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How do you manage daily life with IBS-D?
I have IBS with diarrhea. I'm taking med for it. Had several bowel movements already today. How do you get things done in house and go out on errands and going to Dr appointments? Driving me crazy!
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I have a long term problem with GERD and more recently with IBS-D. Am on the low Fodmap diet and recently saw a new GI who changed my PPI to Dexilant along with two Pepcid tablets—one before dinner and another at bedtime. This was working—until I became terribly constipated. Dr. told me to take Citrucel for the constipation. I tried the powder and the caplets, both of which caused really bad acid reflux. Forget that! Now I am supposed to take Miralax. I think to myself: here I am on this restrictive Low FODMAP diet to control diarrhea—and now I am supposed to take a laxative
that causes it?? I am wondering why I just don’t eat some of the restricted foods on the diet that used to give me diarrhea? Dr. says Metamucil causes a lot of gas. Well, if I go back to the Metamucil wafers I successfully used for years before the IBS, having gas is better than being plugged up and uncomfortable.
Am I losing my mind here? Has anyone had the problems with constipation on Pepcid or similar meds? Were you able to solve it without a heavy duty laxative like Miralax that more or less restricts you to the house while you wait for it to work?
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3 ReactionsI agree! It has been proven to keep the sphincter open to the stomach.
Thanks,but peppermint and ginger (especially peppermint) are notorious acid reflux triggers.
@coralbells1 check out heathers website. https://www.heatherstummycare.com
She has special fiber and try her tummy tamer tablets with meals Tummy tamers have peppermint, ginger and Finnell which calm things down a lot as you digest. Her products are for sale there or on amazon. Good luck.
I just read some more replies and saw some on Linsess. I get very severe diarrhea with the full dose and still some diarrhea, but not as much on a lower dose. I don’t use it any more. Prunes or prune juice give me bad gas. I take Dexilant in the morning and Ranitidine at night for reflux. I also take 2 Colace in the morning and 3 at night. I also have very bad reflux because the opening to my stomach doesn’t close at all. Citracel gives me severe reflux as does anything with citrus. I also have endometriosis so bad that all of my intestines are one big lump of scar tissue. My bowels and bladder have dropped again and my Urology doctor said no surgery now, it won’t help much.
So I eat a lot of vegetables (not in the cabbage family-too much gas) and fruits, especially bananas and blueberries and exercise like taking a walk or stretching or even lots of vacuuming, gardening, etc. The oatmeal recommended by my urologist is to add bulk to my bowel movements. I soak it with milk and eat it raw not cooked. Try it, it has a nutty texture. I also make a pumpkin mousse which is just pumpkin pie filling made with skim milk, eggs, 3 packs of sweetener, pumpkin and a little pumpkin pie spice. I bake it at 370’ for 55 minutes uncovered and it keeps in the fridge for a week. I add it to my morning cereal like bran flakes or wheat Chex plus the soaked oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of ground flax, some sliced banana and 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries. This breakfast keeps me full and satisfied and keeps my bowels moving.
Miralax has not caused too many problems like diarrhea unless I ate a lot of cooked spinach or greens. My urology doctor (she is the head of the urology department at Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC) had me start on just a little bit of Miralax and a serving of oatmeal to add bulk (Metamucil gives me gas). Add a little bit of Miralax until you find the right balance. I do use an extra dose if I have some cheese or chocolate which constipates me. Hope this helps.
There's a bottle in the frig 😝...may have to switch to dried prunes.
@jackiem95 I can certainly sympathize with your problem as I've had three surgeries of the upper digestive tract and I'm always trying to figure out a diet that will work to keep my system regulated, but not work so well as to cause diarrhea. You mentioned Miralax and referred to it as a "heavy duty laxative" however, it is not a laxative but a stool softener. Have you ever tried it? There are other stool softeners like Colace (that is the brand name but it is available as a generic) It does take a few days of treatment before you notice a difference.
A balanced diet is always important as well as exercises, especially after eating. Stretches and bending at the waist, walking, etc. can also be good ways to prevent and/or treat constipation. Also, drinking lots of water is important as well. I have heard of some members who do self-massage on the abdomen, massaging in a clock-wise manner.
I suppose, as @colleenyoung said, you have to keep working to find the right balance that will work for you.
Have you tried mild exercises after eating?
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1 ReactionMiralax is actually an "osmotic" type of laxative. In larger doses it is used as the bowel prep for a colonscopy.
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2 ReactionsIn Canada, its called Constella, or linaclotide. Yes, it works. However, I got very bloated and had pain that kept me up most of the night. Afraid to take it again. (my gastroenterologist said you could take it on an as needed basis instead of everyday). There are no drugs without side effects. There are just different bodies reacting differently to medications.
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