what to do!!

[tabasco32]

O.k. I finally went to my gi doctor again for my constipation from my spastic colon. it kind of is like this when you bend a water hose no water comes out. that is how my colon is and the food gets stuck their and absorbs more water and then hard stool and painful bowel movements come out. He said eat more fiber. more fruit. I said I can't have oranges and apples and grapes because of my bladder. he said that's ridiculous and he can't help me because i won't listen to him. He then gave me lactulose which doesn't work and a sample of zelnorm which I amm soooo terrified to take. I don't want to take it. So I am back on the milk of magnesium for now. I don't know what to do now. my bladder is in pain from straining with the hard bowel movements. I don't know what can help me with this ibs constipation. anyone have a natural idea or herb or something that won't cause dependency.. I am soooo scared. my hems are bleeding again and fiber doesn't work.
lisa

[yvette]

Can you eat prunes? Maybe all organic ones if you can find them????

Those worked for me...your body can get dependant on those too...but I think that's a bit better than say laxatives....In the meantime....try the benefiber or acacia fiber or metamucil....it takes time but it will work.

Do you like salad? maybe make it with just greens, cukes and other safe veggies you can eat...you don't want stuff to happen overnite....that would be waaaay to harsh.

I know your frustration....I bounce back between IBS-C and IBS-D (i'm IBS-d in a baaaad way these days)

but Summer of 2005......days and days would go by and NOTHING.....its tough when you're on vacation 6-8 other people and only one bathroom...no time to just sit there and see what happens...ya know? ;)

[kadi]

I eat steamed vegetables (zucchini, carrots, a little cauliflower, a little broccoli) with dinner at least 3-4x a week. If I have a salad, it's a small one on the side, with something like chicken, steamed veggies with it. I eat oatmeal with dates or raisins for breakfast. I get the Trader Joe's microwave brown rice (brown rice in 3 minutes!) to gently increase my fiber as well. I am also very limited on fruits, but I do eat pears & try to have one 3-4 times a week also.

Have you read any of Heather VanVorous' lectures here on line or checked out her books? That is the best help I've found. A lot of doctors don't talk about the difference between soluble & insoluble fiber, just say, "eat more fiber", which made me more & more constipated, til I actually wound up in the ER. (Really embarrassing & expensive experience) Following Heather's suggestions of mixing insoluble & soluble fibers, I feel better than I have in 2 years! She did a lecture here, look in the guest lectures section to read it.

Sounds like you need a new doctor or at the very least a second opinion. My primary care doctor & I argued over the constipation/IC problem (I refused stimulant laxatives, laxatives with citric acid in them or insoluble fiber which I already knew was making me sicker, so he basically threw me out of his office, telling me I was "argumentative" and that he would "no longer treat" me.). I then had to go to the ER that weekend, completely unable to have a bowel movement, nauseated, unable to even drink water. When I had gone to him that Friday, I'd already gone nearly a week without a bm, and by that Sunday, it made over 7 days & I was really really sick.

I did find another primary care doctor & he explained that with the meds I was on, what would work best was Colace with meals. It did somewhat solve the problem, but not nearly as well as the combination of soluble with insoluble fiber. With that combination, I do not need any laxatives anymore.

Hope you find some relief soon!

[Elle]

I've been where you are and have tried many, many things unsucessfully. But, there is one thing that helps both my bladder and my constipation and that's water - and I mean LOTS of water. Not to say that I don't have times when it gets bad, b/c I do. When it's starts getting worse, I eat more salad and eat a huge plate of pancakes with lots and lots of Karo syrup, but I save that for really bad times. Since swearing off all laxative-type products, and relying solely on the right kinds of foods, I am MUCH better than before. This isn't a fix that's going to work over night - it's going to take some time to cleanse your body and re-regulate yourself. When I was first diagnosed, I wanted "quick fixes" for everything. I've finally realized that this is going to be here for the long haul and I need to find long-term fixes.
As for your Dr, educate him on IC with something printed off of this site. If he still resists, I'd find a new Dr.

[tabasco32]

I am getting a new doctor. he couldn't help me.

[Lisa_S]

I recommend trying Acacia fiber. It has helped me so far, and I am not up to my target dose yet. If you try it, just make sure to start at a low dose (I did 1/2 teaspoon), and work your way up slowly. You won't get results immediately, it takes some time.

Like kadi mentioned, balancing soluble fiber and insoluble fiber and staying away from trigger foods is also important. I'm still trying to find a good balance myself.

I hope your new doctor can help you. :)

[jah]

Try instant oatmeal every morning and 2 fiber pills at noon and in a few days of this routine, you will see action (and hear it too). If you are taking any narcotic pain meds--don't take them for a while--they cause constipation.