# Constipation for weeks - then major attack of diarrhea



## 23243 (Sep 11, 2006)

I would look through all these posts - but time does not permit. I have IBS and what happens to me is:I have constipation for a few weeks - I take a stool softner everyday to help with the hemroids and whatnot. Well after a few weeks I have an attack - where I have the gas cramps and then I begin sweating and becoming dizzy. Suddenly I cannot hold my body up anymore (as I am usually on toliet) and must get to an area on the floor so I do not fall down. Once this happens - a few seconds or minutes go by and I cannot control my bowel movements - and the diarrhea happens (sometimes I do not even make the toliet). Once I get that out of my system - I usually have the gas cramps for a few hours and then am fine for a few weeks again (with constipation).Does anyone have these symptoms? Please let me know.


----------



## 16825 (Sep 14, 2006)

I have something similar to that. Not the dizzyness as much as excruciating pain and claustrophobicly wanting to rip outside my own body, and sweating and stripping of clothes and feeling nauseous, when those "attacks" occur. Did I mention the excruciating pain?







But it's the same cycle. Constipation, then those wretched attacks....then constipation...


----------



## 22378 (Aug 24, 2006)

I have had this same thing happen. I was told by my doctor that when you are constipated like that and then have diareah suddenly, it is because there is no other way for the poop to get out so it forces it self out as liquid (very explosive like right?). She said the diahreah is usually newer foods that have entered the colon and forces itself around the older hard food. I am taking miralax right now and it has been an ordeal. Seems to be a vicious cycle...


----------



## 21847 (Sep 19, 2006)

I have suffered with this for years and have not found anyone that understands this. I have had so many tests and nothing seems to help. Jilbean3 when I read your post that is exactly me and it always seems to hit me in the middle of the night. The first time it happened was about 5 yrs ago and my kids called an ambulance for me and I went to the hospital. Never before in my life had I ever been thru anything like that. I was diag. with ischemic colitis. and the Dr. basically said live with it. Since then every few weeks this happens and 95% of the time in the middle of the night. Does anybody know anything about how to stop this from happening. I am open to any suggestions.


----------



## 14787 (Oct 25, 2005)

mine runs for 3-4 days of C and the ends up just like yours. here is what i posted yesterday. it's all based on science, i found this quite accidentally while doing research for colitis which is what my son has.i'll add here what i forgot to add yesterday, and that is to use one kiwi fruit per day, its a mild (but works for me) stool softener, you have to eat the seeds. (sorry though i cannot tell you how it works, but a doc told my mom, who has had this all her life, and she told me)Chronic-C runs in my family, I'm 50 and have had it from about high school until I turned 40. At that time I found out what was causing mine, it was Arachidonic acid, which is found in highest amounts in red meat, egg yolk, and pork. it's one of those sensitivity things. but still to this day if I eat a steak or several egg yolks it will be three days before i suddenly and painfully have to go, and there is no delaying the urge once it kicks in.It also kicks in when I lose a few pounds, more Arachidonic acid gets liberated and it starts up again.i usually take about nine fish oil capsules per day to stay mostly normal, although i still manage to forget to do that from time to time or eat something rich in AA, or manaage to lose weight and the IBS-C kicks back in.losing weight kicks me the hardest, so i try to stay at a given weight with strict calorie counting.i'll add that i found this AA and fish oil treatment info in the book Protein Power about how to deal with C while on a low carb diet. here is a brief link, in short AA is the direct precusor to lots of pro-inflammatory, vasoconstrictor type eicosanoids that are produced and act locally to the cells, several of my son's medications directly affect some of these eicosanoids, like PGE2 which source from AA. the NSAIDS also modulate eicosanoid production as does aspirinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arachidonic_acidone other item that my son uses, which is useful for C, is a prescription probiotic that I import from Germany with a prescription that his GI writes him. It's expensive, but unlike all the over the counter stuff, you know what you are getting in the capsule, and it has medical studies to back up it's claims.www.mutaflor.comnot all EU pharmacies will supply mutaflor to the USA without an EU doc script. i found this one that ships to us regularly and here is their email FRA###metpharmacy.deMetropolitan PharmacyApotheke am internationalen FlughafenTerminal 1 / BEbene 2 (Ladengalerie) und Ebene 060549 Frankfurt / Main Tel.: 069 / 69 58 07 0Fax: 069 / 69 58 07 16we get 90 day supplies of 100 mg cap twice daily to save on shipping and you take one per day.but still i think the infusion therapy, called HPI is most promising, that is how i found your discussion board. HPI is done by a dr. borody in australia at his clinic, which has a website http://www.probiotictherapy.com.au/physici...diseases_2.htmlhe treats both IBS-D and IBS-C.


----------



## 14787 (Oct 25, 2005)

here are the instructions for HPI Home Infusion http://nexusofsteve.com/News/hpi/


----------



## 22703 (Sep 28, 2006)

I have had this same problem and it is scary and painful. First it starts in the middle of the night and then I go to the bathroom like three times with no luck and then the pain gets worse in the abdomen. Finally something comes out but you have to push really hard. I know this is gross but anyone who has had it knows what I am talking about. Then the pain is so bad you think you are going to die and you get dizzy and sweat like crazy you have to strip all your clothes off and the sweat is just pouring down your body. Well when I get that feeling in the middle of the night I now use PEPTO BISMAL CAPLETS. Oh they are a miracle and they work i swear. I am never without them I dont even take the chance. After you take two, the gas is releived and you have some diarrhea but there is no pain and oh PEPTO is a pink miracle. Hope this helps anybody who has had to suffer with this even once.


----------



## 13734 (Aug 12, 2006)

It happens to me too,I have to take off all my clothes because of the sweating. Also,have nausia, and even end up throughing up. It can happen to me at anytime, not just at night.IBS Self Help and Support Group IBS Forums Discussion IBS-Constipation (IBS-C) and Chronic Constipation Constipation for weeks - then major attack of diarrheaContact Us | IBS Self Help and Support Group | Privacy Statement | Terms of Service Notice | DisclaimerAdvertisement[/quote]


----------



## 4333 (Aug 31, 2003)

Hi,Did any one any get further with working out any thing to help this? I've had it a few times over the last few weeks.Ciao


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Periods of constipation followed by a diarrhea "flush it all out" attack is pretty standard for IBS. (alternating diarrhea and constipation has been used as a definition of IBS in the past).Usually if you can prevent the constipation you can prevent the "flush" response.There is something called Vasovagal syncope which can cause fainting and light headedness and can be triggered by abdominal pain (as well as a lot of other things). K.


----------



## Char28w (Nov 2, 2007)

OMG! Yes, I have very similar symptoms. For me it's more like 2 weeks and them it's all over. I have tried the meds that were out, which helped but gave me headaches! I've gone to a dietian, helped some but it's hard to follow everything. I eat fruit, drink water, coffee (which i'm not supposed to do) to try to make me go. I also get very dizzy and sweat. I've actually been so desperate to use the bathroom that I've taken laxatives, which help but are very painful. You're not alone. If anyone has any ideas for help, please let me know what to do!!!Also, do you get the huge bloating spells!! my stomach looks like i'm about three months pregant! and not to mention the gas...it's awful!


----------



## Maykeg (Nov 2, 2007)

I have suffered with IBS Constipation for 40+ years - and there is only so far, 3 natural alternatives I've found.1. Cascara - a natural bark that is natural laxative - causes smelly gas and sometimes a complete evacuation.2. Apple Juice, all natural, but must consume about 16 to 32 oz per day, and with all that sugar, I ended up gaining weight!!3. I've just started on Activia. And for the first time in years, It seems as though, when I eat, I go!! - It has taken about 8 days for it to take affect, but it seems as though it is working.RESULTING Dissyness/sweats/headachs - When a total evacuation happens - Usually your really constipated, thus straining causing blood rushing to your head and face increasing or decreasing your blood preasure.. The last time this happened to me, before trying Activia, I ran a fever for 2 days and could not get out of bed so I had to give something worth wild a try that worked from the inside out and not the other way around.Laxatives, and suppositories, and enemas chemically make your muscles contract, thus educing an evacuation - or making your bowels move by chemical means and until your colon is empty, it will continue, so first the hard - then medium, then the runs - for a short term or quick relief - it's ok, but you do not want to live your life that way!I am not affiliated with Activia, but would highly recommend it. My mother, 86, has suffered her whole life with IBS using stool softeners etc... but when the Milk of Magnesia, started interfering with her pace maker, she was informed she could not use it any longer - so, she started using Activia - and It works!!I'm not a "yogurt" love, and not fond of the taste, so I mix fresh fruit and a little tapioca pudding sugar free, and it is very palatable!!The expense is not that bad, and having tried almost everything else, I'd give it a try!Hope this helps!!Mary Lou


----------



## 18730 (Jan 12, 2007)

Help Please! I'm frightened for Colon/Rectal Cancer. I'm 48. I have IBS and have had both constipation and diarrhea in the past ( mostly d with urgency first, then painful intestinal cramps till D comes out) I often feel lightheaded and like I'm having an anxiety attack with the urgency.As a young child ( 6 or 7?) my little sister would try to help by pressing on my knuckles to distract me and like it was a machine to make you go...I would be sweating and crying. As I started to read, I couldn't go unless I had something to read to distract myself from the pain ...medicine bottles, toilet paper packages - anything!As a Teen turned to D and stayed that way...alternating between long periods of normal and short periods of D.I have both external and internal hemmies. Lately, I have had movements with C. Hard balls that I strain out, then terrible intestinal twisting cramps as I pass a LONG Large normal shaped movement and then cramps go as I pass either a flush of D or a lump of muddy glob. Then I have blood in bowl, streaked on stool and on paper ( I am assuming the straining of hard C made my Hemmies bleed - perhaps the hard C itself scratched).Is this abnormal ? I have periods of normal movements, alternating stoo shape/consistency - sometimes plops that float.I went to Doc and she saw the internal and external hemmies. Yet, she still wants me to do the three day fecal occult ( did the one day swab in Oct and it was negative) and she wants to do a Sigmoidoscopy. I've had two colonoscopies that were negative ...both for blood in stool ( Year 2000 and 2004)I'm scared I have Colon Cancer ( rectal tumor as the blood is fresh). She said she didnt feel anything. Does my situation sound normal for IBS? Also have Gerd and a bit of nausea. I haven't lost weight ( quite the opposite). Does this sound really scary and off the charts for IBS?


----------



## chrisinebunny (Jan 30, 2017)

arainzady said:


> Yes, I have very similar symptoms. For me it's more like 2 weeks and them it's all over. I have tried the meds that were out, which helped but gave me headaches! I've gone to a dietian, helped some but it's hard to follow everything. I eat fruit, drink water, coffee (which i'm not supposed to do) to try to make me go. I also get very dizzy and sweat. They say s pretty good. I've actually been so desperate to use the bathroom that I've taken laxatives, which help but are very painful. You're not alone. If anyone has any ideas for help, please let me know what to do!!!Also, do you get the huge bloating spells!! my stomach looks like i'm about three months pregant! and not to mention the gas...it's awful!


----------

