# bloating ibs anorexia ephedra please read!!!!!!



## firedancer (Mar 4, 2002)

know this is a bit long but PLEASE read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For several years now anytime i eat or drink ANYTHING, even just water, i become extremely bloated. I mean my stomach actually goes up a few jean sizes. I look pregnant. And when i eat a meal my stomach often hurts afterwards. I usually try to just eat tiny snacks. But by the end of the day i still look pregnant. I have tried everything for gas. it doesn't help. I have been to a gastroenterologist and he doesn't have a clue. I am always constipated. It has gotten to the point where i eat as little as possible and then when i do eat a regular meal i have to take laxatives after to i can use the bathroom and then my stomach is back to normal. If i don't take them the bloating and abdominal distention is extremely uncomfortable and i feel disgusting. Someone please help me.I have posted at other websites but no one has responded. Please!!!!! I can't live with this anymore!!!! I am getting to the point where laxatives are going to quit working. There has to be some way to fix this problem. Please, i need some advice!!! My family doctor was the one who refered me to a gastroenterologist. I have had an upper and lower GI done. The x-rays came back normal. But I know something isn't right. I also eat and drink slowly. It doesn't make any difference. If i sip on a glass of water for an hour, when the glass is finally empty, i still have a huge belly. I am desperate. I was reluctant to share this info but since i am desperate it may be helpful info in figuring out what is wrong with me, i will. I used to have a bit of a problem with anorexia. Under control for now but could this be the cause of my problems. if so, can anyone offer any other advice. Please, i really need help. thanks. AND I ALSO FOR SEVERAL YEARS TOOK MINITHINS(CONTAINS EPHEDRA). COULD THIS BE PART OF THE PROBLEM? THANK YOU FOR READING THIS!I would appreciate any help. I cant deal with this anymore


----------



## justjeni (Feb 20, 2002)

Wow...I don't know that I can be of help - wish I could and it seems like I'm always saying that on the boards lately! I seriously don't know what to tell you but I can empathize with the anorexia as I was anorexic myself as a teen. But that was a long, long time ago.As for taking laxatives - all I can tell you from an IBSD standpoint is I couldn't get within ten feet of a laxative without having to go, much less take one so I don't know. Unless you have the constipation form of IBS - did you check out the constipation topic? Maybe you'd find some clues there.I guess I'd like to advise you to go to a gastroenerologist (SP?) so he/she can determine whether or not you have IBS or something else. Other than that I don't know what to say, but do feel for you and sincerely hope you find some answers as I can understand your angst.


----------



## enja (Jun 1, 2000)

Hi Firedancer,My guess is that the history of anorexia could definitely be part of your problem. Eating disorders can really do a number on your digestive system and it sounds like with the discomfort, you might not be currently eating enough to let your system "readjust". Bloating, constipation, etc. are common when an anorexic person starts to eat again. If you haven't talked to your docs about this, I would bring it up and see what they say. Also, w/ the anorexia issue, is it possible that you still have some unresolved issues about food? I am not saying that this problem is "in your head", but, if you are anxious about eating, etc., it can have a physical effect on your digestion. How long have you been in recovery for?


----------



## firedancer (Mar 4, 2002)

Thank you both for replying to my post! I am not really sure how to answer about how long i have been in recovery. About two years ago i had my gallblader removed(due to my anorexia) after that i tried get better but without much luck. I guess it has actually been about a year since i have really gotten better. I sometimes (not to often though) go back and forth from not eating much to binge eating and back to not eating. I am sure thats not good for me. But even when i have gone for a couple of weeks eating like i should, i still have the same problems. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.


----------



## BethL. (Mar 29, 2002)

Dear Firedancer,Wow, stories like yours make me wish I were a doctor, so that I could give more expert advice! But you write that you have already been down the gastroenterology route, and come up empty-handed; so I guess that's one of many things we have in common. Your IBS symptoms seem to be much more systemic, to me -- and yes, by all means, they are related to your anorexia, which can also be viewed as a symptom of a deeper underlying problem. It might be helpful to try treatment from a non-Western type of medicine, such as those from the Chinese or Indian traditions, which will treat you as a whole organism (as opposed to just a digestive tract). The Ayur-Veda tradition in particular might bring you some relief. It is the one being hawked by Deepak Chopra; you can contact excellent Ayur-Vedic practitioners through any Transcendental Meditation center. As far as I know, all Ayur-Vedic practitioners who are part of the TM system in the U.S. are also M.D.'s; so they have a wonderfully well-rounded perspective.In any case, don't give up hope. Keep trying. Your body and soul must be wonderfully resilient, to have survived severe eating disorders this far. Be patient with your body and listen to it.When I was recovering from eating disorders, my favorite affirmation was: "Everything I eat turns to health and beauty."God bless you!


----------



## atrain (Jun 22, 2001)

Firedancer-my non-stop Constipation started right after I started taking Xenadryne, a lifting supplement that contains ephedra. It looks like we have the same problem also, I wonder why that supplement would have that effect on the body?? I kick myself everyday for taking it. I take magnesium and Vit. B5 to control it. Also add vit. C and stool softeners whenever I need to.


----------

