# Hemorrhoids, IBS and depression serotonin link, and veganism?



## kking88 (Mar 31, 2015)

Hey guys, just a general update from me...I cut out wheat and eggs from my diet, and noticed maybe a minor difference. Started having oatmeal in the morning and have occasionally had some "normal" looking BMs. By normal I mean bigger and more collected, though they're still hard and I've developed hemorrhoids. Generally when I go I have one alright-sized BM accompanied by some smaller ones. Often times my BMs are very flat or rocks. My biggest problem is that after this BM I'll feel alright for maybe an hour, and then my stomach starts to bloat and I'm filled with gas. I'll try to go to the bathroom again and maybe produce some pieces of a BM. I'm like that for the rest of the day. So incomplete emptying and the resulting gas is a huge problem for me. Also--and I think others have said this too--my problem isn't necessarily that I don't go. Often times I do go to the bathroom, sometimes more than once a day, but my BMs don't collect as they should (several flat pieces) and so I'm always still packed, according to my doctors and according to the gas pains I feel.

I'm considering going sort of vegan because I've heard that's helped some, while also cutting out bread, but I think that will be hard to sustain and potentially not helpful. Have any of you tried that?

I've read a lot lately about the connection between IBS and depression. Apparently most of your serotonin is actually in your intestinal tract, so if you don't have enough serotonin, you can be both depressed and have a poor-functioning bowel. I found this really interesting because I've had both IBS and depression since childhood. Anyone else?

I'll admit, I'm 22 years old and experience fluctuating pain, gas, bloating all day every day. I've had suicidal thoughts about this condition, and it pains me to look around at my young 22 year-old friends free from IBS. How do you guys keep your spirits up?

Another queston--I've only ever had a colonoscopy when I was 18, when doctors noticied I had some rough patches in my colon but nothing else. Any other tests people recommend I try?


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Okay, a few comments to your questions:

-Going vegan - or even eating a lot more fruits & vegetables - should cure most people's constipation, but many of us here - and I'm guessing like around 70% or so, give or take, have found that more fiber (found in fruits and vegetables, or course) actually makes our constipation worse, if not way worse. So I say give it a try and see what happens.

-I keep my spirits up by exercising regularly. Also at my current job I'm moving around quite a bit all day, lifting things and the such, so even if I don't exercise, I get it at work.

-I would recommend you try this if more fiber doesn't help:

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/239065-finally-a-product-i-can-recommend/


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi kking

have you tried elevating your feet on something like a foot stool, shoe box or squatty poity while sitting on the toilet? elevating the feet helps straighten out the anorectal angle and allows a more complete evacuation. sometimes it takes some experimenting to find the right height for you. i started with a footstool, switched to a shoe box (often one shoe box for each foot works best) and now i have a squatty potty. it does help.

also--sometimes incomplete evacuation is a sign of pelvic floor dysfunction--a condition in which the pelvic floor muscles don't coordinate properly to allow a complete evacuation. biofeedback can help with this. if you think this might be part of your problem, talk to your gastro doc about it. the tests to diagnosis pfd are the defecatory proctogram (defecogram) and the anal manometry.

good luck with everything....


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## vickylovesims (Feb 8, 2015)

I definitely think you're onto something with your statement about IBS, depression, and serotonin. Doctors almost tend to blame IBS on a person's depressive tendencies... but I just don't think that's right. I think the same way that you do about this - the problems we have with the nerves in our gut are also related to the emotional struggles most (if not all) of us seem to have. I'm still a child (16), but in my earlier childhood, I was depressed. Probably about 4th/5th grade up until the second half of my 9th grade year. I was diagnosed with depression and given medication for it, just in case anyone wonders... I know the term is thrown around a lot lately, but I did have a solid year of being unable to get out of bed, suicidal thoughts, etc. Doctors need to stop pinning IBS symptoms on ill-managed stress. There's a fine line between 'stress causes IBS to flare' and 'stress causes IBS,' and I see far too many doctors flirting with that line or completely crossing into enemy territory, declaring, "It's all in your head!" More research needs to be done about IBS in my opinion because the lack of serotonin in our guts would make sense since IBS seems to go hand in hand with depression.

I am currently experimenting with a vegan diet. I haven't had dairy, once a dietary staple for me, for about a month. I decided to cut out eggs because the yolks bother me, and the only time I ever eat eggs is when I bake. There are easy enough substitutions like applesauce, and I know they're better for me than eggs, so it's been easy to stick to. I haven't noticed that much improvement, to be honest. I have more energy than I did when this first flareup started (I contracted two stomach bugs in the space of 2 months, which worsened my already chronic abdominal pain) and have had marginal improvement in stomach pain. My last stomach bug was about 3 months ago, though, so my gut may just be healing itself regardless of my vegan diet. I'm now in it for ethical reasons, too, so I'm probably going to stick with it even though it was meant to be an elimination diet. I say go for the elimination diet (talk to a medical professional first, though). It probably won't make your stomach hurt any more than it already does, and you might even come out of it feeling better and healthier. I'd also recommend switching your white carbs over to some ancient grains like spelt or kamut or quinoa if you haven't yet. You can feel a little bit better about eating them because they're not as calorie dense as white carbs and they provide you with protein. They're easy on the stomach as well, and they've really helped me. I basically live off of them!

Keeping my spirits up... I'll have to get back to you on that one. I haven't quite figured it out yet.


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## kking88 (Mar 31, 2015)

Thanks guys. I'm finding very little relief with the elimination diet, unfortunately...though I'll probably keep it up for a while. A nutritionist told me it can take up to 6 weeks to notice a difference, though I remain skeptical.

Thanks very much for the info on the pelvic floor dysfunction...I'll definitely look into it! Can you tell me more about what biofeedback is? I have some "IBS hypnosis" CDs, but haven't really tried them. I'll try elevating my feet too.


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

kking88 said:


> I'm considering going sort of vegan because I've heard that's helped some, while also cutting out bread, but I think that will be hard to sustain and potentially not helpful. Have any of you tried that?


I prefer Aglaee Jacob's approach to diet.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

with biofeedback, you work with a specially trained biofeedback physical therapist. she gives you good, over-all advice about diet and good bathroom habits and also gives you special exercises to practice at home that help teach you to relax your pelvic floor muscles. in the office, she has you work with a biofeedback machine that uses special sensors and an LED readout to monitor your pelvic floor muscles as you try to relax or contract them. The therapist gives you feedback and works with you on improving your muscle coordination.

i've had biofeedback--two full courses of it plus i later bought a home biofeedback machine so i could work on it at home. it helped to teach me to identify and how to relax my pelvic floor muscles.

these biofeedback PT's are truly terrific. very knowledgeable, understanding, caring and supportive. i asked my PT tons of questions and got lots of good advice from her.


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## Angel_face (Jun 28, 2015)

Hi,

I am 36yo and have been vegan for 6yrs. I haven't really noticed a difference with the dietary change...I've had chronic constipation and gas for around 20years. I did stop exercising several years back so maybe if I exercised the extra fibre would help a bit. There was a brief time when I was exercising and I had more fibre and seemed to have ok BMs. I have also had depression and low energy for around the same time as the constipation. Do these things effect each other...most likely. Would be so great to have more energy, no constipation and to be happy! Anyhow, a strict veg diet may be worth a try or adding more fruit, vegies, beans etc. Good luck with it all.


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