Tips for IBS-C

[Tug]

Hello anyone reading this.  I just wanted to share a couple tips and briefly share my experience.  I've had severe constipation for over ten years now.  I good bowel days and bad bowel days, like most of you I'm sure.  The worse the bowel days, the more taxed my mental health is (I think it's natural for anyone, even the happiest person in the world, to feel depression/sadness/bitterness when one can't poop for days on end).

You all may think this next part is dumb and obvious, but for whatever reason I just discovered it: I have more bowel movements when I stick to the same daily schedule, waking up at the same time, sleeping at about the same time, eating meals at the same times, and taking some fiber (Metamucil cookies) at the same time.  For years I'd wake up and sleep at odd times, for example sleeping much later on the weekends, which altered the times I ate.  Sticking to a schedule seems to help, for what it's worth.  

When I'm experiencing bad symptoms on my hard days/weeks, I take Dulcolax pills at night before bed (2 b/c 1 doesn't work), which gives me diarrhea for several hours the next day, but at least it eases the constipation.  I've also had the same results with milk of magnesia (gross!).   In case of an emergency, when I've been constipated for many days and can't take it anymore, I have had success with a suppository laxative, but man do those burn like hell. 

Lastly, if anyone is still reading this, I agree with a lot of other posts that a large part of the constipation problem is mental.  For instance, while it may seem to you or doctors or whoever that the colon just isn't working, often I think the colon is "working" fine, but it just isn't getting the mental signal from the brain that it's time to poop.  I have the weirdest case, which I wonder if anyone else has: I usually only poop when I'm at work and I get a bit of anxiety.  For whatever reason, every time I do my job/work I get just a tad anxious and that sends a signal to go, go, go!  Conversely, when I'm totally relaxed (say, on vacation or just chilling on weekends), my colon does absolutely nothing and I'm locked up indefinitely.  I've tried mostly without success to recreate the anxiety feeling in order to send the 'poop' signal to my colon; it's worked maybe once in like 50 tries.  It's tough to recreate the emotion/feeling.  

Anyways, just wanted to post.  Happy if anyone has any tips tricks for me, and I'm also happy to answer any questions if I can help anyone. 

Cheers.

[KFarley]

Dear Tug, 

Thank you for sharing. I'm new to this group and I feel like I've finally found people that "get it." 
I have something funny to share related to your comments. I have horses. On very rare occasions we will have one start to colic. This is when their intestines get twisted (they are even more sensitive than us🙄🤦‍♀️) It's very serious for them and they can die. They basically can't poop. Anyway, most horse people know, it's important to get them moving. Trot them around in the round penSometimes they will poop then. Walk them for hours.  But back to your comment on anxiety, and how that can be related. The best way to get them to poop is take them away from their friends, or put them in the horse trailer. Most horses poop in the horse trailer because they get anxious then. So long story short, I think there could be some truth to this. 😘

[Tug]

KFarley:

That's very interesting.  Maybe anxiety getting the intestines moving is a trait shared across mammals.  Another example, as I'm sure most people can be familiar with, is playing hide and seek as children; for whatever reason, the second you hide as a child and get anxious about waiting out the 'seeker,' you have the sudden urge to use the restroom!   Unfortunately for me, anxiety is the ONLY time I 'go.'  If I don't have any anxiety, my intestines lock up forever with absolute no movement (unless I take laxatives).  Very very frustrating, but it is what it is.   It also proves to me that IBS-C can definitely be a mental problem in addition to a physical problem.    

One other thing for anyone reading this, I've seen several posts on Linzess.  I took it when it firs came out, and it got my intestines moving but caused me extreme diarrhea.  Just sharing my review.  

Has anyone tried Vibrant, the vibrating pill?  

Thanks,

-Tug

[KFarley]

Tug, 

Thanks for the comment. I'm just starting linzess today.I'll let you know how it goes. Haha.

Another interesting fact. I love intermittent fasting. It's so good for you, I'm so many ways  but unfortunately for some, a side effect is constipation  It's fascinating- if you look up Ramadan and fasting/constipation, this is a real thing. They sometimes break the fast with figs.  Someone else mentioned figs here. I keep hearing about kiwis so I'm getting more. 
Id rather have diarrhea any day over constipation, but only if I knew when it was going to happen! 
I'm hoping I can still do intermittent fasting with Linzess.
karen

[DjH]

On 3/20/2023 at 3:08 PM, Tug said:

Hello anyone reading this.  I just wanted to share a couple tips and briefly share my experience.  I've had severe constipation for over ten years now.  I good bowel days and bad bowel days, like most of you I'm sure.  The worse the bowel days, the more taxed my mental health is (I think it's natural for anyone, even the happiest person in the world, to feel depression/sadness/bitterness when one can't poop for days on end).

You all may think this next part is dumb and obvious, but for whatever reason I just discovered it: I have more bowel movements when I stick to the same daily schedule, waking up at the same time, sleeping at about the same time, eating meals at the same times, and taking some fiber (Metamucil cookies) at the same time.  For years I'd wake up and sleep at odd times, for example sleeping much later on the weekends, which altered the times I ate.  Sticking to a schedule seems to help, for what it's worth.  

When I'm experiencing bad symptoms on my hard days/weeks, I take Dulcolax pills at night before bed (2 b/c 1 doesn't work), which gives me diarrhea for several hours the next day, but at least it eases the constipation.  I've also had the same results with milk of magnesia (gross!).   In case of an emergency, when I've been constipated for many days and can't take it anymore, I have had success with a suppository laxative, but man do those burn like hell. 

Lastly, if anyone is still reading this, I agree with a lot of other posts that a large part of the constipation problem is mental.  For instance, while it may seem to you or doctors or whoever that the colon just isn't working, often I think the colon is "working" fine, but it just isn't getting the mental signal from the brain that it's time to poop.  I have the weirdest case, which I wonder if anyone else has: I usually only poop when I'm at work and I get a bit of anxiety.  For whatever reason, every time I do my job/work I get just a tad anxious and that sends a signal to go, go, go!  Conversely, when I'm totally relaxed (say, on vacation or just chilling on weekends), my colon does absolutely nothing and I'm locked up indefinitely.  I've tried mostly without success to recreate the anxiety feeling in order to send the 'poop' signal to my colon; it's worked maybe once in like 50 tries.  It's tough to recreate the emotion/feeling.  

Anyways, just wanted to post.  Happy if anyone has any tips tricks for me, and I'm also happy to answer any questions if I can help anyone. 

Hey I’ve started taking 2 Perdiem every night and I go first thing in the am    You can always find them somewhere online
 

 

[DjH]

Hey I’ve started taking 2 Perdiem every night.   Works first thing in the morning. You can get them anywhere online.  Try it.  Love it.  Finally found something that works.