# Anyone else's IBS-D sound like this? It's like wiping a marker. I've "cured" it twice, only to relapse...



## vanilla_bean (Mar 1, 2015)

My IBS is manifested in one of two ways.


Type 6 on the Bristol stool chart ("fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool")
A normal poop, with the last 10% mush (I can look in the toilet and see the first 1-2 logs are normal, and most of the last one is... except for the mushy part). I suppose you could call this 10% type 6.

Sometimes, I have two normal bowel movements throughout the day, followed by a type 6 at night. Regardless of which one it is, it's like wiping a marker. It doesn't matter what wiping technique I use, if I use wipes vs. toilet paper - the only way to get clean is to get in the shower and use it as a bidet. Very inconvenient, especially if I'm not pooping at home and have to walk around with mud butt all day. Talk about feeling undignified.

Immodium doesn't help it at all. Culturelle and Florastor (saccharomyces boulardii) helped make a light dent in the problem, but both peaked and became useless. What's peculiar is that after stopping both, the bowel movements did not regress - which is counterintuitive since you always hear that probiotics' effects are temporary. I went from having extremely severe Type 6 stools to more manageable ones after using Culturelle and Florastor separately for several months. Align did not help me.

The two ways I temporarily cured this problem:


VSL #3: This cured me for one month - though I was extra bloated. Still, it was incredible. Immediately after a colonoscopy/upper endoscopy (one polyp found and removed - unusual for my young age), I was given a huge trial of VSL #3. I took 1 daily, and my symptoms subsided in just a few days. I tried all of my "bad" foods - no problem! All of my good foods - no worries, either. I thought I was cured, but my IBS slowly came back. I had two bad bowel movements in one week. I doubled my dose, taking one in the morning and one at night. It helped for another week or two and I totally relapsed. I tried taking 4+ VSL #3 daily, but it didn't matter. No matter how much VSL I took, it couldn't tame my IBS.
1mg B12 and 1mg Folic Acid: This was the most logical and exciting cure. A non-GI doctor took an interest in my case and had a few blood tests run. It turned out that I'm deficient in B12 and Folic Acid - I was borderline anemic. B12, as you may know, helps with absorption in the gut. I took the supplements for two weeks and it was fantastic - not only was I cured, but I had more energy every day. I used to always want to take naps, but not after these supplements. A blood test a month later showed my levels were normal. Alas, it only helped my GI problems for 2 weeks. I still take these supplements daily, as it helps my energy level greatly.

My doc is considering Xifaxin (Rifaximin) or Flagyl - I believe I'll start one or the other this week. I believe I've tried almost all major probiotics, and while they've helped a bit, they don't fix the problem.

I have read about people with Vitamin D3 deficiencies taking 50,000 IU weekly to cure their IBS. I also have a Vitamin D deficiency, but 50,000 IU of D3 weekly did not cure me.

The only other thing I could be missing is that apparently, there is more than one type of B12. While the blood test showed my B12 had a normal count, I wonder if it's telling the whole story - did it only test one type of B12? Maybe my GI system was so starved for it that loading it up with one of the B12 vitamins cured it until it needed more of the others? I'm totally jumping into pseudoscience, so I will cease speculation.

I don't think my cures were placebos. If they were placebos, they would've continued to work. Also, I've tried many other treatments that didn't work at all, so the placebo theory makes no sense.

I've tried many different diets to no avail. I don't really have trigger foods - sometimes, chocolate ice cream can give me a terrible stomach ache, but many times I can eat junk food and have no problems with a bowel movement. Other times, I'll eat lightly and healthily and it's a wreck.

*tl;dr: *Does anyone else have IBS like this? In all of my years of research, I don't think I've read about a case like this. I am gassy and have type 6 on the bristol stool chart, but I thankfully never lose control of my bowel movements (knock on wood) or anything that drastic. Everyone I know thinks I'm healthy... but I can't have a social life after work since I have mud butt, I can't travel, etc. I'm sure everyone here can relate to being unable to do something because their bowel movements are messy. I suspect malabsorption or B12 deficiency is the cause of my woes.. but the blood work says otherwise.

EDIT: FOUND THE PROBLEM! I'm cured!


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

Have you considered Aglaee's protocol?

https://bodyhealyourself.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/the-elimination-diet-how-it-works/


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## vanilla_bean (Mar 1, 2015)

Thanks for your response, sorry I'm late responding. I have tried extremely simple and restrictive diets to no avail. One I followed was very similar to that. I don't think it's the food, because I'm sometimes just fine for days after eating crap and other times I'm a mess after eating extremely clean.


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## mr120 (Sep 1, 2013)

Hey Vanilla_bean,

Since you say food isn't exactly a trigger, do you find events a trigger:

You say you can't go to after work activities, traveling is unpleasant.. Do you find that these events may in fact be somewhat of a trigger.

By knowing you have these things coming up - does it make symptoms worse?


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## TallGuy (Apr 24, 2015)

This mirrors my symptoms almost to a T. Like you say, The "wiping a marker" days are awful and usually end in irritation or rash (bag balm has been a lifesaver for the irritation).

My morning movements always seem to be normal stools followed by loose to watery ending. I usually have one right out of bed (90% reg/10% loose) and another 1-2 loose before I leave for work/school. My night time movements tend to be more of the type 6 you speak of or just plain mucus with little to no solid. Normal days are 3-5 with bad reaching 8-10 (rare).

I like to consider my case mild. I only have to break into a slight jog every now and then walking into my work building in the morning. However, for whatever reason if I am able to ease into my day and start after 10a, my symptoms are significantly diminished and I have relatively normal days with BMs around feeding hours. Like you though, I am able to travel, go to Grad School, and work with relative normalcy. I try to hide my bathroom breaks into normal things like getting water or running an errand at work. My close friends have just gotten to understand if I just randomly get up and go without words, I'm going to the bathroom and I'll be back.

Treatments for me seem to go on and off for me as well with good times lasting a couple of days to weeks to up to a month or two. High fiber worked for the longest and it was a great 2 months with one BM every morning, but for whatever reason now it just makes me gassy with pain. Thinking of trying the Calcium treatment just to see if it works.


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## cesarpo (May 4, 2015)

vanilla_bean said:


> My IBS is manifested in one of two ways.
> 
> 
> Type 6 on the Bristol stool chart ("fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool")
> ...


My symtoms are very much like yours, but what about color? Mine are light brown/yellowish, a far cry from that beautiful brown of the past.


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## vanilla_bean (Mar 1, 2015)

Guys (& gals), I'm cured! I realize this is an extremely niche set of symptoms - in all of my hours scouring the Internet for a cure, I never found a case exactly like mine, but obviously some of you all have it. For that reason, I'm posting here in hopes it will bring attention to what cured me. I made a topic about my cure here. Basically, try eliminating all grains/starches and dairy from your diet. (For some reason, I'm totally fine with oatmeal, though).


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## acureisoutthere (Jun 28, 2014)

Hi Vanilla,

Sounds a little like the trouble I used to have. It seemed like it just wouldn't shut off. I'd wipe till I was raw, and blood on the paper. No fun.

I found the FODMAP diet which helped quite a bit, but I still wanted really badly to eat normally agian, and to never, ever have problems with the diarrhea anymore. I really wanted this badly Vanilla.

Is this how you feel also ?


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## vanilla_bean (Mar 1, 2015)

It was to an extent. The truth is that I'm healthier now than I ever was. I still have a cheat day where I may eat things that upset my stomach, but being only one day it isn't that hard on me.

Make sure not to wipe until you're raw! Sounds like that could be hemorrhoids, which can come from sitting on the toilet for too long. Hop in the shower before it gets to the point of wiping raw! Use wet wipes, too. Spread your cheeks on the toilet and use two fingers to grab any fun dingle berries if you have a messy poop (sorry for the description! It helped me).


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## acureisoutthere (Jun 28, 2014)

Hi Vanilla Bean,

Just wanted to give you a little more info; I have fixed my IBS. I no longer have the diarrhea, or the never ending wiping. I can eat everything that used to cause me problems. It wasn't a diet. I rebalanced my gut microbiome. I did a home FMT fecal microbiome transplant. It worked.

I am so glad that you have found releif Vanilla Bean. Everyone's problems or food in-tolerances seem to be a little different, this is because we each have a different microbiome. If you ever get to where you want to eat anything, and everything again, please let me know, I will try to help.


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