Hello, all. I check this site often and am so glad to see the caring people who respond to others' suffering. Just wanted to let you know that I have tried something recently, and have been diarrhea-free for about 3 weeks. For those of you who don't know me, I have suffered IBS symptoms for about 20+ years - mostly abdominal pain, cramping, and severe diarrhea. Sometimes I have normal stools, but for the past several months, my life has been ruled by severe explosive diarrhea, which makes life hell when you can't find a bathroom quickly enough. However, I tried calcium supplements which helped for awhile, but then the diarrhea returned. I can't help stress in my life which does worsen the symptoms, but in the last few weeks, I added Metamucil wafers twice daily to my diet, and have had formed stools ever since. I have tried the Fibercon capsules in the past with no luck, and I HATE the powdered stuff you add to liquids. The wafers taste good - just make sure to drink plenty of fluid with them. I don't know if this will help anyone else, but I wanted to share with others to see if it will help them. How are others doing out there? Let me know - I read the responses faithfully and care about all of you IBS sufferers. Take care.
My Gastro told me to add fiber to my diet in the amount of 20-25g daily....I find the juice drinks in the supermarket to be the easiest to withstand....more than 1/2 of the daily amt. is met in one drink..they are clear juices that contain the fiber without the grit...and yes it has been helping along with the anti spasmodics....
Thanks for the info Katie. I'm gonna go out and try the wafers. I've tried the fiber caplets they don't work for me. I've had IBS -D foe 15 yrs. The longer it goes the worse it seams to get. I've been working with Caltrate for 8 months and it worked great in the begining but started not working about 4-5 months after. So I play the start and stop game with it. It helps enough to make my life somewhat normal. It gets very depressing living with this. But i believe this health board at least makes us all feel like were not the only ones suffering with it. Maybe someday we will all find a cure that will work for us. Thanks again . CherylBeth
Hi, CherylBeth. I hope you've had a chance to try the wafers. It may not help immediately, but life is sure a lot better since I've been on them for about the last 6 weeks. I still have occasional flare-ups of severe D (especially during my period), but once in awhile is SO much better than the every day problem it used to be.
Hi Katie,
I've been eating the wafers and they have been helping. Been even sharing the info with a co-worker with the same problem. I'm still taking my calcuim 2x a day along with one pack of wafers. Thanks again. CherylBeth
Hi, CherylBeth. Glad the wafers are working. I started to have bouts of "D" again, and after talking to my doc about bile salt diarrhea, he agreed to let me try taking Colestid. Colestid is actually prescribed for high cholesterol (which I don't have), but has proven to work for those whose "D" occurs after meals - like mine. It has a constipating effect, which for me, has helped me have formed stools. I'm continuing with the wafers, calcium 2x a day, and now Colestid in the morning. I've only had 2 bouts of "D" since starting the Colestid, and overall feel like my IBS is pretty well controlled right now. The only times I've had "D" was when I was stressed over something, and then it was short-lived and manageable. Hope things are going well for you.
