# Is there truth in the "Gutsense" website?



## Kenny & White Tiger (Feb 2, 2014)

wasn't sure where to post this, so please forgive me if it's not in the right area

While struggling through some more uncomfortable BMs after a meal, I did the usual and searched to web in ausually vain attempt to get some comfort.

I came across this gutsense site, and just like every other website that promises help that leads to a purchase page for pills, it also mentioned ibs leading to cancer among other things. As a constant stress prone worrier I didn't really need any added assistance to my anxiety, and aside from stating this the site, in my opinion offers up a very cold and insensitive account of pretty much everything I'm trying to regain some normalcy back and how it's pretty much all wrong I guess.

But their method of restoring your gut is the right one, apparently.

I'm just curious if anyone's familiar with this or if it's true. I've just been having a very hard year... Last December after several hard months after my gallbladder removal things seemed like they were settling, now it seems twice as bad, I'm unable to go one day without pain or discomfort before a bm, and nothing I'm trying seems to help. Not to get off track from my original topic, I already posted about some if my troubles elsewhere but there doesn't seem to be much I can do at this point. I've gone from thinking gas, to sphincter of oddi, to constipation to h pyroli... Not sure what's going on with me here, I just know it all centers around me having to go to the bathroom and now I'm worried it'll cause colon cancer if I can't find a way to regain some control.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS does not seem to increase the risk of cancer. There is the theory that any constipation of any kind would, but that seems more a theory used traditionally for the reason why people needed to take laxative herbs regularly. A lot of pre-scientific medicine was big on purgatives and causing severe diarrhea to try to cure things, much like the bleeding people to let the bad out, it was a way to try to poop the bad out.

Now inflammatory bowel disease (especially ulcerative colitis) does increase cancer risk so those people do get more regular screening starting at an earlier age.

Have you tried taking an antispasmodic (or drinking soem peppermint tea) 20-30 minutes before a meal to help calm down the eat-colon gets more active reflex. That reflex usually is what causes discomfort and BM's after a meal.

Usually people think going after every meal is to try to prevent cancer (I've seen plenty of you need to get so much fiber you make anyone poop after any meal theories out there) and like I said traditionally people see constipation (only going once or twice a week) is a bigger concern than going after most meals.

If you are having a lot of diarrhea and thing you may be having a bit too much bile released (since you don't have a gall bladder) you could try Calcium with meals. Tends to firm up the stools and generally there was some research looking into calcium helping to prevent the recurrance of colon polyps (which is where colon cancer usually starts, in a polyp).

If you are having a lot of issues with anxiety/worry and the usual self help (meditation, journalling, relaxation) isn't helping you may want to see if getting some help, either mindfulness instruction or if a therapy or medication might be helpful. Mindfulness based stress reduction programs can sometimes help a lot with that stress worrying, but may not be enough for some people. http://www.amazon.com/Calming-Your-Anxious-Mind-Mindfulness-ebook/dp/B0041D8UP4/ref=la_B001JRZ260_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393721435&sr=1-1 might be worth taking a look at for books, and there are a lot of mindfulness based courses people can do (both in person and over the phone).

FWIW I get the feeling from the Fiber Menace guy that he is more gadfly than scientist (basically if most people say one thing is good he will find a way to say the same thing is bad and the source of all bad and will twist scientific sounding words to make his point). But that just may be my view of that type of thing.


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## IndianRopeTrick (Jul 25, 2013)

The author of gut-sense is - Konstantin Monastyrsky. Generic, unsubstantiated claims like the one below are hallmarks of junk.

As time goes by, laxatives and fiber elevate constipation from the mere nuisance of hemorrhoids to the much more painful and traumatic anal fissures or irritable bowel syndrome, and all the way to an outright lethal ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or colon cancer.

Fiber works for some and fails for others. But, this guy says that fiber leads to colon cancer and such ? Where is the support ?
What's next ? Eat reinforced concrete to cure constipation ?

I suggest that you read his website if you really want to, but avoid buying "medical" products. Books are okay if they are cheap.

He makes a lot of claims about the harmful side effects of mainstream pharma, which might be true. There are cases where medicines
have serious side-effects that are discovered after sales or were covered during the clinical trials.

But, how do I know that his stuff has serious side effects or not ? If this guy is so confident, then why does he not get FDA approval
or some pharma company to do the clinical trials ? If he gets it done, he can simply license his stuff and mint money sitting at home.
Looks like he is not confident about his claims.

As an aside, I wonder if such people hire others to directly/indirectly promote their products on forums like these, or use forum people 
to find holes in their junk arguments and remove those arguments to make themselves less assailable. Just a thought.


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## Kenny & White Tiger (Feb 2, 2014)

Kathleen M. said:


> IBS does not seem to increase the risk of cancer. There is the theory that any constipation of any kind would, but that seems more a theory used traditionally for the reason why people needed to take laxative herbs regularly. A lot of pre-scientific medicine was big on purgatives and causing severe diarrhea to try to cure things, much like the bleeding people to let the bad out, it was a way to try to poop the bad out.
> 
> Now inflammatory bowel disease (especially ulcerative colitis) does increase cancer risk so those people do get more regular screening starting at an earlier age.
> 
> ...


Hey Kathleen

thank you for once again getting back to one of my topics, I've searched various topics on here quite often and you've popped up a lot with helpful words and everything, and I do appreciate it. I'll try looking into the mindful books...as, unfortunately my stress is about out of control right now. I apologize if I've come off too emotional here at times, I probably shouldn't make topics after bad 'episodes', it's just the only time I really need some kind of reassurance.

Maybe I'm not really accepting what's going on with me very well, I know I'm probably making it worse by stress and my lack of caution at times eating certain foods...it's just hard, I spend half the time starving myself, and when I do finally feel hungry I always seem to eat the wrong things.

I hope you can get back to this again but if not I understand, I just had a few more concerns. I'm actually scheduled for another doctor appointment on the 17th, a new gastro doctor, the last ones got fed up with me I suppose. Not that I'm difficult...I think, I was just never coming back with good news and I guess they've exhausted everything they can suggest to me. But Until then I'm hoping maybe you can shed some more light on a few things and I thank you in advance.

Firstly, I started taking Amoxcillin about a week ago for a suspected H. Pyroli problem...I'm finding that while the pain beneath my right rib isn't quite as severe, I'm having nonstop cramping and my bathroom issues seem to be worse. I made one of those chef boyarde...or however its spelled, pizzas a few days ago, and it was like the only thing I had that day. Normally they don't bother me too much, but the next day I had horrible queasy gas and had to go, and even after going the feeling didn't pass until a least an hour later. Also, I probably didn't describe this too well, my problems aren't so much about diarrhea lately at all, but actually a bit of straining. I have times where it's o-k, but other times it's hard to pass stool, this was going on before the antibiotic however. Since starting that I've had a lot more bloating and cramping, and I just wonder if it could be contributing to it. Also had some Chinese yesterday...and had the worst episode today, horrible pain, cramping and nausea then chills, it's really got me strung out, I haven't felt that awful since the last time I had the flu. Not to update on every little thing here I'm just hoping that everything's connected in some way, It's just so frightening.

Oh, I have tried adding peppermint to my green tea...haven't really noticed much help, it might be because I have it either long before, or long after problems arise, I usually only drink tea in the mornings. I sometimes have ginger tea too, tastes wonderful but not noticing any help with that either. it also seems my problems arise nearly 24 hours after whatever offending food I had last, rather than instantly sometimes. I notice when it's really bad, the pain I usually end up tasting whatever it was I had the night before, which is a little disconcerting to me honestly, why would that happen if the foods all the way down in my colon on it's way out? makes no sense to me at all.

Oh...I used to do okay with steak too, but recently I had one and the next day horrible pain in my hips, especially my left...i figured maybe I ate too much of the fat on it or something, it's never done that to me, least not since right after my gallbladder removal. No sign of an access of bile, but I am seeing an increase of mucus lately, but that's all of my TMI for today I think.

But again thank you for getting back to me.


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## Kenny & White Tiger (Feb 2, 2014)

IndianRopeTrick said:


> The author of gut-sense is - Konstantin Monastyrsky. Generic, unsubstantiated claims like the one below are hallmarks of junk.
> 
> As time goes by, laxatives and fiber elevate constipation from the mere nuisance of hemorrhoids to the much more painful and traumatic anal fissures or irritable bowel syndrome, and all the way to an outright lethal ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, or colon cancer.
> 
> ...


Yea, the fiber increasing cancer thing probably should set off several red lights for me...that sounded kind of ludicrous.

thank you for getting back to me, too, I dunno why I got all wrung up about that, I should know better, it's just easy to get taken in when you're coming off of an episode...fortunately i'm never desperate enough to just randomly buy stuff from site like that. Can't say I haven't in the past, but it was for something entirely different and of course it didn't work for me.


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