IBS & Constipation – How to relieve it?

Hi Richard... I am a relative newcomer to the world of IBS but, after 'speaking' to some folk on here (and seeing my GP, of course) I know that I have IBS-C too.  Despite the fact that if I eat too much fat or too many vegetables in one go I get horrendous bloating and gas, in the main I am not sure food is such a big factor with me. The NHS guidelines on IBS suggest psyllium husks can help and so I invested in a tub to try; I do think that they are helping as I don't seem to have so many days with few or no BM, which I did before. Apparently they provide soluble fibre, which is a good thing, and help to retain water in the large colon so that you are less likely to be quite so 'bunged up'. I am cautiously optimistic that these, and a daily helping of flax seeds on my breakfast cereal, are helping plus loads of water, more than I used to drink before. That's really all I have tried thus far; I'm no expert though, just finding my way :-)

cheers, Karen

Hi Richard, I too suffer from IBS-C. I took psyllium husk for years. Plenty of it. And it worked for some time. You have to start out slowly as it can make you gassy and bloated. See how you tolerate it and build up. I found the capsules easiest. Now I use Citrucel powder as it does not cause gas or bloat. It doesn't solve the constipation though.

I use magnesium tablets now. Instead of bulking, magnesium helps move the stool through your intestine. Works quite well and doesn't cause any cramping or gas or anything. You can start with 400-800 mg and see what you need or can tolerate. You can take up to 2000 mg daily as long as you have no kidney problems. It has been the most effective treatment for me. 

I used to think diarrhea is the pits, but chronic constipation isn't fun either! And inbetween years of constipation wouldn't you know I had almost a year of daily diarrhea?! Go figure. That was a few years ago and is long gone.

Hope you find something that works. Oh by the way, no matter how much fruit and veggies and water I drink, it doesn't help. And I drink lots of water!

Barb

Well Richard I advise you to check the GAPS DIET online!!

In cases of stubborn constipation, introduce freshly pressed juices earlier in the diet, from stage 2: start from carrot juice first thing in the morning and take your cod liver oil at the same time.  The juice will stimulate bile production as many cases of persistent constipation are due to poor bile production.  When there is not enough bile, the fats in the food do not digest well; instead they react with salts and form soap in the gut, causing constipation.  Removing dairy may also help. 

Richard if you have tried most things for constipation with little success then try a home enema kit. You can buy the kit online and it comes with instructions on how to use it. The good thing is it's painless and you get a result within 12 min of introducing it into your rectum. As I pointed out to a ward manager when staff had been giving me lactalose for days."it's like trying to clean the windows from 30 feet away". When you have used the enama kit once and see how effective it is you will forget any embarrassment that you may have felt using it. The constipation could be perpetuating the ibs.