glad you're here, but sorry you're sick.

Heather has found that people with IBS are greatly helped by adding a soluble fiber supplement to their diets. it helps her and helps tons of others, myself included. once you understand the way that soluble fiber behaves in the intestinal tract, it really makes sense to add it to the diet through supplementation and by eating it at meal times.

i, personally, love the acacia. it's the only soluble fiber supplement that really works for me. i think if you are interested in trying a sol. fiber supplement, acacia is a good place to start.

it shouldn't ineterfere with the Zelnorm. in fact, what the FDA has to say about Zelnorm is this:

Quote:

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Zelnorm is a medicine for the short-term treatment of women who have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with constipation (not enough or hard bowel movements) as their main bowel problem.

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...so i think if it's a short term drug treatment, you may be best served by changing your diet and adding a soluble fiber supplement because those things will help you long term (as long as you keep up the practice of doing them!). the Zelnorm works with the seratonin in the gut and attempts to normalize the contractions and pain sensations in the intestines. my question about that would be this: when i go off of the Zelnorm does that mean my IBS will be gone? i tend to think not since perpetuating factors like stress and poor diet (for IBS) may still be in place... so by eliminating those stressors, i can help control the IBS even after i get off the Zelnorm. or at least that's the way i see it...

as for your monthly symptoms, i was totally surprised to find that my life got more pleasant after i got serious about the diet and started the acacia. i no longer have severe diarrhea the day before my period, which blows me away since i've put up with that for years! now, the cramps are still there, but seem more tolerable. they're a whole lot easier to take when you're not worried about diarrhea, though! i do find myself drinking more fennel tea around my period, so i don't know if that's helping things or not (but i bet it is!).

hope i answered some of your questions. again, welcome to the boards. make yourself at home!


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