# What to take and when?



## loro (Feb 19, 2003)

Hi All,I've been dealing with IBS (unsuccessfully for the most part) for a few years now.I take Citrucel (3 tablets a day) and Immodium whenever I need it. But, I notice lots of time my stomach feels raw inside and I just have cramps or gas... what do people take in those cases.I don't like to take Immodium if I don't need to and figure there has got to be something better to try.Any advice would be greatly appreciated!Thanks,L


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## NHow (Mar 10, 2003)

I have recently started taking an enteric peppermint combo a half hour before meals. So far it helps a lot...eliminates abdominal cramping and I haven't had an attack of diarrhea so far. Too soon to tell if this is the magic bullet. I've had IBS for about 3 years and am also not happy about having to depend on Immodium. It works fine to stop diarrhea but then makes me constipated for days. Good luck!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Peppermint is an antispasmodic and it makes sense to take it before meals.The colon "wakes up" and gets more active when you wake up and after each meal. So sometimes taking something before the meal helps "damp down" the reaction to eating.Gas you could try simethicone with each meal (it only effects gas bubles it is co-located with so what you take now doesn't help the end of your colon now). Probitoics can reduce gas volume for some people.K.


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## Rylee (Mar 13, 2003)

Aloe vera juice assists in internal healing. Do you notice gas and cramps after a meal? A digestive enzymes may help alleviate these things. I don't have IBS but I have had wonderful results with wheatgrass supplements for gas/cramps. You can get any of these things at a health food store. Talking a good fiber supplement can really help in controlling diarrea.Speaking to someone in a health food store might not be a bad idea.


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## rcb118 (Mar 11, 2002)

I've had problems with the combination of a fiber supplement and antisposmadic (I was just doing th e immodium for a while but now am on Levbid). I seem to be worse off now that I am taking Citrucel (2 tablets a day) and the antispasmodic instead of just the one. I've just started on both so it could just be my body adjusting...but it seems that the Citrucel works so strongly agains the Levbid that I may be a little stopped up and then I'll just explode and have major abdominal cramping with the D attack. Anyone else run into similar problems?


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