# The less I eat the better I feel?!?



## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Hi everyone,

Does anybody else feel that the less they eat the better and more comfortable they feel ? 
I snack during day and have a small meal at dinner. I was recently being sick when eating a decent sized meal so was told to graze but I've slowly built it up to eating a meal.

I just feel better eating less but I still don't have a bm. I have chronic constipation and only dulcolax works now but I have to take 3 or 4.

I have started to get symptoms of anaemia? Fatigue, lack of concentration, dizziness, bad blood circulation in feet and hands to the point they are grey/blue and shaking hands and I have always been pale. I have stated taking multi vitamins and hopefully get results on 05/07 after lots of tests.

I also keep getting mouth ulcers.

I just wondered if anyone else has experienced the same thing ?

Thanks 
Natalie 
Xx


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i was diagnosed with anemia in december of last year following my surgery. my only symptom was extreme fatigue. my doctor put me on iron pills which i took with viatmin C to increase absorption. in may i had another blood test and i am no longer anemic.

a few years ago i found that eating four smaller meals a day made me feel better than eating three larger ones. i did not reduce my overall food intake, though, so my constipation did not get worse. the less you eat, the less there is to come out.

hope you can get this all sorted. good luck with everything. take care.


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## marleyma (Aug 13, 2014)

I am the exact same and my name is also Natalie! Haha but anyway, I attribute many symptoms to lack of calories. Do you feel like you get enough? I don't but like you said eating less makes me feel way better.


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Thanks Annie 

Hi Natalie, I think it might be but when I eat more im in agony and just want to lay down for hours. It makes me feel short of breath? Unless it's cause I'm used to eating less I'm not sure?

I feel so tired and sick I could cry haha I'm contemplating on going to see my gp but don't want to waste his time.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

annie7 said:


> i was diagnosed with anemia in december of last year following my surgery. my only symptom was extreme fatigue. my doctor put me on iron pills which i took with viatmin C to increase absorption. in may i had another blood test and i am no longer anemic.
> 
> a few years ago i found that eating four smaller meals a day made me feel better than eating three larger ones. i did not reduce my overall food intake, though, so my constipation did not get worse. the less you eat, the less there is to come out.
> 
> hope you can get this all sorted. good luck with everything. take care.


One of the VERY possible side-effects of iron pills is (WHAT ELSE) constipation.







Lord have mercy.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

flossy said:


> One of the VERY possible side-effects of iron pills is (WHAT ELSE) constipation.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


oh yes--i know. much earlier last year my blood tests showed i was slightly anemic. i told my doc i didn't want to take iron pills because of the C and brought my iron levels back up with diet. i ate more iron containing foods like spinach, dark leafy greens and red meat.

in december though, my iron levels were so bad that i didn't have a choice. i had to take the supplements. i did make sure to drink a lot of water with them. i did not have problems with C but maybe that's because i no longer have a colon although i've read that some people with ileostomies find that iron pills slow their output.. they do turn it quite black lol.. anyway, i feel much better now that my iron levels are better. i do hope, Natalie, that you can bring your iron levels back up with diet instead of having to take the pills. and hopefully the multi vitamin will help too.


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

It's always the way isn't it! Just go round in circles! So hard to keep positive when so many tables give other unwanted side effects. I will make appointment with my gp to see what I am lacking and go from there. Fingers crossed I can sort it out with my diet  Hopefully I get results soon as everytime I go I need another test or my consultant needs to speak with a colleague. Such a long process, I was first seen November last year and still no diagnosis


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

there are some forms of iron tablets that are less constipating than others.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/332053-non-constipating-iron-supplements/

also google "what is the least constipating form of iron" . this will give you articles on the subject plus amazon has some good reviews for iron pills that don't make C worse.

yes i do know what you mean about such a long process and no diagnosis. hopefully this will change and you can a proper diagnosis and a treatment plan that will work for you.


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## Patrick ibs c (Mar 5, 2016)

yes if eat smaller meals i have less ibs-c too panda


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## dlind70 (Aug 7, 2015)

Please never skip breakfast. best thing would be soaked almonds or nuts and apple and prunes and figs and dates. Now for the anemia issue try this drink, it regulated temperature and hormones.

1 cup brewed coffee arabica, one or two Teaspoon cacao or bakers chocolate powder, one or two teaspoon dark maple syurp. mix and drink at breakfast 4:40-9:00 am


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Thank you for the info 

I went to my gp and have a blood test booked in for next week.

He said it might just be due to everything that is going on inside my intestines. He also said you can tell I am unwell and the constipation is worse as my finger nails have big dents in them. 
Funny how your body reacts to things!!? 
X


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

and oh yes--problems in one area of the body can affect other parts of the body--and the body as a whole-- as well.

good luck with your blood test. hope your doctor can get you figured out soon so you'll feel better.

take good care. x


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Thanks Annie, I started to eat a bit more to see if that helped with my low energy levels and concentration but have been in agony and had bad constipation again. I always get such bad sharp pains in my left side down the sigmoid section. So bad I tense in pain making it worse. Think I will go back to how I was eating before and just hopefully get an update on my appointment with my consultant. Xx


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

if food is bothering you, can you try a nutritional drink like boost or ensure to help keep your nutrition up?

good luck. hope you can get an update on your appointment with your consultant soon. xx


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

My blood tests revealed low vitamin d and higher white blood cells than normal. My doctor said my sypmtoms is just due to everything that's going on at the moment. He wasn't worried. The last couple of days my constipation has gone bad again, having to have a painful abdominal massage as well as laxatives to help. My stomach is distended constantly and making really loud gas/growling sounds. I keep getting sharp pains in my left hand side and it is painful just putting a little pressure on my stomach. Ibs does cause us all quite a lot of havoc. X


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for the update. hopefully you can raise your vitamin d level through diet and/or supplementation. over the years i've had periods of time when my white blood cell count was higher than normal. my doc wasn't worried either. that's good, though, that your doctor is keeping on eye on things.

so sorry your C has gotten so much worse. yes it's truly miserable being so backed up. and yes being backed up plus all the stress it causes does wreak havoc on one's poor body.

i do hope things get better for you soon and that you can find a least a bit of relief.

take good care x


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Thanks Annie, maybe it is common with ibs to have high white blood cells. After days if really bad c and bloating I seem to be finding it easier to have a bm. I still have to take dulcolax but I've gone from 3 working to 1. That hasn't happened in a long time. My stomach growls all the time and I keep getting sharp pains. I feel like my bowel will fall out? Sounds horrible sorry. I can't help wondering if something has happened inside for this change to occur. Usually I really struggle, my consultant thinks it's redundant and possible volvulous. Find out on the 5th of July. Xx


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

a high white blood cell count can be a result of stress. and being chronically constipated sure is stressful.

that's good that you're finding it easier now to have a bm and that you've gone from three dulcolax to one. the sharp pains could be caused by gas or spasms or both. it's amazing how painful gas pains--and spasms-- can be. i used to use a heating pad when i had pains like that. it really helps.

stomach growling is caused by peristalsis. some days it's louder than others.

i don't know about the feeling of your bowel falling out? unless you have a prolapse of some sort. ask your doc about that. a defecatory proctogram (defecogram) can diagnose a prolapse and other problems as well..

my colon was redundant and twisted.

good luck with your appointment on the 5th. hope your doctor has some answers for you. take good care. xx


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## Moreaux (Jul 2, 2016)

Panda13 - I'm can relate. I do liquid diets fairly frequently now  because I get so horrifically ill and uncomfortable when I eat consistently. I do have some trigger foods, but I also had motility issues which cause a back up when I eat regularly. I get so backed up I then get gastroparesis which effects both food and water so I have stop everything for 12 hours and then concentrate on getting fluids. I absolutely hate this. I tried eating smaller meals, just doing snacks, etc but everything eventually backs up. I usually eat one meal a day now, in the evenings so I don't have anything unexpected at work, and can do that for three or four days before I have to switch to liquids. My diet is so boring now because it seems everything I loved started causing severe problems. It's so hard to live like this, but I have been doing so for about three years. I'm 39 and active - I work full time, golf on the weekends, ballroom dance, and voraciously garden so maintaining weight is really tough. I lost 12 pounds last month in a week and a half and am now maintaining at 113lbs but am certain I will be dropping pretty low this week.

Have you considered juicing in the mornings? Along with other deficiencies from this lifestyle, I became severely anemic. I start my day off now with freshly juiced kale, carrots, Apple, beets, and pineapple. I also add a Garden of Life liquid suppliment that has iron and take a good multivitamin along with magnesium citrate, vitamin b complex, vitamin d, and potassium. This has helped tremendously.

I don't know how you are with meat, I can't eat it, but fatty protien shakes also help. I make one in the morning and one in the evening using 2 scoops of Orgain protien powder, 1 scoop of Garden of Life Plant protien, coconut milk, 2 tbs raw cacao, 4 tbs flax seeds, and 1 scoop of Garden of Life green superfoods. The shakes are like dessert without the green superfood mixed in, but the taste is doable using the greens. The shakes keep my blood sugar even and give me energy to get through the day. You can also add fresh nut butter which makes them even closer to dessert.

If you can't eat normally it's really important to track your macro and micro nutrient levels so you remain strong and healthy. Have you seen your doctor to get bloodwork done?


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## Panda13 (Mar 7, 2016)

Thank you for all the help and advise. I saw my consultant today. He is still not 100% sure what is wrong. I could have possible volvulous, no connection between my sigmoid and rectum or hirchsprungs disease which has been undiagnosed since childhood. I have to have a temporary illostomy for 6 months to give my large intestine a rest and make sure my top end of the intestine works fine. He then has to check my lower end for twist and other abnormalities. He is unsure as my markers from X-ray were not in the places he thought they would be. My ct scan didn't show much as I don't have enough fat around my organs? Anyway I have to wait for an appointment to see the stoma nurse and try taking shakes to see if that helps until my operation. I feel like I am finally getting somewhere after months of tests and waiting.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for the update. it sounds like your doctor is being very thorough.

seeing the stoma nurse will be very helpful. that's what i did prior to having my osotomy surgery. these nurses are terrific--they know so much about ostomies and they are very encouraging and can answer any and all of your questions. i love mine







. whenever i need help or have questions, she's only a phone call away.

yes it does sound like you are finally getting somewhere after so many months of tests and waiting. it's a good feeling. i went through the same thing.

good luck with the shakes. hope they help. x


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## breidi (Aug 20, 2014)

dlind70 said:


> Please never skip breakfast. best thing would be soaked almonds or nuts and apple and prunes and figs and dates. Now for the anemia issue try this drink, it regulated temperature and hormones.
> 
> 1 cup brewed coffee arabica, one or two Teaspoon cacao or bakers chocolate powder, one or two teaspoon dark maple syurp. mix and drink at breakfast 4:40-9:00 am


Why breakfast is so important: bowel movements are most likely in the morning hours and food (even an apple) can be enough to stimulate a BM at this time.

I have been on various diets and have always felt better with less food, BUT have found skipping breakfast seems to make my constipation worse. Of course I only speak for myself, what applies to me may or may not apply to others.


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