# I need help: Any experience with Vivonex TEN?



## Tandrup (Dec 8, 2009)

Hi all,I am brand new to the forum but unfortunately not new to IBS. I am doing a 14 day (maybe 21 day) VIVONEX TEN diet at the moment and I need some advice. I am hoping that there are people in here that have gone through the same thing.Here is my short story: I was diagnosed with IBS-D about 14 months ago and have tried Xifaxan (3 times in increasing doses), Neomycin, Domperidone, Cipro - all without any results. My breath tests are very high on Hydrogen and have been like that no matter what we have tried. I am seeing a great GI in San Rafael, CA who has a pretty tight connection with Pimentel.So, now I am trying the Vivonex diet - 6-7 packets per day (300 calories each) of Unflavored Vivonex TEN. Today is day 4 and my experience so far has been:General: - I am doing the unflavored Vivonex packs without any flavor packs and although the taste is not good, I can tolerate it.- I feel like my stomach is empty - but don't feel overly hungry (most of the time)Day 1: Felt fine - had good energy and normal BM (normal if you consider that I have IBS-D Day 2: Felt ok - no BM at all that dayDay 3: Started feeling tired and a little exhausted. Had to leave work early and went to bed pretty early too. Day 4 (today): I feel weak, I have a headache and I just feel miserable. I'm not super-hungry or anything, but I feel like I have a major hangover.So my reason for writing this post is: Has anyone gone through the Vivonex TEN diet and experienced something similar? What can I expect for the rest of the 14 or 21 days (depending on the breath test I am doing in 10 days)? With the way I am feeling now, I really doubt that this is the right thing to do - I feel more miserable than before. I'll be grateful for any insight you guys might have.Thanks,Lars


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## Moises (May 20, 2000)

I don't know if all the archives still exist or not. But many of us have chronicled our elemental diet experiences right here. I have done Vivonex Plus two times. Like you, Rifaximin didn't help me. Unfortunately Vivonex Plus did not help me either. According to Pimentel, more people are helped by the elemental diet, than are helped by antibiotics. So it's worth a try. If you read into Pimentel's book, you can survive that there is a class of people with IBS who will not be aided by the elemental diet, namely, those whose bacterial overgrowth has reached all the way to the upper reaches of the small intestine, i.e., the duodenum. If your duodenum is infected, then you will be feeding the bacteria with your Vivonex. The only way to know is to try.As far as a normal experiences? There is no normal. Some people gag and give up. For me, I had diarrhea the whole time and was low on energy. And it didn't help me at all. But I survived. And now I can check another thing off my list.


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