Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | FINALLY! Something that worked for me!!! (kinda long)

Hi Jordy,

Yes, I take 2 teaspoons (Tps) of Acacia daily, broken out into two doses: morning/night. Other than the Kashi, that is my only form of fiber supplement. I'll be the first to admit, my diet SUCKS! I am too impatient & frankly lazy to watch what I eat, maintain a diet, or identify trigger foods. I'm sure I have them, but I have no idea what they might be. The best thing I do for myself diet-wise is stay away from fast food, eat lots of salmon & avoid red meat as much as possible. Other than that, I eat just about anything (good & bad), and supplement everything by way of vitamins and the like. I know that's not the best approach but that's my lifestyle for now. I am so impressed by those on this board who stick to the IBS diet and monitor what they eat daily - I wish I had that kind of discipline! The yogurt I eat is Activa by Dannon - the one that has the probiotics in it. I've been mixing that with my tps of Acacia in the morning & that's my breakfast. Kashi at lunch does seem to give me a lot of gas, but it also seems to get things moving more than when I don't eat it, so I've been trying to have a bowl once a day. Doesn't cause cramping or pain - just gas for me. The one I eat is Go Lean (crunchy nugget type). Wish I had the box here so I could give you the name. They have two kinds - one with rice krisy-type cereal & one with the nuggets. I couldn't stand the taste of the krispy one but the nuggets are OK.

I hadn't tried the SuperSeed yet, and was planning to use that w/ the Acacia (lately Acacia hadn't been working for me very well - that's when I up'd the dose to 2 tps instead of 1 tps daily). I'm trying to plan ahead to see if I can 1) get stabilized w/ the help of the NC & baebbe, 2) stay that way to prevent the C from coming back. Another poster advised staying away from SS because it was too harsh, so I might try FiberSmart instead. Not sure. For now I am only using Acacia for SF (oh, plus Kashi) and plan to continue to use it, even if I start to try another fiber supplement in addition. As for Cal Mag, never took one before, but if/when I get regular again I will incorporate that into my supplement "routine." I'm interested in Prairie Natural's Bone Solution. It's a liquid form of Cal Mag that has a 1:1 ratio. I'll have to order it since I can only find it in Canada but I read a good review about it from another poster on this board. But no Cal-Mag for now, just the NC, which is 100% mag. I do get some Calcium from my daily Multi.

Last night I increased my dose of NC to 2 1/2 Tsps from 2 the night before. This morning I feel pretty bloated. Do not have any D but I may go back to the 2 Tsps tonight to see how my body reacts. Yesterday I had BMs all throughout the day and I felt pretty good. They were not 'normal' BM's (still small/hard), but hey, beats not going at all and I've just gotten started w/ the NC.

Baebbe is an herbal supplement made of a bunch of different herbs I'd never heard of. It's not a fiber or laxative, but contains ingredients that help w/ C and peristalsis, helping your system get back to normal and keeping it that way. Testimonials (as well as the company), claim that it sheds inches from the waistline & clears up your skin...yadayadayada...I'm probably a 'sucker' (again) for giving into their claims, but, oh well...I do know that, for me, ever since I've been C, my weight fluctuates 2-5 pounds daily, and I know I'm not eating that much differently to justify that much weight change. It's probably more due to excess water from the bloating & well, you know...so there may some merit to the weight loss claims (although not a loss of fat). 90 pills cost $90, which is expensive given that's a 30-day supply if you take the recommended 3 a day dose. The return policy is NOT a guarantee, in that only unopened/unused product may be returned and only within 2 weeks from the time you get your order. Well, for something that could take up to a month to work that is an assanine policy. Plus, hard to tell if something works or not if you don't open the package! Yes, I took my chances but I will be sure to update everyone on how I do using baebbe. You can read more it about it at www.baebbe.com. It can't be any worse than Oxypowder, which I used religiously for one month, and had nothing but D for an entire month! That probably contributed to my system being out of whack more than anything else. That stuff scares me!

My ultimate goal is to have normal BMs, and complete ones, not the little ones I'm having now w/ NC, although an improvement, I can tell I'm still not completely emptying. I'm also trying to get back to a level where I can get back on a good exercise routine again. Was exercising (Tae Bo & stretching) every morning until my C hit a month ago, then WHAM! - so tired & fatigued all the time & who wants to put on exercise clothes then you feel like there's a brick in your stomach! It's a catch-22 - exercise helps with C but C makes me want to do anything but exercise (AHH! It's a vicious cycle!)

For now I will stay on the NC & use baebbe once it arrives & see how everything 'goes,' (so to speak).

Wish me luck!!!!!!!! (Hope I answered your ?'s & sorry so long again....)

Print Remind Me Notify Moderator