# My IBS situation:



## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

hey all, i've had IBS since 2004 and have been dealing with it since that time.anyway, with a strict diet, imodium, (just starting doxepin) and calcium tablets i've managed to get back to a semi-normal state.i'll use the bathroom about once every 5 days or so, but Jesus, i'm stuck in there for a minimum of 4 hours. the BM will seem normal, but then it usually feels like i'm not 'finished'. i'll put on a pair of gloves and use a tissue to see if there's anything left. and ALWAYS it's still dirty up in there. i'll keep using my finger and this will trigger my bowel to empty again. i just don't know what else i can do about it. i was thinking of just getting up and having a shower like i always do after a BM and just continuing my day. but then i get worried that it will come out later and i'll destroy my underwear. i have a thing about being clean and this problem really consumes me. i was thinking of taking a job somewhere far off where i could stay the night and then go to work during the day so i wouldn't be so concerned with being clean. are there any suggestions of what kind of work is available like what i'm describing or where i could find out about it? if it wasn't for this incomplete feeling and i might be back to normal. could imodium be causing this? i've brought myself down to half a tablet a day.thanks all


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

If you're only using the bathroom every 5 days then you are constipated, most likely caused by the Imodium. Before you took the Imodium how many times a day did you go? Could you just continue on with the calcium tablets or maybe just take an Imodium when symptoms are really bad or cut down to every other day?


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## debbie38london (Oct 1, 2010)

hiya the tissue bit i understand as i have to use tissue also , i have ibsc and its horrid all diet and over the counter medices are rubbish also i have tried diets none as worked also starving me self which made me dizzy , now i use movicol which i hate as causes gas , dont know what else to try good luck x


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

em_t said:


> If you're only using the bathroom every 5 days then you are constipated, most likely caused by the Imodium. Before you took the Imodium how many times a day did you go? Could you just continue on with the calcium tablets or maybe just take an Imodium when symptoms are really bad or cut down to every other day?


ya, thanks.i'll try this out.how effective is the calcium compared to the imodium? like i said, i'm only using half an imodium a day now.is there any reason why i always need to use a tissue at the end?


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

debbie38london said:


> hiya the tissue bit i understand as i have to use tissue also , i have ibsc and its horrid all diet and over the counter medices are rubbish also i have tried diets none as worked also starving me self which made me dizzy , now i use movicol which i hate as causes gas , dont know what else to try good luck x


yah, the tissue part is getting ridiculous now. i'm just not sure what else i can do.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

bump


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## TVgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

MondayMorning said:


> bump


I am going to have to agree, you are making yourself constipated with the meds you are taking. 5 days is too long especially when you have to spend 4 hours in the bathroom. I would cut out the immodium and then see where you are at. Metamucil might help regulate you better and it softens the stool so that it is easier to pass but doesn't cause diarrhea. But one step at a time. That sounds horrid to have to be in the bathroom for that long.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

oh ok.well, i forgot to mention my calorie intake is really low right now, that might be part of the reason. why is once every 5-7 days considered bad?


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

anyone?ok, yesterday was my first day off from imodium in months and everything was ok because my diet was strict and i ate calcium. however, today i had some brown rice (for fibre) and started getting a bad ache on the lower left of my torso. i took an imodium and the pain went away. jesus, i hate this. it's like my stomach treats most foods as poison.


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

MondayMorning said:


> anyone?ok, yesterday was my first day off from imodium in months and everything was ok because my diet was strict and i ate calcium. however, today i had some brown rice (for fibre) and started getting a bad ache on the lower left of my torso. i took an imodium and the pain went away. jesus, i hate this. it's like my stomach treats most foods as poison.


Your cramp might be due to the Imodium. Your gut isn't used to reacting to food without Imodium in your system. This is one of the reasons I don't take Imodium. It makes me cramp for 1-2 days, even after just taking 2 pills. The only way you could tell if you're back to baseline would be to take 5-7 days off of it.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

really? 7 days???


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

MondayMorning said:


> really? 7 days???


In my experience, my bowels don't go back to completely normal until about day 5. If I take Imodium more than a day in a row it can be longer. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, but I think it's always worth experimenting when you're not in a good place and you can afford to try new things.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

PD85 said:


> In my experience, my bowels don't go back to completely normal until about day 5. If I take Imodium more than a day in a row it can be longer. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to, but I think it's always worth experimenting when you're not in a good place and you can afford to try new things.


oh, ok.i just tried taking some psylium husk for fibre and i'm feeling the pain now. exactly same position as yesterday. i'll try and resist taking the imodium.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I must admit that ive never heard of 5-7 days without moving the bowels,i dont know anybody who goes that little,although 4 hours is terrible.One time i was ill for 5 days and ate nothing so i didnt move my bowels until i ate again.BTW,the incomplete emptying is a common symptom of IBS,dont know why but it is.If i didnt have that incomplete feeling i'd regard myself as semi normal,as i felt until about 5 years ago.


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

During my IBS-C phase of this crappy condition...my normal was every 7-10 days.Then during my worst of IBS-D it was more like 6-8 times a day!!I am now somewhere in between with 1-2 per day.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

MondayMorning said:


> hey all, i've had IBS since 2004 and have been dealing with it since that time.anyway, with a strict diet, imodium, (just starting doxepin) and calcium tablets i've managed to get back to a semi-normal state.i'll use the bathroom about once every 5 days or so, but Jesus, i'm stuck in there for a minimum of 4 hours. the BM will seem normal, but then it usually feels like i'm not 'finished'. i'll put on a pair of gloves and use a tissue to see if there's anything left. and ALWAYS it's still dirty up in there. i'll keep using my finger and this will trigger my bowel to empty again. i just don't know what else i can do about it. i was thinking of just getting up and having a shower like i always do after a BM and just continuing my day. but then i get worried that it will come out later and i'll destroy my underwear. i have a thing about being clean and this problem really consumes me. i was thinking of taking a job somewhere far off where i could stay the night and then go to work during the day so i wouldn't be so concerned with being clean. are there any suggestions of what kind of work is available like what i'm describing or where i could find out about it? if it wasn't for this incomplete feeling and i might be back to normal. could imodium be causing this? i've brought myself down to half a tablet a day.thanks all


ok, i'm still struggling here.i want to stop taking the imodium. the only problem i have is when i eat something with fibre in it like brown rice, i get a pain on the left side of my torso (where the stomach is). the pain goes away when i take even a quarter of an imodium. should i stop the imodium and just go through the pain?another question i had was regarding a colonoscopy. i've never had one. right now my diet is super strict. just chicken, rice and water. if i have a colonoscopy, would it be possible for the doctor to fix anything? or am i stuck with this strict diet for the rest of my life?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Doubtful the doctor would fix anything during the colonoscopy, and even if they found Inflammatory Bowel Disease you may still need Imodium and a strict diet even with drugs to suppress the immune system (and a lot of people with IBD get IBS over time with the inflammation).


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

Kathleen M. said:


> Doubtful the doctor would fix anything during the colonoscopy, and even if they found Inflammatory Bowel Disease you may still need Imodium and a strict diet even with drugs to suppress the immune system (and a lot of people with IBD get IBS over time with the inflammation).


oh, ok.i'm not sure what i can do.is there any point to do the colonoscopy then? if nothing can be changed, why do it? it's very invasive and i'll have to starve myself for days.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Does your physician seem to think you need a colonoscopy?


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

BQ said:


> Does your physician seem to think you need a colonoscopy?


well, the gastro-specialist said it might be worth trying, but when i went to see him again he was on hols so his replacement said it wasn't necessary.i'm just worried i'll go through all the pain and then they'll just say 'we dont know wtf is wrong here.'


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Then perhaps it is best not to have one then?? But only you can decide that for yourself. Good luck with whatever you decide!


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

bump


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## Big_D (Mar 25, 2011)

MondayMorning said:


> well, the gastro-specialist said it might be worth trying, but when i went to see him again he was on hols so his replacement said it wasn't necessary.i'm just worried i'll go through all the pain and then they'll just say 'we dont know wtf is wrong here.'


There really isn't any pain involved in a colonscopy. Other than the juice they give you to clean you out the day before it's not traumatic at all.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I think the nature of the colonoscopy is to rule out serious conditions. You really hope they don't find anything to worry about, then you can get on with trying to find something that will deal with the IBS.Mark


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## ibsinflorida (Apr 4, 2011)

this is my first post guys, just wanted to say you are all a big help to me in my ibs suffering.the colonoscopy shouldn't hurt and is a great thing to have done to rule out any major bowel problems, I had my first done when I was 22 and that was when I was diagnosed with ibs. I have gone through the same thing, just try to relax, have some chamomile tea and try to wean off immodium, I hated the cramps and aches associated with it. dont starve yourself either, I did and developed gastritis and almost got an ulcer, which took many months on prilosec to heal.good luck.


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## jmc09 (Oct 5, 2009)

I would say go and get a colonoscopy as if they find any inflammation there are drugs that can help with inflammation and IBS at the same time,as IBS can have inflammation involved.Its not painful just inconvenient but better to be safe than sorry.Ive had about 5 and another happening soon.


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## Olga_ath (Apr 15, 2006)

I'll agree with the others that once every 5 days is too much. Normally you should go at least a day.As for the cleanness part, try washing just your rectum instead of wiping it clean. I stared doing this after I got a fissure - the doctor suggested it - because this way you don't get irritated but it also helps you keep cleaner.


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## MondayMorning (Mar 7, 2009)

MondayMorning said:


> oh ok.well, i forgot to mention my calorie intake is really low right now, that might be part of the reason. why is once every 5-7 days considered bad?


why is going only once every 5-7 days bad?


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