# A new job practically killed me, is there any IBS-C solutions that work? Long time sufferer.



## oceannir (Mar 6, 2012)

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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi oceannir---oh so sorry to hear you had to resign your job--what a huge disappointment that must be!i have slow transit constipation and some outlet problems--rectocele, vaginal prolapse and, like you, have suffered from constipation since my teens..i'm now fifty-nine.somehow i managed to hang on to my job for 29 years--a job which was very stressful for me, although nothing compared to the stress of being a lawyer. like you, lots of stress makes my c worse--it's like everything just freezes up inside. hard as it was, i always got up three hours early before going into work just so i could have time to relax--no pressure--and use the bathroom. i also found that putting my feet on a footstool when sitting on the toilet helps--it straightens out the anorectal angle and allows for a more complete evacuation. and i don't strain--use belly breathing etc.do you have a good gastro doc? have you been tested for outlet problems and pelvic floor dysfunction? biofeedback can be very successful in treating pfd--70% success rate.the doc can also test you for slow transit constipation and prescribe a treatment plan.i see you're in australia. i don't know what meds are available over there but here's some that might help:miralax or movicol is an osmotic laxative. safe to take long term.resolor/prucalopride is a new med available in the uk as well as many european countries and in canada under the name of resotran-- again, don't know about availablity australia. it is a highly selective serotonin 5-HT4 receptor agonist which has been shown to stimulate gut motility and has helped many people--maybe you could get a script for that. if it's not available in australia, you can get it from canada drugs.com if your doc will write you a script for it--canada drugs requires a script.another med available in the uk is Sodium picosulfate--hopefully that is available in australia. people have had success with that. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/03/11/us-studied-laxative-idUSTRE62A4DK20100311in an effort to reduce stress i also practice meditation, some yoga, exercise and just general relaxation and deep breathing techniques and that has helped me with stress reduction.and a lot of people have had great success with stress reduction by using the ibs audio program 100 http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/forum/9-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-and-hypnotherapyjust some ideas...i really hope you can find something--or a combination of things--that works. wishing you all the best...


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## wigglesmom (Dec 12, 2002)

I have been there as well and know how hard it is. This year is especially difficult for me. I'm a teacher and need to be at work by 7. I have to wake up at 5:15 in order to give myself a full hour to go to the bathroom. It's not enough time though, and I'm usually not "ready" to go that early. It causes huge back ups that can only be removed by going to a colon hydrotherapist every 5 weeks. I, like you have worked hard to get this job and do not want to quit, but I also know that I can't continue this way. Metamucil or anything with psyllium have never worked for me. Here is a list of things that are helping or have helped in the past:ground flax seemmagnesium pillsChinese weight loss tea (stimulates the bowel-no senna in it-I can't get you the name if you like)stewed prunesI also did a Renew Life cleanse that worked wonders when I was on it.


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## oceannir (Mar 6, 2012)

@AnnieThankyou for your long and well thought out post, that is full of information! I feel a bit better today, mainly because I have had about 2 tons of stress lifted off my shoulders. Not working isn't really a long term viable option however.I understand what you mean about getting up early, it is often the number 1 remedy for all those suffering from IBS-C. I think its a mental comfort thing.With the description, you know how you say people can sit and push? This never works for me. Either I can go comfortably or I can't go at all. To me it feels like everything is trapped 'further up' which is apparently a symptom of a slow colon. The fact that I spend most of my leisure time exercising probably helps the muscles. Do people with IBS-C typically feel it in their lower colon? I don't.I have movicol, but I've never taken it, as the lactulose is osmotic by nature too and there is not a large deal of difference there to my awareness? The doctors seem to have no idea, they view all of them as the devil.As for the doc, no I don't have a good one. For me for the past 2 years this problem has practically been non existent. When working part time and when I can complete alot of exercise I found a natural rhythem to the point my life was like an unaffected person. I'd go out of my comfort zone, i'd go every morning and every afternoon after I hit the pool. Its just this stress that has made it impossible. Its my fault, I got complacent. I forgot just how bad it can become.I read about this IBS Program 100. People seem to say mostly positive things, I am very skeptical of that type of treatment (but i'm a very skeptical person as a whole when it comes to IBS cures, trust me i've had several doctors with the cure in past). Did you use [email protected] I've considered taking magnesium before as i've heard very good things about it! However the doctors say that it causes reliance and a lazy bowel. However i'm starting to think that is going to happen to us regardless. I'll look into getting some prune juice, i've heard very good things about it too. -------I still think at the base of our disorder is stress and mental conditioning, I know for a fact that when i'm happy my bowel is problem free, when i'm stressed and feel 'boxed in' is when it plays up. I almost think its a self fulling prophecy, we worry about our bowels and in return cause them to play up constantly. I might look at going to a phsyciatrist about this, however I doubt i'll find any relief.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oceannir--so glad you feel a bit better today. we treasure the good days, don't we..as far as movicol vs lactulose is concerned--you basically just have to experiment with it all to see what works best for you. they are both osmotic laxatives--lactulose is a synthetic sugar and from what i've read, seems to cause more bloating and discomfort than miralax/movicol. and many have said miralx/movicol works better. the following article compares the two and says miralax/movicol is superior to lactulose. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Gastroenterology/GeneralGastroenterology/21063but we all vary so much in how our bodies react to meds that the only way to know for sure if something will work is of course to give it a try. i personally never tried lactulose. i get the impression it isn't prescribed so much any more here in the usa now--docs seem to prefer miralax. miralax didn't work so well for me--i find milk of magnesia works better. my gastro's advice--after i failed the sitz marker test-- was to "take what you need to go". because nothing else worked for me i take milk of mag along with a stimulant laxative--either senna or dulcolax (bisacodyl). my sitz marker test dx'd slow transit c so i need more help in moving things along. i also have mitochondrial disease and that has slowed my colon as well.trying magnesium pills and prune juice is a great idea. also the ground flax. i used that years ago although it eventually quit working for me.and oh yes, i also feel stool gets trapped higher up than in my rectum. seems like it all piles up in either the descending colon or the transverse colon.and yes exercise does help--glad you've been able to work out some more. exercise relieves tension and stress plus it helps move stool through the GI tract. i have back problems and because of that i have strengthened my core muscles quite a bit and find that by contracting strong core muscles i can actually push stool and gas down a bit and out.no, i've not yet tried the ibs program 100 but i's still like to. hubby and i are both retired with big medical bills and right now money is a bit tight. but i know if i can manage to find the $$, the program would be well worth it. still working on that--lol.i really hope you can find a good gastro doc--someone who will prescribe any tests you may need and also help with advice and meds etc. having a good doc helps so much but it sure isn't easy to find one.


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## oceannir (Mar 6, 2012)

Annie, I highly recommend you take up swimming if you have the time and no adverse problems (like shoulder injuries). I used to swim roughly 10 miles per week and it was the best my bowel had ever been. I had a ridiculously strong core and it for whatever reasons made my bowels feel powerful and not at all sluggish.I'm going to the doctors tomorrow to discuss some strategies, i'll let you know if they tell me anything that may be of use. I want to give IBS specific probiotics a try (can't hurt surely) and experiment with magnesium, as it seems to be the big cure here.http://www.michaellevitt.com.au/constipation/treating-constipation/Give that a read, he's an Australian doctor, read through the individual sections and his story hits very close to home (about the misconception of fiber in the diet).I'm feeling slightly empowered that there may be other remedies apart from the usual fiber and osmotic laxative that seems to be the recommended guide.Dr Levitt (that link) seems to believe strongly in magnesium. However i'd like to discuss the possible side effects with my doctor first, despite having this illness I hope to live a long life and don't want to damage my bowel beyond repair (or normal function).


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for your advice about swimming. i agree--it's great exercise. i live out in the country though and the only pool ( or any water decent for swimming for that matter) within fifty miles requires a very expensive gym membership --light years out of my price range--lol. sounds like you have a good plan going with the probiotics and magnesium.and thanks for the link--very interesting.and yes you're right--there are lots of options available. and it's definitely worth it to try as many as possible until you find something--or a combination of things--that works. that's what i have done over the years--lots of trial and error but it does pay off.good luck to you--wishing you all the best. and thanks for keeping us posted.


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## wigglesmom (Dec 12, 2002)

I just wanted to share what I've been experiencing lately as it relates a bit. I started a job this year that requires me to get to work at 7. In order to get to work on time, I need to get up at 5:15 so that I can give myself an hour in the bathroom. The issue is that my body is simply not ready to go at that time. I go a bit, but not enough. It's impossible to go at work-no time (I'm a teacher) and after the first try in the morning, I need suppositories and loads of time. Just not feasible. So, I take all of the remedies I listed in my other post, plus others and give it my best shot. Stool builds and builds until I cannot take it anymore, and I wind up needing to go for a colonic. I know that I am very backed up when my stomach is distended, when I feel a lump in my left side, and when I get awful toxic headaches. this is no way to live, but I've been coping in this manner for 16 years. The problem is slightly better when I've had jobs that have started at 8 rather than 7. Here's the most interesting part. As a teacher, I'm off in the summer. While I'm not totally cured in the summers, I'm about 75% better, as I am on my own bathroom and wake schedule, and I am without stress. On Monday, I wound up in the emergency room. I had a fever and left side pains after getting a colonic two days prior. I went to see a specialist after, and we are going to try biofeedback. They gave me Go-Lightly, the colonoscopy prep drink to clean me out. The bottle said that it takes 1 hour to have a bowel movement with it, but it took me 3 and a half hours. I am hoping it helps because my options seem to be waning. We also discussed the possibility of trying some new drugs that are on the market. I go to see the specialist again on Monday. I am relatively hopeful but perhaps should not be as I've seen multiple GIs, and not one has come up with a solution yet.


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## oceannir (Mar 6, 2012)

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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Nicole--good to hear from you. so sorry for all you've been through but glad to hear it wasn't appendicitis like your colonic person thought. and that's good you went to see a specialist. preps like go-lightly always take at least eight hours to work for me--and in the meantime i'm totally miserable with tons of bloating and sloshing around. but once it works, it works--thank goodness!that's good that your apecialist has options for you, new meds to try, etc and that's great you are going to try bio feedback. that should help--studies say it helps 70% of the people who try it. i had been considering biofeedback but my insurance still won't cover it for constipation--only for fecal incontinence-- and i cannot afford to pay out of pocket--it's at least $8500 around here. also my gastro didn't really think it would help since i have so many other problems. but i'm so glad you can try it--good luck!oceannir--the safe zone theory is definitely interesting and i think it could apply to a number of people. for me it applies to some extent with limits. i mean--it helps me to get up early and allow plenty of time for a bm--also helps to have privacy-i've never been able to have a bm while at other people's homes, at school, at work etc etc. but whether i was working or not --i'm now retired--that (the working) never made a difference. and i did have a job that was very stressful for me but being on vacation or even retired never helped with the constipation problems. i haven't been "almost normal" since i was ten.and that's good that at least your family finally understands. thankfully my husband has been understanding and supportive through all of this. but my family simply refused to consider my constipation problems seriously until i took the sitz marker test last november and ended up in the ER with an impaction and with severe urinary retention--they pumped a liter and a half of urine out of me. after all that drama, both my family and my gastro took me seriously--and i think even my long suffering hubby was impressed too--lol. is it all possible that you could go start your own practice? something that wouldn't be as high powered, demanding and full of stress and pressure as a big law firm??


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## wigglesmom (Dec 12, 2002)

Ocean-I'm 37, a young 37 (I think, at least). I've had the issue since I was 21 and started having to be at a job at 7 a.m.I hope my insurance pays for the biofeedback! Didn't even consider that.


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## oceannir (Mar 6, 2012)

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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Ocean--oh yes i really do understand about the difficulties with relationships. i have always needed to be left alone in the mornings and yes that sure was a problem when i was dating. i spent a lot of days totally constipated because i couldn't get my "alone time" in the morning so i could go. even now after 31 years of marriage, i still get up a couple hours earlier than my husband and believe me i am so grateful to him for his patience and understanding--and i tell him so frequently. as you know, it's not easy finding someone who will put up with all this.your doctor is extremely unhelpful--especially in not wanting to answer any of your questions or think "outside the box". good idea--yes-go see another one next week. it is so hard finding a good gastro doc who will take you seriously, listen to you, care enough to answer all your questions thoroughly and work hard for you to provide a treatment plan that works--and never give up on you either. good luck! hope you can find a much better doc!and yes, i am with you on the simple life--that has always worked well for me. and i totally agree: heaven on earth is a bowel that's functioning--truer words were never spoken!


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

nicole--yes hopefully your insurance will cover biofeedback--a lot of people do get coverage for it. i have an hmo--it's the only kind of insurance i can afford right now--and they don't want to pay for anything. every year the premiums go up--every year the coverage goes down...


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## Sean (Feb 8, 1999)

Oceannir, I feel for you. I am a lawyer, too. My practice is virtually all complex litigation in federal courts here in the U.S. The stress is tremendous and I am sure that it contributes in some way to my chronic constipation. I guess that I am a little surprised that you resigned from your job after only two weeks. I might have given it a little more time to see if I could settle into a manageable routine. You may now face an uphill battle to establish yourself in the profession. I have developed a lot of management and coping mechanisms over the years. You can read some of my old posts and get some of them. Basically, I have had severe chronic constipation and colonic inertia since I was 15 or 16. I can't "go" at all any more without taking something (laxative, enema, suppository, etc.) to make it happen. What I have learned to do is make management of the problem part of my everyday lifestyle. It is common sense that you cannot take a large dose of Dulcolax the night before you have a big hearing in court. On the weekends, when I have more free time, I can do the laxative thing and relieve my colon. When time is tight, rectal laxatives like bisacodyl suppositories and enemas, are quick and effective to produce a bowel movement. I manage to work all of this into my busy schedule, which often includes international travel and 16 hour days. I even manage to fit in trips to the gym for cardio if nothing else. In short, I just never let my bowel problems defeat me. What might help is more testing to see exactly what kind of condition you are dealing with. If your transit time is abnormally long (like mine), then a prokinetic drug like Amitiza may help you live a normal life. If you have normal transit time, but have outlet issues, the treatment would be very different. There may be a psychological element to this as well, which interferes with your ablility to eliminate normally. It sounds to me as if you might be a little obsessive compulsive about your bowel routines and not being able to have a bowel movement unless conditions are exactly right. Have you thought about counseling?Hang in there an be proactive. You are too young to become a victim of a recalcitrant colon. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you want to discuss.


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## October_55 (Apr 7, 2012)

Oceannir,I decided to post since your story seems so much like mine. I practiced law for around 15 years (last 10 in my own firm). I developed a cramping gas, incomplete evacuation version of IBS with pain in the lower left side after an emergency appendectomy in 1996. I'm not practicing now--I decided to pursue other interests after our kids got grown and my wife went back to work.I had the same problems with practicing law that you described after my onset of IBS. Fortunately, I got around the problems most days by getting up in the morning around 7:00 am, eating breakfast and then drinking coffee and doing some easy work at home (or even just watching TV) while I waited for my system to work. I then went in to the office about 10:00 and worked to around 6:30 or 7:00pm. I just never made any early appointments--if a perspective client needed to see me then, I just sent them elsewhere. I had a mostly transactional practice (real estate, corporate, wills and probate). This type of practice is quite a bit less stressful than a litigation practice. The only court appearances I ever made was to probate wills and the hearings were always in the morning. These appearances were a pain in the butt (literally) but they only were about twice an month at the most. I'm not real familiar with the legal scene in Australia, but maybe if you want to keep practicing law, you could think of it like I did--I developed the attitude that my practice was going to fit MY routine, not the other way around. Maybe you could work towards opening your own firm, by starting out officing with some other guys and doing their overflow (maybe also drafting briefs and motions for them in return for rent and a few bucks here and there) where you can set your own hours. That can eventually morph in to your own firm. You won't be able to keep practicing law unless you can practice the kind of law that will be able to fit your schedule. That doesn't work when you have to show up every day at a firm on the kind of rigid schedule that makes your IBS go berserk. Actually, just thinking about that make my side start to hurt.It may take years of low income and scrimping to get your own firm going, but it will be worth it to not have to waste all of the effort you expended to get your degree and I assume to pass the bar. Also, and more importantly, you will be in control which is one of the keys to keeping the stress manageable.One way to look at it is that lawyers are lucky in that they have at least the possibility of being able to set their own hours, while so many people who have IBS are stuck with strict 8 - 5 schedules.BTW, the only meds I ever take are Metamucil. I also eat vegetables with every meal and have tried hard to eliminate dairy from my diet which I think turns me in to a gas bag. Frankly, after I read the side affects of the other stuff you can be prescribed, I just decided to do the best I can with fiber, but that's just my view.Like Sean, I also did and continue to do a lot of exercising, especially cardio and that helps my system keep moving and of course helps with the stress. Again, I fit the gym into my schedule, sometimes mid-afternoon, sometimes after I left the office.


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## imisscake (Feb 21, 2012)

oceannir said:


> I've had IBS-C since I was in my early teens. I'm now 24 and have developed quite effective coping mechanisms with it. I got through University and developed a routine that allowed me to have daily (often twice daily) bowel movements, but I am extremely sensitive to any change and these can go to none pretty fast.I graduated and landed a highly competitive job as a Lawyer the other week, for most what is normally the most exciting time of their lives for me was a nightmare. I started the commute to the workplace and my bowel almost instantly stopped working effectively. The need to go regularly dissapeared. I survived onwards through this for 2 weeks, until the pain was too difficult to bear. My life had quickly become a nightmare and it honestly felt like it was going to kill me. So I resigned from my new job, something I had beat over 100 other applicants to get.This is incredibly upsetting for me and I'm looking for any way that I can fix the IBS to the point that I can enter new situations and actually have regular bowel movements without having to sit alone for 2 hours every morning. The demands of the job cut all exercise out of my life and I had very little spare time.I currently take lactilose every night, and metamucil as a fiber supplement. This is sometimes effective, sometimes not.I find for me its usually my state of mind, if im happy, my bowel works, stressed or unhappy, its harder. Throw me out of my environment and add alot of stress and it doesn't work at all. I don't expect any miracles, but I am wondering is there any long-term safe supplements that people on here have found that might help me here?


I'd suggest reading the books Irritable Bowel Solutions by John Hunter and A New IBS Solution by Mark A. PimentelThe treatments outlined in these books helped me immensely. After using those treatments, heres kind of my every day "follow up:" Not sure this will work for you but it's worked for me and Im sure is worth some kind of shot, no? I get up 2-3 hours ( yep, 4:30-5:30 am :/ ) before work so I dont have to rush to use the bathroom. I take Prilosec 30 mins before breakfast (which can cause diarrhea) I start off with a high fiber breakfast that I know will not cause me excess gas (brown rice cereal with ground flax seed, blueberries, and unsweetened almond milk) I drink one or two kombucha teas a day, usually in the afternoonAt the moment I MAKE SURE I get 20-25 grams of fiber each day. Vegetables and fruits are hard for me to digest and cause a lot of gas and bloating so I just do small amounts at ever meal and mostly rely on whole grains (insoluble fiber), flax, and normacol. I take fish oil and magnesium at night. Also, I've given up gluten and most dairy. I recently read medical studies about probiotics found to help with constipation, too. E. Coli Nissle 1917 for 4 weeks (can be found on amazon, Mutaflor, but its very expensive) L. Casei Shirota 65/ml day for 4 weeks (in the form of a fermented milk drink, ie Yakult) B. Lactis DN 173010 + yogurt strains (S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus) 125g, 2-3xday for 2 weeks (though you may need to continue treatment indefinitely if it helps, as probiotics are usually unable to colonize) I hope this gives you some ideas!


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## AhmedYousef571 (Jul 22, 2012)

if you are suffering from beginning bowel movement every morning you can use glycerin supportories


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## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

It could be that taking a long time is what is normal for some people. Sometimes for some reasons muscles just get lax. Generally the rule seems to be no laxative is safe to take long term. Magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) can cause abnormal heart rhythms.http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/laxatives/HQ00088At what point does your evacuation time get too ridiculous to contemplate? I guess whatever is workable for you, works and hang whatever anyone else thinks. You get used to getting up early after a while, and I can no longer sleep in after 7 or 8 at week-ends. The body learns to adjust to a lot of things.


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