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Husband with HORRIBLE IBS

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 1/13/2008 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Greetings! I am a wife with Crohn's Disease married to a great husband with IBS. How did we end up with eachother? We are both 20 years old and already having a rough time. My husband does not have a bowel movement unless he takes EXLAX. However, he's been doing this for over a year now. Recently on a weekend trip, he ended up in the ER. The Dr. there told him that because he has used laxatives for so long, his body does not naturally give him the sensation to have a bowel movement on his own. So...he hasn't gone to the bathroom in like a week and he wants to use laxatives again. Does anyone have any experience with this issue? We are both military and the Docs on base aren't doing much. Please help and give me as much information as you can.

Thank you!

Posted 1/13/2008 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
has he tried a stool softener like glycolax? I think that is less harmful and might help him a bit.
Posted 1/14/2008 8:48 PM (GMT 0)

One of my best friends had this problem.  She's pregnant and can't take anything right now so her GYN suggested Uncle Sam's Cereal.  She can't say enough good things about it.  She says it's the first time she's been regular in years.

mnchkn

Posted 1/14/2008 10:02 PM (GMT 0)

Has your husband looked at his diet and made proper dietary changes?  Eating more fiber rich-foods and drinking plenty of water.  I find a glass of hot water in the mornings before eating anything else is helpful.  Also is there any one on the base that does acupuncture?  I know a few people that have used acupuncture to get their bowel movments going again.  I did come across something on a website that you can look at but if you are on a base, i'm not so sure if you can get the help.  

 http://www.journeytocure.com/success_cases.htm#1

Look at the constipation case.  They have other stuff on this site but I think the best is to spend some time eating a healthy diet and have your body regain those signals.  Taking a stool softener is also just a bandage approach but should give some immediate relief.  If you take any fibre supplement, make sure you drink a full glass of water right after.  This made a huge difference for me.

Posted 1/14/2008 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Your hubby will have to be careful he doesn't give himself gas cramps, but apple juice and anything with prunes is a natural laxative. Unforunately, I think if you do too much prune products, it can cause laxative dependency, the same as a chemical laxative (although I think that takes longer to develop). I don't think there's a connection between apple juice and laxative dependency.

Aloe vera pills are also a natural laxative and are considered milder than a chemical laxative, although, again, you can get dependent on them after quite a while. Magnesium citrate is another natural laxative, although I don't think there is a connection between it and dependency. Your hubby might also try probiotics to see if they help; they are safe.

A diet too low in fat can cause constipation. So can bananas.
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