# My perspective and personal experiences with IBS-C and Fistula



## raym0nd (Nov 28, 2010)

Well,as i always say, i am not a doctor or a yoga teacher. So do not expect this advice as the ultimate solution to your problems.BUT you might find some useful info here. Who knows, what works for me, might work for you too.TOPICS COVERED : 1-NATURAL/DO-IT-YOURSELF remedies. (in the 1st video itself - go down)2-Yoga and pranayam for CONSTIPATION,PILES,FISTULA (see easy postures/exercises in first video-below)3-My experiences with laxatives and anti-acid medicines.4-Some tips that worked for me.I PRESENT BEFORE YOU MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH IBS-C,CONSTIPATION,PILES and FISTULA (minor,luckily no surgery needed in my case): *WHY I AVOID LAXATIVES AND SIMILAR QUICK-FIX CURES:**(1)* *Bad experience with DULCOLAX* - a laxative I used the minimum dose for 1-2 times in a week. This laxative made it easy to pass stool. However, i never felt hungry even after that. Dulcolax stopped working for me after a month or so. DO NOT BECOME DEPENDENT ON LAXATIVES OF ALL TYPES - ALLOPATHIC OR AYURVEDIC . Its ok to use them in "small amounts" and only for "emergencies". DO NOT use them on a regular basis. I assure you that it will SCREW your intestines/tummy. Surprisingly, i never felt hungry even after dulcolax had helped me to empty my bowels - a sign that something was not right.*(2)* *AYURVEDIC LAXATIVE POWDER*I tried one, it worked well. But my appetite did not change at all. In spite of exercising and eating carefully.I feel one must not become dependent on ANY laxative. They can be used in the prescribed doses for SHORT periods. But not for months/life. Its bad if you cant pass stool without having a laxative/stimulant. *(3)* *OMEPRAZOLE FOR ACIDITY - FAILED !*I also had the problem of frequent acidity and VERY SMALL APPETITE. My doctor recommended a months dose of omeprazole. It helped reduce the problem and improve appetite a LITTLE only FOR A MONTH...AND VOILA ! it STOPPED WORKING AFTER THAT ! *(4)* *GELUSIL/DIGENE - TOO MUCH WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH*I had a bad time with this one too. It cures acidity most of the times, but it fails after some time.One doctor recommended other medicines which are better and cheaper - but i avoided them too.*When medicines fail and your problem does not get cured, what could it mean ?*IMHO, its quite likely that the medicines you use are JUST SUPPRESSING THE SYMPTOMS. They are NOT curing the CAUSE of the problem. This means that you have to search for a "cure" that actually DEALS WITH THE CAUSE AND NOT JUST THE SYMPTOMS. That led me to yoga and pranayam which have been beneficial, but slow.Also, medicines fail to help when food habits are poor - for example over-eating,eating fast food regularly, drinking alcohol. *Yoga and pranayam for CONSTIPATION,PILES & FISTULA : *Get a RELIABLE yoga teacher and do yoga and pranayam.(BEWARE OF the money minded "gurus" or teachers/wannabe types-THIS VARIETY try to commercialize yoga and/or distort it) IF YOU WISH TO DO YOGA YOURSELF,USING A BOOK OR A DVD, THEN DO SO ONLY AFTER FINDING THE BASICS SUCH AS:WHAT TO EAT, WHAT NOT TO EAT, WHEN AND HOW TO DO YOGA, WHICH YOGA POSTURES SHOULD BE AVOIDED DUE TO YOUR CONDITION,OR WHICH YOGA POSE MUST NOT BE DONE IF YOU HAVE RECENTLY UNDERGONE A MAJOR SURGERY...etc.DO "RESEARCH" BEFORE YOU BEGIN...SOME people ignore these crucial details and then blame yoga or call it stupid. Improper ways of doing yoga or any exercise can cause harm. IMO, it is better to do yoga under the watchful eye of an experienced and honest teacher. One reason: I have not yet come across any books,videos,websites that tell you *everything* about yoga,pranayam and its practice. For example, you may wonder - "what do i do if i feel thirsty during yoga?","should i have a small sip of water and continue yoga or have a glass of water,wait for 10 minutes and then resume yoga?". Only an experienced teacher can guide you with small (and big) doubts like this one. *DON'T EXPECT IMMEDIATE RESULTS*...it may take 7days,a month or more under strict diet and regular yoga to see improvement.Brisk walking,cycling,yoga and pranayam has helped me to reduce bloating and improve appetite. I have not recovered fully as of now. I am making slow but, promising progress with these approaches. You might want to try this (english) VIDEO on you tube - pranayam and yoga for constipation,piles,fistula and for foods/natural remedies to relieve constipation.*(READ NOTE BELOW THE VIDEO)*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hku3qxXwP6A&feature=channel_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________*NOTE:* *The exercises begin AFTER 27 minutes of introduction-do not skip it.1)The english of the speaker has an Indian accent,so US/UK people may not understand easily. 2)The names of "medicines",ingredients,yoga poses and pranayam exercises is in sanskrit-written in english. 3)Some ingredients for home remedies may not be available in your country. 4)The teacher CLEARLY mentions that any laxative powder,even the one made at his pharmacy, is to be taken in small amounts ONLY for extreme cases. DO NOT become dependent on any laxative powder/syrup, whether ayurvedic or allopathic.5)PERFORM THE EXERCISES CORRECTLY - DO NOT start doing them anytime you wish. for example, *DO NOT* try the "tummy-related" exercises of pranayam and yoga immediately after meals or when your stomach is full---a sure way to get screwed!!!_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -- i am also trying homeopathy, it seems to be working. Might ditch it if yoga and pranayam settle my problem once and for all. Why depend on any kind of medicine when "exercise" and simple/natural remedies can solve problems.here is another (english) video only for general knowledge about acid reflux, indigestion, bloating etc. ignore it if you wish.But i suggest that you see it anyway because it might be relevant to your situation. 



 you can also check out the "ayurveda " section in this doctors website just for info. I have not consulted their clinic, but you can check them out if you wish at http://www.jiva.org/index.aspThese *tips* may be of help to you and god willing, you MIGHT even be able to AVOID surgery and recurring fistula. You can try reading them if you wish.*Some tips to reduce the problem: (these helped me)**NOTE *- these habits will NOT cure ibs-c, BUT will prevent it from becoming worse .*(1)* AVOID RED MEAT like beef, pork , lamb etc. They are hard to digest and worsen constipation,acidity and gas. IN FACT, AVOID ANY MEAT all together.IF YOU FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID MEAT - then have only white meat like chicken,fish etc prepared in minimum oil and spices. DO NOT eat mostly meat in your meals. Include some fresh veggies and fruit too,those ones that YOU know will not hurt your tummy. ALSO, moderation is important - do not eat meat every day. If you must , then eat small quantities of meat once or twice in a week. *(2)* DO NOT LIE DOWN after a meal. If you end up sleeping on your tummy, then indigestion and bloating may happen. At night, lie down after 2-3 hours of eating. IF YOU FEEL TOO SLEEPY (at anytime but night) - then try to sleep while sitting on a comfortable chair like some office going people do after lunch. BUT avoid lying down. *(3)*EAT ONLY WHEN YOU FEEL HUNGRY, NOT TO SATISFY GREED. Also, EAT 4-5 "small" meals instead of 3 big meals. If that did not help ...try three "medium" meals in a day.Eat a little less than your capacity. If you eat a "little" less, you will not suffer. But if you fill yourself or over eat, ibs-c might become worse. For example, lets say you always feel FULL after eating 8 slices of bread , then do not eat 8. Eat 6 instead. There were times when i felt bloated and knew i needed to eat food.BUT THE HUNGER WAS JUST NOT THERE. I used to drink some fresh fruit juice or eat a VERY small meal as per convenience. Sometimes, fasting also helps. Try fasting sometimes and see if you feel better.But do not overdo it! *(4)* AVOID TEA, COFFEE ,ALCOHOL,COCA COLA(pepsi etc-YES I AM NOT JOKING, go ask any respectable doctor) AND SMOKING (i never smoked though). They generally harm most people. Drinking these beverages on an empty stomach is much worse - a guaranteed way to get acidity,gas and worsen constipation.If its too tempting - you may enjoy a cola once in a while, say once a month.But better-AVOID IT!Forget packaged fruit juices too - they have preservatives and additives---GO EAT A FRESH FRUIT INSTEAD !AND - I USED TO HAVE TOO MUCH TEA,COFFEE AND COLA , sometimes on an empty stomach. It caused acidity, which i thought was normal and i had digene/gelusil to "cure it". My poor dietary habits added to problems. THAT IS WHEN I GOT IBS-C. Before that, i ate almost everything and rarely had constipation.There is a saying "As you sow,so you reap". *(5)* CHEW YOUR FOOD SLOWLY AND PROPERLY - THIS IS NOT A TRIVIAL POINTHave you wondered why do we chew food ? (you can skip this and go to point 6)The answer lies in physical chemistry.The surface area of a chunk of food increases when you chew it into pieces. More surface area means faster speed or rate of reaction/digestion. Food gets digested efficiently. When you do not chew food at all/properly , the food pieces have not been reduced to optimum size. Therefore , the rate of reaction is slow....IN PLAIN ENGLISH---improperly chewed food takes more time to digest. It stays in the tummy longer than it should. Sometimes gas is also formed and one feels uncomfortable. If you have any more reasons or wish to add details to this explanation, you are welcome. *(6)* STOP LIVING A SEDENTARY(means sitting all the time) LIFESTYLE - CONSTIPATION,PILES AND FISTULA become worse when one remains seated through most of the day. SO, EXERCISE as per your capacity and at the proper time. I noticed that constipation is reduced,if not cured fully, when one exercises and/or does yoga properly. *(7) *DO NOT GULP WATER/COKE/JUICE etc TO SWALLOW or MOISTEN THE FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH - By doing so you rob saliva the chance of initiating digestion in the mouth and moistening food. *(8)* After sufficient rest (6-7 hours for adults),wake up early in the morning at 5 or 6 A.M. Drink some lukewarm water and go for a short walk,if its ok outside. Alternately, you may do yoga and pranayam at that time.*(9)* Avoid self-pity, negative emotions like - anger,jealously etc. Of course, you might not be able to do this all the time. But being able to do it sometimes is better than not trying at all. Believe it or not, happiness,digestion and immunity are related to each other ! *---last(how did i forget to mention this ?)---*(this point added on jan 11 2011, now that i am cured!) Fasting helped me. If one cannot/must not fast , then eating a "light" meal as frequently as necessary can ease the symptoms a little or for a few days. I remember, during the ibs-c days i would have intervals of 3-7 days when BM/stool would be ok/slightly easier. During one interval (10 days or so) i was doing very well...then i assumed that i had become the digestive SUPERMAN i was before and overate in a feast(lots of non-veg and fried stuff)...use your imagination to guess what happened to me in the days after that..."light" meals i tried (mostly carbohydrates) -eg.boiled rice(MUST BE MOIST AND SOFT) - not fun, but i thought that i would rather eat just boiled rice than suffer from ibs-c. ---EAT ONLY WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY, NOT BECAUSE "ITS SUPPOSED TO BE LUNCH TIME AND EVERYBODY(eg.office colleagues) IS EATING"...*NOT A TRIVIAL POINT AGAIN*Some of you might have experienced this : you had a meal 4-6 hours ago. You knew/felt that you should eat(coz healthy people would start feeling hungry by that time), but could not because you were bloated, which made you feel that tummy was full - hence, no need to eat. But you ate something anyway. During such situations, one may avoid eating or eat light meals.When i WAS *NOT* doing pranayam and yoga and was dependent *ONLY* on light meals and "random" treatments, *I NOTICED THAT MY PROBLEM OF FREQUENT COLDS VANISHED --- *. The only cold that i had was 1.5 years after the "fasting/light meals routine". Now, i get a cold once in a year or not.*POINT IS* IF YOUR GUT IS STRONG AND IS "RESPECTED"(BY YOU)--- majority of your health problems will vanish. For the remaining problems, we have doctors and lots of systems of medicine. I conclude by saying that "happy gut" makes a "happy mind" AND vice versa. Both depend on each other. Think of them like the two wheels on a bike, when both are ok and "support" each other , you(the bike) zooms towards success... IMHO, its better gain independence from medicines and surgery and get the peace of mind that we all deserve.I wish good luck and happiness to all.


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