll be in terrible shape!

thank you for the info bellyblues. I had no idea it's not a fly by night thing.
I didn't know it's been in existence for so long. I've heard of enema's, but not this colonic thing.
I don't like anything put up that end, if you get my drift. it's uncomfortable and not meant to have anything put in it, but it's meant as a channel for expelling only.
that's my theory anyway.
you sound like a very intelligent person and know your facts well.
so I do honor and respect your choice on this subject.
I will keep a more open mind on this.
thank you for your help.
sincerely,
Linda

ps- how often do you get this performed? do you eventually get your own mobility back again with this type of treatment?

what natural products do you use instead of the laxatives if I may ask?
do you think the natural bowel cleansers are safe?

thank you for the info bellyblues. I had no idea it's not a fly by night thing.
I didn't know it's been in existence for so long. I've heard of enema's, but not this colonic thing.
I don't like anything put up that end, if you get my drift. it's uncomfortable and not meant to have anything put in it, but it's meant as a channel for expelling only.
that's my theory anyway.
you sound like a very intelligent person and know your facts well.
so I do honor and respect your choice on this subject.
I will keep a more open mind on this.
thank you for your help.
sincerely,
Linda

ps- how often do you get this performed? do you eventually get your own mobility back again with this type of treatment?

what natural products do you use instead of the laxatives if I may ask?
do you think the natural bowel cleansers are safe?
Tests like sigmoid and colonoscopies have to "go in that end" so it's not that much different. It's not much different than the enema's that were commonplace when I was a child (stone ages) before the advent of oral laxatives. It's not that much different than a doctor or nurse digitially removing impaction as they do often with people who are very ill and bedridden. I agree that we have a natural negative response to the idea of anything "entering" an obvious "exit" area but when something goes wrong we overcome these objections. It is a medical treatment that surprisingly, is not the least bit painful or uncomfortable once you get over the initial psychological inhibitions.


I don't go any longer. I went for six months, once a week, to completely flush my poor dysfunctional system. As I said, it was the only time in the last 20 years that I felt anything like a "normal" person. I do believe it improved my bowel function as before I had the treatments I was very reliant on laxatives to "go". Now, I take only chinese herbs to help motility.

The product I take is only available through the clinic I went to for these treatments. It's a combination of herbs and roots that seem to work quite well for me.

boy would I like to feel normal again.
what do the herbs consist of? I'm curious.
are you a health practioner yourself?
I laughed when you said stone age. you're only as old as you feel I say.

I feel stone age. my aches and pains and arthritis and osteoporosis is really putting a tax on my body. I MUST excersise but can't seem to get motivated to get the jump start on it.
I envy people I see who are so healthy and doing something good for their bodies. why can't I do that I ask myslef?
I'm so weak and such a weakling. I know what's good for me but can't seem to make myself do it.
I"m fallling apart literally. I never knew at this age of my life would be like this.
do you find with ibs that fiber only adds to the problem or is it just me?
there's a product from the health food store. it claims it does all these wonderful things for your body. but I'm finding it only makes my sysmtoms worst.
just curious.

I understand. No, I am not a health practitioner, although after 25 years dealing with my gut, I feel I should be eligible for an honorary title!

Dealing with naturopaths these last few years has taught me that many of my other complaints are related to my belly problems. For example, I experience frequent headaches, backaches, and exhaustion. Head and backaches can be the direct result of having chronic C or chronic D. Exhaustion can be the result of dealing with pain and anxiety as well as the physical depletion of D. I recently had some blood tests which showed I am anemic, and very low in B-12. It makes perfect sense that if your digestion is completely screwed up, you are not absorbing the nutrients you need from your food. In my case, I eat so very little because any foods cause such pain and distress. As a result, I am lacking in many vitamins and minerals and all these things contribute to other physical problems.

It's extremely difficult to get motivated to exercise (or many other health related activities) when your belly is constantly hurting and/or your terrified that in the midst of a jog, you may poop your pants. I highly recommend you not be too hard on yourself as that only contributes to more stress and anxiety. I do what I can and if I have a good day, where I feel fairly confident that I won't be crippled by pain, I take full advantage of it and try to accomplish as much as I can. When I have bad days, I give myself a break and try to take care of myself without guilt.

You sound like me regarding fiber. I have stopped taking it because it only causes C. In fact, I have found that anything I eat that is very high in complex fibers (brown rice, whole wheat anything, bran, etc) will not only bind me, but cause vicious spasms and trapped gas. I do best with foods that are higher in fat and protein, mild forms of fiber like sweet potatoes or butternut squash, oatmeals, etc.

Even though we often feel like we are alone in the world with this dread bowel problem, stats show that more than 20% of the population suffers with IBS. This was proven for me last week when three young ladies at work started talking about their tummy issues in my presence. After further discussion, I discovered that each one of them has some form of IBS.

We're out there! It's not the most popular topic of conversation so you might not even know that the person you work with everyday suffers too!

I hear you belly blues. more people than we know actually have some form of IBS but just don't talk about it being it's such a sensitive subject.

I can't eat oatmeal at all and I happen to love it.
speaking about difiencies with not being able to eat. I was told a few years ago when I was losing alot of weight un intentionally, I lost 30 lbs within 8 months, and my primary dr dind't know what was wrong. all my labs were normal, etc.
my gastro who happens to be more than just a dr to me but a faithful friend thru all the years we've known eachother told me he was going to get to the bottom of it and won't stop searching till he does.
he found out I have malabsorption. I'm not digesting fats.
I was having other female reproducive issues too at the same time, so after I had my hysterectomy, I did stop losing all that weight. I can eat and eat and eat all kinds of junk food and I"m still not able to put on weight, but I do look a lot better where I dont' look like I"m anorexic anymore.
it was horrible the way I'd get stares from customers and my family were so worried about me and raised their voices to me to eat more food when the quantiity of the food was not the problem.
so maybe the malabsorption thing has something to do with my newly diagnosed IBS.
a girl at work told me she has it and I didnt' know at the time I did to.
I still dont feel like I actually have it though. do you just get it out of the clear blue sky like this?
wouldn't I have had chronic problems for years?
I'm so confused and not sure if my dr is making the correct diagnosis based on a cat scan reading when he hasn't even met with me physically.

based by what I've been reading here on the boards, people were suffering with constipation for years. if they have the contsipation part.
I'm so sorry you suffer with pain so much.
did you ever consider drinking "greens"? I like one or two brands in particular but any brand might suffice at this point for you to make sure you're getttting all your minerals and vitamins from vegetables. you couldn' possibly eat enough of vegetables to get what our body requires from it. so by drinking it daily, you're getting the amount you need, PLUS the other benefits of it is that it gives you energy. my boyfreind has been drinking super greens now for many many years and won't live without it.
he's been trying to get me to drink it and I just don't stick to things like he does.
I'd love to speak further on other things but unfortunetly I'm running late and have to get ready for work.
I hope that you have a good day.

sincerely,
linda

Hi Linda!
I don't know much about malabsorption as a specific dx. For me, the problem is nutrients are not being utilized because the digestive process is so dysfunctional. The naturopath is giving me B-12 shots because to try and get this through supplements or food would be futile since my tummy doesn't work. His approach will be to heal the gut dysfunction so that I will begin to absorb nutrients again naturally. How he is going to do this, I don't know! But I'm willing to try whatever he suggests.

As far as liquid greens, I haven't tried them because green veggies cause so much gut distress for me. Many years ago, I did try "juicing" as a way to combat chronic C but the result was terrible gastric spasms and D - not what I was looking for!

In my case, I believe my system is so irritated and perhaps inflamed that the slightest "good for me" food will kick of a storm of spasm and distress. The idea is to calm my system, reduce the irritation, so that I can resume eating foods that are rich in nutrients and fiber without the nasty side effects. It may be that I will have to lay off those great foods for awhile until my poor belly calms down.

You know, a girl could really go crazy trying to figure out the nuances of the tummy! Sometimes I feel like I spend 90% of my day thinking about poo!

you're so funny bellyblues. I feel so silly sometimes disscussing my digestion system to my partner when I've finally had a break thru and I come out smiling from the bath room.
I have to remember even though he loves me unconditionally, there still are some things not to discuss with him. I tend to forget that the subject for some is not the most comfortable.
it's our bodies, so of course it doesnt' bother us to discuss it.
I do recall visiting with my gastro dr when I was much younger and he asked me embarrassing questions. since I've had problems with my digestive system, it seems I've lost my modesty.
when you have something as seriously wrong with you like you do with your digestive system, how could you NOT think about it all the time?
you have to be very selective with the foods you chose to eat.

by the way, what does your daily diet consist of then if you can't much?
I'm laying off eating so much meats at lunch time and eating fresh salads instead. I have to say I'm feeling alittle better and my stomach is not so bloated like it was days ago.
I never go for the salads. I go for the protein because I find I'm much stronger energy wise if I eat something substantial.
I get low blood sugar attacks in the past so I have to be careful I consume enough calories for the energy I expend.

let me know what you eat if you don't mind sharing. I'm very curious. and i"m also sorrry to hear you can't even eat or drink anything with greens. that's so unfortunate and I didn't realize how much you really suffer.

I hope that they're able to do something for you soon.

blessings,

Linda

I had to surrender my sense of modesty long ago just to survive! It becomes so complicated when I am trying to "cover up" the real issue by weaving tales about why I couldn't make an appointment or had to cancel a dinner date. People start to think you don't like them or you have some deep, dark secret (which of course, we do!). As a result, EVERYONE knows of my troubles and my beloved son, who was raised in a "toliet-centric" household has grown into a wonderful young man who can discuss poop with me and his wife at the dinner table without any inhibitions!

Reminds me of an episode of Scrubs where the entire cast sings an "Ode to Poo"! I would like to have that little ditty on my Ipod so I can listen when I am feeling particularly down hearted!

I eat alot of meat and fish. I seem to do best with potatoes, winter squash, barley, brown rice on occasion. Leafy greens cause trememdous distress (I had spinach lasagna last week and almost dialed 911). Raw veggies usually reappear within an hour in the same form as they were ingested! But even abiding by these guidelines, I still can't eat any meal without distress as the end result.

When I was dx with this 20 years ago, I decided the best way to handle it would be to avoid eating altogether. Because the worst symptoms occurred after a meal, I allocated eating to the latter part of the day so that if I ended up in the loo all night, I would not find myself out in public and scurrying for public toilets or facing the embarrassment of unruly bowels. I have continued that "one meal a day" policy for all these years and as a result, I've most likely made my problem worse. My goal is to calm my system enough to enable me to have a small morning "meal" that will anchor my gut through the day. Haven't reached that goal yet, but there is always hope!

Belly blues,
you write with such charm that I couldn't help giggling to myself. thru all the misfortune of your situation, you still have a suberb out look on such a difficult situation.
you mean to tell me there really is nothing the dr's can do for you?
when you mentioned to me that it interferes with your engagements and social life, you also have problems with running to the loo?
I don't have that part of IBS at all. I have just the "C" part of it.

you mentioned to me about eating certain foods and only once a day so you can rest your system. that reminds me exactly of what they did to me when I mentioned to you in a past post after I had a partial bowel obstruction.
they starved me for 3 days. just liquid diet. first only I.V. than gradually adding clear broth and later only yellow jello, ( which my favorite is only red) I am so sick of yellow jello to this day, ice cream, etc.

I'm sure you've tried every thing in the book to help your situation, but have you tried just a liquid diet for a few days like they did to me in the hospital? they did it long enough till my system recieved adequate rest and the abdominal distention went down. I have never been so greatful the day they let me eat foods that needed to be chewed. I never in my life realized how horrible it is for humans to go without chewing solid foods.
one is simply not satisfied with eating just liquid foods. to be emotinally and physically satisified, one has to chew.
that's the way it was for me anyway. I never took the digestion process for granted since that year back in 2005.

please let me know if you learn anything new on your problem.
before you went to alternative treatment, did you try any hospitals that have specialtists in this field?
I'm sure you have and I'm just talking nonsense at this point because I have nothing to suggest to you and I want to help your suffering.

thank goodness we have computers this day and age and support groups to contact at the touch of our buttons all around the world if we chose to.
this way you can have the support you need anytime you want.
I'm here for you BellyBlues. anytime you want to vent or just chat. I'm here.

sincerely,
Linda from N.Y.

You are such a sweetheart! Finding this site, and people like you has been a Godsend for me.

While I am primarily IBS C, I can and do experience alternating D, sometimes in the same day! The issue for me is the unpredictability of my particular case. In addition, the bloating and gas is so tremendous as times that being in a social environment proves to be too stressful. I know after all these years that the worst thing for me is to "hold it in", whether it's an actual BM or nuclear strength gas. I can't see myself as the most welcomed guest at the party if I have to run to the loo every five minutes!

The naturopath I am currently seeing has reaffirmed a dx I received a few years back regarding my particular symptoms. The source of all my pain seems to be the ileocecal valve, which is the valve that connects the small and large intestines. It's supposed to open for the flow of food from one to the other and close tightly when the job is done. With ileocecal valve syndrome, it's function is compromised and hence a backflow is created causing all kinds of havoc. I actually tried to do a liquid diet a few weeks ago. I tenderly coached a huge vat of chicken stock for a whole day until I had a gorgeous and soothing broth elixir. I actually did feel pretty good that day but by the following evening, I was so ravenously hungry I had to have something solid! I agree with you that the liquid diet may yield some benefits for an over zealous colon. All I need is the self discipline to stick with it for more than a day!

I've seen nearly every "specialist" in Seattle. Truly, I have come to the conclusion that they can't help. I think they know this too and I am certain it must frustrate them. After all, doctors are in the healing business. When they come up against a disease they can't fix, it must make them crazy. So they do what they know best and prescribe drugs. I suppose these medicines help some folks, but for me they have failed. And I have also seen evidence that even the benefits that folks reap from these drugs are not long lasting. The first time I took Zelnorm I thought God had granted me a miracle cure! The second time I took it, I thought I was going to die! Years ago I took a drug called Propulsid, which worked quite well for a good long time. Unfortunately, it was taken off the market and I've never found anything to replace it. Of course, with my track record, it probably would have lost it's effectiveness anyway over time.

I used to get angry with the docs who couldn't help me. But now I have a different view. If I, as the owner of this body, can't figure out a way to make it work through the multitude of remedies tried, how can I expect them to solve this mystery? I do wish there was more public awareness and I would love to see the kind of research dollars going into bowel disorders as ED or Restless Leg Sydrome! After all, if 20% of the population suffers with intestinal trouble, shouldn't we be wearing ribbons on our lapels and sponsoring "walks" for IBS research?

Like wise Belly blues. I feel the same way about you too.
I feel I've come across some hidden treasure and I highly enjoy reading your words.
your words are exquistly put together so poeticly and I loved when you explained how you made the chicken broth. so intensly clear that my mouth started to water. I used to enjoy cooking very much until I began working full time and I dont have the stamina or energy to put together a full course meal anymore.
I am learning now which foods to stay away from, such as healthy broccoli, asparagus which I adore and my favorite vegetable is any type of cabbage. whether it be 'savoy" or green. I have a few recipies I used to make but am afraid to even attempt eating it now.
otherwise I"ll pay dearly at work where I dont' want to be when I get an attack of gas. I've tried the over the counter product called "beano" there's "be no" gas if you take this product. I like the marketing for that one.
get it? beano, be no? gas.
I couldn't figure out why they named that product beano when it has nothign to do with beans. LOL
now I understand.
they say it's lack of an enzyme to be able to digest gaseous foods and the bacteria that builds up in the intestine is what causes the gas.
putting the enyzme in the body will therefore stop the gas from producing.
something to that effect. all I know is that they work and they're expensive. you have to remember to take the pill before you even take your first bite of food when you sit down to eat.
with the way my memory is working these past few years, I'd forget to take the pill and remember when I'd already taken my few bites of food.

did they say what causes this syndrome?
I've never heard of it before.
my ex husband whom I've been divorced from for 10 years just had a stroke. It luckily missed the part of his brain by inches where it could have paralyzed him. it did effect his speech but we're still able to understand him.
The stroke did cause a problem in his digestive track where it effects the mechanism of swallowing. when he eats, he chokes alot and the food can go into the lung causing a terrible form of phnemonia which causes a deadly form of bacteria which can't be erradicated with medication and the person can die. the dr said that this mechanism isn't closing properly when he swallows which the food doesnt go down the proper channel. I found out this is common in stoke victims.
he has to drink a special solution that looks like a milk shake with his meals. I don't understand why and what it is though.
he has to eat soft meals too. he was also taught to bend his head forward, chin to chest after chewing to help push the food down the proper channel too.
I just went yesterday to see him in the rehabilitative nursing home that they transferred him to. what a beautiful peaceful place with an excellent staff to give him strength again in his legs and arms and hands.
he only sat in a chair every day for years never taking walk and just smoking and drinking his life away. he chose to kill himself slowely.
it was not a suprise when I recieved the news from him that he'd had a stroke. he was like a time bomb waiting to go off.
he had blod clots all thru out his body. in his legs and his neck.

I feel horrible for him. but it has shown me what happpens to the body when we neglect it. It is stong, yet delicate at the same time.

I again had no idea that the digestive system has to work in such fine tune to get the food in the proper channels and then to get it properly digested propertly digested in order for the body to function healthy.

they should have a special facility for people to visit and stay at who deal speicifically with IBS. there could be rooms for massages and spa's. it would have top notch nutritionist chef's with the healthiest of foods prepared for them, classes for instruction on what to eat and how to live with IBS.
what do you think? you can be president and I"ll be vice president of this great facility.
another question Bellyblues,
do you think that some people with IBS have to go on disability if it interferes with thier ability to work? I mean how can a person work 8 hours a day with having to run to the loo every 20 minutes?
I'd say that's a disablity if the medical teams can't treat it.

I stopped taking my senokott tabs for two days. the first day was ok being off it, but the 2nd day, I'm back to having trouble again. its' so frustrating.
i dont' know if I should go back to taking the colon cleansers or not. It consists only of natural fiber in it. I dont' know for sure if fiber is only adding to the problem.
I know you said that fiber adds to your problem for sure. but I'm just beginning to explore the foods that trigger my problem.

are there any good books you could suggest for me to read about the types of food to eat and what not to eat if a person has IBS?
I'm sure there's a ton of them on the shelves, but it will be a matter of "eeny meeny miney mo" to choose one out of the slew. I thought it would be easier if someone could recommend one to me.

lets pick out a color for the ribbon that we will be wearing on our lapels to raise money for IBS research. we can start our own awarness campaign since no one else is getting it started. I'm surpised they don't already have this going on.

thank you bellyblues for your inspiration. you are truely a magnificant woman.

hugs,
Linda

It must be the fact that we are both east coast girls! I'm Jersey, born and raised. I see you are NY. There's definately a connection!

I imagine you must be very stressed while dealing with your ex-husband. Stroke is such a devastating thing. It can't be easy seeing him like that. Of course we all know that stress contributes to our gut issues! Try and be good to yourself while you are helping him through his recovery.


Beano and other gas supressants usually shut me down completely. I don't take anything that might affect the motility of the bowel. Unfortunately, this means I do suffer with the gas but I've gotten so clever at covert expulsion! I'm very fortunate because I cook for a living so I am always surrounded by "smells" and noises. I can rattle together a few pans to camouflage any sounds that might emanate from me!

I saw the naturopath today and he is going to mix a "tincture" specifically for me. I'm not entirely sure what it will be but it will contain some blend of herbs and roots and who knows what else! I'm excited about this because a dear friend of mine who went to him had a tincture made and swears it saved her when she had to spend two weeks in Costa Rica eating nothing but rice and beans!

Hope you are doing well! Thanks for listening!
Trisha

:angel: Hi,
This is my first post on this board and I just read your message. I HAD IBS for three years until God guided me, thru a wonderful friend, to find bovine colosturm at the health food store, and I begin taking 4 to 8 capsules daily. I was healed from this problem. I hope this helps you . . . mm

welcome magdalene,
I always appreciate a suggestion. I've never heard of it before but will look it up. you are one of the fortunate ones that were able to find something to work for them. it's worth a shot.
glad you found the site.

Trisha,
ah! what a lovely name. A Jersey gal. we're practically next door neighbors.
I'm proud to be born and raised here along the hudson valley. I love it here.
I just wish the prices of living weren't so expensive though which means I might be forced one day to leave my precious valley and find a more affordable and less stressfull enviroment.

I am very upset today and actually the past week and a half because the new job I just started four months ago is going thru the busy season and I'm finding my stress level is only getting worst. I can't think and I become extremely aggessive verbally when I get flustered and when all things are coming at me in all directions. it's truely insane and I don't know how to handle the exhaustion I feel mentally and phsycially half way thru the day.
my type of personality doesn't fair well in this type of job, yet it seems that's the only job I know how do do. I'm sure it's not helping my IBS.

cooking was always a passion of mine and I'm so pleasantly suprised to see you do it for a LIVING!!! you lucky woman. I envy you in a righteouss way.
do you work in a restaurant?
no wonder you have such a finese with word's when talking about culinary delights and the way you put such love into creating your delicious broth. that should have told me then what you did for a living. I'll bet you like writing and reading too?

I feel I've lost my ability to cook like I used to Trish since i"ve been suffering with my health the past four years. I dont' have the energy to put time and passion into a dish anymore. even my children have stated that the food doesnt' taste like it used to.
when I went thru a depression while going thru the divorce, I totally lost all interest in baking and cooking and I was worried I'd never get it back again. After two yrs of therapy and being put on wonderful life saving medicaiton, it's JUST starting to trickle back.
But now with the decline of my health and exhaustion, I can't imagine cooking anymore. I feel I've lost a peice of myself and wonder if the Linda I used to know will ever come back again.
but as I'm aging and learning more about life, I found out that we're changing all the time. I have to learn to adapt to the changes in my life but I still feel guilty that I'm not making the time to prepare healtier meals like I used to.

I would love to know how you do with the new tincture you're going to be put on. I pray this works out for you Trisha. find out what herbs they are.

thank YOU for listening too.

sincerely,
Linda

Hi Linda! I actually did leave Jersey 17 years ago. I now live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Quite a change from the "garbage state"! I miss the culture of the east but definately not the lack of visual aesthetics.

I'm glad you asked about my work because it's relevent to what you were detailing about your current situation and IBS.

I worked for years in restaurants and I simply can't convey the level of stress I experienced. It's truly beyond description. Imagine having a gut attack when you are cooking on the line, filling 35 orders that have been backed up for 15 minutes! Imagine your co-workers complaining to the head chef because you are spending an inordinate amount of time in the loo! Imagine having to call in sick when it's your responsibility to make the anniversary cake for a party of 30! Horrible.

What I did was take my passion and love for cooking and created a job for myself. I became a private chef. I worked for 5 years for a very, very wealthy gentleman who was severely mentally ill. In addition to cooking for him, I cooked for his mental health "team" who lived on the premises. When he was well enough to socialize, I cooked for his dinner parties and holiday celebrations. I had NO stress and absolute control over my day. And, to add to the beauty of this job, there were 5 bathrooms in his house! I had privacy, autonomy and ample access to the facilities!

After he died (had nothing to do with my cooking!), I contacted all the wealthy folks I knew in the city until I found a couple who didn't know they needed a private chef until I convinced them they did! Now I am happily employed with them, working in their office half the day and their home the other half of the day. Again, no stress, perfect loo accessability and compassionate, understanding people. I could not ask for a better employment situation.

I am a firm believer that suffering provides us with endless opportunities to seek enriching alternatives that support our mental, spiritual and physical health. I tell my friends all the time to pin-point what they like about the work they do (not the jobs, but the actual work) and turn that into a custom made employment opporunity. For people like us who have to also worry about our tummies, it's even more important to tailor our work lives to fit our real lives.

Whatever is it you do (the work part) can be converted into a job that is more "lifestyle friendly". Being a cook does not mean working in a restaurant. Being in sales does not mean working in a store with all the stress that entails. Being in finance doesn't mean working on Wall Street or a bank. Some folks are perfectly suited for high-stress, long hour, public interaction positions. Some folks are not. But it's the work itself we should love and we can try to be creative about how to earn a living pursuing the passion!

Don't be too hard on yourself about the cooking. When I am not feeling well, I let my culinary standards slip as well! I will say that I am more and more convinced that the large numbers of people who suffer with some type of bowel disorder has got to be the result, in part, of the foods we have been eating for the last 50 years. It's simply inconceivable to me that a culture that lives on foods laden with preservatives, fats, fillers, chemicals, etc, would not eventually show signs of strain. It was my mom's generation that was first exposed to the "fast food" mentality and although we never indulged in the most obvious offenses (McDonald's etc), she was certainly in favor of the convenience of Potato Buds over real potatoes! Really, what on earth do they do to a potato to turn it into that?!? It can't be good!

Well, I've gotta run off to work. I look forward to our next chat!
Trisha

One of my dearest friends owns a B & B in the outskirts of Seattle. On his 5 acre property, he has 2 fig trees, as well as countless other fruit trees. In August, when they have fully ripened, the figs drop from the tree all around the property. We collect them and use them in baking. Figs are fabulous for digestion and a great source of fiber!

I can't encourage you enough to pursue the work you love, whether it's working from home in the medical field or starting your own business. When my boss died suddenly in 2005, I found myself unemployed for over a year. I was able to collect unemployment but only for six months. I learned, during that time, that I did not require a great deal of income to live joyfully. In fact, with some creative financing and constant communication with creditors, I made it through that year with very little impact on my credit. While it's true that I had to "live without" some of the luxuries (dining out, new clothes, new books, etc), I knew it was just a temporary situation and that, in time, I would be making a comfortable living again. It's not a sin to fail - but it's a shame to not try.

I had to go back to the first post to remember what your symptoms were because we've meandered all over the place! There are folks with IBS who experience symptom free periods. I have a friend here who claims to have been dx with IBS yet claims he has no continuous symptoms and certainly does not consider it as having any negative impact in his life. The criteria by which a doctor dx IBS is based on symptoms that continue for more than three months. You described many of those symptoms in your OP. In fact, being hospitalized for IBS is rare, and the fact that you were in such pain indicates that you have, at least this once, experienced the worst of IBS symptoms. The obstruction issue has me a bit confused. Generally, a bowel obstruction would require some type of surgery for correction. It can also be very dangerous. Impaction, on the other hand, can usually be corrected with laxatives, colonics, or manual removal. It's certainly possible that you are suffering with chronic constipation rather than IBS. It would mimic many of the symptoms. But even if this is your trouble, you might still want to continue to pursue alternative treatments because dependence on laxatives will only worses the situation as the years go by. I had a GI guy tell me that if I continued to take colon cleansers, laxatives, etc., they would eventually stop working altogether and I would find myself unable to go at all! I went home that day and threw away all my "make me go" medicines!

It's always a smart idea to get a second opinion if you're not comfortable with your dx. I've been to more docs than I can count in my quest for a solid dx. There are so many tummy disorders that all mirror eachother's symptoms so it's our job to be proactive in finding out exactly what our particular trouble is.

Hope you have a great day!
Trisha