# IBS W/ CONSIPATION



## Debbie Marie Mooney Lynn (Apr 21, 2015)

I HAVE IBSWITH CONSTIPATION, SOMETIMES I WONT HAVE A MOVEMENT FOR A WK AND THEN I GET DIARREAH, I CANT TAKE IT. IM STARTING TO BE AFRAID TO GO ANYWHERE BECAUSE I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HIT. HELP!


----------



## AlanZ (Mar 7, 2015)

Hi Debbie,

Tell us a little about what you have done so far. Have you seen a doctor about this yet?


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Debbie and welcome to the board

so sorry you're having these problems. i do hope you have a good gastroenterologist to help you with all this. if you don't, make an appointment to see one. having a good doctor really helps.

you need to find a way to have a bm more regularly so you don't get so backed up to the point of having diarrhea like you are now.

don't know what you've already tried but first you might want to take a look at your diet and tweak it a bit. there's a lot of good diet advice for constipation sufferers here on the board. sometimes adding fiber can be helpful but only if one's constipation problems are caused by a lack of fiber--go slowly with adding it since going too fast can make you gassy. for many of us with very chronic constipation problems, fiber is not our friend and too much can definitely back us up all the more. so it takes some experimenting--we're all different.

drinking lots of water is another important thing. so is exercise. walking really helps with digestion.

too many starchy foods and/or too many gassy foods can also aggravate constipation. there's a lot of information about this on the board.

some people find taking magnesium supplements helps. the amount and which type of mag supplement varies from individual to individual. you have to experiment to see what works for you. there are many different kinds: magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium glycinate, chelated magnesium, liquid magnesium citrate (the supplement--not the stuff in the bottles you buy at the drug store) etc. a lot of people like powdered magnesium supplements like natural calm- you mix in water and drink it . Magnesium relaxes the muscles in the intestines which helps to establish a smoother rhythm and magnesium also helps soften the stool by attracting water to the colon which helps to make stools easier to pass. we've got a ton of magnesium threads on here too.

or you could try drinking miralax. it's an osmotic laxative. play around with the dosage to see what works best for you. usually a daily dose works best for people.

also there are a couple effective prescriptions available to help with constipation--amitiza and linzess (linaclotide)

there is a lot of good advice about managing constipation here on the board, especially in the constipation section. so have a look around and also check out the diet section.

good luck. hope you can find some relief.


----------

