# Food and coming off laxatives



## metoo (Dec 26, 2001)

Please help. I am in constant pain 24/7 which is worse when I eat any food and have bowel movements. I believe the reason my colon is so hypersensitive is due to chronic use of senna laxatives (3 years of very high doses).I have to do a sitzmarker test which would mean coming off laxatives for 12 days and was not given a program or a schedule or support or advise how to do it ... was told to just do the test and stop the laxatives" I am very afraid to stop abruptly as I believe this would be too much of a shock to my system .. I have tried in the past and became very ill and was unable to eat for nearly a week.I am hoping and would be extremely grateful if you could recommend any food that would be the most soothing without causing too much pain while not having any bowel movements. The worst reaction I have is towards soluble fiber. I used to be able to tolerate it well for about 20 years until my colon stopped functioning 3 years ago. I suffer from major chronic constipation that is why I am having this test done. They want to prove that I have colonic inertia/anatomic colon to warrant removing my colon.I know I cannot tolerate anything that will blow me up like fruit, veggies and dairy. And grains are real clogging. Last time I took the test I just ate eggs and apple sauce but was starving. Can you think of anything that would be soothing and help ease the transition of coming off the laxatives. I am so frightened, I don't know what to do. I also have to stop taking enemas, so my system will probably "shut down" - this scares me so much.Is it possible for laxatives to cause so much damage that they can effect the nerves and muscles of the colon permanently. I feel this is what has happened to me and I need to come off the laxatives and am wondering if it is possible for the colon to ever heal and if so which foods would help. I was considering going on a liquid diet to rest my colon. I am unable to tolerate Ensure due to the high refined sugar content and am trying to do a search on the internet for some other liquid meal replacement ... I'm also unable to tolerate soy due to extreme gas. My colon is sooo hypersensitive, I wish I knew what to do to heal it.I have discussed this issue with my doc but he doesn't seem to understand and believes the pain is "all in my head" .. this really hurts.I hope you might be able to help - this is really something very difficult to struggle with on my own and really scary. I don't have any help or support at all, and nothing I do seems to be working. Thank you.


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi there - You have every right to be scared and you deserve a lot of help with the situation you're facing. I'm really concerned that your doctor does not seem to understand or believe the degree of pain you're facing, and that he has not addressed your fears of the repercussions of long-term laxative use. It may seem very last minute at this point, given your upcoming exam, to change doctors, but if that is a possibility I would look into it. You need some capable and compassionate medical help to get you through the next several weeks, and you should absolutely not have to feel as if you are going through this ordeal alone.You are right to be concerned about the effect of laxatives on the bowel. They do cause dependence, and they can cause long-term damage. It can take several weeks for bowel function to return to normal after chronic constipation with IBS, and the use of laxatives can exacerbate this further still. Given that your bowels have been dependent on laxatives for three years, I would really urge you to find a gastroenterologist who understands this problem and can help see you through it.I'm not sure which soluble fiber foods it is you cannot tolerate. Do you just mean the supplements, or that you haven't eaten any rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, bananas, etc. at all for the past several years? These are the foods that should gently get your bowel function back to normal. For help with the pain, strong peppermint, chamomile, ginger, fennel, or anise teas can relax the muscles that are in spasms. Direct heat can help as well - a heating pad, hot water bottle, electric blanket, hot shower, jacuzzi, etc. Any physical activity you can get will also help your colon start functioning. If you can't leave your house, try just walking around inside, climbing up and down a flight of stairs, or sitting on the floor and stretching out your arms, legs, back, etc. If you have any yoga tapes try those. It doesn't matter what you do, just try and be gently, slowly active. Exercise is crucial for helping constipation.The pain is truly an issue for your doctor to address. You should not just have to bear this and for a medical professional to act as if the pain is all in your head is completely unacceptable.Given that you are considering having your colon removed, I really would urge to find a second and third opinion from doctors who are willing to try and address the laxative dependency first, and to try and solve the constipation problem before they turn to surgery. Good luck, and please let me know how things go for you.Best, Heather


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## metoo (Dec 26, 2001)

Thank you so much for your reply to my posting ... it really helps to know that someone does understand what I'm going through.Unfortunately I have tried seeking help from several docs (there are very few GI's where I am) and when I don't respond to treatment I'm just told they can't help. After reading your reply I was so motivated in getting help for my pain, I called a regular internist and the GI and asked for help one more time and asked for a referral to a pain clinic and was told it's not necessary and I need to see a psychiatrist! Now I know for sure that I am on my own.I'm confused about the foods you mentioned because they cause increased constipation for me. What is making things worse is that due to the pain, pressure and trapped gas, I am unable to drink much water. I suck a lot of ice which sometimes even helps a bit to have a bm ... cold helps quite a bit. It kind of shocks my colon into functioning.I also know I need a lot of protein because I have hyperthyroidism and am always hungry, and somehow protein seems to sustain me longer. Just eating refined starch makes me more hungry. I'm not sure what form of protein would be most easily tolerated. Due to the severity of the pain and burning (I don't have spasms or cramping),I can only use ice packs. It seems to help numb the nerves. Any form of external heat is a killer, to such a degree that I struggle to bathe. The teas don't seem to have any effect and I'm unable to drink too much liquid due to pain.I do yoga 45 minutes a day. Other forms of excercise, including walking is impossible and I'm often dependent on a walker. Going up and down stairs is quite a joke because I have to sit and push myself down and struggle to crawl up. I'm also so totally exhausted because pain takes all my energy and also I barely sleep at night due to pain.How does one deal with a situation like this? Am I the only one in the world going through this? I don't know where to turn for help anymore.Oh by the way, I do a lot of relaxation work, guided imagery, meditation and am working on Mike's program ... it's just such a struggle when the pain won't stop.


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## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi - My heart just goes out to you and I wish I had a solution to offer. Your idea of visiting a pain clinic is a wonderful one, and I wouldn't give up on that yet. Do you have any way to visit a clinic like that without a referral from your regular or GI docs? I am truly speechless that any doctor would listen to your description of how difficult daily life is, be aware of the fact that you are under consideration to have your entire colon surgically removed, and then suggest you really need a psychiatrist instead of a pain clinic. Is there any way for you to change your health insurance so you can see any doctor you want, without needing a referral? It sounds as if the doctors you have are not listening at all, and certainly not caring about what you need in terms of real help.Unfortunately, the symptoms you have are far beyond the realm of what I know diet can address, and I am at a loss as to what to suggest you try next. I know that you must be so incredibly sick and tired of dealing with the medical profession at this point, given how they have treated you, but if at all possible please persevere and insist that someone help you with this pain. If your current doctor will only refer you to a psychiatrist, then go to the psychiatrist and tell him/her about the daily pain you endure. That doctor may well refer you to a pain clinic or another alternative that can finally help. I don't believe you're the only person suffering these exact same symptoms to such an extreme degree (I've seen other stories like this on the boards and through email). So you are not all alone, though I'm sure it feels that way.Please let me know what happens, and if I can help in some way.Best,Heather Van Vorous


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Metoo, I agree with Heather, and going to the psychiatrist and getting a referral from them to the pain clinic is a good option. Plus, don't rule out that the psychiatrist can help as well a lot of times a team approach will work the best or you will learn something from all fields. Some psychiatrist can have a good understanding of pain.You may also want to post this thread to the medications forum here to see what the Dr there might have to say about the pain issue.I can post some pain information on the thread for you here and it might helps some. But the source of the pain needs to be looked at here and you may have different pain issues going on. IN IBS endorphines aren't released from the brain like they are in normal people. However, you may have this and perhaps some other pain issue.Metoo, I also want you to stop the tapes for the moment and then come back to it. Just HT itself can slow transit down, so until the pain is resolved hold off for now.If you can't get into these sites let me know. http://www.med.ucla.edu/ndp/Newsletters/Fall97Brain.htm http://medi-smart.com/pain.htm http://www.sciam.com/explorations/1999/072699pain/ http://dubinserver.colorado.edu/prj/nva/attention.html You might also want to post some messages to this neurology forum which is excellent. http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/wwwboard.html


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## metoo (Dec 26, 2001)

Thanks so much for all your help and support.I'm going to go into those sights you recommended, however I can only do a little at a time.You're right about the endorphin issue, and one eventually can become depleted when the pain is so intense and 24/7 over many years.I think I may have to give the tapes a break for a while (boo, hoo) They probably are slowing down things which are already kinda "stuck". Thanks for making me feel not so alone in this situation and for giving me some resources to help. I'll keep you posted.


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

Metoo, how are you doing?I also found this site on pain thats worth reading. http://www.mediresource.net/canoe/health/P...p?DiseaseID=149


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## metoo (Dec 26, 2001)

Shawn,Thanks so much for thinking of me and still being so creative and helpful. Unfortunately I'm not doing too well, however hopefully it will be temporary.Thanks so much for your post under "Diagnostic Tests," "Manometry and Defacography tests". It made me realize that not only do I have to find a way of managing this pain, I have to find the source and what is going on, otherwise this pain will be never ending. You have provided me with some great resources for me to have some tests ... now I feel there must be some hope. Knowledge is power, and I have to find out what is going on to cause such unusual severe pain.Still battling to get off these laxatives ... the pain seems to get worse no matter what I do. :confused"Just hope my doc will do something to meet me halfway with this ... if he doesn't I'll have to find one that will.Thanks again.


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