Acacia - When to stop increasing?
#314450 - 09/02/07 08:04 AM
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Hello, I am IBS-C and have been on Heather's diet now for about 4 months. It took a while but I finally started seeing results. I no longer have problems with constipation and my stomach doesn't rumble and cramp up near as much as it used to. I had to slowly increase my acacia dose up to 15 grams to alleviate constipation, but I still have quite a bit of gas. I was wondering if I should keep increasing the acacia until the gas goes away, or should I just stay at 15 since i'm not constipated anymore? I started out at 1/2 a teaspoon a day and slowly worked up, just like heather suggests.
Also, this is a different topic, but I just started lexapro for anxiety. I have been on and off of SSRI's for the past 4 years (probably should have just stayed on them), but I can't seem to remember how long it takes for side effects to go away. I have been back on for about 2 1/2 weeks now, and I'm still having trouble with insomnia and fatigue. I have had success with lexapro before, so I'm trying to stick it out, but I was wondering if anyone else knew how long it usually takes to feel normal again? Thanks.
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I'd stay where you are with the Acacia. Try drinking fennel tea a few times a day and see if that helps with the gas.
I can't help with Lexapro but there are other people on the Board who take it and I imagine they'll be along to help. In the meantime, you can do a Search across all Boards with no time limit if you want to see what people have said about it in the past.
And congratulations on your success so far. That's great to hear.
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Thanks. I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am for this site. I always just think about what it would have been like to have this before the internet. I doubt I would have figured all of this out on my own.
Anyway, I drink a lot of peppermint tea and a little fennel, but I can't ever tell that they do anything... I don't know. maybe I just need to drink more. I'm really hoping the lexapro helps out a bit more though. I've read that it can take up to 6 weeks to fully take effect, so I'm hanging in there.
Also, I was wondering if Natural Calm or a magnesium supplement would be a good thing to take, because even though I'm not nearly as constipated as I was, I'm also not as regular as I used to be.
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The acacia really helped me with gas, and it sounds like you're only taking about 2 tablespoons per day. That's actually on the low end for those with IBS-C. You could try upping it (slowly!) a little more to see if it helps with the gas. I personally take about 3 tablespoons per day.
I've never taken Lexapro, but I have taken other ADs. You typically need to allow 6-8 weeks for side effects to go away.
Hope that helps!
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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I've been considering increasing the acacia, but I wasn't sure if I should since I'm having fairly regular BM's now. I'll go ahead and try though. I have tried fennel tea on and off, and also beano and fennel capsules, but I don't really feel like they work. Do you use any herbal supplements or digestive enzymes? Maybe I just need to brew it stronger or something. I drink peppermint tea a lot too, and can't really tell that it does anything, but I have grown really accustomed to the taste.
I've been on Lexapro about 3 weeks now, so I guess I'm about halfway through. I always feel so scared to start taking antidepressants because of all the possible side effects and the fact that the chemicals in my brain are being altered. It's hard for me to fathom that my incessant worrying could be due to a chemical imbalance and not just learned reactions to stressful situations. I'm sure it's a combination of both. I've been on Lexapro before, but got better and foolishly decided I didn't need it anymore. I felt ok for a while, then gradually slipped back into a constant freak-out. For a long time I've been going to a therapist and trying to unlearn my negative tendencies, but I've seen minimal results. Then I started getting terrible stomach cramps, constipation, gas, and insomnia and I decided to just stop being self-righteous and just get back on the medicine. Hopefully it works like it did before. Today was the first day that I've felt even remotely ok in quite a while, so I'm feeling hopeful.
Anyway, didn't mean to give my life story there. Thanks for your advice.
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Unfortunately, the fennel tea never worked for me. However, I found that Yogi Teas' Stomach Ease tea works wonders for gas and bloating! I drink several cups every day. I buy it at Wild Oats or Whole Foods. It contains fennel, among other things. The only other supplement I use is GasStop, which is similar to Beano, but stronger.
Getting used to ADs is always hard. Coming off them can be hard, too!! I hope they help - and I'm glad you're seeing a therapist in addition to the meds. I think it really takes both parts to make progress. Too many people just rely on the meds to fix everything.
Good luck!
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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