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Anybody else on the mainly soluble-fiber diet longterm? Miralax longterm?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 12/26/2011 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,

Just wonder if others are in the same boat.  Miralax (and Citrucel) keep things moving, much better than they've been for most of my life, but I wonder about the long-term ramifications.  Dependence, organ damage, you know.....

I tried to go gluten-free about a year ago and got so incredibly constipated I thought I would burst.  Then I found the article on this forum, "Heather-somebody's soluble-fiber diet," (or something) and, along with the Miralax and Citrucel, it seems to really help my bowels.

The problem is, going by this diet, now I eat almost 100% white bread and refined grains, very little whole grains, almost no raw food (and when I do it's peeled) and very little fat.  And the little fat I do eat tends to make my gut uncomfortable - I lost my gallbladder a few years ago, so that makes sense.  I'm a long-time vegetarian, so that leaves few protein sources - beans, dairy, nuts - but I have to eat such small amounts of them to avoid feeling too full and nauseous.  I really wish I could put on a few pounds, which was never the case when I was young.

So my questions are, (sorry to be confusing here!) :  1) Is it ok to take Miralax forever?  2) How can I gain weight?  3) Do I have to go back to eating meat to get enough protein and calories?

Thanks, Debbie

 

Posted 12/26/2011 6:41 PM (GMT 0)
I'd also like to know if thats safe to take, as I have to keep taking Movicol which is the same stuff just to make a bowel movement now as its become impossible to go. I don't have any idea what you can do about the weight issue or the diet, I'm at a loss myself as I was gonna try the soluble fiber diet to help with my going too much originally but then it made me constipated.
Posted 12/26/2011 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Strange how we're all so different, isn't it? I know when I tell people that the gluten-free diet made me constipated, they look at me like I must be mistaken :( but it was very obvious.

What is your diet like now?

Debbie
Posted 12/26/2011 10:42 PM (GMT 0)
Well I take Colace twice a day and my doctor says it's okay. Been on it for over 5 years now. Had a colon resection due to cancer and my gall bladder out too. 12 years ago. Have tried so many things (probably close to 2 dozen by now). Like you I need to eat a low fiber diet or low residue, my pat foods are bananas, white rice, cottage cheese, plain white rice, roasted chicken or turkey, white bread. I now take a probiotic each night at bedtime.

I sometimes get stuck into a messy stool stage, what I call the putty stage, it can go on forever, and no matter what I do, I can't get the stool to form or be easily passed. Out of sheer desperation I do a Fleet's saline enema and it seems to get the lower gunk out of my colon. I need to do one tonight, ironically, but it's post xmas and my daughters ages 21 and 24 have friends over hanging out tonight. I don't have a good bathroom to hole up in to do this.

Anyway, my doctors have always said it's okay to be Colace, for life, it seems to help give me that overall stool consistency I've been searching for since my resection.

Long ago I gave up my dream of returning to one bm a day and being able to eat anything I wanted (without having D or the putty stool stage). Sigh......

If there's anything I learned about this wacky newer GI tract I have now is this - it isn't consistent. I just can't trust it to be my new normal. The only thing I can do to really prevent the ongoing dumping or messy bm's? To not eat! And I often do that too, skipping a meal before a social function.

Good luck with managing all of this.

If I won the lotto tomorrow, I seriously would consider getting a permanent colostomy.
Posted 12/26/2011 11:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, I can really relate to what you describe! I guess I should count my blessings and not expect too much improvement, but I know what you mean about just wishing it could all be simple and predictable.

Skipping meals - that I can't do, I get weak and shaky. Don't know if it's a hypoglycemic thing or what, but I have to stuff something in my mouth at least every couple of hours...not much, but something.

Good luck to you, too...

Debbie
Posted 12/27/2011 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
I only skip a meal once or twice a month now. My husband and I have become real homebodies. We're older now, mid 50's and our daughters are grown, one nearly out of the house (senior in college, away from home most of the time, which is rather sad but exciting for her at the same time). Over the past 12 years I've just wanted to stay home more and eat home cooked meals, have a quiet social calendar and surprisingly my husband does too.

I only skip for extreme cases, if we're going to a show or play for example. If I have a meal I need a bathroom for a few hours. So frustrating.

I wish you success managing your situation and health as well.
Posted 12/27/2011 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Debbie, I hope you're coping okay! My diet I just tend to have high fiber, and mix soluble fibers in with it too (potatoes, rice etc). I try to eat veg but I'm a bit rubbish at eating fruit because I've never liked them! Tbh I still have problems so I don't know whats best but if I do find a solution I'll let you know.. I currently find if I skip food I feel better, ironic isn't it?

I'm not even sure if my problems are also caused by my external hemmorhoids as I've never had them before in my life and I don't know what kind of pain they usually cause!
Posted 1/1/2012 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
With the Gluten free diet, were you still getting fibre from fruit & vegies & gluten free grains? Gluten Free helped me, but my mate had to go Lactose free to get the same results... maybe your GF diet wasn't helping cos your lactose intolerant?

I've suffered with IBS symptoms & anxiety my whole adult life. I found Gluten Free diet in the last few years has helped tremendously & I have loads of energy, no constipation, pain, wind, mucus in stools (sorry grose I know) 20 years later I've been diagnosed with Helicobacter (why the Doctors didn't check for that when I first started getting chronic diarrhoea, cramps, weight loss etc I don't know).

My Dad's always had stomach problems, we thought it was a genetic bad stomach. He recently had a breath test & confirmed he had Helicobacter, people living together catch it off each other & I had a blood test to confirm I have it. I've had a course of antibiotics but don't feel they have worked as I don't feel any different. I feel a lot better from eating a gluten free (regular painless BM's, not anaemic etc) , low dairy diet and avoiding Vinegar & tomatoes have stopped the diarrhoea. I need to fast & do a breath test to see if it the bacteria is still present. But I recommend anyone who is having tummy troubles, constipation, diarrhoea, anaemia, infertility, miscarriage, anxiety, depression, low energy get tested for Helicobacter Pylori ASAP. Its bacterial & so easily contracted, I wouldn't be surprised if 50-80% of the population have it. Good luck! Let me know how you go?
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