BeachLivin Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Hey yall, so I'm new to the group, but I have been diagnosed with IBS C and have been suffering with chronic issues for over 5 weeks. I used to only have this on and off for about 9 years, but it's gotten a lot worse as of late. I finally got an appointment with a gastro and he said that it's IBS C, and we're testing medications. Linzess didn't work and im currently on Trulance, I'm on day 5 and so far it isn't working (I've read it takes up to 7 days). I've started to exercise daily and turned my diet totally around, mostly fish, vegges, fruit, etc, and a gallon of water a day minimum. For the last 3 weeks I've been constipated worse than I ever have in my life. The first week and a half of this I could sometimes go and get a small amount out, but the last week to week and a half I can only go with enemas and I feel like it doesn't fully empty my bowels even though it does help. My first question is this, does anyone else have this type of problem as well? Is your constipation so bad that you can't go without an enema, is there anything I can do to make this better? Second question is should I keep relying on the enemas or just wait as long as I can still my body forces it out? I read that continued use of enemas can make the anal muscles too weak, but my gastro said he didnt seem to be worried that would happen to me at my age (I'm 25). Lastly, what symptoms should I look for that should warrant an ER visit or a colonoscopy? There is never blood in my stool or anything like that, but just would like to know from others who struggle with this Please someone help me this is killing me. I'm beginning to get depressed and I can only think about being constipated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Roberts Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Hi BeachLivin, I have heard from many people that have painted a very similar picture. While they've modified their diet and drink gallons of water, they just can't seem to go without using an enema. Your description of in-complete emptying is also common. It's so uncomfortable! There is a medication that you haven't tried. It's called Motegrity. Zelnorm is pretty well equivalent to it. These drugs work differently than Linzess and Trulance. You might talk to your doctor about them. Yes, it's true that repeated use of enemas lessen their effect. It's not something that you want to rely on, but I realize you really don't have anything else that works. Signs of a blockage are what would bring you to the ER. That would include intense abdominal pain with or without passing blood. You might have nausea and vomiting too. Let's hope you don't get to that point. Hang in there! It sounds like you have an attentive doctor who wants to help you so make sure you update them on how you are doing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Thank you Jeffrey, Luckily I was able to get some out this morning (I think because I'm wearing insanely tight pants cause of an interview). I'm going to ask my doctor about those meds after my 7th day, thank you for that tip. I'm about to take some milk of magnesia to try and clear the rest of me out. I'm hoping I don't have to fully rely on them. Okay Thank God I'm not at that point. He's been excellent so far, much appreciated for your response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Roberts Posted February 1, 2021 Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Insanely tight pants... LOL Have you tried miraLAX? You can even take a dose in the morning and another late in the day or evening to try and clear you out. It's not an enema and it works well in quite a few people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2021 Haha yeah, I've actually lost about 10 pounds since I started the diet but these pants were from quite a while ago. I did about 8 months ago when the pandemic began, but it doesn't work anymore sadly. Today is the 3rd day of making sure I get at least 35 grams of fiber so hopefully that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esjie Posted February 2, 2021 Report Share Posted February 2, 2021 (edited) Before I really started with IBS-D (March 2020) I was always more inclined slightly to get constipated, all my life) So I always ate a pretty high fiber diet and kept regular that way. Though I do recall three horrible really bad days with it in 2016 for no apparent reason at the time! You may be beyond this idea in what you are going through, but the foods I found that really helped me "go" in a healthy way were: Apples (with the skins) More than any other fruit Carrots Celery Vegetarian Quorn sausages (for some reason.) Lentils Beetroot Chick peas. One or two black coffees first thing in the morning. I think that just gave my gut a kick-start, and was more motility-based; got the peristalsis moving. Prunes never did any good, though I did very much like the canned ones. I ate them just for fun! Bran flakes breakfast cereal never made much difference, but I ate it every day anyway. Gosh....I miss all those foods now. Edited February 2, 2021 by Esjie typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 2, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2021 Thank you Esjie, I have a love hate relationship with coffee, it gives me severe anxiety on an empty stomach but sometimes I resort to it when I need to go and that only sometimes works. Apples have helped me in the past as well, as for the other ones I'll begin to incorporate them into my diet and see how they work. It's just so weird how this has hit severely all of a sudden, I'm trying to figure out what I can and can't have. I'm currently having a few michelob ultras with a lot of water tonight to see how it goes. I'm going to start running immediately when I wake up and see if that helps kickstart them too. God I miss steak and chicken wings... the Super Bowl is gonna be tough this sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 2, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2021 @Jeffrey RobertsIs it possible that my ibs may be caused by underlying anxiety or depression? I used to suffer with awful anxiety but have it under control now. I used to take zoloft but got off of it cause it made me drink WAY too much. My dad had depression but I don't think i have it. Since I've been constipated this week I've been insanely depressed, especially today. I just took some milk of magenisa but its just making me nauseas. Gastro's nurse is gonna try a third different medication tomorrow so we'll see how it works. DO you think it's as simple as an anti depressant? I took an anti depressant during the pandemic but all it did was make me severely constipated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Roberts Posted February 3, 2021 Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Gosh, no! While stress exacerbates symptoms, it is not the cause. I'm sorry that you are having a tough week. Many of us deal with anxiety and depression, and some is related to the daily struggle that we have to deal with. In general SSRI antidepressants can relieve constipation as a side effect, whereas tricyclic antidepressants will cause constipation. Maybe you weren't on the best one that took into account the IBS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esjie Posted February 3, 2021 Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Yes, I recently had to swap coffee in the morning ( my favourite!) for more boring Camomile tea. Coffee started giving me the heebie-jeebies. 1st time in 40+ years! I am listening to my body. It's screaming "no!" to coffee now. But it can work to get the gut moving in the morning. Depression is a mean thing to have to go through. It's natural sometimes, as a response to things in life (such as Covid and all the social isolation!) I don 't know anyone who hasn't felt some kind of anxiety or depression over the past year. I know I have felt it too. I cry sometimes. I don't want to be medicated for it though at this stage. Sometimes I think what we can call "depression" is a natural response to uncomfortable circumstances, grief or trouble, and not any kind of mental illness or clinical depression.....but that is something to keep an eye on and address if necessary. I have tried breathing meditation (belly breathing and diaphragmatic breathing) and it has helped steady me out -plus walking exercise outside in nice places. I often feel better after a 1-2 hour walk in the cold wind. Gosh....I wish I could have a couple of cold Michelobs....sadly they would run straight through me the state I'm in ! I had to stop drinking beer. But a couple of beers might relax you and help your constipation? Don't know....possibly. But too much I have heard, can make it worse (partly to do with dehydration.) Running as soon as you wake up in the morning? Gosh.....even in my running days I had a pee and a coffee first.... I admire that energy. Enjoy your run. I have to be gentler on my body now and relax a bit more a.m. first thing. But I am getting on in years. Usually my energy for a good walk comes mid-afternoon, then I do a few miles. Anti depressants can change the serotonin balance which can help sometimes, depending on what's going on. Too little serotonin going on in the gut -more constipation, Too much -"a D situation". I wish I completely understood it and the gut-brain connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 @Jeffrey Robertsokay thank you I'll keep talking to my doctor and see what he thinks on that, yeah back then definitley wasnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 thank you @Esjiethat's the thing I don't even know how if I'm depressed, when I'm not constipated I like to get up and go out and am generally a happy person, so I don't know. I'm just trying to figure everything out. I'll give meditation a shot and see if it helps. I'm just insanely scared at this point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeffrey Roberts Posted February 3, 2021 Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Hang in there @BeachLivin We get what you are going through. It's totally complicated by COVID and certainly adds to the feeling of despair - at least it does for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted February 3, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2021 Preciate it @Jeffrey Robertsthe milk of magnesia FINALLY helped, but I hope I don't have to rely on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda2021 Posted March 28, 2021 Report Share Posted March 28, 2021 @BeachLivin Did you get any relief with Trulance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeachLivin Posted March 31, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2021 @linda2021I did not, nor did I with linzess, Amitiza (after two weeks), and am currently on Lactulose which also worked for two weeks, but now is struggling to work again. We are on the 5th method and my gastro is concerned because he hasn't see an IBS C case this aggressive in anyone my age and if the massive increase in lactulose doesn't work we're going to order a colonoscopy. He doesn't think its cancer, but there could be something else going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constipated guy13 Posted April 6, 2021 Report Share Posted April 6, 2021 On 1/31/2021 at 10:43 PM, BeachLivin said: Advertisement Hey yall, so I'm new to the group, but I have been diagnosed with IBS C and have been suffering with chronic issues for over 5 weeks. I used to only have this on and off for about 9 years, but it's gotten a lot worse as of late. I finally got an appointment with a gastro and he said that it's IBS C, and we're testing medications. Linzess didn't work and im currently on Trulance, I'm on day 5 and so far it isn't working (I've read it takes up to 7 days). I've started to exercise daily and turned my diet totally around, mostly fish, vegges, fruit, etc, and a gallon of water a day minimum. For the last 3 weeks I've been constipated worse than I ever have in my life. The first week and a half of this I could sometimes go and get a small amount out, but the last week to week and a half I can only go with enemas and I feel like it doesn't fully empty my bowels even though it does help. My first question is this, does anyone else have this type of problem as well? Is your constipation so bad that you can't go without an enema, is there anything I can do to make this better? Second question is should I keep relying on the enemas or just wait as long as I can still my body forces it out? I read that continued use of enemas can make the anal muscles too weak, but my gastro said he didnt seem to be worried that would happen to me at my age (I'm 25). Lastly, what symptoms should I look for that should warrant an ER visit or a colonoscopy? There is never blood in my stool or anything like that, but just would like to know from others who struggle with this Please someone help me this is killing me. I'm beginning to get depressed and I can only think about being constipated. Advertisement Yes I have same situation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 I'm sorry to hear about your chronic issues. I've been to the ER twice with severe constipation/stool impaction resulting from anesthesia and/or pain killers following surgeries unrelated to my IBS-C. They just took x-rays, dug it out, and/or gave me an enema. Have you tried magnesium citrate? That's what a teladoc had me try once, and it's available OTC. It's what I use as a last resort. I've also had good luck with a combination of lactulose, senna-s, and trulance, so you might try adding senna-s before you go to bed. See https://www.ibspatient.org/community/topic/51285-my-journey-with-ibs-c/ Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill byrne Posted May 17, 2021 Report Share Posted May 17, 2021 I have for the last month pooing pellets pebbles dry' I took lactose it helped I poo daily but don't want to rely on that ' problem with lactose it can give you gas bloating sometime.my bum. Hurts a little fell like I want to go but not.mucus to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne Posted May 18, 2021 Report Share Posted May 18, 2021 I also have suffered with chronic constipation for most of my life... after several years, one of the doc`s prescribed OTC Miralax (i buy the cheaper store brand). This has made a huge difference for me. I have taken it for years, pretty much the same dose and it continues to work very very well. I usually take about 1/2 - 3/4 capful at bedtime every night. Occ, i have to sl increase or decrease the amount, but by very little and usually for only 1-2 doses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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