SFS for Constipation
#132922 - 12/25/04 11:04 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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I am curious if there are SFS that are better for IBS-C than others. I was hoping the C folks could share their experieces with me. I have yet to find one that I can stick with.
Also, do C people usually need to take more than D people? How do you handle more SFS to get a BM while putting up with the increased bloating and gas that accompanies the increased dosage.
Trying to find an SFS has taken it's toll on me. I have had it and I am thinking maybe they just won't work for me. I know that for like 30 % of people with IBS the SFS can actually cause worse problems. But I need to go so badly!!! Ugh, this is such a stress for me.
Can I hear from some IBS-C people on this one please. Thanks to all.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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I know how you're feeling, I'm so there right with you on this one.
I was taking Prodiem, but it seemed to increase all my symptoms, and really didn't make much of a diffrence, so I've stopped. I'm considering switching to another one, after I get more results back from my doctor.
I know what you mean though! I(sorry if TMI) have to go so badly right now, but I can't! The only meds I have are advil, anti-nausea gravol, and my SFS!
I don't think I've helped, but that's my story!
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That's the kind of experience I've had as well. I've tried several types, all of which cause terrible bloating and frankly don't seem to be all that helpful in terms of regularity. I just discontinued use of yet another one about a week ago, and voila! bloating went away.
I'd suggest the assistance of an occasional glycerin suppository if you're really backed up, then ratchet up the insoluble fiber in conjunction with foods that are rich in solubles. (see the list elsewhere on this site) Drink LOTS of water. Take your peppermint capsules. I've also found a probiotic to be helpful, in addition to digestive enzymes and Iberogast (a concoction similar to Swedish Bitters).
Hope this is helpful.
Best wishes for improved health and comfort in the new year.
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Post deleted by Heather
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Again I say it, please don't use this board as a sales opportunity. It's quite inappropriate and not appreciated by anyone here.
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They've been reported to Heather. Sorry, but we have a zero tolerance policy for annoying spammers here.
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because of the spammer. We still need advice on this one! SFS is so important to this diet.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Hey Augie,
Which SFS have you tried? I know I had a problem with a few of them, especially the ones that contained guar gum. They tended to make me extremely gassy and bloated. So unfortunately, this ruled out Acacia and Benefiber as an option for me.
I found that Citrucel worked best for me. I took about 9 of the citrus capsules a day. The bad news about the capsules is that the citrus bothered my acid stomach so I had to take an antiacid prescription along with it. I have since found Citrucel Clear-mix which I am going to start trying to see if it helps with my C. I will let you know how it works. 
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- Jennifer
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We're just following each other around the boards today! I have tried fibercon, equalacitin, and benefiber. First two don't give me BM's at all. The benefiber gave me cramps and yucky feeling, but in all honesty I think I tried too much at once and only gave it two days! But I felt horrible.
Also tried citricel capsules, but takes so many of those to get up in fiber grams and wasn't sure if capsules were as effective as powders. I remember Heather stating that somewhere in one of her books.
Just stopped taking Clear Mix citricel because I thought it may be the culprit to my gas and bloating. But it was better for giving me BM's! Trying combo of FiberChoice (only 1/2 or 1 tablet)and Equalactin now, but not happy with this either-no BMs. And it scares me that FiberChoice is the only SFS Heather cannot take!
I'm either thinking of going back to the citricel or trying benefiber starting at a lower dose. I thought since I was already at a dose of 7grams citrucel, that I could try 3 grams fiber worth of the benefiber and supplement the other 4 grams with citrucel or equalactin.
Also considering Metamucil, believe it or not. I know Kandee swears that she needs the psylium in order to have a BM. And Fishnet takes this one as does LS I think. But isn't metamucil notorious for bloating and gas!
Please let me know how the Citrucel Clear Mix works for you. GL with it!
How are you handling your C without any SFS?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
Edited by Augie (12/27/04 10:29 AM)
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Hey Augie (tag - you're it!  )
Thanks for the advice about the Citrucel Clear-mix! I will definiately have to see if it makes my gas and bloating any worse.
My C has been bad since I got off the SFS, so I know that I have to get back on one. I keep getting that feeling like I have to go, but only go a little bit.  Before I stopped the Citrucel Citrus Capsules, I was actually going like a normal person! But again, I don't want to have to take an antiacid to combat the citrus in the SFS.
I will definitely keep you updated! I'm planning to start next week because I want to try to eat safe foods this week to see if I can get regular without the SFS (hopeless dream, I know!).
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- Jennifer
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You might just be able to be stable without an SFS! Wouldn't that be great not having to deal with popping these pills or trying to sneak in a cup of citrucel behind the desk at work  So I think you have a good plan! Try it with just the foods.
Also, please don't let my experience with the clear mix make you paranoid. The gas and bloating could have been from so many other factors! The bottle says "does not cause excess gas" so that's why I chose it. I just want to give my body a break from it to see if those side effects go away. And I think they have, but I do miss my BM's  . And I honestly don't know if any other SFS would not cause the gas or bloating. Who the heck knows with this stupid IBS--there are no absolutes--just a big guessing game, trial and error. And no guarentee that what works for one will work for another
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Quote:
Also considering Metamucil, believe it or not. I know Kandee swears that she needs the psylium in order to have a BM. And Fishnet takes this one as does LS I think. But isn't metamucil notorious for bloating and gas!
Hi Augie! Still having probs with the SFS's I see? I still stand by Metamucil, I know other people can have problems with it, but for me it's been great  The only problem is that although 2 doses works good, a little while ago I tried raising it higher and I got some gas/bloating. I may either stick with just the 2 doses a day, or maybe try more gradually raising it. But when I first started the Metamucil, I started reaaaally slowely, so perhaps I just tried raising it too fast this time. Anyway, good luck with whatever you choose! If you do end up trying Metamucil, get the capsels first so you can start off with a small amount and raise slowely.
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IBS-C
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Yes!!! Finding a SFS is going to be the death of me, or least give me a nervous breakdown I already bought the powder form, so too late for the capsules. So how much of the fiber form did you start with? Like 1/4 tsp x2 a day for a week then 1/2 tsp x2 a day, then 1 tsp x2 a day? How much are you currently on? I don't know what 2 doses comes out to be. Do you take the capsules? Or the plain powder in the green bottle, or the smooth orange flavor? I think that one might have artificial sweetner though.
If you do take the plain in the green bottle, how do you handle the taste? Isn't it nasty?
Thanks
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Quote:
Yes!!! Finding a SFS is going to be the death of me, or least give me a nervous breakdown I already bought the powder form, so too late for the capsules. So how much of the fiber form did you start with? Like 1/4 tsp x2 a day for a week then 1/2 tsp x2 a day, then 1 tsp x2 a day? How much are you currently on? I don't know what 2 doses comes out to be. Do you take the capsules? Or the plain powder in the green bottle, or the smooth orange flavor? I think that one might have artificial sweetner though.
If you do take the plain in the green bottle, how do you handle the taste? Isn't it nasty?
Thanks
I take the Orange Sugar Free Metamucil, though some people here find suger free products bother them, I also eat the wafers if I feel like it. Do you know if that would bother you? One dose is 3 or 3.5 grams, I forget. I think I started out with only a couple capsels a day, I don't remember if I took it once or twice a day. So yeah, try 1/4 tsp once or twice a day for a week, then up it a little, and just keep doing little by little. Takes patience to get up to the full dose, but if it works then it's worth it. If you get the green flavorless one, you could try it in juice or something? I never had that kind.
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IBS-C
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I did get the green flavorless one! Yucky! So gross. I know they make a regular orange flavor one (but wasn't sure if the citric acid was okay) and then the sugarless orange, but that contains aspartime and citric acid and I thought Artificail sweetners were BAD! I would rather get the orange but like I said, didn't think that was safe. Maybe I'll go get some capsules.
Can't do the wafers because I'm GF also .
Did you see my post under the post on Eating Disorders BTW. We share another experience.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Check this out: http://www.metamucil.com/mixers.shtml, that says a list of all the ways to drink plain metamucil in fruity drinks and stuff.
I just checked that ED thread, I hadn't seen that you posted after me. Sorry to hear about your ED I totally know what you mean, I HATE having a big bloated belly and feeling like I'm hugely fat cause of it, it sucks!! I'm still kind of ED'd at times though, so it makes it difficult to properly follow the diet.
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IBS-C
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fishnets
#133497 - 12/29/04 07:10 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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Thanks for the ideas. I can't do fruit juices so those are out. Looks like water.
Do you drink the orange with the aspartime or the regular orange without but with the citric acid? I think there is a regular orange without the artificial sweetner. And it doesn't bother you?
I have a very very hard time with the bloated belly and feeling fat. It is like an ironic punishment almost for all the years of being so flat bellied, almost concaved. I do not want that back, but there has to be a medium between anorexic tummy and bloated IBS belly! 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Beth, forgive me for jumping in, but I notice you mention having a bloated belly quite a lot and I just wondered if you are sure this is because of IBS? For years I thought my "6 months pregnant" look was due to overweight and/or bloating - I definitely had a lot of bloating, but my stomach never really got smaller. Anyway, long story short, turned out I had a fibroid on top of my uterus, size and shape of a football. Got rid of that, now have "normal" slightly flabby tum, but definitely no more pregnant look - lost 12lbs weight in one day! Also some improvement in bloating after the op, although more when I started this diet too.
Hope you don't think this is impertinent of me, I just thought I'd mention it, in case you haven't had a gynae check lately - it is so easy to think that all our problems have the same cause. As a good friend very helpfully said to me "just because you have one thing wrong with you, doesn't mean there can't be something else wrong too!"
Best wishes
Josephine
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Jump in anytime! I love getting info from everyone! Don't ever hesitate to jump in. The more info we get, the better for all of us!
I did have a gynie exam about 6 months ago and everything came out okay. I am also having bloating in my legs, so I think there is something else going on. Unfortunately my doctors just shrug it off as a "body image" problem. But when I get home and take off my socke and there is about a two inch difference between where my socks end and the rest of my leg I know that is not my imagination. I must try and get more aggressive with my doctor. But he just continues to shrug this off.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Forgot to mention this before. I spoke with Heather on the phone and she told me that acacia is different than benefiber which contains the guar gum. She said just because I couldn't do Benefiber didn't mean I woudn't be able to do acacia as they are two different gums.
Have you tried both of these products or only the benefiber? Perhaps the acacia would work for you, but it is another type of gum. That's what makes me hesitant to try it. But as I said, Heather says they are two different ingredients.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Quote:
Thanks for the ideas. I can't do fruit juices so those are out. Looks like water.
Do you drink the orange with the aspartime or the regular orange without but with the citric acid? I think there is a regular orange without the artificial sweetner. And it doesn't bother you?
I have a very very hard time with the bloated belly and feeling fat. It is like an ironic punishment almost for all the years of being so flat bellied, almost concaved. I do not want that back, but there has to be a medium between anorexic tummy and bloated IBS belly!
I drink the one with aspertame, the suger free. But that's cause it doesn't bother me.
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IBS-C
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Thanks for sharing, Beth! I did not know that about the Acacia. I have tried both and actually had two different problems with both - which I had just attributed to the guar gum. But I have heard so many people who have had success with the Acacia so definitely give it a try!
Unfortunately a lot of things with IBS are just a trial and error process.
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- Jennifer
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Didn't realize you had tried both. Thought the Acacia would have been an option for you. Oh well. Maybe it's gums in general that you cannot tolerate. Now I'm leery of the Acacia!
I'm soo C right now, I wish something would work. Not even the zelnorm is doing anything!
What problems did you have with the benefiber as well as the acacia? I know a lot of people love the acacia and everyone is different.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Don't let my story scare you off the acacia!  Everybody's body is different and there are some people who believe that the Acacia is a godsend.
Try looking at it this way when trying any fiber: What's the worst that's going to happen if you try it? You get symptons that you've already experienced or nothing happens at all. What's the best that can happen if you try it? It works and your C starts to become regular! 
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- Jennifer
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Glad to hear you got the all-clear from your gynae! But that's really annoying that they don't take the bloating in your legs seriously - body image, hah! - they just don't know how painful it is! I had the same very badly in the run up to my op, also couldn't straighten my right leg properly, also limped a lot, also pain, pain, pain. Well, in my case getting rid of the fibroid solved all of that, which isn't any help to you ... There are so many possible reasons for swelling in the legs, my mother had the same due to liver disease, but I think it's all because of water retention, whatever is causing that ... anyway you know what the old woman said when asked for advice "If I'd known then what I know now, I'd have kept my legs in a jar on the shelf!"
BTW it's about time someone thanked you for asking all the questions the rest of us also want answers to! It's nice to know that someone else is wondering the same things - so thanks!
Josephine
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