# Sticky  THE GREAT LIST OF REMEDIES!



## TheOutlookChild

I wanted to start a comprehensive list of food, herbal, medical, and physical remedies that have helped people in the past. Anything that has worked for IBS-C. I am in a really bad bout right now and that is what I am looking for. Many people come to this site looking for information that can help when everything else fails so I thought this might be a good idea. I will start the list. Things that have worked for me at some point: Herbal: Senna Leaf. Medical: Lactulose, polyglycol 3350, Ducolax, copious amounts of sea salt water. Food: Hemp Hearts, Spinach, Licorice, Prunes, strawberries, watermelon. Physical: Extended walks.Stuff that did not work: Chlorella. Colostrum.


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## wigglesmom

Great idea! Here's minerunesSwedish Bittersprobioticsground flaxWhole leaf aloe juiceChinese diet tea magnesium pills


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## ABNormal

Worked (but some stopped working later)robiotics--good ones--I use Life Start 2 (still working)Milk of Magnesia (still working)Lactulose (still working when used intermittently)Miralax (in combination)Colon Cleanse (stopped working)H2Go (works sometimes)Senna (stopped working)Bran (stopped working)Walking (certainly helps)Drinking lots of water (helps)Aloe juice (stopped working)Diet tea (stopped working)Traditional Medicinals Smooth Move (stopped working)Ex-Lax (stopped working)Dulcolax (stopped working--believe this really messed me up--addictive)Renew Life Cleanse Smart (stopped working)Renew Life Ultimate Flora (stopped working)Intestinew (in combination)Fleet Enema (works sometimes)Never worked:AmitizaPrunesCitrucelFiber SmartGeneral fiber products


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## leeniepie

great idea! - you're right, this is what people come looking for ( i know i did!)works for me (sometimes works i should say, we all have those time when nothhing seems to work!)- liquorice- prunes- fried/greasy food- alcohol- exercise- lots of water- laxido/movicol (poly-whatever it is-glycol)- abdominal massagedoesnt work- senna- fibre suppliments- lactuloseduring a particularly bad time where i didnt 'go' for nearly 3 weeks, my dr told me to take 8 sachets of laxido in 1 litre of water for 3 days max. by day 2 i had diarrhoea, but at least the problem was solved1 so this is my emergency back-up plan now


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## Dreyfuss

Worked : Lactulose (used sporadically) Citrucel (some success) Going to try Align Probiotic. Others have been a waste of money ExerciseNothing else has worked. Amitiza was awful. Disappointed in Konsall fiber and it was not cheap either. Have tried every other over the counter med. Waste of money. Holistic products have all been a total waste and very expensive.


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## steeddog

So far, one thing that I know helps.....Benefiber (forms a cushion so when the colon spasms, it doesn't clamp onto a hard stool).


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## BlueBird Happy

flax seeds groundPUMPKIN (or butternut squash but need more) is the best daily "medicine" I have taken yet. works better than MiralaxMiralaxwhen all else fails, senna and enemas


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## jarvi

I started taking magnesium supplements last week and that seems to have really helped the constipation. I have been constantly constipated for a long time but since starting the magnesium supplements I've had a bowel movement almost daily. I am also trying to get a lot of fiber but no more than before the magnesium and that never significantly helped before. I hope this lasts, I haven't had stomach pains really either since starting this. The one I take has magnesium oxide and stearate in it. (Unfortunately that is not the end of my problems, since the reason why I started magnesium in the first place was because I've heard it can help with muscle twitching... hopefully just stress though. But that doesn't belong in this thread)


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## miserableme

BlueBird Happy said:


> flax seeds groundPUMPKIN (or butternut squash but need more) is the best daily "medicine" I have taken yet. works better than MiralaxMiralaxwhen all else fails, senna and enemas


how do you prepare your pumpkin?


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## miserableme

After reading your post list of remedies....and thank you BTW. I've noticed that alot of you use senna or other laxatives. I very recently had a colonoscopy and the gastro doc pointed out tissue damage from senna and other lax's that I have been talking but not abusing. He wants me to get off the lax's completely. Are any of you concerned about this side effect?


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## timgermain

Works for me:1. eating small portions of food2. eating food that is not processed -- whole food3. eating well before bed4. Prune juice5. flax seed6. lots of veggies -- steamedH PYLORI7. antibiotics8. broccoli sprouts9. broccoli10. probiotics11. grape fruit seed extractWhat works for me is MAINTAINING a good diet and exercise. Sucky and hard... but only thing that has worked. Another thing taht worked well was getting rid of my h pylori, as it was absurd the amount of pain / indigestion it was causing. Once I weakened that with abx, I've been maintaining it with natural / herbal anti-biotics. And since that has cleared up, I can feel the food digesting better in my stomcah = less stagnation in my small bowel = less bacterial overgrowth, less acidity.


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## BlueBird Happy

Miserableme, Both squashes I either boil or roast with olive oil and usually pumpkin pie spices. Sometimes when I don't have time for fresh, I use plain pumpkin from the can. Always like to have it on hand.


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## TheOutlookChild

miserableme, I recently had a colonoscopy too. The doctor told me that senna can sometimes stain your intestines after long periods of time but that it does no actual damage to the intestinal walls. I hardly ever use it, I have been going everyday since the colonoscopy using only osmotics, fibre, small meals and excercise. I am also taking chinese tea that I bought from a traditional doctor. It contains no laxatives though.


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## oceannir

TheOutlookChild said:


> miserableme, I recently had a colonoscopy too. The doctor told me that senna can sometimes stain your intestines after long periods of time but that it does no actual damage to the intestinal walls. I hardly ever use it, I have been going everyday since the colonoscopy using only osmotics, fibre, small meals and excercise. I am also taking chinese tea that I bought from a traditional doctor. It contains no laxatives though.


I'm not sure I agree with that and Senna. There is debate. The problem most people find is decreasing effectiveness. I mean if it continued to work as effective as ever we could just take Senna tablets everyday and be on our merry ways!


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## Tiss

ZelnormMagneisumprunes


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## catlover1128

Hi, I'm new to the group and glad I found it. Also glad I'm not the only one with these problems. Been plagued for years (like 30). Been laxative dependent for most of them. There is a tea I take from Republic of Tea called (don't laugh) "Get It Going." Have to admit I actually take my ducolax pills with the tea, and sometimes put a dose of Miralax in it, and that helped for a long time. Then stopped working totally about two weeks ago. My friend at work suggested MOM, which certainly worked, but is causing me extreme bloat and gas. Don't know which is worse.


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## annie7

Hi catlover and welcome to the group.

like you, i've struggled with chronic constipation for years (50). per my gastro's advice--since nothing else works- i take either dulcolax or senna along with MOM (quite the cocktail--lol) and yes the MOM does work (better than miralax, for me) but yes it sure does cause gassiness and bloat--some days are definitely worse than others. which is very unpleasant but for me at least it's better than being totally backed up with stool which is a harder much more painful bloat..plus i want to avoid an impaction.

my gastro docs told me that taking laxatives daily was far better than developing an impacyion.

just a note--when taking dulcolax and milk of magnesia, be sure to take them at least an hour apart otherwise you'll get cramping.


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## miserableme

BlueBird Happy said:


> Miserableme, Both squashes I either boil or roast with olive oil and usually pumpkin pie spices. Sometimes when I don't have time for fresh, I use plain pumpkin from the can. Always like to have it on hand.


Thanks so much


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## miserableme

TheOutlookChild said:


> miserableme, I recently had a colonoscopy too. The doctor told me that senna can sometimes stain your intestines after long periods of time but that it does no actual damage to the intestinal walls. I hardly ever use it, I have been going everyday since the colonoscopy using only osmotics, fibre, small meals and excercise. I am also taking chinese tea that I bought from a traditional doctor. It contains no laxatives though.


Thanks so much for the reply! Unfortunately I'm not famaliar with osmotics??


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## catlover1128

Thanks for the welcome. I hope I'm doing this right. My problem with MoM is that, yes, it cures the constipation, but a little too well. Now it's diarrahea. I just wish I could find something that worked properly - like my colon!


annie7 said:


> Hi catlover and welcome to the group. like you, i've struggled with chronic constipation for years (50). per my gastro's advice--since nothing else works- i take either dulcolax or senna along with mom (quite the cocktail--lol) and yes the mom does work (better than miralax, for me) but yes it sure does cause gassiness and bloat--some days are definitely worse than others. which is very unpleasant but for me at least it's better than being totally backed up with stool which is a harder much more painful bloat..plus i want to avoid an impaction.


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## annie7

catlover--yes, i get diarrahea too with the mom/stimulant combo but thankfully for me it's a tolerable d--neither prolonged nor beyond my control --i'd rather be this way than miserably constipated and backed up. but yes it sure would be terrific to just have a colon that worked properly, wouldn't it.i suppose you've tried taking a smaller dose of mom. or maybe adding a bit more fiber to your diet to help offset the mom and bulk your stool up a bit til you get the desired consistency. it's somewhat of a balancing act, i've found...and kind of tricky.


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## TheOutlookChild

Ive been taking traditional chinese medecine and I have to say......its magical. If you can find a practioner, check them out.


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## Maple12

catlover1128 said:


> Hi, I'm new to the group and glad I found it. Also glad I'm not the only one with these problems. Been plagued for years (like 30). Been laxative dependent for most of them. There is a tea I take from Republic of Tea called (don't laugh) "Get It Going." Have to admit I actually take my ducolax pills with the tea, and sometimes put a dose of Miralax in it, and that helped for a long time. Then stopped working totally about two weeks ago. My friend at work suggested MOM, which certainly worked, but is causing me extreme bloat and gas. Don't know which is worse.


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## Maple12

TheOutlookChild said:


> I wanted to start a comprehensive list of food, herbal, medical, and physical remedies that have helped people in the past. Anything that has worked for IBS-C. I am in a really bad bout right now and that is what I am looking for. Many people come to this site looking for information that can help when everything else fails so I thought this might be a good idea. I will start the list. Things that have worked for me at some point: Herbal: Senna Leaf. Medical: Lactulose, polyglycol 3350, Ducolax, copious amounts of sea salt water. Food: Hemp Hearts, Spinach, Licorice, Prunes, strawberries, watermelon. Physical: Extended walks.Stuff that did not work: Chlorella. Colostrum.


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## TheOutlookChild

Magnesium hydroxide helps. (Milk of Magnesia)


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## oceannir

TheOutlookChild said:


> Magnesium hydroxide helps. (Milk of Magnesia)


is epsom salts and milk of magnesia any different or are they the same thing?


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## Maple12

I have found several items that work as preventative--I use them on time everyday rather than after symptoms appear.1. Republic of Tea--Orange Ginger Mint, also called After Meal Tea. I use two bags in 12 oz of hot water after every meal or snack. Soothing 2. Citrucel--two caplets after breakfast and two after dinner. Keeps bowels soft and moving daily3. Simethicone (Gas-X) before each meal 1 gel cap 120 mg--a mild antispasmodic, reduces cramping and prevents a lot of gas--not 100% but at least 70%4. Probiotics daily5. Get a list of fruit fructose content and try to stick with the recommended list. Google Fructose malabsorption 6. Candied ginger lumps--comes in packs of pieces about 1/2 inch. PRN--when needed immediately--keep in purse to use discreetlyAfter isolating myself for months due to daily distracting pain from the bloating, gas, and gnawing feeling, I'm getting comfortable that I can manage to live with the constant low level of discomfort that these items have provided.


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## Maple12

BlueBird Happy said:


> Miserableme, Both squashes I either boil or roast with olive oil and usually pumpkin pie spices. Sometimes when I don't have time for fresh, I use plain pumpkin from the can. Always like to have it on hand.


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## Maple12

How much pumpkin do you eat? does it require large quantities?


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## Hugsmetite

Pumpkin as in like canned pumpkin or pie filling?


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## elm00

I would like to know a little about magnesium; I have read on the net that it can cause constipation instead... I tried magnesium nutrition pills from a health store a while ago, and it felt like my C got worse?! Did I imagine, or is the milk of magnesia not pure ordinary magnesium? What does it contain of? Would like to buy something similar, cause we don't have the MOM here...


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## CherECoz

Well, as you all know, nothing WORKS all the time but her's my list of what HELPS from *most** *help to *least* ( for the least help, it does help when used in combination):The first 3 on this list I do EVERY day)-***Magnesium CITRATE (400-500 mg) (has to be CITRATE which you can get at a natural food store or online)- daliy prunes (in combo with mag citrate & Benefiber- at least 2 servings of Benefiber (or another generic SOLUABLE fiber....Metamucil binds me up!)These are added to the above, as needed:-ground flax seed every 3-4 days-2 oz Aloe juice with breakfast-whole grains-cabbage, raw pea pod, raw carrots-watermelon, canteloupe-raisens -Dulcolax suppositories-glycerin suppositories-Warm water enema bag (the whole bag) when all else fails!


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## jarvi

elm00 said:


> I would like to know a little about magnesium; I have read on the net that it can cause constipation instead... I tried magnesium nutrition pills from a health store a while ago, and it felt like my C got worse?! Did I imagine, or is the milk of magnesia not pure ordinary magnesium? What does it contain of? Would like to buy something similar, cause we don't have the MOM here...


Different kinds of magnesium are used in different pills, and there are also differences in how the they are absorbed. Milk of magnesia contains magnesium hydroxide, but I don't know whether that's available in a pill form, in any case I've read that it is better for treating "occasional" constipation. I remember reading that magnesium oxide was recommended for constipation (apparently this is less well absorbed than the chloride version, but I also remember reading someone claim that in order to help with constipation it doesn't necessarily need to absorb but to just come through your colon - I don't know whether I remember this correctly though). I've been using it myself and it worked at least for a while. I was using only 250 mg before, it took the constipation away for a while and stomach pain for much longer. I didn't take any for a while, but started again with a bigger dose (600 mg), that seems to work pretty well so far for constipation (though I am dealing with a lot of stomach pain again...).


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## CherECoz

The mag CITRATE is more absorbable than the magnesium you can get at a regular drugstore. Get the Solgar Mag Citrate and start with 2 caplets 200 mg each). The citrate is the same stuff in HIGH doses found in laxative section of drugstores in liquid form in bottles. Doctors use it for cleansing. One doc told me I could just take a sip of it each night but it's much easier in the caplet or capsule form. It is not a laxative though; it's a safe supplement and also good for bones and nerves. It is not a stimulant either since it works by bringing water into colon. I have had IBS -c for 30 + years and it has helped more than anything. I still need my prunes, nightly juice, probiotic ( I prefer Digestive Advantage IBS) and soluable fiber & griund flax, and because this disease IS IRRITABLE, I also get spells when I have to resort to laxatives ( Dulcolax suppositories), glycerin suppositories, senna tea and an enema every once in awhile. You are safer to use Phillips caplets instead of MOM since it Is not a stimulant. I used it for awhile but it stopped working. That was when I found out about the mag citrate being more absorbable.


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## elm00

Thanks a lot!! I'll buy the solgar tablets as soon as possible!! Ok, hmm...but what's the difference between hydroxide and citrate...? Or do they work in the same way.....?I'm glad to hear that it has worked so well for so many of you!!Is 400-600mg per day the amount that is enough to help the C, and how long time does it take usually to see any results?Thanks!


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## DAD

OUTLOOK CHILD -Eat some of these items people have recommended that you feel would work for you, BUT you are NOT allergic to.If you don't know what you are NOT allergic to, you should know what I would recommend by now.One-half to one cantaloupe a day can help ... fresh ripe Bing and Queen-Anne cherries in season or frozen can help ... bananas can help or any fresh fruit in season can help if you are NOT allergic to it.Drink plenty of fluids, especially water each day.Exercise where you constantly move your abdoman as in walking can only help, but believe it or not, some people are actually allergic to that too, probably mostly mentally.DAD


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## CherECoz

Elm.... Starting out, I took 500 of the mag oxide that I bought at a pharmacy and it helped for awhile. Gradually I had to increase to 1000 and then more. Ai it stopped working. Then I read somewhere on this board that the citrate would be absorbed They were correct! Daily I use 400-500 mg. That is 2 of Solgars caplets but use 2 1/2 when needed. Start with the 2 unless you are really backed up. If that's the case start with 2 1-2 and it should help by morning. I take it with dinner so it works in morning. Keep in mind that I also eat 5-8 prunes or some prune juice before bed with a probiotic and benefiber with meals 2-2x/day. You have to experiment for you but take the mag every day. When I travel I take the Chinese senna tabags too and glycerin suppositories. Let me know how it goes. Also remember I'd you get a flare because I'd travel or change in daily routine, it may take a week or so to get back on track.Oh yeah and use ground flax seed at least a few Tim's a week.


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## elm00

Thanks! Yes, I guess ill have to experiment the combinations...I tried prunes some year ago, but only _prunes_ that time, and they didn't work.... I guess ill have to combine... I also tried _physillium_, and that didn't work either, alone...Something strange is that fiber made of the _guar plant_ DID work amazingly well.... But that brand is quite expensive here...when I took that fiber I felt ok... But as said, very expensive!I have tried _senna_ tablets 49mg/tablet * 4 tablets, and that did nothing!!! I didn't even felt them! Same thing with the chemical laxative _Dulcolax_ (bisakodyl) - they did nothing for my C! Incredible!







Usually they effect people...but not me...Ringt now I'm using:* Enzyme pills - once a day* Probiotics - once a day* Vitamin B + zink * Lactulose (even if it helps poorly compared to the guar fiber)* Fibers containing StercualiagumSTILL my tummy is constipated most of the time.So ill buy the solgar! And something else I have been thinking about; everybody here are talking about different teas, but at the health store they told me that tea is usually very mild, and not tough enough for constipation.... Or where do you buy your teas? And what do they contain?Something else I thought about is laquorice..does that usually help?


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## elm00

And one more thought; I have read at this forum that many of you with C, eat foods that actually are fodmap-food...for example prunes (as much as i know)...are forbidden... Does this mean that pure Fodmap diet is not completely suitable for the IBS-C because it doesn't help it much enough...?


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## jayham

One Fiber One chewy bar every morning for breakfast. I'm AMAZED at the difference it has made in my life!!


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## elm00

Last week I bought both magnesium citrate and magnesium hydroxid in the health store. I had called them right before I went there and asked them if they have the solgar one, and they said yes...but when I arrived there they said that it must have been a misunderstanding, cause they only have two other brands....and that the citrate was for muscle relaxation and the hydroxid for the tummy... (But when I had looked it up on the net, you CAN use the citrate for the constipation too..). I don't know why they said so, but I decided to try both.. I've started with magnesium hydroxid, and the c have improved for maybe 30% during one week, but then I take about 6 tablets per day, and that's over 600-700 mg....Now I'm worried to get used to the magnesium, could it stop working because you use it so much??


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## MajaSol

I really want to share my story with people out there suffering with IBS. Maybe I can help some of you.I have been suffering since I was I little girl with IBS: pain, going from almost being totally constipated, to having lot of pain and diarea. The pain was the worst, going to the toilet is not the worst I think. The doctors have tested me for everything through the years, no test was positive and I was told I have IBS. It was horrible timing my activities to where the nearest toilet is and so on&#8230;Not many doctors know this, but you can be reacting to all of the starches and sugars in your diet.Since I started a low carb diet 1,5 years ago, I stopped eating flour and sugar - I noticed my stomach problems being less and less. And now they are totally GONE. I have never tested positive for any coeliacia/coeliac disease&#8230; And I am not allergic to wheat...And now about 40 pounds of weight is gone as well..At the same time I have been eating low carb I have increased my intake of fibers, they help, but removing flour and sugar has helped the most. Eating fibers like acacia fibers, chia seeds, and psyllium husks&#8230; (they are easy to include in low carb recipies)Humans (some of us) are not built to take in flours and sugars, and our gut are screaming that we are hurting our guts.. (that's how I see it) Now my gut are not constantly irritated - they are relaxed - and it can stand things I could not eat before, like some seeds and youghurt(sugar free). For sweetening I use stevia or erythritol&#8230; (they don't effect blood sugars)I couldn't begin to describe how good it feels to finally have a normal stomach!!! I still find it strange to be this normal! Not a single flare up for about one year! (Used to have problems from 1 a week to 2-3 a month - ups and down periods)Maybe this is not a cure for everybody, but at least you should know about it!!And if any of you out there tries this and have good/bad experiences let me know!Hugs from me in Norway! Wanted to spread the word!


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## elm00

Hallo Maja! I hope you have "sol" in Norway cause here it's only raining... Sounds really good that the low carb diet works for you! But how do you eat than, what kinds of carbs do you eat to have the fibers? Do you eat any rice, cereals or potatoes....or fruits??Right now I'm on my fourth day of Fodmap, and the gas is almost all gone but NOT the constipation.... According to the Fodmap you'll have to eat some food that you maybe usually don't eat, I'm not that used to rice and bananas but now I had to change all apples and pears to bananas and wheat to rice... Feels like my tummy is more constipated than before, I don't know... Right now I'm very confused and feel discomfort...







could the Fodmap make the c even worse...?


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## annie7

elm--yes for some of us, fodmap does make our constipation worse. it did that for me-it made my c much worse. i do need some fiber to go--not a lot--but i couldn't get that from the strict fodmap diet--and fiber supplements like konsyl don't agree with me--they just back me up more. i also have reflux and was not able to eat the higher fiber citrus-y fruits that are allowed in fodmap. as Kathleen mentioned (thanks, Kathleen!) fodmaps not only have fiber but also have compounds that in addition to being a bit gassy also draw more water into the stool and so tend to loosen stools all of which help relieve constipation. and i know this diet has helped many people and is definitely worth trying but strict fodmap just made my c worse.you could maybe add back some the foods you cut out and see if that helps. or take a fiber supplement like konsyl..it takes some experimentation sometimes. good luck!


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## tummyrumbles

My constipation is the delayed contraction type which takes a couple of hours to cycle through, so as long as I sit it out I'm basically OK. Diet doesn't really seem to have much effect on the number of contractions, which seem more related to how much food I eat rather than the type of food. Some months ago it only took me 1 hour to evacuate but I ate very little the previous day. I have to be careful not to have too much fibre as that irritates the colon and delays evacuation even more. I don't take any meds as they cause more damage than good. So basically my cure for the "leaky gas" type of constipation I have is just staying there and waiting it out.


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## Lookin'foraLife

I agree,only MAGNESIUM CITRATE from SOLGAR has helped me.But I need 1000mg every night. Causes D in the morning, but I'm okay with that.Only other thing that's amazing is fresh PAPAYA (when it's in season).


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## Sugatree87

Yoga (they have routines specifically for IBS & stress), probiotics, avoiding syptom causing foods, peppermint tea.


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## Poet Marilyn

miserableme said:


> After reading your post list of remedies....and thank you BTW. I've noticed that alot of you use senna or other laxatives. I very recently had a colonoscopy and the gastro doc pointed out tissue damage from senna and other lax's that I have been talking but not abusing. He wants me to get off the lax's completely. Are any of you concerned about this side effect?


Yes, the same thing happened to me. My colon was coated black from cascara in Super Cleanse. I was fine on Zelnorm, but I only have 3 months' worth left, and don't know what I"m going to do.


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## elm00

Ok, I found magnesium citrate but another brand, cause they didn't had the solgar... But on the package it's recommended to take 315 mg per serving, or half a teaspoon per day....nothing more is written about how much you can take....But is it safe to take up to 1000mg as you take...if it is, I'd try that......


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## Bluesprite333

I've found the FODMAP diet, generally speaking, helps the most for me. I also avoid milk products, wheat - basically any kind of bread or cereal, and sugar. I can eat applesauce fine - even though I know apples are a bit no no in the FODMAP world. I cannot eat nuts :-( or nut butters too well. My gut goes crazy on dried fruits, nuts, beans and bran or wheat cereals (the worst!). I just ate a bunch of lima beans yesterday, and now today, I'm still paying the price with painful gas and sluggish bowels...it's like when I eat these things my system just shuts down. Nothing moves, but gas is created- and goes nowhere but hurts. I have found plantain chips are my saving grace...don't ask me why - but plantain chips are miracle workers. I dunno about plain raw plantains - but the chips are great. I can't eat onions - get horrible heartburn with those - (raw onions that is...cooked seem better tolerated). I do my best when I eat a kind of "paleo" diet - no sugars, no grains - however unlike paleo I can't eat nuts. Or seeds. Or popcorn. I don't think popcorn in paleo, but popcorn, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, beans, etc kill me. Basically all these "high fiber" foods which are supposed to be good for you - turn my bowels into a twisted mess. :-/ Oh - and probiotics def. help for me. Along with high levels of Vit C (to relieve constipation).


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## Kathleen M.

When you cook fruits like apples (and pears, peaches, plums and cherries) the sorbitol in them which is the no-no part is destroyed, so that makes it less gassy. Drying the fruits is usually not enough heat.


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## elm00

I have realized that I maybe don't take much enough of the Probiotics and the enzymes.I take;Holistic Cellenzymes 1 capsule per day, in eveningGreat Earth ultra duo dophilus probiotics, 1 capsule in evening.I need help to compare! I haven't find any balance yet... Which BRANDS do you use and how much do you take per day? Does these two effect the C, or only gas? I'd really like to find a good balance, but there are SO many brands and they can contain different things....


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## Badtummygirl

The ONLY thing that has worked for me is Fiber One cereal...the ORIGINAL brand. I've tried the others..none of them work except for the original brand. I've been trying to cut gluten out of my diet but my digestion just has not been the same. Starting tomorrow, I'm going back to my Original Fiber One cereal. When I eat this, I go...every day (but it takes a week or two to get started). I've been miserable trying all these other things to go...none of it's working. So, I guess the saying is true "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!Good Luck Everyone!


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## Tiss

elm00 said:


> I would like to know a little about magnesium; I have read on the net that it can cause constipation instead... I tried magnesium nutrition pills from a health store a while ago, and it felt like my C got worse?! Did I imagine, or is the milk of magnesia not pure ordinary magnesium? What does it contain of? Would like to buy something similar, cause we don't have the MOM here...


Elm, I use Nature's Way Magnesium Complex. I buy it from vitacost--pretty cheap. I take anywhere from 1000mg to 1500mg. My doctor told me not to go over 1000mg a day so I stick to that unless I get backed up. These are capsules so I take 4-6 at night along with 1000mg of vitamin C, also from Nature's Way.


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## annie7

...bumping this thread up for those of you who haven't seen it. it does have a lot of helpful ideas in it.

hopefully some of us could add to it and keep it going...

suggestions from a list i have of things that people have said worked for them:

mag ox, mag07, natural calm

Doctor's Best 100% Chelated Magnesium

Mag citrate powder --"Now" brand no sugar no additives from Swanson online

bluebonnet liquid magnesium citrate

renew life constipation stop

dr schultz intestinal formula #1

renew life cleanse more

fiber gummies

cayenne pepper pills--capiscool is what was recommended. i have GERD so i can't try this..but quite a few people on another board i read have said it's helped them.

eating kiwi fruit or papaya.

drinking coconut water (drill a hole in the coconut and drink the juice, is what she recommended)

also--this video on how to have a bowel movement without straining. the PT in this video has a lot of good suggestions, quite similar to those my own biofeedback PT told me:


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## tummyrumbles

Reducing man-made starches is the most important thing to do, but the hardest. Refined starch is probably the cause of IBS and bowel inflammation in general. Finding a healing diet is difficult because all carbohydrates feed bacteria. I'm back on salads now but I introduced them very gradually. Refined starches like breads, crackers, puddings and white rice can promote inflammatory bacteria and liposaccharides, which lead to dysbiosis and a gradual worsening of symptoms. We need to try to rebalance the bacterial flora by starving the bad or inflammatory bacteria. This means not only excluding refined starches (forever) but reducing high FODMAP vegetables (temporarily) until the colon bacteria normalises. High FODMAP veges aren't a toxic food in themselves and we should aim to start eating them again one day. But any refined starch that causes constipation will cause worsening IBS symptoms no matter what kind of IBS you have. We need to stop eating all inflammatory foods.


----------



## annie7

thanks, Tummyrumbles. i was hoping you would post.


----------



## Dreamcatcher32

For cramping I take Bentyl before each meal (anti-spasmotic) and helps my muscles from going into spasm. I did biofeedback at Mayo Clinic for pelvic floor dysfunction (50% of those with constipation have a tense pelvic floor) and that has helped the most. I take Iberogast and for stomach pain and this helps quite a bit. I also use ice on my stomach at night, which makes the pain more tolerable and the muscles relax. I take epsom salt baths and also focus on relaxing my pelvic floor and tummy muscles constantly throughout the day. Sometimes I'll take Baclofen but it doesn't offer much relief anymore, as I'm pretty used to it. I do yoga stretches to lengthen the pelvic floor muscles and also my stomach muscles. I do find stomach massage is helpful but can make it worse. Acupuncture has been quite helpful and so has myofascial release. After one of these sessions, my stomach is totally relaxed. I will also say that Digestive Enzymes by Essential Enzymes have been helpful for gassy foods.

I use Aloe Vera Inner Filler gel before meals when I know I am going to be eating something binding. I sometimes use coconut oil or olive oil in between meals. 2 tbs molasses in the morning will get you going, so can olive oil. I can't 'just have' fibers or fruits/veggies in a day. I have to have some source of protein or fats to stimulate peristalsis. I also work-out for at least 30 min a day to stimulate blood flow.

Fibers can help some, especially if followed by a good 800 mg of high quality Magnesium. I find the liquid form (Bluebonnet or Lifetime) works best for me. Soluble fiber loosens stool and insoluble firms it up. Soluble fiber can be constipating, so a person needs to be careful. What constipates one person will not constipate another and what works for one person won't work for the other. It's all about finding your body's balance and working with it as it changes or gets used to things.

I was told by Mayo Clinic to not use laxatives more than 1x every 3 days. They shouldn't be used more than this unless otherwise prescribed by your doc. It is perfectly okay to go 2-3 days without having a BM, though it may be uncomfortable for some. It will not harm you.


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## flossy

Prune juice works for me, but I cannot stop going and after about 5 or 6 movements a day cannot take it anymore. (It hurts my exist zone, as I like to call it.)


----------



## Nuffa

Sauerkraut juice helps quite a bit.


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## lasdoe

What has worked for me?

-increased Water intake (aids digestion) at LEAST half my body weight in oz of WATER

-diet change (nothing processed, a mostly vegan diet no dairy and meat only two meals out of the month) I eat mostly fresh fruit,vegetables and beans along with eggs and oatmeal. Nothing that is to heavy on my tummy.

-Exercise! Not even a lot of exercise, just minimal! I started walking more every day I find days when I walk I have easier bm's then days where I am sedentary.

-Linzess, I have been on linzess for about 3 weeks and so far out of those 3 weeks there has only been one day where i have not had a bm. The only side effect I have from this medication is constant gas but I would rather have that then be constipated for sure!

These are just the things that have worked for me, hopefully they can help some of you as well!


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## lasdoe

Nuffa said:


> Sauerkraut juice helps quite a bit.


Hi!

I was just looking at your health profile and see that you use yogurt as a supplement and was wondering how that helped you?? My GI told me to stay away from yogurt because it is constipating.


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## annie7

it's the casein--a protein that is in yogurt and other dairy products-- that can be constipating for people who are sensitive to casein.

not everyone is sensitive to it; i'm not.


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## Nuffa

For me,it's the bacteria in the jogurt that seem to help a little


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## annie7

yes, I think it helps me, too. and it's certainly good for the immune system.


----------



## annie7

i just read this article about kefir and constipation on the IBS Newsfeed board. it is about a recent study done on the effects of kefir on constipation. the study showed drinking kefir has a positive effect on constipation and that kefir accelerated colonic transit. the study participants drank 500 ml of kefir a day ( a little over 16 oz)

*Effects of a kefir supplement on symptoms, colonic transit, and bowel satisfaction score in patients with chronic constipation: A pilot study.*

Turk J Gastroenterol. 2014 Dec;25(6):650-6

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/209409-pubmed-effects-of-a-kefir-supplement-on-symptoms-colonic-transit-and-bowel-satisfaction-score-in-patients-with-chronic-constipation-a-pilot-study/

i've been drinking 8 oz of kefir daily for the last week or so (16 oz daily is way out of my retired person's budget lol) and i think it may be helping a little... not sure. at least it's not hurting. and all the probiotics are good for the gut microbiome and also for your immune system. might try 16 oz for a few days just to see...


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## Nuffa

Will be praying for it to work well for you annie!


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## annie7

thanks


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## wend

Jarvi!!! I have been told I am.suffering from adrenal fatigue, years.of stress n now night shifts
I've started taking magnesium, 100mg tabs I aim for 1000 mg in 24 hrs, as I can be awake this long some time. ( yes my.biggest problem) I have just joined here. Check.out my post..


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## flossy

Has anyone ever tried this?

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/enzymatic-therapy-pearls-ic-intensive-care-probiotics-capsules/ID=prod6031007-product

It was recommended to me... I think it might have been discussed here?/can't remember....


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## Nuffa

flossy, the bacteria strains in it seem to be good for c. please keep us posted. especially bifidum bifidum is good as well as acidophilus.


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## flossy

Didn't buy it as of yet, Nuffa, cuz I just spend a lot more of money on something else I really wanted to try first. It still needs to be shipped out to me.

I'll probably try the stuff I'm getting in the mail around the first or second week of April?, as I have to get a operation on the 23rd of this month (nothing serious nor IBS-related) and need a week or so to heal up, me thinks.

And if that doesn't work then I'll try that Pearls enzymatic probiotics.


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## annie7

Flossy--wishing you a successful operation and a quick and uncomplicated recovery. i'll keep you in my prayers.

and good luck with the new stuff you're going to be trying. hope it helps. keep us posted on everything--thanks .


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## annie7

i'm going to add chlorella to this list--thanks to the topic pukekonz started about it. and a few other people have mentioned success with it as well. thanks, pukekonz!

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/229153-experimentation-continues-now-trying-chlorella-daily-dairy/


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## Nuffa

What are you waiting for flossy? Sooo curious!


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## Nuffa

What are you waiting for flossy? Sooo curious!


----------



## flossy

Hi Nuffa -

I'm getting stuff from this website:

https://www.herbdoc.com/

This is on the way:

https://www.herbdoc.com/5-day-bowel-detox-program-capsules.html

....and also another bottle of this, (for after the bowel detox - above):

https://www.herbdoc.com/intestinal-formula-1-90caps.html

His products are pricey but seem to be the best available. I've ordered this before:

https://www.herbdoc.com/super-ginseng.html

...and said to myself, "This is like medicine it's made so well." I even ordered another small bottle of it with my most recent order.

He also gets really really good reviews on amazon.com for his Intestinal Formula number 1.

Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Schulzes-Intestinal-Laxative-Capsules/dp/B000X1U6EQ

What I'm gonna attempt on doing is reboot my system. Eat whatever he says to eat (a small book comes with the 5 day bowel detox), which I'm sure will be all organic produce and the like. Drink whatever he says to drink, then try his intestinal formula pills daily after the 5 day bowel detox. See how the natural route goes.

....And if that doesn't work I'll try that stuff from Walgreens!


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## tummyrumbles

I guess what this thread title means is great list of remedies that actually works. The greatest remedy for me involves changing my diet so I have no IBS symptoms. The trouble with this is willpower because the foods I love (starches) give me the greatest problems. There's different types of constipation too as I found out by just eating meat for one day. The usual type of constipation is the gassy type, from eating too much and too much starchy food. The other kind is where the colon muscles can't move the stool out, from eating too much meat say. What I found was that there was no gas, but it took ages, to finally move. Once it did, I was fine for the rest of the day with no gas at all. This was a horrible type of constipation though because I could feel everything there but it just wouldn't come out. Experimenting with diet will reveal things like that and helps you to learn more about your condition. The trick is to find a diet that is palatable enough that you can stick with permanently. As bad as the constipation was from just eating meat for one day, once I did evacuate there were no IBS symptoms at all that day. So I'm guessing there was no bacterial action wreaking havoc in my colon like it usually does. Bacteria doesn't feed on meat usually, mainly carbs. But high starch foods like breads, rice, fried potato seem to encourage the bacterial populations. Where IBS gets really confusing is that several things seem to cause it. I'm assuming I have a natural tendency to constipation, which doesn't help - this is think is a signalling problem between the brain and the colon, and I'm not sure whether this aspect can be "cured". I know a bland meat / vege diet means a very quick evacuation but is the diet just overcompensating or is the diet the actual cure? It's hard to tell. I also have a tendency to overeat, which is maybe how I got IBS in the first place. Overeating puts a strain on your digestion, so carbs move through largely undigested, feeding bacteria. This could be what causes the bacterial overgrowth to begin with. I also had GERD which is believed to be mainly caused by overeating and I think I've cured that almost completely. In order to find your remedy, because you might not have bacterial overgrowth (but you probably do) you just need to experiment with food until you get it just right. This means eating a really bland diet of mainly meat / fish with probably overcooked veges to start with. It's tough sustaining this day in and day out. What we don't see much here are posts with miracle diets that people consistently post. This is more to do with willpower than anything else. I know what works, but I find myself eating biscuits or toast and making excuses why it's OK to do this. If I stopped doing this completely I'm sure my IBS would disappear for life.


----------



## persuasions

Hi. I am really new to this community and I am so happy to have found you. I experience similar symptoms as most of you and looking for long term solutions on my own seems downright impossible. I feel that I can have a more or less happy, healthy, productive life but I need help finding the right way.

I was diagnosed with IBS-C last December and since then, I am trying to get my life back on track. I used to have some symptoms(flatulence, GERD, migraines, slight constipation) before being diagnosed, but I did not pay much attention to them until full-time constipation appeared. Since then, after vising my GP and 4 specialists, I tried all kind of doctor rec laxatives (prune juice, flax seeds+psyllium, osmotic laxatives) but I did not stick to any due to extreme flatulence. I stuck to enemas instead which could be worse (electrolytes imbalance, dehydration, colonic fissures, dysbiosis etc ). Now, I am looking into trying Vit C and magnesium citrate instead (as rec here).

I am already taking probiotics, simethicone+peppermint pills(in case of flatulence), Zinc, Mg+Vitamins B, fish oil +zeolite capsules ( for detox) and drinking bitter teas (the more bitter the better) to help digestion. I used to take some other detox solution for one month, namely cinnamon, turmeric, gymnema sylvestre powder, sodium bicarbonate and apple cider vinegar (candida cleansing solution following https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGVf9i-N_keyn51fUxEs91JQOs7-dfBEAfsclH5SQ9k/edit?pli=1) every morning. This cleansing combo really helped as together with diet, it reduced brain fog and fatigue. Also, that detox combo stabilizes blood sugar levels in case one of you needed.

Now, what helps me more than any pill is listening to my body(cravings and all), following a diet, having an every day schedule with proper night rest, fixed working time, eating slowly 4 meals+ walking/standing for at least 10 min after each of them, biking/swimming/doing crunches a few times per week and deep abdominal breathing as many times as possible. Also, in order to avoid flatulence,bloating, stomach gas, constant belching, after a period of trial and error experiments, it seems I need to follow a mostly low FODMAP+no dairy(flatulence no matter what), sugar,cacao, legumes diet most of the time.

I eat mostly homemade meals with lunch and dinner made of roughly one cup of millet/quinoa/brown rice/buckwheat/potato ( grains soaked for 24 hours in different water solutions according to http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/living-with-phytic-acid/ before cooking)+vegetables+ approx 120 g meat/fish+olive oil+herbs. Small amount of nuts/seeds or quinoa/rutabaga/carrots are my usual mid afternoon snack and eggs/fish with salad are my morning meal. Also, it is best if every vegetable is boiled that is why I prefer low fiber salad made of peeled cucumber and tomatoes. Fruits can also cause problems, like temporary fatigue, flatulence, blood sugar drop, sweet cravings and I avoid them most of the days. I try to vary the food choices daily, and hence I cook every day.

I have not tried a low carb/SCD/paleo/no starch diet as it seems they would be even more restrictive due to my sensibility to a lot of high FODMAP vegetables and fruits. My diet is already tough to follow and I find it especially hard during summer when I am used to follow a mostly vegan/vegetarian diet with lots of fresh raw fruits, salads, legumes and seasonal vegetable stews. I tried to give it up a few times and symptoms reappeared.


----------



## Nuffa

i wanted to add that protein shakes help me go


----------



## Leo41

Second that one, protein shakes for sure help me get by.

Magnesium Citrate --- 400mg daily spread over 2-3 doses:

In this dose has helped me immensely with spasming, and also will push you from a little on the C side to normal-normal/loose.

In researching it I read where it actually soothes the colon as it passes through the wall, and helps regulate contractions to what they should be and not spasms.

L-Glutamine ---- 4grams 2 times daily:

Heals leaky gut, and also directly helps with colon inflammation. I have no proof but honestly feel inflammation plays a bigger part in this than people realize. Much much less mucus (if any) since on this.

GABA --- 500-1000mg twice daily:

Questionable research-wise, but does seem to help with my mood, and stress regulation.

Heather's Peppermint Tea --- Nothing can stop spasming like this simple hot mug of tea. This stuff is worth it's weight in gold.

Ongoing research, more updates at a later point.


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## Nuffa

Thank u so much for your input leo!


----------



## Tolaiian

Prescribed medicine


----------



## flossy

Too much time on my hands, so I'm gonna pimp out my fav product once again (click below to read):

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/239065-finally-a-product-i-can-recommend/










Now if I could only find something for reoccurring incomplete evacuation, I'd be set.


----------



## anthonyg77

Any of you replaced Miralax with Milk of Magnesia or an equivalent product? I noticed the label on the off brand of MOM says saline laxative but the Philips doesn't.


----------



## Allecta

In order of effectiveness 1) constella/lizness 2) movicol/miralax 3) milk of magnesia 4) magnesium citrate 5) celevac fibre 6) hospital scan bowel clear out e.g. picolax 7) peristeen irrigation.

I note how very commonly the first 5 are considered to be the most effective thing by other ibs-c people.


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## OkayThen

I find that the squatty potty helps.


----------



## flossy

OkayThen said:


> I find that the squatty potty helps.


I have one, take it out almost every time I go. I think it does help a little bit to line everything up a bit better, but only by about 5 to 10% for me. But every little bit helps!


----------



## Michael J Famoso

OkayThen said:


> I find that the squatty potty helps.


I totally recommend one. It's interesting that I release so much more with it. Found one here: http://squattypotty.fmjonlinesolutions.com/


----------



## Xxyyzz

What works best for me is vitamin C powder, taken with a glass of water on an empty stomache, first thing in the morning. It works as a stool softener. It should be buffered with calcium, magnesium and kalium, otherwise one gets deficient in those minerals. I take Thorne Research Buffered C Powder.


----------



## tummyrumbles

I seem to do best when I can pull off all the important things at once. Meaning having dinner early enough at 6.30 pm, not eating anything too high in fibre, not gorging on food. It's a real balancing act eating enough at 6.30 pm so that I'm full but not over-full. I need at least 12 hours digestion or there's just no real urge to go the next morning. I need enough food in my tummy so I can sleep. If I'm too hungry then I can't get to sleep and this also causes constipation. Anything a bit too far this way or that way causes constipation for me so it's taken a long time and I'm still figuring things out. I try and make myself mentally and physically tired so that when 10.30 pm comes I'm ready for bed. I still think I eat more than the average person. I'm amazed how little some people eat and yet they don't seem to get hungry. I'm very careful with fibre and just tend to eat just the same veges every night, so I'm very used to them. I don't eat nuts, fried fruit, rye bread or anything like that and I really used to love these foods.


----------



## flossy

tummyrumbles said:


> I seem to do best when I can pull off all the important things at once. Meaning having dinner early enough at 6.30 pm, not eating anything too high in fibre, not gorging on food. It's a real balancing act eating enough at 6.30 pm so that I'm full but not over-full. I need at least 12 hours digestion or there's just no real urge to go the next morning. I need enough food in my tummy so I can sleep. If I'm too hungry then I can't get to sleep and this also causes constipation. Anything a bit too far this way or that way causes constipation for me so it's taken a long time and I'm still figuring things out. I try and make myself mentally and physically tired so that when 10.30 pm comes I'm ready for bed. I still think I eat more than the average person. I'm amazed how little some people eat and yet they don't seem to get hungry. I'm very careful with fibre and just tend to eat just the same veges every night, so I'm very used to them. I don't eat nuts, fried fruit, rye bread or anything like that and I really used to love these foods.


Yeppers, I LOVE unsalted raw almonds. I could literally live on them. They just seem so nutritious and good to eat but the next day I can always tell they slow things down inside me. It pisses me off, but that's life sometimes.

I think it was Dr. Schulze that said not to eat dried fruit if you have constipation, you need foods with water content. I was like hot damn! I love dried fruit too, but don't eat it anymore. What he said makes sense to me.


----------



## Abartlea

jarvi said:


> I started taking magnesium supplements last week and that seems to have really helped the constipation. I have been constantly constipated for a long time but since starting the magnesium supplements I've had a bowel movement almost daily. I am also trying to get a lot of fiber but no more than before the magnesium and that never significantly helped before. I hope this lasts, I haven't had stomach pains really either since starting this. The one I take has magnesium oxide and stearate in it. (Unfortunately that is not the end of my problems, since the reason why I started magnesium in the first place was because I've heard it can help with muscle twitching... hopefully just stress though. But that doesn't belong in this thread)


Hi Jarvi,

Can you tell me what magnesium supplement you are taken and where I can get it from?

Alex


----------



## Sarapola

BlueBird Happy said:


> flax seeds groundPUMPKIN (or butternut squash but need more) is the best daily "medicine" I have taken yet. works better than MiralaxMiralaxwhen all else fails, senna and enemas





miserableme said:


> how do you prepare your pumpkin?


----------



## DJP1986

Hey everyone! I got Nature Made magnesium 250mg capsules. Would this be the one I want to help with constipation? I see there's all kinds of different types, where do you see what kind it is on the bottle? Sorry everyone I'm new to magnesium!

I've been having some bowel problems starting in May that are very hit and miss. Since the start of September, though, it's been aggressive. I have a hard stool, or a collection of stools, that can't come out and I've been fighting them hard since the start of this week.

I'm allergic to all dairy and gluten, wheat, corn, eggs, peanuts, oats, and watermelon. SucKS right? Lol. I've been having a glass of prune juice daily, does anyone know of any other foods I can add to my diet to help kick this stool's butt? I see a lot of mention of oils, which ones have the best effect?


----------



## keepitlow

OP...I gave up on probiotic pills a few months ago. For 2 years I tried all sorts of probiotic pills - maybe 10 types or more. All the big as well as smaller names, spending many hundreds of dollars on them. I used Lactaid and it seemed to give me heartburn. I've tried yogurts of all sort. Nothing seemed to work.

I then tried eating more raw foods. (that hopefully are not radiated) I searched out unpasteurized beer that is generally very hard to find in the supermarket. I ate some raw cheese, esp blue cheese. But, the biggest help seems to be drinking fresh carrot juice 4 - 5 times a week with some ground-up hot kimchi in it and possibly a little garlic and fresh ginger juiced in it. (just a very little.)

I use a Champion juicer, not the pulp ejecting centrifical juicer that leaves a lot of the juice in the pulp. If I had to pick one remedy I could not give up it would be the carrot juice and kimchi. I use Kings kimchi...it boils like it is carbonated when you open the jar....just brimming with life! I can't digest kimchi well, so that was where I got the idea to juice it.

Don't use kimchi with chemicals in it. Get the raw, real stuff. I also tried sauerkraut but most of what I could find seemed off flavor. Last thing was a few drops of tabasco in drinking water. Cayenne seems to help in very small amounts. Also exercise, meditation and yoga helps a little.

Good luck!


----------



## hannetopia

I have just started experiencing real relief in the last two weeks by using this combination of treatments: morning tonic of a green tea probiotic and digestive enzyme mix in a glass of water with 1.5 tsp diatomaceous earth, followed by another glass of water; drinking at least 10 glasses of water through the day; taking a magnesium supplement with dinner. I can't believe how well this is working for me! I'd cut out dairy but was struggling with the idea of going on a full FODMAPs diet, with any luck I can stick with this little treatment plan well into the future. All of these are very affordable supplements, which helps (I'm a student). The diatomaceous earth essentially flushes out the bowel, killing bad bacteria and parasites and absorbing heavy metals, but it can cause constipation if not consumed along with enough water. The combination of upping my water intake a bit and taking a magnesium tablet in the evening is working wonders for letting the diatomaceous earth do its job.


----------



## Em792

Works: Lactulose (though takes a day or so to kick in and may cause bloating) and docusate (aka Colace)

Semi effective: Movicol/miralax (only seems to help at very high doses if happy to put up with diarrhoea - may be good option for a clearout)

Never worked: Senna


----------



## StevieO

Stuff that has helped me:


Roasted Falx Seeds sprinkled onto your food
Papaya for breakfast
Warm water when you wake up and a couple of times during the day, if possible
Spinach/Collard/Lettuce/Fenugreek mild stir fry with potatoes or whatever, daily
Smaller meals, chew till the food is semi-liquid in your mouth and drink 3-4 liters of water a day.

*NO* to:

Garlic

Onions

Melons

Dry fruits

Raw salads

All kinds of wheat

Avoid coffee


----------



## dejo

I just posted this on another topic...but wanted to make a note of it here, too. I swear I am not paid by the kombucha makers association . I'm just feeling relieved and wanted to share my experience in case it might help.

Drinking 8 oz each morning of any good brand of raw (unpasturized) kombucha while just keeping on a basic, healthy diet has worked wonders for me. The kombucha takes a week or two to kick in. It has made a huge difference after diet changes, fiber, probiotic supplements, etc, did not. I was skeptical because it seems so trendy, but it seems to have the right bacteria and has rebalanced my gut at last. Maybe worth a try?


----------



## flossy

dejo said:


> I just posted this on another topic...but wanted to make a note of it here, too. I swear I am not paid by the kombucha makers association
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . I'm just feeling relieved and wanted to share my experience in case it might help.
> 
> Drinking 8 oz each morning of any good brand of raw (unpasturized) kombucha while just keeping on a basic, healthy diet has worked wonders for me. The kombucha takes a week or two to kick in. It has made a huge difference after diet changes, fiber, probiotic supplements, etc, did not. I was skeptical because it seems so trendy, but it seems to have the right bacteria and has rebalanced my gut at last. Maybe worth a try?


Do you have a link to what you get?


----------



## jza

I used to drink kombucha quite a bit, but then I read it can actually make SIBO-C worse. The variability among sufferers when it comes to what works and what makes things worse makes this so frustrating!


----------



## flossy

Hmmmmmm - interesting:

*'Could marijuana chewing gum treat IBS? Scientists testing US-made product to ease colon spasms that cause crippling bowel condition'*

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4141168/Doctors-testing-cannabis-laced-chewing-gum-cure-IBS.html

Also:

*'Medical marijuana chewing gum to treat IBS in Dutch trial'*

http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/Ingredients/Chewing-on-a-cannabis-based-gum-to-treat-IBS


----------



## Jex

Question for those who recommend magnesium citrate. Do you have a preference between pill form and the powder you can drink (ie. magnesium serene)? Are the results the same??


----------



## Jex

People have been raving about Atrantil on one of my facebook groups. Has anyone taken it?


----------



## IBS-Cyndi

Hi guys. Thought I'd weigh in with my list too. Or rather, my daily regimen.

Mornings- I take 2 psyllium husk capsules, 2 collagen capsules, a 300 billion unit probiotic, 1 Tblsp coconut oil with 2 drops each of the essential oils of lemongrass and clove, (Young Living brand ONLY...no others are digestively safe) all chased with a mixture of 1oz of aloe juice and 1pkt of Benefiber in 4oz water.
And I take 3 mag CITRATE capsules every other day.

1 peppermint gel cap before every meal or snack.
1 pkt of Benefiber with every meal, in my drink or sprinkled on food.
1 digestive enzyme chewable after every meal or snack.

I eat about 30-35g of fiber daily, so I keep GasX strips on hand, because fiber causes gas, and an IBS ridden system won't pass it. Other than the fiber, I pretty much eat what I want, with a few exceptions and some portion modification.

I drink half my weight in ounces, of alkalin water daily.

Before bed I round it all out with 1 Tblsp of mineral oil, chased with 4oz water.
And if I flub up and happen to (rarely) get constipated, I have Linzess to fall back on. 
This has been working VERY well for me.

Oh I also take 3 drops of CBD oil sublingually every morning. And I vape 100mg of CBD vape juice all day long. 
Not sure which thing is doing the job, or if it's a combination of several, but I don't care...I ain't changin a thing!


----------



## IBS-Cyndi

'


----------



## Nuffa

What does collegen help with?


----------



## IBS-Cyndi

Nuffa collagen is great for gut health. I copied this list for you from a website my PCP uses often.

COLLAGEN:
Increases stomach acid: aminos acids increase gastric acid secretion, helping to better digest your food and prevent heartburn, GERD, constipation and many other bowel problems.

Heals stomach ulcers: the amino acids glycine and proline protect the stomach lining from injury and even prevent ulcers due to stress via a positive impact on the central nervous system.

Aids in digestion: when eaten with other proteins or carbohydrates, the gelatin will help to break down foods for easier digestion; and the gelling power of the gelatin also holds water in the intestines where it is needed to help food move smoothly, relieving constipation.

Heals and seals the gut lining: the amino acid is proven to improve the lining of the intestinal track and heal leaky gut syndrome, a common condition where the lining of the intestines becomes weakened (glutamine also does this); a strengthening of the intestinal lining helps to prevent food allergies by keeping food from leaking into the bloodstream (


----------



## irongrl

I just started taking collagen too. Hopefully it will help.


----------



## Dila

Things that work for me:

1. Lecithin (1 tespoon with each meal). Helps to emulsify fats. Also lecithin is a component of bile and bile increases motility.

2. Bio-Kult (probiotic). Need less if I take Lecithin.

3. Magnesium Oxide/hydroxide occasionally when needed (1500-2000mg). (however if suspecting active Candida issues, best to use with caution as it may exacerbate it)

4. Cascara sagrada herb (laxative herb)

Things that did not work for me but might work for others:

1. Triphala powder (1-2 tespoons before bed). I found it very bitter and the results not as good as I would like

2. Fiber. It makes me more constipated possibly due to motility issues/bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine

3. Kombucha. Due to the presence of good bacteria and yeasts it can significantly increase motility. However, in my case it dicreased it due to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.

3.Some people swear by Raw Apple cider vinegar. (1T in a 1/2 cup of water before meals). It will stimulate bile production plus it acts like a probiotic (if raw). It didn't work for me because I didn't stick to it long enough due to bacterial overgrowth.

4. Betaine HCL (stomach acid) with pepsin. It is supposed to aid digestion of proteins and improve other processes down the line. Didn't work for me however, because of the semi-open LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and increased acid reflux from it. But works wonders for some.

Things that I might try:

1. LDN (prescription medication in a very low dose, helps with motility, works for some)

2. Butyrate supplements (short chain fatty acid) and/or resistant starch that bacteria convert into butyrate (possibly in the form of 1 tbsp of raw potato starch a day). There have been studies on butyrate that show some promise. They suggest that "Butyrate might be used, along with nutritional approaches, to treat various gastrointestinal motility disorders associated with inhibition of colonic transit."

3. Probiotics that increase butyrate production in the colon, like Clostridium Butyricum

4. Other probiotics (spore forming) like Bacillus Subtilis. They are supposed to basically get rid of the pathogenic stuff in your colon and support the good bacteria. People report resolution of food sensitivities and IBS.

5. Erythromycin in low dose (50mg) is sometimes used as a motility (prokinetic) agent after the treatment for SIBO. It improves motility and extends the time in remission from SIBO/IBS. However some people report that it stopped working for them after about 1 year of use. It also produced acid reflux, I've read on the forum, possibly because it relaxed LES.

They also used to prescribe Tegaserod for motility before it was pulled off the market in US.


----------



## irongrl

Dila said:


> Things that work for me:
> 
> 1. Lecithin (1 tespoon with each meal). Helps to emulsify fats. Also lecithin is a component of bile and bile increases motility.
> 
> 2. Bio-Kult (probiotic). Need less if I take Lecithin.
> 
> 3. Magnesium Oxide/hydroxide occasionally when needed (1500-2000mg). (however if suspecting active Candida issues, best to use with caution as it may exacerbate it)
> 
> 4. Cascara sagrada herb (laxative herb)
> 
> Things that did not work for me but might work for others:
> 
> 1. Triphala powder (1-2 tespoons before bed). I found it very bitter and the results not as good as I would like
> 
> 2. Fiber. It makes me more constipated possibly due to motility issues/bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
> 
> 3. Kombucha. Due to the presence of good bacteria and yeasts it can significantly increase motility. However, in my case it dicreased it due to bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine.
> 
> 3.Some people swear by Raw Apple cider vinegar. (1T in a 1/2 cup of water before meals). It will stimulate bile production plus it acts like a probiotic (if raw). It didn't work for me because I didn't stick to it long enough due to bacterial overgrowth.
> 
> 4. Betaine HCL (stomach acid) with pepsin. It is supposed to aid digestion of proteins and improve other processes down the line. Didn't work for me however, because of the semi-open LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and increased acid reflux from it. But works wonders for some.
> 
> Things that I might try:
> 
> 1. LDN (prescription medication in a very low dose, helps with motility, works for some)
> 
> 2. Butyrate supplements (short chain fatty acid) and/or resistant starch that bacteria convert into butyrate (possibly in the form of 1 tbsp of raw potato starch a day). There have been studies on butyrate that show some promise. They suggest that "Butyrate might be used, along with nutritional approaches, to treat various gastrointestinal motility disorders associated with inhibition of colonic transit."
> 
> 3. Probiotics that increase butyrate production in the colon, like Clostridium Butyricum
> 
> 4. Other probiotics (spore forming) like Bacillus Subtilis. They are supposed to basically get rid of the pathogenic stuff in your colon and support the good bacteria. People report resolution of food sensitivities and IBS.
> 
> 5. Erythromycin in low dose (50mg) is sometimes used as a motility (prokinetic) agent after the treatment for SIBO. It improves motility and extends the time in remission from SIBO/IBS. However some people report that it stopped working for them after about 1 year of use. It also produced acid reflux, I've read on the forum, possibly because it relaxed LES.
> 
> They also used to prescribe Tegaserod for motility before it was pulled off the market in US.


This is good information! Thank you for posting!


----------



## flossy

irongrl said:


> I just started taking collagen too. Hopefully it will help.


Irongrl, I still think this is the best bet (click on below link to read):

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/239065-finally-a-product-i-can-recommend/

Have you ever tried it yet? (Hmmmmmmm, I wonder.......







)


----------



## Studentgal

Things that work for me are:

I start each day with 2 sulfurzyme capsules, coffee, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with aloe vera juice, smoothie with probiotic ground chia seeds. I take omega 3 pills and digestive enzymes to help with inflammation and bloating. I drink peppermint tea throughout the day after I eat. I take one dose (once a day for a week) of polyethylene glycol a month. I use L-glutamine after i eat something that irritates my tummy (like gluten or dairy) as it helps to coat the lining of your stomach to ease inflammation. Lastly every night before bed i take one capsule of magnesium citrate (150mg) as it is a natural stool softner that is not harmful to the body, as well as probiotics and a capsule called anti MFP, which is an anti mold, fungus and parasite capsule to prevent overgrowth of any unfriendly bacteria in the gut


----------



## Studentgal

miserableme said:


> After reading your post list of remedies....and thank you BTW. I've noticed that alot of you use senna or other laxatives. I very recently had a colonoscopy and the gastro doc pointed out tissue damage from senna and other lax's that I have been talking but not abusing. He wants me to get off the lax's completely. Are any of you concerned about this side effect?


I was doing the same as you - laxatives are hard on the body and they stimulants to the muscles in the bowel, the more you use them the more your bowel gets dependent on them and will not be able to work on its own. Best to look for natural options so your body can learn to go on its own again! try magnesium


----------



## jivejitterbug

CHIA SEEDS!

I take a big tablespoon of Chia in my yogurt. I generally take a magnesium pill at night as well. This helps things move in the morning.

I just started trying Metamucil as well. And I would like to try Heather's Acacia fiber, and perhaps a probiotic. I'm interested in VSL #3, but it's rather expensive.


----------



## jivejitterbug

Has anyone tried Ox Bile or using digestive enzymes? I have been using a Daily Digestive that I found at Whole Foods and it seems to be calming things down for me. I have had a BM in the morning for 5 days in a row now.

The only issue I find is that sometimes I have to sit for a LONG TIME before it happens. That is frustrating to me!

But I am happy that I don't have to take a magnesium pill every night right now. We will see how long this lasts! I never know when constipation will strike me. I get so tired of the abdominal cramping. Last week, it went on for 5 days - just horrible cramping. Even if I went a little bit, it still cramped so badly. I know sometimes I eat junk food, bad me. But it's really difficult to be 100% perfect on my diet.

I recently ordered some Ox Bile from Amazon and I will see if that helps. I have had issues before with my stools being white, so it may be a lack of bile (maybe gallbladder/liver issues)?

Just curious if anyone else has tried Ox Bile or digestive enzymes and how it has affected your elimination.


----------



## Soccerlifter

Here are things that seem to work best for me:

- bananas that are starting to brown a bit

- steamed vegetables

- mexican food

- strawberries

- brown rice

- oatmeal

Things that seem to make things bad (depending on how bowels are doing)

- Some raw vegetables

- Bran

- Nuts like cashews/almonds (have noticed bit difference since cutting back on these over the past few weeks)

- Pasta

- Pizza

I'm sure a lot of it is the amount of food. For example, pizza and pasta are foods I normally eat a lot of when I do eat them.


----------



## Justwannabenormal

Triphala! This stuff is a wonderful digestive toner, and helps me to have bowel movements. When I need an extra boost I take Life Extension Effervescent C and Magnesium crystals, it just adds some moisture into your intestines and softens things - and it works very quickly, within a few hours. The rest is a little bit difficult for me, such as senna. It causes cramping and I feel like I am going to die until I get everything out.


----------



## christinaf

This forum, oh my gosh, is ridiculously helpful. Hope I can help too!

Every day things that have helped me...

-250mg of Magnesium Oxide (just started and it's been insanely helpful

-Phillips Probiotics

-Heather's Tummy Fiber (1tbsp in morning and night)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009XFYSG?ref_=ams_ad_dp_asin_2

-Yoga stretches, meditation, relaxation techniques

-vegan diet

After a mofo of a flare up...

-Usually one or two meals of cold pressed juice from Trader Joe's or Synergy kombucha, followed by a light low-FODMAP meal.

-Heather's Peppermint Oil

https://www.amazon.com/Heathers-Tummy-Tamers-Peppermint-Capsules/dp/B0002UDK4Q/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1497380024&sr=8-1&keywords=heather%27s+peppermint+oil+capsules

In a real bad situation...

-Miralax/Ducolax combination, nuts and applesauce for a meal or two

But of course, like other people have said, nothing is 100%. Always looking for new solutions.


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## Justwannabenormal

I have discovered something new that is really working for me: Ideal Bowel Support by Jarrow. I was treated for SIBO C, my bowels became a little bit better (motility still on the slow side but at least something was happening!), bloating seemed to improve - and a week and a half off the meds it all started coming back. I started researching around on the internet, and found that the probiotic in this formula can help kill off methane bugs in the gut, and fight constipation. I figured that at this point I had nothing left to lose and gave it a try. WOW!!! You are supposed to take one with a meal up to twice a day. I did this, and it helped quite a bit. So the next day I doubled it, and my bowels were fantastic, and the bloating DISAPPEARED! I didn't realize that I was so thin! I think that I have been suffering from dybiosis of some kind for a long time. It is giving me a lot of hope. It is harmless, it doesn't contain prebiotics so if you are a possible SIBO sufferer then it won't make things worse. It is working really great for me right not!


----------



## Justwannabenormal

What I am going to tell you about is absolutely AMAZING!!!! This used to work REALLY well for me before SIBO, and it is starting to work again as I am in recovery (if you have SIBO C though, forget it, it will make you even more constipated - nothing works until you are treated). This is a carrot salad recipe that you eat once a day that I read about in the Hypothyroidism Revolution. I paid $100 for a hypothyroid program that contained several books and a cook book and it was worth every penny just for this carrot salad recipe. It changed my life, and I will never stop it. People with hypothyroidism suffer from constipation issues, and because of that they are not able to poop out the excess estrogen that our body makes, and so it continually gets reabsorbed in our system over and over which can lead to estrogen dominance and hormone imbalances - I am sure this applies to anyone with IBS C too. So the author developed an AMAZING recipe to help with this. The carrots have an anti-estrogen property in them, not sure how it works but it helps. So you shred two raw carrots, add one tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar, and one tablespoon of coconut oil. You eat this as an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee (I tend to be a light eater, so this is my lunch). My oh my does this keep me (and many, many others) regular - in fact it just kicked in for me now and I had to return to the computer to finish this post! Somehow the combination of all of that the carrot fiber, apple cider vinegar, coconut oil and coffee really stimulates the intestines. I love it, and I feel great when I do this. It works so well that I actually prepare it in plastic bags for when I travel, and stick them in my suitcase because this is the only way that I am able to have really great bowel movements, and who wants to be constipated when they are travelling?? My hormones are a crazy mess right now, and so I am doing it again for that too (I had to stop due to the SIBO, but I think the SIBO is gone now). If you suffer from constipation I urge you to give it a try, as it can't hurt anything. It is natural. Very healthy, full of beta carotene and the ACV/coconut oil is supposed to be great for supporting good gut bacteria, and it will help your body to excrete excess estrogen and toxins. I didn't even like carrots before, and now I love them because of what they do for me.


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## somuchsunshine

Hello! Has anyone tried *Unifiber*? I purchase Unifiber on Amazon.com. It seems to be helping my constipation a great deal. The main ingredient is *cellulose*, which is an *insoluble fiber*. I have been using 2 very heaping tablespoons of Unifiber in a protein shake in the morning. The other day, I mixed it with regular water and drank it as well - tasted terrible, but it worked. It does not dissolve in water.

It seems that the soluble fibers don't do much for me at all. (Citrucel which is *methylcellulose* - doesn't seem to work). Methylcellulose is soluble, whereas cellulose is insoluble.

I have been researching other insoluble fibers - and FiberCon also has an insoluble fiber called *calcium polycarbophil*. I just purchased some FiberCon at Walmart today, to see if it works as well as cellulose/Unifiber. Also, I have run out of Unifiber and had to order a new batch from Amazon.com.

I have been reading up on fiber, due to having such good results with insoluble fiber (cellulose) and I ran across this Fiber Supplement Chart from the National Fiber Council:

http://www.nationalfibercouncil.org/supplement_chart.shtml

The one thing that confuses me, though, is that Inulin is listed as the active ingredient for both "Fiber choice" and "Fibersure." However, under Fibersure, it shows Inulin as being 100% soluble, and with Fiber choice, it shows Inulin as being 100% insoluble. ??? Is the chart inaccurate? Or am I missing something?

Has anyone else tried Unifiber/cellulose, and if so - have your results been good?

Have you noticed differences when using soluble vs. insoluble fiber for constipation?


----------



## carolethechiropodist

I would just like to add the following protocol, which clears dyshidrosis, but has the side effect of clearing IBS.

Sugar free, wheat free, alcohol free diet for 90 days.
2 million units Nystatin daily in 4 divided doses just before eating in powder or tablet form. Crush the tablets. Take for 28 days. If you can, give yourself an enema twice a week, with 250ml of warm water and 500,000 units approximately of Nystatin.
300mg (2 x 150 mg tablets) of ITRACONAZOLE, one AM and one PM. You may have Variconazole or Fluconazole all the same effect. Ketoconazole is very effective but the worse for you liver. for 28 days concurrently with Nystatin.

5,000 iu of vitamin A per 10 kilos body weight. (usually 35,000 iu) per day for 90 days in 4 divided doses with fatty food daily. Sugar free, wheat free, alcohol free diet for 90 days.


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## somuchsunshine

Has anyone had success drinking kefir?


----------



## irongrl

somuchsunshine said:


> Has anyone had success drinking kefir?


Most kefir seems to make things worse for me. The only one that really seemed to help was Green Valley Organics. I was using it daily for about 6 months and felt a significant difference, but unfortunately they changed the formula and the new one doesn't seem to work as well. I might try it again though.


----------



## Amelia19902017

carolethechiropodist said:


> I would just like to add the following protocol, which clears dyshidrosis, but has the side effect of clearing IBS.
> 
> Sugar free, wheat free, alcohol free diet for 90 days.
> 2 million units Nystatin daily in 4 divided doses just before eating in powder or tablet form. Crush the tablets. Take for 28 days. If you can, give yourself an enema twice a week, with 250ml of warm water and 500,000 units approximately of Nystatin.
> 300mg (2 x 150 mg tablets) of ITRACONAZOLE, one AM and one PM. You may have Variconazole or Fluconazole all the same effect. Ketoconazole is very effective but the worse for you liver. for 28 days concurrently with Nystatin.
> 
> 5,000 iu of vitamin A per 10 kilos body weight. (usually 35,000 iu) per day for 90 days in 4 divided doses with fatty food daily. Sugar free, wheat free, alcohol free diet for 90 days.


----------



## Amelia19902017

Carolthechiropodist:
Why antifungal meds? Just curious because I would try this but concerned - already abused antibiotics due to suspecting UTI but actually constipation


----------



## whendoesitend

The cheap magnesium at the grocery store is likely magnesium oxide - your body will absorb about 1% if I recall correctly. The better choices are magnesium citrate, which can now be found on the shelf at major pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, and chelated magnesium (which I think is also called magnesium glycinate), both of which are dramatically more available than the oxide.

I use Doctor's Best, 240 tablets, 200mg each, $15 on Amazon.

I started taking it for the calming effect, have never really noticed a magnesium/bowel movement connection.

Here is what I've been taking lately:

vitamin D - 3,000 IU morning and night. My Lyme doc told me to take as much as required to have normal movements.

vitamin C - 1,000mg morning and night. I'm surprised nobody else mentioned this, mega doses seem to help.

zinc and multivitamin - added last month because I'm really out of whack.

psyllium husk - can't say this has ever felt like it made a different, but I make sure I get 12g AM/PM just in case.

I used to take dicyclomine, but I've switched to using one or two capsules of kava kava. It does what dicyclomine does, as well as other benefits - won't completely cure a post meal fatigue episode, but really tamps things down. I can't think all that clearly, but at least I'm not dropping out for a couple hours of nap time.

CVS has a Miralax workalike - polyethlene glycol. Not every day, but there are some weeks

5-HTP and/or tyrosine - our gut has as many nerves as a cat's brain. 90% of serotonin is used in our midsection, despite this being a favorited anti-depressant treatment point. The 5-HTP can be had in the form of Natrol's sixty 200mg time release tablets from Amazon for $25. Tyrosine is cheap, $10 for 90, and it supports creation of epinephrin/norepinephrin.

If I could only give one piece of advice, I'd say "What is measured improves."

Start logging wake/sleep, what you eat, meds/supplements, and look for patterns. Try removing gluten, caesin, red meat, peanuts, soy, all the other common allergens, see if you can pin down which (if any) make your troubles worse.


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## kikiveronica

Hi! Someone recommended me to take Mag07. Does anyone in this group have experience with this product? It is made by Aerobic Life.


----------



## irongrl

kikiveronica said:


> Hi! Someone recommended me to take Mag07. Does anyone in this group have experience with this product? It is made by Aerobic Life.


Hi,

I have used Mag07 a few times and it worked well for me. I actually just ordered another bottle from Amazon.

Judy


----------



## kikiveronica

Thanks Judy. I am going to try taking 3 pills tonight. How many have you taken in the past?


----------



## irongrl

kikiveronica said:


> Thanks Judy. I am going to try taking 3 pills tonight. How many have you taken in the past?


You're welcome. I started with 3, then went up to 5. I felt like 5 was a good dose for me, but others might be more sensitive to it and not require as much. Starting with 3 is a good idea.


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## kikiveronica

Hi! I tried searching this forum but posts were quite old. Does anyone currently use Mastic Gum, and does it help with either IBS and/or C? I just started taking it.


----------



## Dikeman

I have found comfort in watching joseph prince sermons on you tube.
Four hours a day or more relaxes my bowels


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## Feste18

Miserableme. Osmostics are a kind of laxative, though not a stimulant. It works by drawing water to the bowels. Miralax is an osmotic laxative.


----------



## Chloe123

What about Metamucil. I've been using it for a long time. Is it time to try something else?


----------



## hihi28

Worked...

non meds: Drinking lots of water in one go, drinking hot water, drinking coffee

Meds:

-SIBO treatment course of antibiotics with Zir-fos probiotics ----this changed my life and improved situation by a ton

-Meteospasmyl : another life saver my ibs c is totally managable if start taking meteospasmyl as soon as flare ups come up

-Alevian duo

Didn´t work:

meditation, excesive exercise, yoga, espaven, lactulose, certain probiotics,metamucyl,


----------



## flossy

*"The Great List of Remedies that I have personally tried"*

I wanted to put all the stuff I've tried for my IBS-C that I can remember.

Here we go:

Different kinds of *magnesium* - magnesium doesn't work for me but does for most. Recommended.

*Stool softeners* - work

*Aloe gels* - didn't work for my chronic constipation (CC) but definitely soothes the intestines. Recommend for that (I took two gels, twice a day).

*Peppermint pills* - didn't work for my CC but might have given me fresh breath (or at least fresh burps







).

*Probiotics* - tried several different brands and types. I do* not* recommend probiotics for people with CC. Most of the time they will make the condition worse, but not always.

*Senna* - works

*Franklin Formulas* - these were tried by bunch of us on this board. For both IBS-C & D. They barely did anything by themselves. I don't think they are available anymore.

*Olive oil* - tried drinking this a few times a day, every day. Didn't help.

*Soluble and insoluble fiber* - tried both kinds several times, they both make about 80% of us on this side of the board (CC) - including myself - even more constipated. If extra fiber clears up your CC? Congratulations, you are off the hook. If not? Fiber is a menace.

*Apple cider vinegar* - I heard if one takes about a shot glass worth of this - mixed with water, twice a day, it will help with one's CC. Well, it didn't work, but ACV has a LOT of other uses. Google if interested. P.S. I still do a couple of diluted shots a day of it.

*Colloidal silver* - tried a tablespoon a day, didn't work for my CC. I still take it though, it's a good source of energy, etc.

*Erythromycin* - You need a prescription for this. It did help with my CC. Somewhat recommended.

*Water*, and lots of it. Didn't do a thing except make me have to urinate more. And speaking of urine...

*Urine therapy* - Drinking my own urine for about a week didn't help with my CC. Yes, I will try anything. And speaking of anything...

*Fecal transplants (aka FMT's)* - I tried two of these myself, both rectally and with pills. Neither helped at all, but I did them incorrectly. However FMT's do show some promise of a real cure, especially for those with IBS-D... but I don't have that. The IBS-C FMT cure rate (30%) is not nearly as high as the IBS-D cure rate (80%), but I'm thinking that both these figures may be inflated?

*Miralax *- I took this on and off for months at a time. It's definitely better than nothing, I'd rate it about a C+ as far as its effectiveness. Very popular/somewhat recommended.

*Prune juice *- Just a small cup of this will give me diarrhea. It works for most people who suffer from CC, but not everyone. Recommended.

*Chicken soup, garlic & onion style *- I have a bowl of my chicken soup pretty much every day, it definitely helps with my BM's. Recommended. The ingredients and directions are here, if interested: http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/197729-chicken-brown-rice-soup-recipe-good-for-the-tummy-area/

*Alcohol *- Several people have posted after a night of a few drinks? No CC the following morning. Even though I've been clean & sober over 21 years now? Hell yes I'd drink a beer or two a night to get rid of this. So I had one beer. Result? More constipation the next day (sighs). Definitely worth a try though.

*Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula # 1 *- I've been on this for almost 3 years now, it's my fav. All natural, herbal, made by a real doctor. And I can and do eat anything I want on it. *Recommended.*

*Enemas *- Definitely worth trying, recommended. They make me have to urinate like crazy afterwards so I really don't like giving myself them, but they definitely help.

*Vegetarianism *- I've read quite a few success stories here with going vegetarian. It's definitely worth a try.

*Prayer* - I had to add this to the list. I don't know anyone who has been cured of CC through prayer, including myself. I feel weird saying this as I am a Born Again Christian, but it is the truth. And yes, I still pray all the time to be cured and it's still a no go - at least so far. Still? Worth trying.

*Fasting* - I did my first 7 day fast a couple of weeks ago. Just water. It didn't cure me of my IBS-C but it was a great experience and I still have health benefits from doing it. I will do another one sometime in the future when I have the time. Definitely recommended. If interested: 'The Fasting Cure' by Upton Sinclair. This book is 107 years old. Free to read on PDF right here: http://apache2.pum.edu.pl/~fasting/upton.pdf

I think both FMT's and fasting have the best chances of us actually being cured. Intestinal Formula # 1 is best at treating the condition successfully. My two cents.

Good luck everybody!


----------



## Nuffa

I agree with everything flossy said except that probiotics seem to help me. Also eating vegetable soup daily helps too.


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## flossy

Nuffa said:


> I agree with everything flossy said except that probiotics seem to help me. Also eating vegetable soup daily helps too.


I didn't add my infamous soup to the list. Should I have?


----------



## Nuffa

Yupp. Vegetable soup is easy to digest and makes a noticable difference to my c.


----------



## Chloe123

Anyone tried Black strap molasses? Seems to be working for me. I was using Bran Buds on my doc's advice but they were too irritating. Now that I got off them I find myself constipated. Now I'm giving the molasses and apple cider vinegar a try.


----------



## flossy

Nuffa said:


> Yupp. Vegetable soup is easy to digest and makes a noticable difference to my c.


Okay, I updated that, included my soup and added two more items that I remembered (page 7, if interested).


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## Nuffa

Didnt have my soup yesterday. Much more difficult and incomplete bm. Go figure. Thanks flossy!


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## flossy

Nuffa said:


> Didnt have my soup yesterday. Much more difficult and incomplete bm. Go figure. Thanks flossy!


If you weren't so far away I would bring you some of mine!

P.S. No incomplete evacuations since my fast. (I don't know if this will last though.) Still not getting cold nor fatigue after my BM's either. Good!


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## Nuffa

I thought the exact same thing, flossy. Wed be soup 🍜 buddies!


----------



## sane1147

The only prescription medicine I have had results with is Misoprostol.

Tried lactulose and miralax.
Also tried milk of magnesia.
Those three gave me pain and no movements.


----------



## annie7

oh yes--thanks for mentioning misoprostol.

i took it for a while. it does work. just a caution--it's not something a woman should take if she is pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2036.1997.00237.x/pdf


----------



## Magster

Swiss Kriss! And BOAT breakfast by Dr Oz. Good quality coffee with that only when constipated. 
If all that is slow working then I add a peanut butter smoothie. Then bam! 
Realize this takes all day and I work from home.


----------



## SmokeyJoe

I am new to the group. I have suffered with this for about 7 months now. Had colonoscopy which was clean. I have had one acupuncture treatment which was amazing and intend to continue. The pain went from about a 7 down to 1 or 2. Energy levels shot up. Controlling this with Heather's tummy fiber (2 teaspoons morning and evening). Also take 100 mg Colace morning and night. Get good BMs from this. My wife, unfortunately told me to try Miralax, which I took tonight and then read about it's side effects so I won't be using that anymore. I take 35 billion probiotic every morning. I also take SAM-E for anxiety and depression. My diet is fairly normal for me since it is already wheat free and gluten free; dairy free; soy free. I eat salads two out of 4 days and steamed veggies on the other days, along with protein; moderate fats; coconut oil and coconut manna. My wife makes flaxseed crackers that I eat for snacks. Several teas without caffeine. That's it.


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## Barglenpl

The most helpful thing I have tried is slippery elm capsules. I take one each morning and evening. Sometimes I even have normal days.


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## wgbutler

Barglenpl said:


> The most helpful thing I have tried is slippery elm capsules. I take one each morning and evening. Sometimes I even have normal days.


I recently ordered some slippery elm capsules from Amazon. I've been taking 3 capsules in mid-morning and 3 capsules in mid-afternoon for about 2 days. So far, I haven't noticed any real tangible improvements, which is kind of disappointing. Various people in the Amazon reviews said it also helped with GERD, which I also happen to have, but so far I haven't noticed any dramatic improvement there either.

Did you have to take the capsules for awhile before you noticed positive results?


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## annie7

i tried slippery elm for several months hoping it would help with my C but it didn't. maybe it's one of those YMMV things.

one thing to remember, though-- slippery elm can slow or inhibit the absorption of other meds and should therefore be taken 2 hours before or after other medications.

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/alternative-meds-update/slippery-elm-an-effective-anti-inflammatory-agent/article/492890/


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## stefan00790

SmokeyJoe said:


> I am new to the group. I have suffered with this for about 7 months now. Had colonoscopy which was clean. I have had one acupuncture treatment which was amazing and intend to continue. The pain went from about a 7 down to 1 or 2. Energy levels shot up. Controlling this with Heather's tummy fiber (2 teaspoons morning and evening). Also take 100 mg Colace morning and night. Get good BMs from this. My wife, unfortunately told me to try Miralax, which I took tonight and then read about it's side effects so I won't be using that anymore. I take 35 billion probiotic every morning. I also take SAM-E for anxiety and depression. My diet is fairly normal for me since it is already wheat free and gluten free; dairy free; soy free. I eat salads two out of 4 days and steamed veggies on the other days, along with protein; moderate fats; coconut oil and coconut manna. My wife makes flaxseed crackers that I eat for snacks. Several teas without caffeine. That's it.


Iam so sorry that you've turned down that fast Miralax but i've been on it for 2 years it works like a charm without any sideeffects it is not absorbable powder or liquid when mixed with try to take with PEG - 4000 weight molecular because its even less absorbable (99.9999999998 % ) goes into your colon undigested and if digested a 0.01 % it is going in urine iam taking in it with Senna teas or Dr.Shultz which works like crazy .


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## flossy

Garlic definitely helps with my BM's. I made some great spaghetti sauce the other day with plenty of garlic and onions (they help also) in it and go a lot the day after. Garlic also tastes great and is great for ya. It also will most likely make your breath really bad







, but I try to remember to stand clear of everyone a day or two after consuming it.*










* 20 to 25 feet away, at least.


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## 178042

I have a full page semi miracle type cure working for me posted on herre that I urge everyone with c to try. Here is the short version. I was on Linzess and every other stimulant/laxative as in senna tea, Dr Schultz intestinal formula, milk of mag Miralax etc etc

Heres what is working for me
1. 500 mg magnesium oxide at bed. Not the other magnesiums. Most are absorbed too well with the exception of citrate. Oxide is the best for making water stay in the intestines while sleeping because its so poorly absorbed. Thats what you want for ibs c . If not 500 up it to 750-1000mg/ play with the right amount

2. I drink decaf coffee in the morning. I never drank coffee before but it gives me an urge many times and the magnesium keeps you soft.

3. My miracle concoction- discovered Himalayan sea salt flush. Works every time. 1 teaspoon of sea salt mixed with 1 pint of warm water. Doesnt have to be pink Himalayan but its the purest around and lots of natural needed minerals in it. Dont use regular iodized table salt. Wont work or wont work as good as its full of chemicals. Buy sea salt at Walmart... its $5 a pound, or amazon or Ebay or whole foods etc.

Just mix it and drink it down all at once. I chase it with some swigs of cold water after. You go within 20 to 30 mins. It completely flushes you out. The good news is it doesnt bind to receptors in your intestines like Linzess does and make you feel sick all day after. It just flushes you out like a garden hose. Youre ready to carry on with your day 45 mins to hour later. Please read my whole post on this called my $5 miracle. Hope this helps you all. Try it. The sea salt is natural, safe and effective, and doesnt make you feel sick all day after, like Linzess, senna or aloe juice or milk of magnesium or ducolax does to me. Its just a natural non laxative stimulant sea salt from the ocean I asked my Gastro he said go for it, its great to use &#128123; its worked every time for me. If you have high blood pressure ask your doctor but each teaspoon is under 1700mg which is way below the 3400mg average a day humans take in for salt. I did read if you use it often it could cause an electrolyte imbalance but I hear that about everything on here including a colonic. If worried about it then drink some Gatorade that replaces electrolytes. The one that is not g3. G3 containes sorbitol the fake sugar alcohol that makes ibs spasms worse. Good luck &#128123;


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## sane1147

Here is a "crazy" idea: has anyone tried breastmilk? There are milk banks where all the donors are screened. Mother's milk passes all sorts of antibodies and digestive stuff. Could it "reboot" our GI system?


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## Dannyboy8945

I've had ibs c for 18 years so I thought I would share my emergency plan when my maintenance plan fails. This does make me feel ill in other ways though but it does clear me out within 3-4 days and puts me back to normal within a week. So I take the risk. I'm new to the forum and I know this routine works for me but I'm also looking for advice into what harm it could do to me.

If I feel really bad and backed up, i first of change up my diet: soups fruits and veg snacking on sugars and salts and drinking 4-8 litres of water and some electrolytes. It's really hard to do but I presume that my body just cannot handle digesting full meals at this point . Add to that 8 movicol(miralax) in the morning , 2 miralax predinner with a constella and I feel awful. But after lots of water comes out My bowel feels better on the first day.The idea is to take enough osmotic laxatives before a meal so that the meal itself stimulates a BM.If I find that this didn't work then I may take some magnesium citrate before bed also. I do this for no more than 2-3 days tapering up at the start with the movicol and down again on the last day.As soon as I feel cleared out I stop taking laxatives for the remainder of that day. Then when I return to normal again I usually have the bm I wanted : thicker in consistency and It just "feels" like I am completely cleared out. After all this I feel weak , dizzy , blurred vision , weight loss.etc . I've also noticed undigested food passing through also but in a few days I'm usually fine again and 7 days later I'm normal. I think this has caused me to have electrolyte imbalance symptoms in the past so please don't try this if you are not used to taking the amount of laxatives that I am used to. Luckily I have found a new plan that helps me maintain my Ibsc on a daily basis so I don't need to do this so often. Enemas don't work too well for me and I don't like using them,and I am afraid to use stimulant laxatives .


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## 178042

Dannyboy8945 said:


> Ive had ibs c for 18 years so I thought I would share my emergency plan when my maintenance plan fails. This does make me feel ill in other ways though but it does clear me out within 3-4 days and puts me back to normal within a week. So I take the risk. Im new to the forum and I know this routine works for me but Im also looking for advice into what harm it could do to me.
> 
> If I feel really bad and backed up, i first of change up my diet: soups fruits and veg snacking on sugars and salts and drinking 4-8 litres of water and some electrolytes. Its really hard to do but I presume that my body just cannot handle digesting full meals at this point . Add to that 8 movicol(miralax) in the morning , 2 miralax predinner with a constella and I feel awful. But after lots of water comes out My bowel feels better on the first day.The idea is to take enough osmotic laxatives before a meal so that the meal itself stimulates a BM.If I find that this didnt work then I may take some magnesium citrate before bed also. I do this for no more than 2-3 days tapering up at the start with the movicol and down again on the last day.As soon as I feel cleared out I stop taking laxatives for the remainder of that day. Then when I return to normal again I usually have the bm I wanted : thicker in consistency and It just feels like I am completely cleared out. After all this I feel weak , dizzy , blurred vision , weight loss.etc . Ive also noticed undigested food passing through also but in a few days Im usually fine again and 7 days later Im normal. I think this has caused me to have electrolyte imbalance symptoms in the past so please dont try this if you are not used to taking the amount of laxatives that I am used to. Luckily I have found a new plan that helps me maintain my Ibsc on a daily basis so I dont need to do this so often. Enemas dont work too well for me and I dont like using them,and I am afraid to use stimulant laxatives .


Did you read my concoction? I was taking Miralax like u. Made me feel aweful I found out after process of elimination. I havent taken Miralax in 6 months. I have ibs c for 1 1/2 years now and I was on Miralax, linzess, aloe juice, prune juice, and senna tea etc etc. I quit them all. Took Miralax every day along with fiber supplements and every other laxative. Now, I take 500-700 mg of magnesium oxide in tablet form before bed. It keeps you soft inside but not enough to give you an urge while sleeping. I then drink a cup of coffee which I never drank before like most people do daily . Just didnt care for it . The coffee a lot of times is enough to stimulate me to have an urge and the magnesium from the night before keeps you soft. You should try it if you havent already. If this doesnt work I drink 12 0z of warm sea salt water after. It works in 30 mins like clockwork. It completely flushes you out naturally with sea salt and water and no laxatives. Try it. I discovered it 2 months ago and people trying it say its working for them too after years of spending thousands and every laxative known. Another thing Ive used that works is powered magnesium hydroxide. I bought a bag for $10 off amazon or Ebay. Itll last a year. 1/2 teaspoon mixed with water or juice will make you go. So I have 2 back up plans that are working if coffee and magnesium supplement arent working. Try my plan. The salt water flush does make my intestines sore after from all the water flushing out of you but it doesnt make you sick and is natural from the earth. Its worth the soreness. I wrote up a long 1 page blog about it on here.


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## sweetbee01

sane1147 said:


> Here is a "crazy" idea: has anyone tried breastmilk? There are milk banks where all the donors are screened. Mother's milk passes all sorts of antibodies and digestive stuff. Could it "reboot" our GI system?


breast milk has been used for all kinds of cures from pink eye to healing wounds etc. Also it stops babies from getting constipated I believe. If people are willing to try fecal transplants or pills why not breastmilk?


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## saira

Can someone advise on what dose of milk of magnesia to use for it to work?


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## annie7

well, i needed the full capful of it but, like anything, YMMV.


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## saira

I was using two tablespoons of milk of magnesia and it worked really well for one week then stopped completely. Should i up it to four tablespoons? Im guessing once i up the dose it will eventually stop working after a bit.


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## annie7

yes, you could try that.


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## IBS-C-girl

Hi yall! Im new to the group! Been constipated 24/7 for 2 years. just recently got GERD and Im now on Prilosec which is making the constipation even worse. Bummer.

The Slippery Elm and coffee combination has helped me more than anything else ever has. They sell it at most health food stores, and I take about 4 capsules every morning with a cup of black coffee and I go to the bathroom almost instantly, but its not diarreah, its just a normal poop. Now that I have GERD, I cant drink coffee, but Roobios tea helps (not as great as coffee) to go along with my Slippery elm routine. I take it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and the hot coffee or tea helps dissolve it because it becomes a slippery coating on your intestines. My doctor told me about slippery elm and Its been my holy grail the past 2 years.


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## Gooby

elm00 said:


> And one more thought; I have read at this forum that many of you with C, eat foods that actually are fodmap-food...for example prunes (as much as i know)...are forbidden... Does this mean that pure Fodmap diet is not completely suitable for the IBS-C because it doesn't help it much enough...?


It seems to me that FODMAPS are to be avoided for those with IBS-D, but not IBS-C. Inulin and FOS are FODMAPS but they work great for me.

Another thing I would like to add to this list are resistant starches like raw unmodified potato starch mixed into cold water (never cooked) and raw green banana (the greener the better, or get the raw green banana flour and mix it into cold water). These both feed the butyrate producing bacteria in your colon very well. When I'm at the grocery store, if all they have out are the ripe yellow bananas then I ask them if they have any of the really green bananas in the back, and they will bring some out for me. Resistant starches literally resist digestion in the small intestine and end up in the colon where they get fermented by butyrate producing bacteria.


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## Gooby

sweetbee01 said:


> breast milk has been used for all kinds of cures from pink eye to healing wounds etc. Also it stops babies from getting constipated I believe. If people are willing to try fecal transplants or pills why not breastmilk?


There is quite a bit of renewed interest in human milk ogliosaccharides (HMOs) and particularly one known as 2 FL which is 2' Fucosyllactose.

In this study they gave adults a supplement containing it to shift the microbes back into a more favorable composition...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5082288/


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## Gooby

flossy said:


> Garlic definitely helps with my BM's. I made some great spaghetti sauce the other day with plenty of garlic and onions (they help also) in it and go a lot the day after. Garlic also tastes great and is great for ya. It also will most likely make your breath really bad
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> , but I try to remember to stand clear of everyone a day or two after consuming it.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> * 20 to 25 feet away, at least.


You might be interested to know that both garlic and onions are very high in inulin and FOS. They are a natural way to get inulin and FOS into your diet, so you are probably a good candidate for using inulin and FOS to reduce constipation issues.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods


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## flossy

Gooby said:


> You might be interested to know that both garlic and onions are very high in inulin and FOS. They are a natural way to get inulin and FOS into your diet, so you are probably a good candidate for using inulin and FOS to reduce constipation issues.
> 
> https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods


Thanks for the info, Gooby!


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## TooOld4This

Hi, Newbie here. When I was first diagnosed it was called slow motility. The doctor had me take Betaine Hydrochloride (HCL) before each meal. It's a digestive enzyme. Doc started with a charcoal test to see how long it took for food to pass through my system. He couldn't believe the 7 days results, so he had me do the test again. Same results: 7 days. Then he had me swallow a small transmitter that read stomach acids on an empty stomach. Had me drink 1 oz bicarbonate which was supposed to be equal to eating an apple. The acid levels plummeted as expected, but didn't recover as normal. He gave me an acid tablet after 1/2 hour, still no improvement in reading. Gave me a second acid tablet 1/2 hour later and finally the stomach acids came up to normal. thus the Betaine HCL before meals. It really helped.

Doesn't cure IBS-C, but it sure resolved some of the problem.


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## flossy

Has anyone ever tried Mutaflor? It is actually a form of e. coli.....Oh, I bet that might very well work for IBS-C. It's banned here in the USA (of course), and expensive. I'd definitely try it if I had the money.

Article:

https://injuryhealthblog.com/mutaflor-the-miracle-probiotic-thats-hard-to-get/

Where to buy it:

https://feelgoodnatural.com/shop/digestion/mutaflor-sale-60-caps-30-days-supply/?c=e6574c964bd7

Company website:

https://www.mutaflor.com/index.html


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## annie7

that name sounded familiar to me so i did a board search on it. there are a number of posts about it.

hopefully someone who's tried it will answer your post here.


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## flossy

annie7 said:


> that name sounded familiar to me so i did a board search on it. there are a number of posts about it.
> 
> hopefully someone who's tried it will answer your post here.


From what I've read it's good for C & A, but not D so much.


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## stefan00790

When i was traveling i had an oppurtunity to try this , and as far as i can say it kinda helps i've told them to give me sample 3 caps or more in order to try so , To be honest over three days it kinda works as it stimulates peristalisis i could feel it because i was cramping after taking it in duration of three days and over those three days 1 day i had 1 BM , second i had half and not much 0.5 BM , and the third i had nothing so as far as i can say in comparison to stimulants and osmotics i don't think so that it is comparable for that price i know it didn't work so well i mean for the price and the efficacy of it i can see it is not that much affordable . Other things i wanna mention another herb if some of you wanna try its called Rhamnus Frangula ( latin ) or Alber Buckthorn , i guess this is another good herb you can check it out

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-850/alder-buckthorn

other alternative i was using to bisacodyl was in my coutntry one tea for constipation it wass really working . Good luck


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## flossy

*Probiotics labelled 'quite useless'*

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45434753


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## MarsRover

Trapped gas has been a problem for me. It's in there bubbling around, but it's having a hard time finding the exit. I've been taking IBgard, a peppermint oil capsule that dissolves in the gut rather than the stomach, and it has helped me pass gas. With the unexpected benefit of a fresh, minty aroma. 😁


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## deactivatedCas9

Flour free diet. Not just gluten free. NO flour of any kind!


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## deactivatedCas9

saira said:


> Can someone advise on what dose of milk of magnesia to use for it to work?


30 to 45 mL (that is, 2 to 3 Tbsp)


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## deactivatedCas9

sweetbee01 said:


> breast milk has been used for all kinds of cures from pink eye to healing wounds etc. Also it stops babies from getting constipated I believe. If people are willing to try fecal transplants or pills why not breastmilk?


I don't think I'd try breast milk. I do eat sheep's milk yogurt though and that is the only dairy I can tolerate so it is helpful as a natural source of calcium and probiotics. I don't do well with any of those vegan yogurt substitutes (almondmilk yogurt, soy yogurt etc.)


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## deactivatedCas9

Xxyyzz said:


> What works best for me is vitamin C powder, taken with a glass of water on an empty stomache, first thing in the morning. It works as a stool softener. It should be buffered with calcium, magnesium and kalium, otherwise one gets deficient in those minerals. I take Thorne Research Buffered C Powder.


Yes, vitamin C has helped me too. I used the buffered Calcium Ascorbate Ester-C brand by American Health. 500 mg 3 times a day. I don't take the kind with bioflavonoids though because I have citric acid intolerance so I have trouble with citrus and even with things extracted from citrus.


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## ABNormal

I recently started getting Upper Cervical Chiropractic adjustments that use sound waves. It has really helped me because it concentrates on the axis which is below the skull. The Vegas nerve goes through there and that directly affects the colon.


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## sane1147

Finally found the combination that really works for me. Misoprostal (again the pregnancy warning), docusate sodium, and a potassium supplement. It took a while for me to figure out that with all the dietary restrictions I was getting close to zero of any sort of salts.

Hope it helps, Jesus loves us.


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## wgbutler

What potassium supplement do you use?


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## sane1147

I just use whatever store brand potassium supplement is on the shelf, nothing special. I had tried all three medications separately with limited success.


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## partytown

L-Arginine (2000mg per day) is the only thing that has worked consistently for me so far (IBS-C with slow transit / colonic inertia). Tried every laxative, pill, diet, enema, vitamin, suppository under the sun for almost a year.


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## Gooby

OKRA! I wanted to add one thing that is simple, cheap, not tasty but okay, and seems to be making smooth stools that stay together and pass in one long piece like stools are supposed to be: okra.

I find it in the frozen vegetables section of my local grocery store. I get the bags of cut okra. I use one bag per day with my evening meal. I can literally see the okra seeds in my stool the next morning.

I think it has something to do with the slimy substance that okra contains. I think the good bacteria like that slimy substance and react well to it.

It seems to keep the stool soft and in one piece so it all evacuates at the same time.

I still take inulin and nutraflora FOS everyday, too, to keep feeding my good bacteria. I also added a butyric acid supplement that I take once a day with a meal. I think many of us have had problems with antibiotics that may have weakened or killed off many of the bacteria which are supposed to produce butyric acid (butyrate) in our colons, so I add it back into my diet along with the foods that the remaining good bacteria use to make butyrate (inulin and FOS and resistant starch).

Anyways, I just thought I would pass this info along to you still struggling.

I am no longer constipated. I test how long it takes for food I eat to pass in stools by once a week eating whole kernel corn. I can then see the corn pass in my stool the very next morning, so my transit time is only one day. Which is excellent for me. So much better than it was. And my stools are no longer hard and difficult to pass.

Unfortunately, this seems to be a lifelong thing for me. When I stop taking my supplements and special food items, my constipation and hard stools return.

To sum it up, I take these daily: okra, inulin, FOS, raw unmodified potato starch mixed into cold water. It doesn't cost a lot, and they seem to work well for me.


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## Gooby

oops! I fogot to add sodium butyrate to that list of things I take daily.


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## annie7

a doctor's advice on taking go-lytely in small quantities on a daily basis for those with severe chronic constipation:.

https://www.heritagevalley.org/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTgvMDEvMzEvMTN5YWxjY2FhX0hWTUdfUm9zZW1hbl9Hb0xZVEVMWV9DaHJvbmluX0NvbnN0aXBhdGlvbi5wZGYiXV0/HVMG_Roseman_GoLYTELY%20Chronin%20Constipation.pdf


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## kevina74

Hello all. I've tried Oxy-Powder, which contains ozonated magnesium oxide, and have found it to be effective. What I like about it is that it does not damage the intestinal flora. And unlike milk of magnesia it doesn't pull salt from the blood into the intestines, which can cause an electrolyte imbalance over time. Theoretically, it can be used long term without causing damage or dependence. In fact they told me that the tests they ran showed that the good bacteria flourished with the extra oxygen it provided, while the bad bacteria did not. I was worried that I would be getting too much magnesium into my system, but they said it is very poorly absorbed by the body and the vast majority of it is eliminated out. In fact, they told me I could take regular magnesium supplements with it. The only downside is it is a little pricey and goes pretty fast if you use if often, but it's a small price to pay for a little relief. You can find it on GlobalHealingCenter.com or Amazon.

Hydro-C Colonic Moisturizer works just as well as Oxy-Powder and lasts longer too. It contains vitamin c, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. You can find it at gutSense.org

Fiber works for some, but not for everyone. Psyllium husk has never done much for me, but taking a product called Raw Fiber, which contains a big blend of different things, did help sometimes. You can find it on Amazon.

Stress, this one is not mentioned much. The gut is called the second brain and your brain and gut do communicate with each other. Stress and emotions can affect the digestion system. Work on managing stress, relaxing more, enjoying life. I know easier said than done sometimes. But I think we can get so focused on our problems that it contributes, in part, to them. It becomes a vicious cycle.


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## nikki-m

kevina74 said:


> Hello all. I've tried Oxy-Powder, which contains ozonated magnesium oxide, and have found it to be effective. What I like about it is that it does not damage the intestinal flora. And unlike milk of magnesia it doesn't pull salt from the blood into the intestines, which can cause an electrolyte imbalance over time. Theoretically, it can be used long term without causing damage or dependence. In fact they told me that the tests they ran showed that the good bacteria flourished with the extra oxygen it provided, while the bad bacteria did not. I was worried that I would be getting too much magnesium into my system, but they said it is very poorly absorbed by the body and the vast majority of it is eliminated out. In fact, they told me I could take regular magnesium supplements with it. The only downside is it is a little pricey and goes pretty fast if you use if often, but it's a small price to pay for a little relief.


I use oxypowder every night and I use it in conjunction with mag citrate and linzess (all under the guidance of my GI doc- he is doing blood tests and having me drink electrolyte solutions so i don't get an imbalance). but yes, i have found oxypowder to be effective.


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## Robtibs

Oxypowder? like in the laundry section? How? Mixed with water? How much?

My colons almost totally dead. I've not read of anyone who's had in's so long. I really think the stimulants did it, until there wasn't any energy left. Now hard pressed to get that overwhelming urge. But I need to ask users about Trulance. I'm shocked. It's just as expensive as linzess. Is there a difference?


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## Robtibs

Are you saying that you take mag citrate before you sleep? I have liquid and I'm afraid to take it until I'm near a bathroom.


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## kevina74

Robtibs said:


> Oxypowder? like in the laundry section? How? Mixed with water? How much?


On Amazon it's $30 for 60 capsules and $47 for 120 capsules. It's in pill form, you just drink with water. They say to start with 4 capsules and then adjust from there. I have found 2 capsules work fairly good for me. Any more and things tend to be too soft.


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## Long Timer

hi - great idea...things that have worked for me Dr natura colon cleanse, probiomax df, Low dose Naltraxone, steamed vegetables, eat an avocado a day, take 3-4 tablespoons of good oil...olive, avocado...also..900mg of vitamin c...i take two occasionally. Taking Linzess 72 now...really sucks. No sugar, fructose corn syrup, onions, alcohol...


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## 223060

Thanks everyone. I think stuff is starting to work. I've been taking 600mg of chelated magnesium a day. It's a lot but I figured why not. I think that's softening my stool and helping my mood a bit. I also have homemade kefir I make everyday, so I've been trying to consistently drink in a smoothie with chia seeds, almond milk, frozen blueberries, a little lemon, other fruit sometimes.

I also find that drinking warm water helps. I've had a consistent BM the last three days when in the morning I have a cup of coffee while also drinking a warm cup of water along with it. I can't believe it works but it's that plus all the other stuff I'm doing. Oh, also have been taking Citrucel daily. I still feel a bit bloaty but it's almost a miracle that the last three days I've had a BM, because before this I relied on an enema once a week.


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## Long Timer

Hi - been suffering with this constipation issue for 35 years and it kept getting worse and worse over the years....got C-diff after a bout with antibiotics...bled bad,,,colitis, internal hemorrhoids &#8230; lost 35lbs, and really thought I was going to die. GI Doc put me on Linzess 290mg...bout killed me...suffered down to the 145mg finally but the side effects still loomed. Several bms a day and night...no relief....incomplete evacuation...bleeding hemorrhoids...

I have tried many supplements that you folks have been listing and they work but fall short after a few days...with the Linzess 145.

Finally, I started working with Cleveland Clinic for Functional Medicine for the last 14 months...took 4 months to get an appointment...got $10k invested in all...I was that desperate...Did healing diets...stool analysis, blood tests, took all kind of vitamins and different supplements none really worked and always felt like I was still sick even on good days...

then I TOOK PROBIOMAX DF!!!!! A probiotic...I have taken many different probiotics and none really did anything... You gotta get a prescription but, if you are sick of this crap as much as I was DO THIS!!! Get Probiomax DF from Xymogen

It just might change your life!!!

If you get nothing else from this post GET this.

I still drink water, take psyillum fiber, eat good fats, eat fiber, eat organic as much as possible....and exercise. I dropped down to Linzess 72mg but I am going to start reducing them soon I Think.

Nothing worked for me like Probiomax DF...I know everyone is different...I know this sounds "sensational" but I am excited to share success and help maybe just one person...


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## GJMody

Have you tried motegrity aka prucalopride? It's worth a try. It's helping me with regards to constipation.


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## Gooby

As Flossy mentioned in several of the other threads on here, fasting (just drinking water and not eating anything) has been amazingly and surprisingly effective. I thought my CC problem had completely gone away and I got lazy and stopped taking anything for CC and over the holidays I ate a lot of white bread and cakes and pies, etc. Stuff I don't normally eat. Well, my CC came back again. I started taking various remedies that worked in the past and I would go back and forth from watery diarrhea on one end of the spectrum to hard pebble like stools that failed to fully leave my rectum without a great deal of effort.

I decided to try fasting. So, I did a colon cleanse to get everything out of there before I started the fasting. There are various methods to do this such as the prep for a colonoscopy, which is what I did. Everything came out until clear watery stools were coming out.

I then did not eat anything for a full week. It was lousy way to spend my vacation time, but it was worth it. I'm not sure how it works, but somehow it must have reset my colon back to normal functioning. I crossed my fingers when I had my first meal again and waited. The very next morning it came out as normal fully formed stool all at one time. No stragglers left behind in the rectum. It wasn't too hard, and it wastn't too soft. I looked like the shape of the lower colon.

Now every other week I do a shorter fasting method. I don't do the colonscopy prep before hand. I just stop eating from Thursday through Sunday, and it seems to be working. If I did a longer fast, I would certainly do the colonscopy prep before hand to empty out the colon. But with these shorter fasts, if they stay convenient for me, I can do them more often.

I wonder if anyone knows why this fasting works so well? I notice numerous religions practice it. I also notice that people who follow a keto or a paleo diet often praise fasting.

I may not work for everyone, but it might be worth a try for some of you reading this.


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## flossy

I fast once a week now, just for 24 hours straight. I like to call it 'Fasting Fridays." It definitely helps soften my BM's for the rest of the week. It's not hard to do either.


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## Wendyintucson

Although it never helped me, I've had Doctors tell me that caffeinated coffee works, I take Linzess daily & 400 mg in stool softener weekly, which has helped me


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## Gooby

flossy said:


> I fast once a week now, just for 24 hours straight. I like to call it 'Fasting Fridays." It definitely helps soften my BM's for the rest of the week. It's not hard to do either.


Glad to hear this. So far so good for me. If it works long term I will post in this thread about it. If it stops working I will post that too.


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## MT8

I am 45 years old. IBS-C all my life.
Miralax daily but not full dose is a great help. Find your correct dose. 
Heathers Fennel Tea
Avacado for constipation. Find your correct amount.

For Colitis:
I cannot stress enough how much SOURCE NATURALS Womens Life Force Multiple Vitamin (no iron formula) (also comes in mens form) put my colitis in remission for over 25 years and stopped my intestinal bleeding and inflammation. Against doctors advice, I came off Prednisone and Meds and started taking this vitamin and it cleared up the blood and inflammation ever since.


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## kellytan

TheOutlookChild said:


> Ive been taking traditional chinese medecine and I have to say......its magical. If you can find a practioner, check them out.


Yes. I agreed with this option. I have IBS-C since July 2020. Have been trying stool softener, probiotic, magnesium and plenty of fruits and vegetables. I find that all these weaken my body and decided to switch to TCM. In Singapore, I am lucky to have to access to many Chinese TCM physicians.

After one month of treatment with acupunctures and herbal medicines, I feel better but still not totally recovered yet. The only concern of TCM is the cost. TCM is slow but costly, it may take a few months to see progress. And not all TCM physician is skillful. It cost me about 100 USD per week.

TCM will usually treat as a whole and find the root cause of the problem. For constipations, they will find out what is the cause and will help you to strengthen the organs that are weak. It is a slow process, they also prescribed some herbs to help you go but it is not laxative.

I am not sure about your countries charges of TCM physicians or maybe it is not covered under your insurance. But if you can, this is the area you can explored. Western medicine is very generalized whereas TCM is very personalized. I believe gut health is an area that everyone is different.

I am optimistic about my TCM physician because she has a patient recovered after six months of treatment. The patient was depending on senna for 10 years. Hope I am as lucky as this patient.

Appreciate the inputs from all of you and help me feel better that I am not fighting this problem alone.


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## Gooby

Gooby said:


> Glad to hear this. So far so good for me. If it works long term I will post in this thread about it. If it stops working I will post that too.


Well, unfortunately, I am back to say that after a nice long run, it has stopped working for me. I am going to clean myself out and give it another try. I did recently change unrelated (to constipation) medications for high blood pressure, and this may have been what stopped me up again. New prescription medication for high blood pressure.


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## Didi03

I use the Japanese water therapy method (Google it, its a thing in Japan that is apparently very commonplace) of drinking a lot of warm water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I have found that for me personally I need more than the usual recommended 640ml (about four glasses or just over a pint) and I now (after experimenting with different amounts) drink about 2.5 pints each morning and I find that it works like absolute MAGIC! And I love it because its totally natural. Personally I also have a tea before starting the water as I just need a tea first thing in the morning. Used to drink a normal English breakfast tea but recently I have switched to green tea (I use fresh tea leaves in a pot which I think taste so much better and I reckon would probably be more effective than bags) as I find it even more effective. I have been using this method daily for around the past 6 years and it is 99.9% effective I would say, only the odd occasion it doesnt work when Ive been bad with my eating for extended periods (like over Xmas) but I find that if I dont go I just fast that day (which for me is easy as when I dont go I dont get hungry at all) then the next day continue with water therapy in the morning and that usually sorts out the problem. Obviously its not the most convenient solution as it does take a bit of extra time (it takes me around 15-20 minutes to drink at quite a fast pace) and you have to plan for the fact that in an hour and then again another hour after that you are going to NEED to be near a loo or your bladder might burst. But for me personally the benefits far outweigh the negatives. Before I discovered this method I would not go or not go fully for days on end, now its every single morning. The only thing I dont always stick to with regards to the traditional method is not eating for 45 minutes afterwards as my schedule doesnt always allow for that, so on those days I may be missing out on the full benefits of the therapy but I find it doesnt cause any interference with my main goal of making sure I can go every day.


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## kellytan

Can give this a try. Potato juice cook under small fire until thicken, add in enough honey. Put into a jar and store in fridge. Morning take one spoonful and stir into a cup of warm water and drink on empty stomach. Drink it daily.

Another product to try is Emergen Vitamin C.


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## Hanging in

I can't add much positive here because I've tried many different things and nothing helps my constipation or bowel discomfort. Linzess works but gives me diarrhea (which I believe is actually a lot less volume if it were solid). I'm trying a Low FODMAP diet right now. We'll see. I have gotten a few ideas from this long section and I am thankful for that.

BTW, Miralax does nothing for me but I know it does work in ridiculously high amounts. GIs use this as a coloscopy prep and it works. But it's a ghastly process.


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## Tall52

Here is what has helped me the most after years of experimentation for C (IBS-C). I am new here and don't quite no why I didn't come across this forum sooner? Seems like there are more good suggestions for me to explore. So here I go. YMMV

#1 Hot coffee upon awakening

#2 3 tablespoons of whole black chia ground fine at breakfast time. Put one cup water in blender, start it up and dump the chia in and almost immediately gulp it down. In my experience chia is the best and most effective bulk forming fiber supplement which has some science behind it. IMO wheat bran is horrible, pyillium husk powder causes bloating, ground whole brown flax seed is very good but I don't think it is as effective as chia and chia has a higher percentage of fiber. Chia is king.

#3 Eat one or more of the very best laxative fresh fruits every day. At the very to top of the list are Kiwi, 3 kiwi fruits, one D'Anjou or Bartlett pear about 250 grams and 200 grams or more of fresh pineapple.

#4 Eat 1 1/3 cups of short grain brown rice or 2/3 cup of pinto beans every day.

#5 Take magnesium (Swanson triple mag complex) at night if needed. You might start with 800mg and go up or down, maybe up to 1200-1600 mg if one does not have kidney disease or any other reason not to take it.

The above are the everyday basics. Other suggestions are 3 or 4 dried or reconstituted Calimyrna figs, very good and dried or reconstituted prunes which work but I do not like how they feel. YMMV. Large meals can be helpful and an increase in tough crunchy fibrous feeling vegetables, specifically under cooked bok choy type vegetables and a big raw salad with deep green lettuce. Soaked dried Shitake mushrooms are excellent.

Now to address people who have been plugged up for days and for people for whom "nothing works". Once when I was in that situation I got a colema board. I was quite shocked and dismayed that the first 5 gallons of hot water got no results so I tried another 5 gallons and got stuff to finally come out. The hotter the better that is still safe and tolerable. Maybe 105F. Someone is saying up to 110F but I think that might be a bit too hot. Now on to the subject of stimulant laxatives.

Herbal stimulant laxatives can be very useful in the short term. Pretty sure that some recent info is out about how they can increase cancer risk in long term use. They often fail when used long term in mine and others experience. Chinese rhubarb powder grips less than many other preparations. While senna can work it often causes gripping. Aloe powder is like dynamite, use only rarely if ever.There was a senna granules product I think made by Senokot that worked so good for people that they were cryin' for their mamas when it was discontinued. Probably because some people choked on it so one has to be careful when taking it. It IMO is the best stimulant laxative preparation, effective if enough is taken, with little or no griping. This same or very near same product is called Agiolax Granules. That's it for now.


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## Tall52

Here is some of the science to back up my post on how to deal with this situation. From PUBMED. It is now easy to search PUBMED for randomized trials and clinical trials. Once you do a subject search you can then use the filters for RCT and Clinical trials.

Kiwi fruit: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17729399/ It is not just fiber from Kiwi, it has a laxative chemical also, as do pears and probably pineapple.

Chia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28000689/ Chia has higher viscosity than Flax

Pineapple (bromelain) https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ra/c7ra06109a#!divAbstract

Pears (sorbitol) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2122724/ Many fruits have sorbitol in them but to me pears as a food is very effective.


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## aries_wmn

Lemon juice, take along with whatever laxative works best for you. I add 1/4 a cup of lemon juice to water. If you drink lemon juice frequently, use a straw, as long term use can be bad for your teeth.


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## aries_wmn

Tall52 said:


> Here is some of the science to back up my post on how to deal with this situation. From PUBMED. It is now easy to search PUBMED for randomized trials and clinical trials. Once you do a subject search you can then use the filters for RCT and Clinical trials.
> 
> Kiwi fruit: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17729399/ It is not just fiber from Kiwi, it has a laxative chemical also, as do pears and probably pineapple.
> 
> Chia: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28000689/ Chia has higher viscosity than Flax
> 
> Pineapple (bromelain) https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/ra/c7ra06109a#!divAbstract
> 
> Pears (sorbitol) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2122724/ Many fruits have sorbitol in them but to me pears as a food is very effective.


Here's some more info about Kiwi:

https://www.monashfodmap.com/blog/two-kiwi-fruit-day-keep-constipation-bay/


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## Tall52

Wendyintucson said:


> Although it never helped me, I've had Doctors tell me that caffeinated coffee works, I take Linzess daily & 400 mg in stool softener weekly, which has helped me


Here is the discussion of constipation from the Life Extension Foundation. 






Constipation - Acute Constipation, Chronic Constipation - Life Extension


Both chronic and acute Constipation can be a significant source of discomfort. Constipation is diagnosed whenever bowel movements are difficult or painful.




www.drvitaminsolutions.com


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## Tall52

TheOutlookChild said:


> I wanted to start a comprehensive list of food, herbal, medical, and physical remedies that have helped people in the past. Anything that has worked for IBS-C. I am in a really bad bout right now and that is what I am looking for. Many people come to this site looking tfor information that can help when everything else fails so I thought this might be a good idea. I will start the list. Things that have worked for me at some point: Herbal: Senna Leaf. Medical: Lactulose, polyglycol 3350, Ducolax, copious amounts of sea salt water. Food: Hemp Hearts, Spinach, Licorice, Prunes, strawberries, watermelon. Physical: Extended walks.Stuff that did not work: Chlorella. Colostrum.



Article from LIfe Extension Foundatiion - "Unique Probiotic Prevents and Treats Constipation"





A Probiotic For Constipation - Life Extension


A probiotic speeds up colon transit time up to 57% and decreases chronic constipation by 42%. Read more in this article




www.lifeextension.com





science from PUBMED Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults - PubMed

Only product I see or see at a sane price is LEF's Daily Bowel Regularity


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## kellytan

Please relook the medicine you are taking like high blood pressure medicine. After suffering from chronic constipation for about a year, I am starting to suspect the high blood pressure medicine that I was taking close to a decade. After switching to another medicine, my constipation is gone.


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## Gooby

Which high blood pressure medicine was causing your constipation?


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## Gooby

Tall52 said:


> Article from LIfe Extension Foundatiion - "Unique Probiotic Prevents and Treats Constipation"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Probiotic For Constipation - Life Extension
> 
> 
> A probiotic speeds up colon transit time up to 57% and decreases chronic constipation by 42%. Read more in this article
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.lifeextension.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> science from PUBMED Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults - PubMed
> 
> Only product I see or see at a sane price is LEF's Daily Bowel Regularity


I was interested in the lactis probiotic you mentioned. Did it help you with regularity?

I will be adding kiwi and pears to my diet. Although pears are not usually available year round where I shop. I usually do see kiwi. Now I will buy some next time I see it. Thanks for the info.


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## Tall52

Gooby said:


> I was interested in the lactis probiotic you mentioned. Did it help you with regularity?
> 
> I will be adding kiwi and pears to my diet. Although pears are not usually available year round where I shop. I usually do see kiwi. Now I will buy some next time I see it. Thanks for the info.


 I haven't tried the B. lactis. I may soon. Never had luck with probiotics before. If you try it do get the exact strain. Quality pears are harder to come by all of a sudden and they have gone up in price. I suggest giving pineapple a try also, a fairly big portion. Kiwi might be the best of all fruits in my experience.


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## Tall52

Gooby said:


> I was interested in the lactis probiotic you mentioned. Did it help you with regularity?
> 
> I will be adding kiwi and pears to my diet. Although pears are not usually available year round where I shop. I usually do see kiwi. Now I will buy some next time I see it. Thanks for the info.





Tall52 said:


> I haven't tried the B. lactis. I may soon. Never had luck with probiotics before. If you try it do get the exact strain. Quality pears are harder to come by all of a sudden and they have gone up in price. I suggest giving pineapple a try also, a fairly big portion. Kiwi might be the best of all fruits in my experience.





Gooby said:


> I was interested in the lactis probiotic you mentioned. Did it help you with regularity?
> 
> I will be adding kiwi and pears to my diet. Although pears are not usually available year round where I shop. as I usually do see kiwi. Now I will buy some next time I see it. Thanks for the info.


Gooby, the reason I finely grind 3 tbls of black chia and put in in a swirling blender with about 1 cup water for a very short time is so I can get it down quick without having to eat slime. One other thing that I am having very good recent results with to have a wider and well formed stool is, on top of the 3 tbls of ground chia and magnesium at night is to eat 100 grams of raspsberries and a bannana at the same time. Well worth a try. I hope it keeps working. Tall52


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## Tall52

Tall52 said:


> Here is what has helped me the most after years of experimentation for C (IBS-C). I am new here and don't quite no why I didn't come across this forum sooner? Seems like there are more good suggestions for me to explore. So here I go. YMMV
> 
> #1 Hot coffee upon awakening
> 
> #2 3 tablespoons of whole black chia ground fine at breakfast time. Put one cup water in blender, start it up and dump the chia in and almost immediately gulp it down. In my experience chia is the best and most effective bulk forming fiber supplement which has some science behind it. IMO wheat bran is horrible, pyillium husk powder causes bloating, ground whole brown flax seed is very good but I don't think it is as effective as chia and chia has a higher percentage of fiber. Chia is king.
> 
> #3 Eat one or more of the very best laxative fresh fruits every day. At the very to top of the list are Kiwi, 3 kiwi fruits, one D'Anjou or Bartlett pear about 250 grams and 200 grams or more of fresh pineapple.
> 
> #4 Eat 1 1/3 cups of short grain brown rice or 2/3 cup of pinto beans every day.
> 
> #5 Take magnesium (Swanson triple mag complex) at night if needed. You might start with 800mg and go up or down, maybe up to 1200-1600 mg if one does not have kidney disease or any other reason not to take it.
> 
> The above are the everyday basics. Other suggestions are 3 or 4 dried or reconstituted Calimyrna figs, very good and dried or reconstituted prunes which work but I do not like how they feel. YMMV. Large meals can be helpful and an increase in tough crunchy fibrous feeling vegetables, specifically under cooked bok choy type vegetables and a big raw salad with deep green lettuce. Soaked dried Shitake mushrooms are excellent.
> 
> Now to address people who have been plugged up for days and for people for whom "nothing works". Once when I was in that situation I got a colema board. I was quite shocked and dismayed that the first 5 gallons of hot water got no results so I tried another 5 gallons and got stuff to finally come out. The hotter the better that is still safe and tolerable. Maybe 105F. Someone is saying up to 110F but I think that might be a bit too hot. Now on to the subject of stimulant laxatives.
> 
> Herbal stimulant laxatives can be very useful in the short term. Pretty sure that some recent info is out about how they can increase cancer risk in long term use. They often fail when used long term in mine and others experience. Chinese rhubarb powder grips less than many other preparations. While senna can work it often causes gripping. Aloe powder is like dynamite, use only rarely if ever.There was a senna granules product I think made by Senokot that worked so good for people that they were cryin' for their mamas when it was discontinued. Probably because some people choked on it so one has to be careful when taking it. It IMO is the best stimulant laxative preparation, effective if enough is taken, with little or no griping. This same or very near same product is called Agiolax Granules. That's it for now.


 Here is a spectacular addendum to my post on what has helped. In addition to the obligatory three tablespoons of whole black chia freshly ground, put in a cup of moving water in a blender for a very short time and gulped down quickly, the helpful but not necessarily obligatory 1.33 cups of short grain brown rice or 3/4 cups of pinto beans and the likely hood of an improvement from a general increase in fruit and vegetables raw or cooked still crunchy, the addition of 100g of thawed frozen raspberries and 100g of thawed frozen mango chunks (from Trader Joe's) taken together are producing the best movements in terms of amount, width, length and form on a pretty consistent basis so far than anything else in nearly 40 years at this. I will be in very good shape if not perfect if this continues to work over a longer time period. Just amazing results. I do almost never miss magnesium in the form of Swanson triple mag an night at a dose mostly at 1200mg.


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## gptan1000

Gooby said:


> Which high blood pressure medicine was causing your constipation?


co diovan


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## Gooby

After another infection, this time from dental work, and another round of antibiotics my chronic constipation came back and was worse than ever causing me bleeding hemorrhoids this time. My doctor ordered a colonoscopy to rule out cancer and fortunately they did not find any cancer, just hemorrhoids which went away on their own after I reduced my constipation problem again. I am retired now and able to tinker with various things and run to my bathroom as needed, so I am aware that many people will not be able to follow such a routine. I also realize that for many people on this forum, fiber simply will not work for them and may even make their situation much worse, so I put that disclaimer up as well. But now after several months of no constipation at all, and no laxatives of any kind being used, no miralax, no magnesium, no prunes or prune juice, etc., I feel safe in saying that for those people who can take fibers, this might work for you and significantly reduce or even eliminate your constipation all together. It has eliminated my constipation. I personally believe my constipation was from antibiotics disrupting my colon flora. So that is why this method works for me. It may not work for you if yours is not caused by antibiotics. With all that said I am going to list the probiotics and the prebiotics in descending order that I think make the most difference for me personally. I take all of these on a daily basis and my bowel movements are soft and easy to pass now and they smell heavily of butyrate. Which is supposedly able to reduce the chances of developing colon cancer. 

1. Miyarisan Clostridium butyricum probiotic tablets (from Japan) 1 tablet with each meal.
2. Resistant starch mixture (1 tablespoon each of raw potato starch, raw green banana flour, raw Hi Maize 260 Resistant Corn Starch mixed into a glass of water and swallowed down like a supplement).
3. 2 raw pitted dates per day.
4. Jarrow XOS + GOS 3 tablets per day.
5. Jarrow Inulin FOS (with Orafti Synergy 1 mixture of long chain inulin and short chain inulin) 1 tablespoon mixed in a glass of water per day.
6. Nutraflora FOS (short chain FOS) 1 tablespoon mixed in water per day.
7. Whole Foods 365 brand "Ancient Grains" bread or any bread that has a wide assortment of whole grains to feed the bacteria. 2 slices per day.
8. Trader Joe's mixed nut butter or any nut butter that has a wide variety of tree nuts, or make your own. 2 tablespoons per day.
9. Handful of mixed berries such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.


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## flossy

I saw this article a day or two ago:

*'Poop pill could be the secret to crushing it at the gym'*









Poop pill could be the secret to crushing it at the gym


Created by looking at the eco-systems of high-performing athletes, a new probiotic pill may be the key to handling certain diseases and lose weight.




nypost.com





The last paragraph someone with IBS said he's taken (or takes?) them and has no more IBS anymore.

I haven't tried it but may. 

Website link:









Nella Gut Health Probiotic for Digestion, Sleep, and Energy


Next-gen gut health probiotic supplement for digestion, sleep & energy in active adults; uniquely sourced from the microbiome of elite athletes.




nella.fitbiomics.com













Nella Probiotics by FITBIOMICS | Subscribe & Save or Buy Once


Build healthy habits with Nella, a premium probiotic for active adults made in the USA by FITBIOMICS. Get a monthly probiotic subscription or purchase once.




nella.fitbiomics.com


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## Gingeranddandelion

TheOutlookChild said:


> I wanted to start a comprehensive list of food, herbal, medical, and physical remedies that have helped people in the past. Anything that has worked for IBS-C. I am in a really bad bout right now and that is what I am looking for. Many people come to this site looking for information that can help when everything else fails so I thought this might be a good idea. I will start the list. Things that have worked for me at some point: Herbal: Senna Leaf. Medical: Lactulose, polyglycol 3350, Ducolax, copious amounts of sea salt water. Food: Hemp Hearts, Spinach, Licorice, Prunes, strawberries, watermelon. Physical: Extended walks.Stuff that did not work: Chlorella. Colostrum.


I’ve been taking the Arrae Bloat pill after meals for a couple of months. It worked well in the beginning and then stopped working. My dr just put me on Linzess. So far it has been great (a true game changer for me) but I know people say it is hit or miss. My doctor also recommended Athletic Greens. I’m over the green drinks but for people who aren’t, it might be a good thing to try.


----------

