The Bowels, The Bowels................

[willows]

So there I was last night , handing on to the radiator beside the loo in the bathroom while the contractions surged over me again and again....................sweating , head spinning trying not to fall off the loo again.

I have fallen off before when the contractions became so strong I passed out , most embarrassing as hubby told me later he had to force the loo door to get to me, not one of the best positions or places to be 'helped out ' from..............half naked , knickers around your ankles on the bathroom floor

I know I take a rather large amount of 'controlled drugs ' each and every day for the pain and a drug to keep the water from my heart , BUT with the amount of fruit, veggies and fiber I eat you would think I would be running to the loo every hour on the hour .

Not so...................

As well as a 40 gram bowl of fiber every day and a half a pineapple, an apple, pear and sometimes strawberries on top of this along with the broccoli, carrots and sweetcorn, I also take a Movicol in water and a 10 ml spoonful of Picosulphate.................in fact enough fiber and laxatives to move the bowels of the world, let alone my small ones!!!!

Yet there I was last night , after yet another 8 days of shoveling in the fruits, veggies and laxatives almost biting a chunk out of the band basin again..................

So any suggestions as to how to get my system working a bit better? the longest I've ever been like this is 21 days ...............I cant tell you how much pain I was getting by then , except to say that I had shooting pain in places you wouldn't want it, along with loud rumbling and grumbling sounded like 'mount etna' was about to erupt ...............................Willows.

[MNsue]

I have the same struggle. It really is not fun. I take one Tablespoon of molassis every day, and drink mineral water to blance the PH in my system. That has seemed to help the most at this time. I used to be able to manage with acidophilus and flax seeds, but that stopped working this summer. I somethimes think the more fiber I took in, the more I was having problems with constipation.

Good Luck

Rhonda

[willows]

Thank you for your reply WW2.

I'm off to the large supermarket this afternoon with my carer so will get myself a jar and have a go , as long as it isn't to 'yucky' to swallow I'll try anything.

I was once given Lactalose by my doctor ( many, many years ago I might add) and having taken the measured amount within 2 -3 minutes went into a form of shock it was then that they discovered that I am allergic to 'refined lactalose' so now I have to be careful with what drugs I take and the amount of 'fillers' that they put in them .

I agree with you about the more fiber -more problems, it does seem to me that the more wholemeal bread, pasta, cereals and that type of stuff I eat the more contractions I get .

When I was not on any medications as such ( way back in the 80's) my IBS was horrendous and the constantly being 'bunged up, diarrhoea and spasms ' every day, day in, day out left me drained and feeling I couldnt go anywhere or do anything unless a loo was available 24/7 .

So in one way I'm better off , but in another way I'm not, its horrible..................sometimes I get so full I can't eat just a small meal , which in tern causes problems with my medication , especially my pain killers , no food with them leaves me talking to 'the fairies' on the wallpaper and seeing 'pretty flowers' walking sideways down the bedclothes................brings back memories of the 60's flower power days !!!!!

Willows.

[lthomas521]

Constipation is a well-known side effect of opiate drugs. The American Pain Society recommends that a stimulant laxative be considered for anyone who is taking an opiate. Ask your pharmacist. Fiber-type laxatives are not enough. They might soften the material, but they won't help move it along.

[willows]

Thanks for your reply Ithomas 521.

I suppose I'm stuck 'between him down there and the deep blue sea'

The pain gets so bad at times I have to have my strong painkillers , without them I am unable to even lay in bed its so bad.

But in taking them I then cause problems with my digestion system.

If I didn't take the morphine I dont think I would be here now , when the pain gets to level 10 ........thats out of 10 my heart just drops so much and I can go into heart block which is very painful and scary not just for me but for hubby and son who are trying to keep me alive until an ambulance arrives .

So I think I'm just gonna stick with the painkillers and stuff in as much laxative as I need , you'd think with the amount of stuff I already take I could 'move a mountain' .............nope !!!!!

Willows.................still hanging on to the radiator!!!

[anna]

HI Willows,

Not sure if this will be of any help! I have found that my IBS got less of a problem when I went over to eating as much organic food as possible. All our staple food is organic, bread, veggies, etc. I no longer take any meds to help with IBS, I have also cut out milk which might have had somthing to do with it as well. I still have IBS but it is now manageble, no need to plan trips around the toilet!

My dad found salads with lots of olive oil helped when he got bunnged up when on opiats (sp) a teaspoon of unfillterd extra virgin olive oil a couple of times a day seemed to do the trick! You might want to add some lemon to that as it can be quite a stronge taste!

Hope you get some relief soon.

Bye for now,

Anna

[willows]

Thank you so much for your reply anna, I know how hard it can be when you first start on the forum, so well done you.

I eat as much fruit and veggies as I can that are organic , we also have organic bread and when I can get it porridge oats .

I have a problem with the amount of 'oils' I take into my system each day as I had to have my gall bladder removed in 1990 and since then I have struggled with fats , oils and high fatty foods , I was told so try and stay clear of them as I no longer have to ability to digest this part of my diet .

I had what can only be called 'an epic clear out' last night !!!!!!!!!

I has almost got once again to the point of stopping eating because I was feeling so full and had such pain.

But lo and behold ..................I spent most of last night in the bathroom, my hubby recons that I have worn a groove in the carpet shuffling back and forth from my bed all night, but I feel ............SO much better now ( except for my bottom )

Thanks all for your suggestions .............Willows.

[anna]

Hi Willows,

Thanks for the words of encouregment (sp), glad you found relief at last!

Ta ta for now,

Anna