# Why can't I go to the bathroom!



## robertoclemente (Aug 7, 2007)

It used to be that I could go to the bathroom whenever I wanted. Now that my doctor says I have IBS, its been 5 days and nothing! Ive had a lot to eat too. What gives? Anything that can help me out? Ive been taking fiber pills, but nothing yet. laxatives seem to work, but I dont want to become dependent.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS can be associated with constipation in some people, so that is why you aren't going as often as you used to.You might look at a stool softener or osmotic laxative to help keep things wet enough to move (fiber helps with that but may not be enough).Sometimes the fiber pills alone do not add enough total fiber (usually you want in the 25-35 total gram range and each fiber pill is like 0.5 to 1 gram each) so you may want to look at the total diet. Eating a lot of low fiber food won't add to the stool and help you go.If you start regularly going once a week or less you probably want to get your transit time tested. There is something called slow transit constipation. IBS with constipation types tend to have close to a normal range of stool frequency (2-3 times a week or more even if the stool is hard to pass). Slow transit constipation types can get into the 2-3 times a month range, and may require different treatment.K.


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## Sean (Feb 8, 1999)

Kathleen is right. It might be a good idea to ask your doctor to test your colonic transit time. The test is non-invasive, simple and painless.If it has been 5 days, you should take a mild osmotic laxative like milk of magnesia at bedtime to get some relief. A Fleet enema is relatively safe, too and works within a couple of minutes. Just don't use these things all of the time. A single use won't make you dependent. How much water are you drinking daily?


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## robertoclemente (Aug 7, 2007)

You know, I barely ever drink water. I know that is a problem and I will correct it. I am worried though that maybe this constipation is something more serious. i did go to the doctor and he did some blood work and an occult blood test and said I was fine. Is that enough? I also here sounds coming from my abdomen all the time.I am also afraid of taking laxatives too often because I hear you can become dependent on the stuff. My doctor told me to take this stuff called "Colon Pure" which is basically just powdered fiber.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Most of the "more serious" than IBS things tend to cause blood in the stools (which you were tested for) or tweak the inflammation markers in the blood (which you were tested for) and usually tend to the diarrhea side of things almost all the time.The risk of stimulatory laxatives (senna or cascara) tend to be overstated and usually only people that abuse them tend to run into trouble (taking way more than the recommended dose every day situations). Taking occasionally is not going to make you get any worse than would have happened with out them. Some people get worse, but it appears they would have gotten worse anyway.*Osmotic* laxatives and *Fiber* laxatives (although fiber is more of a stool consistency normalizer than a laxative as it can work for diarrhea or constipation) cannot cause dependence.K.


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## robertoclemente (Aug 7, 2007)

well, that puts my mind at ease a bit. Thanks


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