# My immodium trials



## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

Ive battled ibsd for years. I've tried anything and everything and had some luck but it was never constant.About 3 months ago decided to try immodium daily. I've always been worried to but thought why not.Well, it's worked great. One tab in the morning with my vitamins and I'm good to go. Stress levels are also down and I'm sure compounding the effect since I'm not constantly worried about finding a bathroom when out... But I still scope them out..lolAnother positive is I've been working out for six years now and had very slow progress. But I can tell now I'm getting stronger in much less time than before. I attribute that to my body using more of what I eat. I am also putting on weight, but In a good way... I wasn't ever skinny...always a little chunky, but my muscles are showing better develoement for sure.I'm hoping when I do my cut soon to drop lbs that will go easier as well... I felt like before my body held onto as much fat as possible because it simply wasn't getting all it needed even though I was eating plenty.Just thought I'd share!


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## AsktheAges (Nov 26, 2011)

That's great. I've just been taking a tab or two after each attack. It's better if you just take one every morning?


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

Very interesting and cool story. I would love to hear more about the specifics of your pooping habits and how they have changed.


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

PD85 said:


> Very interesting and cool story. I would love to hear more about the specifics of your pooping habits and how they have changed.


Here goes, hope it helps! This can be graphic!Well, for years it's been wake up, poop. 15 mins later poop again. Eat breakfast. Poop again. Go out to run errands (feeling like I have to poop). Maybe poop while out, eat lunch, then maybe after supper poop again.Now, most poops were pale in color, had lots of undigested food and the consistency of oatmeal at best. On VERY rare occasions I'd get an awesome specimin and try to think back to what I did different.







But almost always I felt like I had to poop (except when working out or drinking with the boys... drinking was a major crutch for me before this... it helped, didn't make my IBS worse the next day, but helped a LOT when I was drinking).This fall I had to take over driving the kids to school in the morning (Prek and K). I am (or was) terrible in the mornings. Just thinking about going out without pooping 3 times made me feel like I had to poop all the time and so anxious. Wondering if I had an attack if it was ok to run into the school to use the restroom (probably not! lol).When I used to have REALLY bad boughts of IBS-D, I'd take immodium and I found it would help for 24 or so hours. So, I decided as a last ditch effort to take immodium every morning to see if it helps. (I always thought if I took it every day it would be bad for me).Well, a week went by. It worked great. a month, still great, 3 months... STILL great. Even during Thanksgiving where I was pigging out eating foods that I knew would be a problem, I was great!The last couple weeks I've started adding more fiber (metemucil) to my diet as well, and it's even better! Before while I wasn't having to poop all the time or always feeling like I had to, I would, now and then, get a little seepage which would make me a little "sore down there". Since adding more fiber that's gone. So now I'm adding more fruits and veggies (not as MUCH fruit, as it was always a trigger... mainly the fructose).I'm on a "cut" now (I lift weights, more for fun than anything, and to keep up with my kids.. I'm 41 now!) and eating cleaner. Last night was stir fry chicken with carrots, celery and onion, as well as baked brussell sprouts. I ate a lot of sprouts! I was SOOO gassy at night and thought for sure I was going to explode in the morning from too much roughage... nope! One of the best BMs yet! So, I think whatever the immodium does, it's counteracting the messages from my brain to tell my gut to always be in spastic mode. It's nice! And like I said, it compounds the effect when I know I don't have to worry as much. And adding more fiber seems to make things even better!I don't think I'll ever stop scoping out bathrooms when I go.. but it would be nice one day not to have to worry about it so much... I hope this helps!


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## PD85 (Aug 19, 2010)

legbuh said:


> Here goes, hope it helps! This can be graphic!Well, for years it's been wake up, poop. 15 mins later poop again. Eat breakfast. Poop again. Go out to run errands (feeling like I have to poop). Maybe poop while out, eat lunch, then maybe after supper poop again.Now, most poops were pale in color, had lots of undigested food and the consistency of oatmeal at best. On VERY rare occasions I'd get an awesome specimin and try to think back to what I did different.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This was great! The more graphic the better if you ask me! Thanks so much. I lift weights also (currently bulking). I have another question if you don't mind. What time in the morning do you take the immodium? Before or after your morning poop? Before or after you eat? Thanks!!


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## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

So, my wife and kids are gone for a couple days, I no longer have to drive them to school, and I work from home. So I Thought I would try "coming off" imodium.I've tried it before with bad luck. But this time, less stress, etc I thought maybe it would be different.I made it through Sunday ok (sat was the last morning I took it). Today wasn't bad, but I had a sandwich for lunch and took a nap and woke up with those oh... too familiar pains. IBS-D attack, and there's spinach from my lunch like it hadn't even been touched. One more round 10 minutes later and it's imodium time. (Proof food goes through me in 2-3 hours sometimes)I have been gaining weight easier than normal now too. I attribute that to quitting smoking 5 months ago as well. Then I did some searching on imodium and gaining weight and found a few posts from weightlifters who take it because it helps them gain weight and lowers cortisol! So I read, read, search other places and sure enough... It's pretty ligit as far as cortisol. Whenever I find something like that it's one more piece of the puzzle to me. My doc shrugs most of it off. "Take more fiber". haha.. but this last physical I had he seemed to want to listen more. I mentioned my daily imodium and he didn't say a word. Checked my blood everything is darn near perfect. But I doubt he checked adrenals and/or cortisol. And he also mentioned he may want to try something for my anxiety (which is based on IBS-D). He said, cure the anxiety and maybe you'll cure the IBS.Funny, 10 years ago he said just the opposite. haha..So, imodium definitely works for me. Side affect? Easier to gain weight. In other words, I'm absorbing more.Remember when you (anyone here) was getting diagnosed and they said "are you losing weight without trying?" For me it was no, I'm sure it was for many of you as well. Well, I wasn't losing, but it seems when I get my gut under control I am gaining, so it must be a sliding scale.. if that makes sense.. some people have a higher metabolism naturally.I have one more appt with my doctor and if he shrugs off my suggestions again I'm leaving him. He's ok, easy to talk to, but he shrugs off anything he maybe didn't learn in his books. House could figure me out in 10 minutes by asking a few questions... extrapolating the data, as we computer geeks say.. haha...


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