# Clay and IBS-D



## Thomas Hypher (May 28, 2014)

Hi everyone,

I have had chronic loose stool/diarrhea problems for several years now. I have been on imodium since January but I am now finding that it is not working properly anymore despite taking 4 tablets a day (3 with breakfast and 1 with dinner) when I used to take just 2 a day (1 with breakfast and 1 with dinner).

I went to a health food shop today and bought some slippery elm bark and some green clay.

What I was wondering though is will green clay conflict with immodium, can I continue to take both?

Also, I was wondering if I can take green clay everyday for an indefinite period of time (long term) without any serious side effects or medical problems. The person who sold me the green clay said it is heavy on the kidneys, so is it still safe to take long term?

The green clay has worked well for me so this evening so I'm hoping I can continue to take it and even stop taking imodium, touch wood!

Thank you for your time,

Thomas


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## Lorelei56 (Apr 7, 2014)

Slippery elm bark worked wonders for me for about 4 months, then worked violently and painfully against me after that. I'm not sure if my body were just reacting to all that fiber or if the new bag of SEB I opened had something wrong with it. I have within the past two weeks just started mixing clay (French green, kaolin, and now bentonite clay) with LOTS of water and drinking it. It has worked so well for me that I no longer have to take Immodium. Don't take too much at first for it is very binding, but binding is exactly what my system needed.

I have not heard that it's hard on the kidneys. Have you found any other source that mentions that besides the health food store person? Through many hours of reading about it I've found that you must drink plenty of fluids along with the clay - perhaps it draws water from your body and hence is hard on the kidneys that way if you don't drink enough water?

Please let me know what you find out. I've tried about a hundred remedies that either don't work or make my symptoms worse. Clay and the anti-spasmodic (methscopalamine) combination has let me live a semi-normal life for the first time in decades.


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## Thomas Hypher (May 28, 2014)

Hi Lorelei56,

I've not found any other information talking about it being heavy on the kidneys other than what the Health shop person said.

I too have tried numerous remedies and drugs that never seem to work or work permanently.

I took the green clay again this evening and had problems with loose stool almost as bad as I've been having without the green clay. I fear that the green clay may not work for me.

(sorry if this is too much information: but my loose stool has watery, glistening surface too it which makes clearing up difficult to say the least). All I ask of my tummy is to have firm, solid stools - but it has it in for me and I don't know much more I can do to try and sort it out and get consistant solid, firm stools.

I have had most medical tests done under the sun (excluding a colonoscopy) and all have come back that my tummy is "normal" and "fine".

I'm fed up of the loose stool/diarrhoea problems I've been having for several years now and I'm only 17 years old! I want to be able to enjoy the life I have ahead of me and I want to do what I want to do and not be restricted by my tummy and having my life dictated by it.

Thomas


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## Thomas Hypher (May 28, 2014)

Just an update:

I've had yet more loose stool this evening despite taking slightly more green clay. I take 2 to 3 heaped teaspoons with 50ml of filtered water.

I've almost had it with the green clay and am inclined to try the slippery elm bark but I expect that my tummy will still give me loose stool as it seems to have it in for me.

I would really appreciate any help with this diarrhea/loose stool problem because it is disrupting my life and my dads life. I am 18 in September and I may be kicked out/have to leave home because of this problem so I'm desperate for a solution. I also want to be an officer at sea as a dream career but this will be impossible with this problem I have. In other words my future is pretty bleak at the moment and I don't know what I can do about it.

I have tried: Imodium, green clay, peppermint tea, busopan, calcium carbonate, kaolin and morphine (what I can remember off the top of my head) to no effect or permanent effect.

Thomas


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## Lorelei56 (Apr 7, 2014)

I'm sorry that the clay didn't seem to help. I would get a colonoscopy done (as I will have next week) just to be sure there's nothing awful going on. No one can say you're "fine" without going in there for a look. I and everyone on this board feel your frustration. IBS-D can be limiting for sure. Sometimes the D goes away and only recurrs when you eat something on the FODMAP group. Have you looked at the FODMAP list to make sure you're not eating a lot of something that can irritate your colon?


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