# IBS & Chronic Constipation for 4 generations Feeling Hopeless



## thughes873 (Oct 14, 2014)

*I suffer from IBS and Chronic Constipation along with my mother, grandmother, and 2 of my daughters.*

We all have different illnesses along with this, so I'm not sure if the answer can be attached to any of them. I will give you my problems and hopefully you can help me before I move on to my family.

I'm in my 30's and suffer from Fibromyalgia, Bi-Polar and Depression (only illnesses I have found to be listed here). I'm on many different medications: Effexor, Abilify, Lamactil, Naproxin, Nortriptilien, Aderal and Miralax.

Normally I have a bowel movement every 7 to 10 days. I look 6 months pregnant always. I have back pain, stomach cramps, heartburn and when it comes, IT COMES! I feel embarassed to share this, but it's about a 3lb difference before and after I go...! It's never a normal texture, definitly not hard ever. When I take Miralax, the cramping and pain are severe and lasts all day, every day. When telling you my diet changes keep in mind that even though it changes, I still have the same issues. I don't have the best diet, but I don't eat fast food or fried food. Cereal is my addiction... I drink 2 cups of coffee a day and I seriously don't think I can give it up. I never used to eat sweets, but since I started going through a divorce I have and also gained 25lbs. This is probably also due to the fact I quit working out at the same time and I DO NOT cook. I owned restaurants for 15 years before this divorce, so I had a much larger variety in my diet.

Problem foods are anything rich like steak dinner at restaurants. I love fruit, but break out in hives when I eat more than a litte. I don't think veggies cause me problems, but maybe I'm wrong.

SO, I know it's a lot and thank you for reading this. I will be ever so thankful for any insight on what causes this more than others and if anyone can help me with what to do...

Thank you!

Tara


----------



## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

I have different symptoms , but maybe if u could describe your diet a little more this would help us to suggest something?take care.


----------



## thughes873 (Oct 14, 2014)

Well, I'm embarrassed to say that right now it's cereal (usually Frosted Flakes) for breakfast. I have a coffee in the morning and a latte and granola bar at lunch. Dinner is just what my boyfriend cooks. I don't cook at all. We do have spahgetti often because that's his addiction. I can do without it, but I love when he puts hamburger meat in sauce. I don't eat much of the noodles. We also have tacos a lot. I use corn torillias when I can and we put beef, chicken, brisket or pork with avacados, cheese and hummus. I'm not a drinker, but will have a glass of wine maybe once a week. Otherwise it's water. Lot's of water!

I lost 15lbs about 4 years ago eating Lean Quizeen for dinners, same lunch as now and granola, yogurt with strawberries and blueberries. I just got burnt out on it an can't commit to it again. I know Lean Quizeens are the best for you, but for someone that messes up mac and cheese, it's pretty easy to turn to.


----------



## CannabisHelps (Oct 16, 2014)

Hi my friend,

I have IBS-A and I know you are in pain. While I don't have your exact story, I read in it the hard challenges and choices you have to make on a daily basis. It's no fun. On top of that, you have symptoms.

I want to tell you about what I have found as the solution to my IBS problems. Nearly 100% of them. At least for the past week, but there are a lot of others out there - US - who can tell you about the dramatic benefits of what is sometimes an illegal medication. I'm talking about medicinal cannabis, or medical marijuana.

If you find yourself really desperate like I was - no job, living with parents at 34, no prospect of recovery, no hope... oh yeah, and a boatload of symptoms.

If you find yourself there, I beg of you to consider medical marijuana if you have it in your state. If it is not in your state, that is quite unfortunate, but you will be like me and thousands, if not millions across the globe and in the US who have found Relief in using marijuana (or Cannabis, less stigma).

At heart, for me, it has been a process of becoming more kind to myself. More attentive to my own needs, and less to those of others.

It is in essence, a rebirth of me.

Yes, all of this may sound silly, but I am so glad to tell you that in the last week, the only problems I've had - let me repeat, the only problems I've had in the past week, were brief symptoms upon first rising in the morning, and then last night and today when I've had to struggle to "connect."

Yes, it is terrible what I have to do and the consequences I might face. But I got to the point of being kind to myself in a revolutionary way. I had to buck the system and get what I needed - as MEDICINE - to help me feel better.

If you want to be scientific about it, I'm talking about "treating symptoms of a severe, chronic, disabling functional gastrointestinal disorder."

Ma'am, I know of what I speak. It is a tough choice for many, but my bottom line I repeated for you above. And there are many, many more people on the internet who have found success with it. "Testimonials."

And there is a plethora of scientific research that shows the "how" and "why" Cannabis works for IBS and other gastrointestinal disorders. At the end of this letter, I will provide some helpful links if you'd like to get started healing yourself.

Give it a thought, do some internet research, and see for yourself. I hope this helps.

My sincere wishes for your improved health,

RedSky

http://www.aboutibs.org/site/what-is-ibs/intro-to-ibs/

http://www.safeaccessnow.org/gastrointestinal_disorders_booklet


----------



## Jinky (May 23, 2014)

Medical marijuana is available in my state. It did nothing for my chronic constipation or pelvic pain.

"Extensive ancedotal evidence" is a lot different than clinical research. Of course the "success stories" are going to share their claims.

People who've gotten no benefit are not apt to come out speaking in huge numbers ("What a waste!")

Medical marijuana is no miracle treatment.


----------



## thughes873 (Oct 14, 2014)

Well, it's not legally available to me either. That would be the only way I would try it anyways. The last time I did that I started vomiting, completely fealt as if I were on acid and that was 1 puff! Obviously not my thing even if it did work. I like to be in mind control. I believe a OCD & Augora Phobia description fits me best. Haha


----------



## Jade144 (Dec 19, 2011)

I have had this issue my whole life. Its gotten so bad I know I'll be homeless soon. I am currently stayong with my mother and she is trying everything. I had a system that worked 1/2 the time. My main issue was uncontrolled gas that was beating with my heart. She took me off of everything I was doing, I love her determination. Now I haven't gone in 3 days, back on laxatives, massively dehydrated, but constantly urinating. Just did an orientation for another job and lost control of my bowels the whole time - 8 hours a day for 5 days. I have no life, just misery. Doesn't help that I'm agoraphobic either and this was a class of 60. 
My system was 2 hours before I left home take the threelac, hot soup bowl filled with tea and breakfast. Most days I avoided it, b7t started having panic attacks again from class. I would be in the bathroom for about an hour. I need to work but now I'm in so much pain and had to switch to being on call for pt work. Constantly get hemorrhoids. Am worried about getting another anal fissure w/o insurance. I just want to die. I am in the medical field and its so unforgiving. Oh and I'm still in my 20's.
I moved recently to feel better didn't last long.
Past trys include colon cleansers, magnesium citrate, ducolax, miralax, phayxme, peppermint oil capsules, aloe vera concentrate, peppermint tea, charcoal pills, charcoal pads, citrucel, librax, amitriptyline, paroxetine, amitiza just to name a few.
I did a food journal and identified 13 food allergies, only the 8 are clearly in everything. Had a colonoscopy done no sign of any damage. When will the US start curing things - seems like nature's winning.


----------



## thughes873 (Oct 14, 2014)

Wow! I think I found someone with it worse! I am SO SORRY!

I am totally upset with the medical industry on this! When my daughter was born she immediately had problems. I had the rub gel around her hole until she went. She is 10 and still can't have a bowel movement without aide. We've waited forever to see an gastro doc only for him to say the answer is Miralax! That was the hopeless point. Looking at my mother and grandmother then hearing a pro tell me that, was hard.

Now my 6yr old is starting to have problems. Her gas is like yours. Pretty embarrassing for her. She is in the bathroom all the time. She already can tell me what foods make it worse! Corn is her big one she knows, which is her fav vegi. My kids are the ultimate picky eaters. Chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mac n cheese. No matter what I do, they won't eat right! They have sat at the dinner table over an hour and still they won't eat anything else. Doesn't seem to matter though anyway because no one I know has the cure by eating certain foods.

I was hoping to find on this site enough foods to help that could be a big enough impact. Maybe I should check around with studies being done to see if I could be a part of it...? Anyone done that?

Currently I'm taking Miralax, but I'm so bloated and still haven't gone in 4 days. Grrrr!


----------



## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yes it's miserable living with chronic constipation.

if your current gastro isn't being proactive enough and helping you, get a better gastro doc. often gastros affiliated with university hospitals or motility centers are more knowledgeable, proactive and up-to-date with treatments and testing than other gastros.

it really does help to get tested to help get to the bottom of things. i've had chronic constipation problems since childhood--over 50 years (i'm old lol).

i originally (back in the 70's) had been given a "spastic colon" diagnosis --what they called ibs-c back then but after reading other peoples posts here on the board and doing my own research online i began to think my problems were a bit more complicated. i went to a good gastro, and asked for a sitz marker test (colonic transit study)which dx'd slow transit. after that i had a defecatory proctogram--dx'd pelvic floor dysfunction and a rectocele, and an anal manometry which confirmed the pfd dx and also dx'd rectal hyposensitivity and megarectum. and a colonoscopy dx'd a long and twisted colon. you can google all these tests etc for more info. having all these tests and getting these diagnoses helped my gastros work out a treatment plan for me which, while it certainly isn't perfect by any means, at least it helps make life a bit more liveable. with all the problems i have going on down there, it's probably a miracle i can go at all--lol...

there's a lot of good constipation advice and info here on the board as well as diet advice, both on this board and the diet board. i have found that it really helps to be proactive and do as much research on all this as possible, both here on the board and on factual, educational websites online (not the hinky sites selling products etc)

good luck to both of you. wishing you all the best. take care.


----------

