Constipation?
#77503 - 06/09/04 09:29 AM
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angelina
Reged: 06/03/04
Posts: 29
Loc: Minnesota, USA
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Hey, I've been doing only solubles for a week now, and although I haven't felt SICK, I haven't had a BM in about four days either. So....is that good, bad, normal? I don't know what should be happening at this point. Are there things I can do to promote HEALTHY, normal BMs? Anyway, any input would be appreciated!
Also...does anyone have time to explain to me when and how I should take the fiber supplements? I bought Metimucil, but haven't opened it yet because then I read that some people are bothered by it. After reading the book by Heather I'm still a little confused. Should I take that EVERY DAY, or only when I'm going to be eating bad things, or what?
THANKS!
Angie
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SO glad to finally have a diagnosis...now to figure this eating thing out 
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soluble fiber
take it daily. the goal is to always have some kind of soluble fiber gently filling the colon. by taking supplementation (work up slowly to several times a day following the guidelines Heather sets up on that link) and by adding soluble fiber to the diet with meals and snacks, you can accomplish this goal.
i take acacia and have it in the morning before or with breakfast, with some applesauce or soy yogurt at lunch, and somehow with dinner- often in some kind of sorbet dessert.
you can take extra soluble fiber when you're going to be "bad"- i like to tote my Equalactin around with me for this situation. it's a chewable tablet. not too shabby! it's too pricey to be used as regular supplementation, tho, and you'd have to chomp a lot of 'em! two do in a pinch, though.
as for the constipation, you need to gradually work into insoluble fiber. insoluble fiber first of all, you need these foods for your overall health, but they also act to help prevent constipation. you'll have to tinker with the amounts to find what's right for you. make sure you're cooking your soluble fiber veggies and chopping 'em up, too, to make them the most digestable.
keep posting questions!
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Jen-
Okay. So, should I wait a certain amount of time before I start having insoluble fiber things, like to detox my body from overloading or anything? If not, can you just give me an example of what I could do TODAY to integrate some into my diet? Like would I for dinner have some pasta, chicken, and brocolli steamed? Or how would I do that? I know it's probably common, but I'm just kind of scared to start adding those things. Anyway, thanks for answering, and I WILL keep posting the questions!
Angie
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SO glad to finally have a diagnosis...now to figure this eating thing out
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i'd say
#77544 - 06/09/04 10:30 AM
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jenX
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 3252
Loc: Richmond, VA
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go ahead and start now. since you were reporting constipation as if that's unusual for you, i assume you usually have D? and that's kinda under control at the moment? as long as you're not outrageously stuck in a high pain cycle or a diarrhea cycle, you should start today! if you've been doing the diet for a few weeks, you're ready!
adding insolubles can be a bit scary. just start slow!
do you usually make a sauce with your chicken and pasta? if so, try chopping up some broccoli and putting it in the sauce. or zucchini. or carrots. or spinach.
i also sometimes chop up some of the above veggies really finely and steam them then throw them in with my rice after i cook it. then have fish or chicken alongside and you're set!
do you have cereal in the mornings? chop up a little fruit and put it in. or toss some on your waffles. add a tomato to your sammich if you can tolerate tomatoes. sometimes i used to shred a little lettuce and put it on. or seed a cucumber and toss THAT on a sammich. it's good!
while you're at it, if you're a sammich kind of gal and you don't think it's too weird, try one slice of your white bread, once slice of whole grain.
i like fruit on my chicken, sweet-n-sour style. pineapple, oranges, peaches, apricots- those all work well.
have a little bit of a melon or some berries as a side salad with a meal. you can put some vanilla soy yogurt on top. YUM!
there are some great recipes on the boards. go check 'em out!
you can do it! let me know how it goes! just remember to do it slowly..... 
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Okay, thanks for all those great ideas! But now it's honesty time for me...I just did something really dumb! Every time I start feeling that something isn't normal (i.e. constipation) I EAT and EAT! So, I just ate too much lunch, and then I just get a really bad stomachache. I don't know why I do it, but I need to stop and I hate when I do that! So, I had my sammy and my peeled apple and carrots, then I had sliced mango, and THREE small rice crispie squares. now I just feel like booty. Anyway, that was my confessional for today.
I think I will go get some of those things you listed (too bad I threw them all out last week before I COMPLETELY understood this whole thing!) and see if that helps me.
BTW, I am kind of an alternating C and D girl, but with this C, it isn't like painful or annoying, I can just tell that everything is a little *tight* on me bc I haven't pooped. So, normally w/ C I feel really sick, but not now, which is a plus for sure!
Angie
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SO glad to finally have a diagnosis...now to figure this eating thing out
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That's a super safe way to add extra fiber, especially if you add some finely ground nuts too. Or try a fresh fruit smoothie - just throw your favorite fruits in the blender with soy/rice milk and blend till smooth. Have after some cream of rice cereal or white bread toast, and you should be just fine.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Hi Angie!
I don't have anything further to add, just wanted to say that I sympathize. I started the diet 2 weeks ago, and have had 1 BM since then.  For me, it was the caffeine - I've always been a D, but once I stopped everything caffeinated, I swung right to a C. Fun! LOL
So... if it's not normal, then at least you have company! Haha.
Casey
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THAT'S it! No coffee for this girl, which equals no poop. I feel so icky  BUT...i'm just leaving for the grocery store so I can get strawberries and peaches for a smoothie and zucchini and walnuts for a quickbread.
Heather, thanks for the idea, and BTW...the Maple Oat Bread...AMAZING!! I love it so much!
Thanks again,
Angie
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SO glad to finally have a diagnosis...now to figure this eating thing out
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In leiu of a BM...I now just have five days of food PLUS tonights zucchini bread, smoothie, and other foods in my stomach. I feel VERY bloated (the kind where I have to always have my stomach out as far as it will go, you know?) and feel no internal signs of pooping ANYTIME soon. This totally sucks. Anyone have ANY suggestions for me? I just want to go so badly.
A sad  Angie
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SO glad to finally have a diagnosis...now to figure this eating thing out
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