# age 63~ibs-c forever



## gastro777 (Sep 1, 2013)

I've tried just about everything to cure ibs-C; probiotics, pre-biotics, digestive enzymes, Betaine HCL, psyllium, MiraLax, Magnesium Glycinate/Malate combination, stool softeners, herbal teas, laxatives, Triphala, raw vegetables, Bentonite, fermented sauerkraut, coffee enemas, etc. ( how expensive all these remedies are)

What works best for me, every time, is *1,200 mg. of Magnesium Oxide. *

I stopped taking it for a while because I've have some GERD with belching and passing gas (could it be my addiction to carbs that may be the problem; which are fermenting in my gut?)

and I learned that Mag. Oxide lowers your hydrocloric acid which is needed for protein digestion; so I went off the mag. oxide and suffered again from really hard stools that were almost impossible to pass, a severely bloated stomach, and passed lots of gross looking stuff (candida nests?)

when taking an enema.

For the past three days I've restarted the magnesium oxide and first thing in the morning I have a bowel movement, not the kind that looks like rabbit droppings, or you can hit with a hammer,

but a nice, smooth movement.

I've discussed this problem with my gastroenterologist (who only has perscription medications to offer or invasive testing proceedures to see what the problem could be) but you know what, I'm going to stick with the magnesium oxide.

As a child I had *severe eczema, *a distended stomach, an almost autistic type personality, and ocd. I believe now, after years of study and trial and error, that it was what I was harboring in my gut that was the problem; yeast, virus' and bacteria from a backed up system and the

use of anti-biotics. And to think that this unhealthy ecosystem harbored two children

Not to get off the subject, but someone has posted a question asking why

their blood pressure was really low; and I just returned from vacation and someone told me that there's an artery in the bowel that lowers blood pressure, so I looked it up and found this:

Very low blood pressure in patients who already have narrowing of the intestinal arteries may also cause intestinal ischemia.

I'm a believer that the key to good health is to take care of our gut. The vagus nerve runs from the brain to our gut. Alternate nostril breathing can help some conditions.


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## SoxFan (Sep 1, 2013)

Have you tried magnesium citrate instead of magnesium oxide? Have no idea, but maybe less side effects?


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## Bpd1962 (Aug 6, 2013)

SoxFan said:


> Have you tried magnesium citrate instead of magnesium oxide? Have no idea, but maybe less side effects?


In my own situation, the citrate absorbs better. But I also have malabsorption.


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## denisefl (Sep 20, 2013)

Gastro777 you sound so much like me. I have had IBS since a child (and yes, cliche that it is, I blame my mother). I have just gone through a really bad spell of it after much constipation. The gastro I had did not help other than procedures (colonsocopy which she botched and has to be repeated in a yr, upper endoscopy). After that my complaints to her included no bowel movements, very small pencil thin ones, diarrhea, stomach pain, gas, bloating and fecal incontinence. It took her 4 wks to get me an x ray where it was discovered I had a fecal impaction. I've had 4 bottles of mag cit (at diff times), 2 x rays, a new gastro and an unsuccessful graffin enema, which was mortifying. I had that on Mon and the new gastro has not called YET. So frustrated. I am 64, active, eating well, exercising but the stomach thing is driving me nuts.I have tried all the stool softeners, fiber additives, laxatives, etc. with no real success so everything is trial and error. My therapist says I need to learn mindfulness stress reduction. I think we could form a club of IBS lifetime sufferers.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yes we could form a club of ibs/constipation lifelong sufferers!









i'm 61--have had constipation problems since the age of 10. was diagnosed with ibs-c in the early 70's--they called it spastic colon back then. finally, after reading on this board and elsewhere i insisted on seeing a gastro doc since it seemed to me i had more problems going on than ibs-c. had all those invasive tests (boy, are they fun--lol) and now i have a dx of slow transit constipation, rectocele, vaginal prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction. plus this summer had an emergency subtotal colectomy due to a cecal volvulous and now, with only half a colon left, i STILL need laxatives to go. what a very stubborn colon!

so yes--it's hard isn't it--a lifetime of this. a challenge, as they say. and oh yes, tried everything.all sorts of meds, supplements, diets, exercise, biofeedback and PT for the pfd, etc etc.

gastro777--thanks for the info on mag oxide and protein digestion. i have a protein deficiency but i have to stick with taking nightly milk of magnesia--along with dulcolax-- because nothing else (miralax etc) works. mag citrate makes me quite ill and i still need stimulants to push it out. otherwise-like all the other osmotics--it just sloshes around in there.

about stress reduction. oh yes that does help. i've been meditating since the 70's. meditation and practicing mindfulness have been a godsend for me. very relaxing and grounding and somehow reassuring--among other positive things..

good luck to us all. i do hope we can all find something to help us.


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## denisefl (Sep 20, 2013)

Annie, yikes that is a lot of stuff. I just suffered through a graffin (sp?) enema on Mon and due to my colon/intestines spasming so much it could not be completed. I told them to just let me get out of there. It was awful. It seems like all the tests are so invasive and the drs' knowledge so slim. So so frustrating. And I think because it's mostly women (and older women at that) we are pretty much dismissed. I get very depressed but will be trying the mindfullness stress reduction that my therapist wants. I meditate at night. I get acupuncture once a month (and my acupuncturist is awesome) but nothing relieves this constant nightmare.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

denisefl---i'm not familiar with the graffin enema---sounds invasive and miserable though--especially with your colon and intestines spasming so much. sorry you had to go through that. i hope they don't try to make you go through that again.

regular enemas are really hard on me because I retain so much water now with them. it just stays inside and sloshes around until I take a stimulant to push it out. and I always dread having to do a test involving a barium enema. or any test involving drinking barium. it's so constipating.

i think you're right--unfortunately many doctors and medical professionals do have a tendency to dismiss us older women. it's frustrating and just plain wrong..

good luck with the mindfulness stress reduction. so glad you have a terrific acupuncturist! i'd like to find one who is good--- and affordable, too--lol...

take care..


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## AIRPLANE (Mar 15, 2004)

Annie,

I was wondering if your surgery had had any effect on things since there is such a shorter distance for transit. Guess it's good you didn't end up with chronic D but it didn't change the constipation. I always wondered what happened when people had this type of surgery (like after an auto accident) since there seems like there'd be less surface area to absorb water although I'm sure it varies. I assume this interrupted your physical therapy for awhile?

I'm more IBS-A than just C or D and get frustrated when I can't accomplish anything before leaving for work. I do take a pain med- Tramadol- which can slow things down which I actually need to a certain degree. I do take a calcium/magnesium supplement with my evening meal. It is the 2 to 1 ratio like they recommend and it has magnesium citrate. It was difficult to find one like this that didn't use magnesium oxide which I've read can be irritating to the GI tract but suppose some people with very stubborn C prefer the oxide anyway.

I've noticed that if I drink an 8-ounce glass of tomato juice in the evening that I will be more likely to accomplish something before I leave for work. Tomato juice is high in potassium which I think kind of evens out the effects of the pain med as it attracts water but doesn't cause cramping like prune juice. People who have GERD probably couldn't handle the acid though. I've read that potassium is best obtained from foods as the supplement form can be dangerous if you take too much- I think my grandmother once tried it in pill form and had kidney issues from it.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Airplane--i do have to work harder at staying hydrated due to the shorter colon.

and yes this did interrupt my bio/pt a bit. my body, not taking well to the surgery, sort of went into shock. i couldn't keep food down, no bm's, was on IV's, developed severe edema til finally they put me on TPN. in the hospital a total of 16 days. the average stay for this type of surgery is 5-7 days. i lost so much weight from spending 13 days on the hospital ice chip diet that i had a bmi of 15 when i left.

but i did manage to keep up with my pt exercises--the squeeze and release, relax one--while in the hospital. when i finally was able to go back to bio/pt the therapist just finaled me out. so i had a total of seven sessions of bio/pt. and i like to stay positive and think it helped a little bit. she did say i had managed to get the sensor down quite a bit and keep it down. but i still have trouble going. although i still think my main problem is getting stool down to the rectum to begin with--even now with the shorter colon.

glad tomato juice helps you. i used to drink it (V-8) to help keep my potassium up but unfortunately when i developed reflux i had to stop. and yes i've been on those big potassium pills. they had me on them mid june when i had a severe electrolyte crash, started vomiting, repeatedly fainting (put a 4 inch hole in the bathroom wall lol) and then my mind got real fuzzy--couldn't think. scary. ER visit and 24 hours in ICU with IV's to get that sorted. this was two weeks prior to the cecal volvulous. maybe related?

anyway--now of course i'm really worried about scar tissue and adhesions due to the surgery. i know they've given you quite a problem. i have a six inch incision. been massaging that and my abdomen and also getting abdominal massages from an excellent woman who does deep tissue--myofascial--massage, was going weekly for an hour but now have to cut back to half an hour every couple weeks--retiree's budget you know--lol...i do hope the massage helps with the adhesions some...not sure it will but i guess that's all i can do at this point.

take care. i do hope you can find some help for your problems and that things get better for you. it's so harder living and dealing with all of this, isn't it.


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## Mary2001 (Aug 25, 2006)

Annie, oh dear I'm so sorry to hear of the terrible time you had and all the suffering you went through. I hope you will soon be feeling a lot stronger and things get better for you. Sending you (((((hugs)))) and prayers for recovery. X


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh thanks so much, Mary for all your good wishes, hugs and prayers! so much appreciated.









oh yes thankfully i am much better now than i was when i left the hospital in mid july. i've managed to gain most of weight back and my incision has healed up nicely. so all that is good.

how have you been doing? i do hope you've been feeling ok. i know you've had constipation problems too for a long long time. please do take good care of yourself.

sending hugs and prayers back to you,







annie xx


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## Mary S (Jun 25, 2013)

Oh dear, we really should start a club!!!! I am 65 and have been suffering with IBS forever it seems. Mine is IBS A....alternating C and D although lately I haven't had D so much since my doctor put me on Cholestromyne. I still have a hard time with BM's though because of the hemorroihds that I have had for 33 years since my daughter was born. And I have had all those fun procedures too. Nothing really helps though and I really suffer. Doctor's don't care really. They just dismiss any symptom I mention and basically just say I have to learn to live with it, and watch my diet, keep the stools soft. All the stuff I already know and do. Heaven help us all.

Take care of yourselfs

Mary


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Mary S--you're right--welcome to the club--although sorry you have to be here in the first place, of course.

and yes--the dismissive attitude of the doctors--the "just live with it" that we've been getting for all these years is so frustrating. like we haven't already been "living with it"--soldiering on --since forever. i've always wondered if the docs would have that same attitude toward themselves or someone they loved if they had to "just live" with this all their lives. and i do try very hard to stay positive etc and carry on but honestly-- it really does affect one's quality of life.

and i keep wondering what on earth i'm going to do when i get older and can no longer tolerate taking all these laxatives which i am totally dependent on in order to go. what then? more surgery? or nothing? more "just live with it" ? or if i end up unable to care for myself and/or in a nursing home. but then i tell myself it's just best not to worry and stay in the present moment--try and stay positive..stay strong. .and we are strong--very strong-- to have "just lived with this" all these years.

and maybe, hopefully, there will be new medications to take by then--ones that really work....never give up hope....

please --all of you--do take good care of yourselves..


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## Mary2001 (Aug 25, 2006)

Thank you Annie, and glad you are recovering well. I remember you saying in a previous post that you were a bit frightened of rectocele surgery (as I am too). I wonder what happened to you to cause things to worsen like that with electrical imbalance?

Do you find things better since having the surgery ? It sounds like you have had major surgery so I really hope it has brought you lots of relief, and you feel much stronger now. X


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Thanks, Mary, for all your good wishes.

yes I am still afraid of rectocele surgery especially if it involves that mesh--don't want that. when I had my first defogram about a year and a half ago the doc said it was just a moderate rectocele and didn't require surgery so fingers crossed it hasn't become worse.

how are you doing? do you think you will have to have rectocele surgery? I do hope the doctors have been able to help you.

not sure what caused the electrolyte crash....

the surgery did correct the problem that brought me to the ER--my ascending colon had twisted 720 degrees at the cecum, was swelling and about to perforate so the surgeon took that bad part out--an extended right colectomy. and thankfully I've recovered from the surgery. but the rest of my colon is still slow--can't have bm's without taking laxatives. and I still have pfd. so i'm still having problems.

when I talked to the surgeons about it they said I might need more surgery later which I'm guessing would probably be an ileostomy unless I can somehow get my pelvic floor to work properly. hoping I can soldier on with things the way they are and it won't come to all that. we'll see..









please do take good care....annie xx


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