Help Please!!! Long Post!

Hi everyone,   For quite some-time I was posting on the ostomy forum, but I think it might be more beneficial to start posting on this forum.   Here is some history about me; my name is Kyle, and I have a lot of digestive problems all my life, especially constipation.   I had never wanted to use the restroom, and my mom had to give me suppositories all the time!   Plus, there is another factor that didn’t help; developed an eating disorder freshman year of high school.   After I recovered, constipation still plagued me.   I was just starting to think only going once a week (If I could, it would only be little drops!)   Heck, my normal was probably once a month; finally, it would be an explosion, or I would take dulcolax not knowing how it would affect me.   Finally, in early 2009, I met my partner, and I decided I really wanted to try and get healthy by fixing these problems.   I had been in the emergency room before just from being constipated.   So, in 2009, I started seeing a GI doctor, and of course, I was diagnosed with IBS.   After researching and trying so many natural options, probiotics, fiber, miralax, colace, mom, etc.; I had it!   The only thing that worked was taking dulcolax, and it was getting so bad that I had to take 7 dulcolax and even drink miralax along with that sometimes to get a bowel movement.   I took the evil pills usually Friday night, and spend all day Saturday in pain, cramping, and wondering if the laxatives would work.     Finally, later in 2010, I had the sitz marker test.   I was diagnosed finally with colon inertia.   After a week, all the markers were still in me (Of course, I did not go potty!), and the markers were only in my ascending and part in the transverse colon.   Long story short, I had a total colectomy in June 2011 to solve this problem.   However, here is kicker!   I still was not feeling better.   The doctors did everything backwards on me.   I had always complained about having this pain on my left abdomen, and I would feel, especially bloated right there all the time.   Plus, it made this weird noise and moved!   I had reflux all the time; nauseous when I ate, burped constantly in bad spells.   I kept on losing weight!   Then, I asked what about my stomach.   I had a gastric emptying test, and it revealed I had a severe case of gastroparesis.   Food and liquids could stay in my stomach for as long as 10 hours!   In January 2012, I had a gastric pacemaker inserted in me.   I believe this is going to help me very much in the long run!   Now with keep on getting adjustments on my pacemaker, approaching natural methods to help my stomach; ginger tablets, digestive enzymes, and probiotic b-vitamin complex (b-vitamins help with nausea and easy on the stomach; I like new chapter); I think I can manage.   However, I still have IBS!!!   It is so bad that I still can’t put on the weight just due to the fact that I never know if I feel like I have to go to the bathroom!   I can eat, and it feels like I have to go, but I can’t.   Most the time I have to use a suppository every morning still to go.   Plus, if I do take or eat something wrong, then I can go the opposite side, and get extreme gas, cramping, and diarrhea.   Then, I want to take an Imodium, and I can get plugged up again!   Plus, my pain is still on the left-side!!!!   My questions:   (might be different case for me since I do not have a colon!) Since more natural options are working for me now with my surgeries, what do people here take to help them?   I have been reading and studying a lot, and I do find Brenda Watson from renew life to make sense.   Plus, some of her products really do help!   I first started using one of her products, intestinew, after I found l-glutamine healed the intestinal lining (regular l-glutamine didn’t work!).   I just take that on occasion now.   I do love taking her digestmore (not the ultra-too strong for me!), and that helps, too.   A few weeks ago, I tried to start a probiotic, and I keep plugging along with it because I did not want to increase too fast.   I had success for a few days using florasmart 6 million, but I think it became not as effective.   I know on her blog she recommends even 50 billion for extreme cases.  Plus, I have tried sacchromyces bourladii (jarrows and florastor), and I think the yeast makes me feel worse, so much gas that I can only eat yogurt or something, crackers.  Same thing happened when I tried a garden of life vitamin, I don't think that yeast settles well on me!   Anyways, I just want to have normal bowel movements, not be bloated and gassy, not use suppositories, and not feel like my intestines are rumbling everytime I eat not knowing if I am going to have to feel like using the restroom.   Plus, not have my left-side hurt.   I do not think it is necessarily my stomach all the time giving me problems now!   It becomes so frustrating!!!!   Please give me your input guys, and I hope to hear from everyone soon!!!!   Oh yes, finally, I try to keep a journal of what I do, but it seems one thing can work one day, and not another day.  Plus, fiber is not really a good choice for me due to having gastroparesis and no colon!               Post Edited (frostyboy) : 9/1/2012 1:41:34 PM (GMT-6)

Thanks 10; I am just hoping someone else will chime in here with some suggestions.  I have another appt. in 3 weeks about for my gastric pacemaker, so maybe another adjustment will help to get a little more food in me.  Ho wever, like I said, a lot of the gas sometimes is just from having no colon.  To make it clear for everyone, I have issues b/c I do not have a bag.  I am connected from small intestine to rectum.  I thought about joining the j-pouch.org site.  I do not have a j-pouch, but they might be able to give me some suggestions, sort of similar.  If anyone else has any tips, please reply!!!!!!!!   Kyle =)

Thanks NutritionNut!  Yeah, right now I feel one of the biggest mistakes ever was having my colon removed because I can't get it figured out; however, then I think about all the laxatives I took before.  Then again, like I mentioned, the doctors did things backwards on me because then I found out I had gastroparesis.  I still think the gastric pacemaker is going to help in the long run because I was in pretty bad shape!!!

I first started getting into natural things when I did some research about gastroparesis from a nutrition counseler named Crystal Saltrelli.  She really started guiding me in the right direction on things!  So, I researched and researched into supplements, vitamins, etc. to see if it would make me feel better.  I noticed that ginger really helped!  Also, that b-vitamins gave me more energy.  It did take me awhile to find the right supplements on those that didn't bother my stomach, or make me too jittery (some b-vitamins are potent!).  I found I like the New Chapter line because it is easy on my stomach, and I can take it on an empty stomach.  I think these are the easiest on my system. 

I do want to see naturopath.  I looked into at one point, and there is one in my area.  I am not sure if she specializes in gastrointestinal issues, but I know before I go; I have to save money.  It is very expensive!!  I mean, right now, I am on temporary disability and have a medical card, but that doesn't cover her visit; since, it is a nd.  =(  I'll have to do some more researching, or save my money! 

Thanks for the tips, and I will look into those websites!  If anybody else has any tips, please chime in. 

Some sample questions I have:

1.  Your diet?

2.  Probiotics you take, and how you react?

3.  Has anybody tried some of Brenda watson's protocol (renew life)?

4.  Laxatives/Imodium?

5.  Supplements/brand you take?

Thanks everyone!!!! 

I just now saw and read NutritionNut's posting here. I, also, will follow through and read again what you said. Thank you for that advice.

Thanks for the suggestions 10!  Yes, it is awful that I have had all these complications when I am only turned 28 years old this year.  I think just after all I have been through; I get tired of doctors now because there has to be something more going on.  Plus, so many medicines have nasty side-effects that can mess up your digestive system.  The world we live in has so many processed foods and preservatives; plus, so many drugs that can alter our bodies.  During the course of this year through reading and searching the internet, I have found so many different alternatives that the doctors never told me about on what I could possibly do to help my health.  However, it is still taking time, and I remember reading in Brenda watson's book, she said she had so many digestive issues that it took her a good 2 years to finally start figuring out how to feel the best she has ever had before.  Of course, each person is different, but I believe the basics still apply to everyone on health. 

Regarding your advice, I have heard about aloe before, but I never followed through on it.  Also, I have heard about coconut before, too.  I have drank some coconut water before that I bought from our local health food store here to see if it would help on occasion.  I did sort of calm my stomach.  Regarding fiber, I am just not sure if I will ever get into that much due to my gastroparesis (even though I have the pacemaker, which does help!).  I definately need to watch my diet the rest of my life with gastroparesis, plus having no colon.  I tell people I have a double whammy!

Plus, regarding mold, that is interesting that you bring that up because I know my partner has a little more tummy problems than he has had the past, too.  Not neccessary problems going to the bathroom (He goes every morning.), but feeling bloated after a meal, tummy gurgling a lot at the end of the day, more tired! we discussed one time whether if we had mold in our house because he has been trying to fix it up more; it is sort of old.  You made a very good point!

I think I have gotten used to the florastor a little bit, but I am still not sure about it.  I am about done with a box of it, and still experimenting.  However, I did buy culturelle a few days ago.  I have never tried that, and I remembered my brother-in-law saying it has helped him in the past a lot; before traveling and for winter time to prevent less colds.  Then, it triggered in my mind more after reading a probiotic book about the benefits of lactobacillus gg.  My tummy was gurgling a lot last night, and I took one for the first time; oh my gosh, my tummy was still gurgling a lot, but it gradually died down over the past hour.  I felt my stomach shrinking, and the gas just sort of dissipating.  I'll keep it up, and see how time goes with it.

Hope things are going well for you!  =)

~Kyle~

Hi.
Thank you so much for spending so much time with all these ideas.

I read it and will read again. Right now I am in a frenzy because I realize the growth I have down in the vulvar area has grown. I saw it last April, but didn't do anything to have it looked at. I'm really scared. I am not rich and don't have insurance. The places I've gone to have just thought my issues down there were from lack of estrogen. I am now 64 years. I realize now I have to get it biopsied and need to figure out the quickest way to do this. The gynecologist I was seeing last fall and winter a few times was just not thorough enough and he dropped me when I wrote to complain. He didn't see it when it was smaller, because he was so dead set on low estrogen and my need for estrogen.

Anyway, I will read your words again. Right now I've started a Whole Body Cleanse by Enzymatic Therapy to remove toxins from my body.

Thanks again for all you wrote.

Kazbern, thank you for your words here. I will visit the Crohn's forum.