I'm writing to say there is hope for those suffering from IBS-C. I sympathize with the D folks, but we C folks have it hard. So few things seem to help.
I found this website after my GI specialist diagnosed me with IBS then told me there was nothing I could do. That seems pretty standard, and I'm so grateful for the existence of the website as a place to go for help. As my first step, I bought the book and started the diet.
The diet was AWFUL. I was on it about two years. During that time I would have a random few days when things would stabilize which convinced me to stay on it. When it wasn't working most of the rest of the time, I doubled-down on forbidden foods. I am someone who eats very few pre-packaged foods and cooks dinner every night so eating healthy has never been a problem for me. On this diet, I had cut so many things out that I gave myself anemia. I also got a cold or the flu every 4-6 weeks like clockwork. I only get sick when I'm not eating well. My hair and skin became extremely dry because I was eating so little fat. Please, please be careful on this diet. If it's not working, don't get ever more restrictive. Give up and try something else. Dietary interventions are much less successful for IBS-C than they are for IBS-D according to the research.
Completely desperate, I tried the hypnosis CDs. Yikes. I do not have the personality to deal with hypnosis. There is nothing less relaxing I can think of then having someone tell me I'm relaxed. Puhlease.
After finally giving up on dietary interventions to help, I went back to the doctor's office. Obviously, not back to the same person who told me to do nothing. This doctor of course told me to take fiber (I ignored this advice, as the research does not indicate that fiber helps in most cases) and prescribed Miralax. Miralax works. Absolutely, I started going every day, several times a day. Except after a couple of weeks, I still looked 4-6 months pregnant most of the time and I never got that feeling of a complete evacuation. Back to the doctor, who told me to take the darn fiber already. So I did. I started on Citrucel since I can get it at the drugstore, but in order to get up the 25-30g recommended for IBS-C, I needed to switch to Heather's brand.
And finally, relief. I spent the first couple of weeks pooing out about half my body weight. I mean I knew I was backed up, but seriously. Hard to believe there was that much stuff in me. I take four tablespoons of Heather's fiber a day, and a dose of Miralax in the morning, and my symptoms are in almost total remission. I've started weaning myself off my probiotic as well.
I never thought I would get to this point, but I would read posts on the forum from people who had conquered their IBS, and I would try to maintain hope. I thought I would be another one of those stories for anyone thinking things will never get better.
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IBS-C
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IBS-C in remission
