# Another Constipated Novel



## un800

*Constipation Haiku*

Restrain favored food

Life becomes a grim challenge

Strain on porcelain

I'm in my mid 30s. I live in Southern California. I'm tired. But I haven't always been these things.

I am the average military brat: Childhood ruled by Europe and the East Coast, teen years rooted in the Midwest. Always the new kid. No fun.

In my older teen years I remember either being melodramatic about black pepper effecting my stomach, or maybe it was a real issue. Mom used to sneak it into my food, regardless - which proved, I guess, that I was being ridiculous because I did fine when I was unaware. At this time in my life I could eat a whole movie theatre box of buttered popcorn in 30 minutes and come back for thirds.

One time I told a doctor about some sort of ache, or something other in my body, and he half assed responded with, "You've got IBS." I don't remember the context of this visit. It was easily 15 years ago and I wrote him off as a schiester&#8230; as I do for most doctors.

I think at about 25 I started having real dilemmas with constipation. It started as a travel ailment on the way to Tokyo, Auckland, or even local travel. Back then, all I had to do was eat veggie heavy meals and I'd be fine and regular. As I got older, the constipation crept into my regular life&#8230; and I almost think it coincides with the invent of modern day skinny jeans. Back in those days I loved to wear tight skinny jeans. Tighter, the better. College hipster doofus.

In the last 4 years I've backed off from my favorite black slimmers. I've noticed when I have anything too close to my butthole, squeezing my butt cheeks together, the urge to poop becomes muted, if not disappears entirely. I've perfected sitting on my feet and/or in fetal position on chairs and also in this time I've been pretty good at wearing dresses, loose shorts, soft and giving leggings, anything that lets my body breath. I've also become more creative in other attacks.

I had a short, yet romantic, love affair with kefir. God that stuff worked like a charm, for a month. Then, like any bad breakup, it just started to sit in my gut and sour. I went to another doctor who introduced me to Miralax. Reading the instructions wrong on her chicken scratched prescript sheet, I overdosed on that ######. I took me five years to build my confidence in Miralax, again. All the while, I knew if I just ate light, and mostly veggies - my issues would calm down. But over time I have realized the constipation keeps getting worse.

Last year my best friend died of IBD/lyphoma&#8230; no - honestly she died from the chemo. But she had those two disease which, on her death - were in remission. I read somewhere in a PubMed IBS study that intense tragedy can really flare IBS into a self-perpetuating cycle of hell - and that would make sense for me because since August of 2013, I have had almost non-stop constipation.

At first I found relief going on a full raw diet. That stopped working after a month so I thought maybe raw was too tough on me, so I went veggie/vegan. That helped temporarily and then stopped. I've done the juice fast which worked wonderfully the first time&#8230; not so well the second time. I do juice and some times it helps, not every time, though. So now I'm on a gluten free diet. Digestively, that worked for about a week before becoming a complete failure. Epidermus-ically, it's cleared up a mean cycle of cystic acne. Of course I also dropped nightshades so I'm not 100% sure if my skin has cleared up 100% due to my removal of gluten but I am sure it's helped. But my point is&#8230; I am now enduring a vicious, never ending constipation. The worst I have ever faced.

I recently had a food allergy panel done with no bad results. I had a celiac test done, no results. I had a comprehensive blood panel done with no concerns. I guess these are all good things but not really. I'm still sick. I can't work. I can't concentrate. I just can't be me.

I don't take drugs and usually I don't take laxatives to deal with this. I've done two at home enemas in the last 6-months with catnip. They rocked my world but I have read enough scare stories to not make this a habit. I am on an alcohol free/caffeine free - anything I could ever hope to derive enjoyment out of life, free diet right now. I've tried peppermint pills. I don't know what they're supposed to do for me. I have peppermint flavored burps - great. I have taken a variety of acidopholus. Trader Joe's worked the best. Pearl's worked second best. But they all have lifespans in my system. Like every other solution I've come across, they'll work and then stop working.

This current stuff I am on was written up in a study on the PubMed and it stinks. It's "Bifidio only" probiotics the researchers raved about. They claim of all the probiotics they tested, the most effective is this Bifidio stuff. Worthless. In recent reading I see doctors and researchers claiming something about mental health and IBS so I listen to hypnotherapy on youtube&#8230; which is relaxing. I guess this could be stress related. I do have PTSD.

Next step is more doctors. More tests. Maybe some acupuncture. I ordered betonite and magnesium sterate. More depriving myself of the joys of life so I can continue this misery&#8230; The only thing keeping me sane now is my daily yoga class, Souther California's sunshine, and fresh air.


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## un800

*My Forever Evolving Constipation Therapy Lists*

*Exercises I Do To Help Bring About Relief*

- Digestive Kriya - seems to win, just takes patience cause it's not something that works automatically

- Intestinal exercises - seem to win, just takes patience cause it's not something that works automatically

- Yoga, everyday - it helps but isn't a cure

- Oxygen deprivation - hard to do, doesn't work

*Holisitic Things I Use For My Constipation*

- Peppermint pills - They numb the pain. I pretty much run to these over anything

- Black pepper - Seriously, this works. I make black pepper tea and it loosens my bowels

- Parsley - If I eat a bunch of parsley with two tablespoons of olive oil and a cup of black pepper tea, this is usually a fabulous laxative

- Betonite clay - Started taking this as of March 28th, 2014 - seems to aid in resolving either the flare up or just the symptoms

- Turmeric powder - I make a tea with this and it's soothing

- Ground flax - I don't think this really does a damned thing for me

- Boiled whole flax seed - it worked, once

- Benefiber - I am unsure if this is useful, as of yet

- Raspberry leaf tea - I am unsure if this is useful, as of yet

- Olive oil - It helps. Not the end all be all solution but it does help

- Sesame seed oil - Same as olive oil. I like it

*Potentially bad foods (Still learning as I am new to FODMAP)*

- Sweet potato

- Brown rice (some times I can eat it, other time I cannot)

- Quinoa

- Apple (dehydrated or whole)

- Lentils

- Udi White Bread

- Chicken

- Groats

- Mung Bean Starch

- Potato starch

- Miso paste

- Jalapeno

*Definite Bad Foods*

- Chipotle tortilla chips

- White Bread

- Gluten based, anything

- Black Beans

- Too many grains of any kind

- Complex proteins

- Hard Apple cider

- Red onion

*Good Foods*

- Corn

- Olive Oil

- Black Pepper

- Salt

- Banana (dehyrdated or whole)

- Parsley

- Strawberries

- Spinach

- Edemame

- Organic clean food style corn tortillas

- Walnuts

- Raisins

- In and Out burger, protein/animal style

- In and out french fries! (though I do think these contribute to insulin spikes/cystic acne)

- Snickers (yesssss!)

- Polenta

- Pineapple

- Pinto beans

- Buckwheat

- Sorghum

- Strawberry Conserve

- Peanut Butter


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## annie7

have you tried cayenne pepper? many people say that has helped relieve their constipation. it increases peristalsis. there are various ways to take it--eat the peppers, make a tea or take cayenne capsules.

the capiscool cayenne capsules are supposed to be easy on the stomach since eating/drinking cayenne plain can irritate it. i have GERD so i haven't tried it although some people with mild reflux/GERD say capiscool doesn't bother them. take the capsules close to meals--like two at breakfast and two at dinner-- to avoid stomach upset. also increasing your water intake helps when taking any form of cayenne. or so i've read...


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## un800

Still waiting on the cayenne pepper verdict. Before paying attention to my food intake as a solution to constipation I thrived on spicy food. As I started paying attention I noted it made me uncomfortable. I will be returning to cayenne in the next month, or so. I do love it - just unsure if it's a good fit for me at the moment.


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## un800

I'm really getting the hang of this FODMAP diet. It is pretty lame when I go out to eat with friends, but my IBS-C has been a helluva lot better managed in the last couple of weeks. Crossing my fingers this isn't another one of those "cures that last a few weeks and then no more hope," things.


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## un800

Was anticipating a stress filled travel week, last week - involving:


a 7 hour car ride
a party with a ton of children and wine
another 7 hour car ride
a 4 hour flight
a convention and a few days in the "good food desert" aka Las Vegas
followed by another 4 hour car ride

My tools for this hell were a bottle of miralax that I only take for traveling, betonite clay, turmeric powder, my worthless bifidio pills, and my peppermint pills.

1. The first two car rides and party, I did GREAT. I only took one peppermint pill the whole time and the betonite/turmeric fixed my sour tummy after excessive wine drinking. I ate steak and salad, predominately. Half a slice of pizza. I took miralax in the AM with coffee which triggered a fabulous bowel movement an hour after. Also took my daily vitamins&#8230; inconsistently.

2. The second half of the journey I didn't do so great. I drank sambuca, campari, and bloody marys with vodka. I ate bread, tofu, and lobster. I kept taking my morning miralax & coffee but they barely worked. I didn't take betonite, peppermint pills, vitamins, or my bifidio (it really is completely worthless). The only time I mildly did OK was after I did yoga and after I ate salad. I had moderate constipation the whole time and my cystic acne flared.

I think gluten plays a huge role in my well being. I think I can drink wine, I can't drink vodka. I think the breads I ate made me sick. It's not clear what the betonite could have done for me but I should've been more proactive about taking my peppermint pills before drinking and eating.

The lesson I took away from this is my regime and diet are the keys to my comfort. I need to stick to yoga, vitamins, less hard liquor, and the FODMAP diet.


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## un800

Blah - I think it's pretty evident I am incapable of handling red onion.


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## un800

Since I started my membership on this group I have done a lot narrowing down, tests, food journaling.

I just want to bring this story portion up to date.

I have had every blood test under the sun.

- Allergy Tests: Lactose, seafood, nuts, grains, fruits, veggies, celiac... (waiting on two more)

- Bacterial growth tests: No overgrowth detected

- Biopsies: Three in the duodenum, intestine, and stomach

- Oscopies: Colon and endo - Shows I have a ridiculously redundant colon and I do have minor

inflammation and gastritis. And internal hems... yea. Great.

I have kept a 6-month food journal in this crappy phone app that crashed and lost all my data, last month.

But I did mentally learn that *gluten* containing products mess me up. *Raw veggies* don't do me right, *beets*

can go to hell, and if I am not feeling well then *meats/other proteins* and *alternative grains* aren't my pals.

I can't do *soy*. I am 50/50 with *dairy*, though I avoid it anyway. I stay pretty darn clear of *alcohol* except for

Omission or red wine every once in a while. *Hard cider* is murder.

I think the only other things I can do are tests for the small intestine and maybe a leaky gut test.

I have already tried three pharmies and one medically tested herbal remedy for this illness

- Pepogest peppermint oil pills: Found on the NLM, they reduce internal discomfort for a little bit

- Hyoscyamine: Made my tummy bubble here and there, didn't bring relief

- Bentyle: It brings immense relief but the side effects are unpleasant - anxiety, speedy feelings, panic feelings, stress, dry mouth

I have tried xanax and pepcid - both are useless.

The general consensus, as it stand is I have IBS-C. No one knows how or why.


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## tummyrumbles

I love the skinny jeans tag. That's going to really throw someone looking for jeans and they come across this post. I remember wearing bellbottoms and flares and you probably don't even know what they are. What does redundant colon actually look like and can you see that it's enlarged yourself on an xray? I'm wondering now if I have a redundant colon. I don't suppose you know how you ended up with one. The gastritis might be from drinking. I had to completely give up, alcohol just wrecked my colon. Did you test negative for all the bacterial overgrowth tests? IBS-C might turn into IBS-D if you keep eating high fibre food - I don't know if this ever happens. You don't mention gas so I'm guessing you just have constipation without any gas. It's frustrating when you can't find a cause. I think there's a physical reason why we get IBS and physical things actually causing the IBS, whether it's gas or bacteria or something else. I thought low FODMAP salads might be the way to go for lunch, but then I started getting colon spasms so quickly gave that away. I think gas is less harmful than spasms so I chose toast over salads. You get spasms on a regular basis and your IBS-C might turn into something worse. You could try a really bland diet for a change. I have oatmeal in the morning, an egg or cheese for snacks, usually evil toast for lunch (better than spasmic salad), meat and veges for tea. I'm pretty sure Annie has a similar diet to mine so you could ask her as well. I've got to be really careful with fibre. I think we've all got bacterial overgrowth, just not sure where. My daughter started getting IBS-D after food poisoning but she has never had constipation and has always been in and out in a matter of minutes. I asked her if she had gas problems when she had the IBS-D bouts but she said no. So not everyone gets gas but I still think think it's bacterial overgrowth even if there's no gas. She got better after a low FODMAP diet for a week or so. I think she stopped eating bread as well. I'm guessing the bacterial overgrowth in her case was just temporary. Do you know if you're predominantly a methane or hydrogren producer? That might help to narrow things down but the testing is a bit hit and miss. I don't always stick to this diet and I cheat a lot but this is the safest diet I know of:

oatmeal for breakfast

eggs / cheese for snacks

toast for lunch

meat or fish with mashed potato & pumpkin, well-cooked carrots, sweet potato, green beans, zucchini

ripe banana

It seems contradictory because it's so bland but I get my fastest evacuations with this diet. Probably because the bacterial action is kept to a minimum. It's just really hard to stick to day after day so I'm always cheating. The diet that I printed above actually has a fair bit of fibre, but it's gentle on the colon. Note that apart from the toast it's fairly low starch, but this depends on the degree of cooking.

Constipation haiku

I'm tired of "real" foods

I want fake foods again

cream doughnuts with raspberry jam


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## un800

tummyrumbles said:


> I remember wearing bellbottoms and flares and you probably don't even know what they are.
> 
> Hah! I totally remember! Only because in the early 90s they had made a come back with the B52's song the Love shack.
> 
> What does redundant colon actually look like and can you see that it's enlarged yourself on an xray?
> 
> I am not 100% sure what mine looks like. The doctor wrote in his note, "she has a very tortuous colon." I have photographs from the camera but nothing that would show loops. I guess a redundant or tortuous colon is a sigmoid that loops. I guess mine must loop more than once, which is apparently not exactly normal. But the more I read the studies, redundant colons do not cause IBS. People have even had the loops removed and had no IBS relief.
> 
> I don't suppose you know how you ended up with one.
> 
> That's actually a very good question. I just assumed I was born with mine. Gonna have to research this. Thanks for asking it.
> 
> The gastritis might be from drinking. I had to completely give up, alcohol just wrecked my colon.
> 
> I too have stopped drinking, for the most part. If we go camping I might have A gluten free beer. Or every once in a blue moon I might allow one glass of red wine. I think it has been very good for me both for IBS symptoms but for many other health reasons. I am happy I made this choice. =)
> 
> Did you test negative for all the bacterial overgrowth tests?
> 
> I did. According to the doctor's paperwork. I have never done any breath tests, though. But the oscopy paperworks and the prolific blood panel say I have no bacteria. I don't know if it was influenced by the brutal cleanse they put me through for the oscopies, though?
> 
> IBS-C might turn into IBS-D if you keep eating high fibre food - I don't know if this ever happens.
> 
> I do get soft stool but not necessarily something that feels like I have to go immediately. I do get a random, occasional diarrhea bu it's so very infrequent that I don't pay it any mind.
> 
> You don't mention gas so I'm guessing you just have constipation without any gas.
> 
> I do have gas but it's usually very dependent on the foods I eat and not just a random thing. Things like red onion, that refuse to absorb into by intestinal wall, that gives me gas. I get a lot of trapped gas. Often when I am constipated I think a part of that discomfort is gas that can get out. But it's almost always created by a bm that's just stuck too.
> 
> I think gas is less harmful than spasms so I chose toast over salads.
> 
> I'd be very interested if you could share more of your thoughts on this.
> 
> You get spasms on a regular basis and your IBS-C might turn into something worse....
> 
> Ugh... I have read some downright scary thoughts in a study on this.
> 
> Do you know if you're predominantly a methane or hydrogren producer?
> 
> If you can tell this from smell, then mostly hydrogen. Good point. You can tell a lot from your stool so why not from gas?
> 
> It's just really hard to stick to day after day so I'm always cheating. The diet that I printed above actually has a fair bit of fibre, but it's gentle on the colon.
> 
> It is hard. It's very hard for me because my other half does not comprehend the illness and is always trying to overfeed me. He used to be way worse in trying to feed me my triggers even though I would ask him to stop tempting me. I am going to give your diet a try! Thanks for the suggestions and response, all together.
> 
> Constipation haiku
> 
> I'm tired of "real" foods
> 
> I want fake foods again
> 
> cream doughnuts with raspberry jam
> 
> I never dreamt
> A day would come where illness
> would arise from food!
> 
> =P


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## tummyrumbles

A tortuous redundant colon can be caused by too much fibre. Some people here have this and I believe volvulus, a really serious condition which has to be operated on. Hopefully they join in if they are reading this thread. Too much fibre can be dangerous, especially for IBS. I don't believe we were really meant to eat a lot of fibre. I'm sure early man didn't have unlimited access to a whole range of fruits and vegetables. Why I think spasms are more concerning than gas is because it's possible that most of us with IBS have the same underlying cause, which is an irritable bowel caused by bacterial overgrowth. Spasms and colon hypersensitivity seem a lot more common with IBS-D and the only difference really between IBS-C and IBS-D is the degree of severity of symptoms. We have everything IBS-D has, but on a lower scale. This is just my crackpot theory but it's something that I have instinctively felt for a number of years. I don't often visit the IBS-D section but often thought I'd like to post a question asking them if any of them started out IBS-C. I know there is IBS-alternating, where people have both diarrhea and constipation but that's considered just another sub type. As much as I hate my constipation, I wouldn't want to be IBS-D. I think IBS-D has a lot more inflammation than IBS-C. IBS-D could lead to inflammatory bowel disease and other more serious bowel conditions. I think most of us here are constipated. Post-infectious IBS might be different, but I think the rest of us have a sluggish colon and this includes IBS-D. If they evacuated everything in the morning they wouldn't be rushing to find a toilet later on in the day. I don't take any meds because if a food is irritating then I want to know what it is. Salads gave me colon spasms and I don't want my colon to become more sensitive, I want to try to calm it down if anything. A colon in spasm retards evacuation as well. We all have an irritable colon, but the doctors are still divided on what that actually means. It can be confusing as well when people post here with constipation and have rock hard stool and no gas. Maybe that's not IBS but just plain constipation. In their case, fibre is probably the best thing. But if you have an irritable bowel, fibre can make things worse so you have to be really careful.

I hope some of that makes sense. Basically I think most of us are the same. We all have an irritable colon and anything that feeds bacteria in the small intestine or the wrong bacteria in the colon causes IBS symptoms. The only real difference is that some of us might tolerate high FODMAPs better than starch for instance. And then there's individual food intolerances as well but basically most of us have problems with digesting carbohydrates. A lot probably depends on the make up of our bacterial type. The foods that feed bacteria are starches and fibre. Only experimenting with foods will tell you which foods are the worst. For me, I think starch is worse than FODMAPs. In your case maybe FODMAPs like onions are worse than starches like bread and rice.

I hope this isn't getting too long. Maybe explain to your partner about bacterial overgrowth and how it affects digestion. People who don't have IBS have a real problem understand how difficult this makes things for us.

I know it's hard to give up meds but have you tried having a lot of hot drinks in the morning? This works as a natural laxative for me (even though it still takes hours). It could be that gas itself is causing the constipation for IBS. When I eat mainly the diet I printed there's not much gas and evacuation is quicker. It could be that pockets of gas impede the passage of stool. Sometimes when you expel gas some stool follows. It's a long wait between gasses though sometimes so you need a fair bit of patience.

Constipation haiku

gas gas go away

come again another day

actually don't come back again. Just stay away.


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## annie7

my last colonoscopy (2012) showed i had a redundant twisted colon. "a long twisty colon" jammed into a small body was how my gastro put it.

about causes of redundant colon:

from what i've read this sort of thing can be congenital.

it can also be caused by years of chronic constipation, which, from what i've heard and read can, over time, just stretch the whole thing out, causing the colon to lose it's tone. or making the colon "long and floppy" as some people have mentioned their gastros and colorectal surgeons have told them.

and yes like tummyrumbles said it can be caused by diet--eating too much fiber. when i was first dx'd with ibs-c--way back in the 70's--the standard advice back then that doc gave for that was to eat lots of fiber, drink water and exercise. well the last two are good things to do but the lots of fiber--like tummyrumbles said--no--at least not good in my case. back then i was eating up to 40 grams of fiber a day. omg--no wonder i was chronically backed up. (hindsight)

i finally got a clue lol and started experimenting with reducing the amount of fiber i was eating. when i finally got a referral to a gastro doc in 2011 and had all my tests i was dx'd correctly this time with pelvic floor dysfunction, slow transit constipation, megarectum and rectal hyposensitivity, now i eat very low fiber. as my gastros are now saying--based on my current diagnoses--fiber is not my friend.

and yes--i had a cecal volvulous last summer. my colon twisted 720 degrees at the cecum. so i had an emergency right hemicolectomy. now i have half of a redundant colon--lol..

tummyrumbles has posted some helpful links about volvulous--sigmoid volvulous can be caused by too much fiber. cecal volvulous can be caused by a mobile cecum or who knows what in many cases. "cause unknown" is what my surgeon and gastros told me...

but no--fiber is not my friend... especially now, post-surgery..i have adhesions gumming things up and i also don't want to overload my anastomosis..clog things up etc.

and oh yes--i dearly loved my bellbottoms and flares---miss them still...


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## un800

I just wanted to update my log with some really good news. Since my doctor prescribed Bentyl to me, my life has been back in my control. My days are in my hands again, finally!

I was prescribed Bentyl in August and, when I was lucky to go 4 days without a flare up, I now go weeks, months - without flare ups. And when I do get a flare up, it's never ever as terrible as it traditionally was with me in agony for two weeks. I am not cured but I am as good as new, if that makes any sense. The best part is I don't need to take Bentyl all the time. For a major flare up I may have to take 2-3 pills spaced throughout the day, that will clear up the inflammation and then I won't need the Bentyl again for ... weeks, if not months. It's great. One pill of Bentyl is all I need every once in a while.

For the first time in over a decade, with Bentyl, the FODMAP diet, and peppermint oil pills, my IBS is under my control.

I feel sheepish being totally anti pharmaceuticals in fighting this disease. I mean, it was good I waited till I got all my tests done. Not being on medication was what drove me to get my oscopies and blood tests but in the end, I don't think anyone should write off pharmaceuticals if they really can help. I've learned I need to try everything.


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## annie7

oh that's wonderful that you've finally found a regimen that works for you!! hooray!!

oh yes--try anything and everything that's out there. that's always been my motto. otherwise how are we ever going to find something that helps us. you never know if something will work for you til you try it for yourself.

congratulations!


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## annie7

leave no stone unturned
when fighting constipation
we never give up


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## un800

I love this!!!



annie7 said:


> leave no stone unturned
> when fighting constipation
> we never give up


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## annie7

you did it!


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## IBS & Surviving

Dairy is my worst constipation trigger. I avoid it like the plague! It is hard to eliminate because it is in everything. I also found out I can't eat anything with sodium lactylate which is in almost all prepared foods. I eat fresh fruits and veggies and meats. I read every label. Salad is my best friend. I'm not sure if it is the fiber or the vinegar in the dressing that helps.

It might be worth trying for a couple of weeks.


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## un800

Wow. How did you learn about something like sodium lactylate? I always thought the individual weird ingredients inside of ingredients would be difficult to pinpoint.



IBS & Surviving said:


> Dairy is my worst constipation trigger. I avoid it like the plague! It is hard to eliminate because it is in everything. I also found out I can't eat anything with sodium lactylate which is in almost all prepared foods. I eat fresh fruits and veggies and meats. I read every label. Salad is my best friend. I'm not sure if it is the fiber or the vinegar in the dressing that helps.
> 
> It might be worth trying for a couple of weeks.


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