IBS and Probiotics

I have IBS with both constipation and diarrhea. I lean mostly toward the constipation so I take laxatives every day. If I take too much, I sometimes get diarrhea.

I have pelvic prolapse, fibromyalgia, and scoliosis, and all of these contribute to the other bowel problem; it's bowel incontinence.

I have decided to try probiotics to see if it will help get me regulated. Is this a good idea? I wonder if I should cut back on or discontinue the laxatives. I take Ex-lax. I've been having a really bad time the last month or so and would appreciate any advice from others who may have this problem. Thanks.

Culturelle works for me I take it everyday.

I'm going to give them a try. I got the chewable kind. I hope they work as well as the ones you're taking. I can use all the help I can get.

My doctor knows I have IBS but has never mentioned probiotics to me. I'll be getting a new doctor in Dec. though, as this one is leaving the practice so I'll ask him/her what they think.

The one I got is made by Nature's Bounty.

I have used the Fleet enemas in the past and they really do work well. I am having trouble using them now because of arthritis in my hands and shoulders. I can't get in the right position and can't squeeze the tube hard enough. Old age. :) I will try the probiotics. I'm taking antibiotics right now for other stuff. Can these be taken at the same time?

Thanks for the link!

memaw-

Just wondering, what has your doc recommended to you? Have you tried things for incontinence like biofeedback or anything?

I also have problems with severe and chronic constipation as well as bowel incontinence. I also have issues with prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction. My problems are due to lots of nerve damage (from Spina Bifida), and it has gotten really bad. I actually do take laxatives and a couple prescription meds daily, with no results. not sure why I still take them. I have to do a "bowel purge" every 2 weeks, where I mix up the tasty colonoscopy prep drink and down that, along with a bunch of other laxatives. That at least gets some of the stuff cleaned out. I am currently finishing up meeting with a few docs (will have 3 docs involved) to determine exactly what will be done in surgery. I am having a colostomy, hysterectomy, and bladder surgery all at once. Very rarely done for these kinds of problems.

Not sure why I just told you all that, but what I was thinking of and wanted to tell you is maybe something like miralax would work. It's not too harsh, but works pretty well for a lot of people, and you can very easily adjust the dose to what works for you, since it's a powder. I have not tried probiotics, but seems like those are helping a lot of people.

Just curious about a couple things....have you asked your doc about probiotics? I guess there are lots of different ones out there and finding the best one for you can sorta depend on your problems. Also, if you are comfortable sharing more about your story or how you handle the incontinence, I'd be very interested to hear about it. It is not an easy thing to handle, physically or mentally.

Hope you are able to find something that works well for you soon!

Have you been to a GI doc lately? Depending on the reason for and the severity of the incontinence, there are options out there to help control it. If you are not currently seeing a GI doc, I would really urge you to ask for a referral to see one. Sounds like you have a lot going on and you really need a specialist who can help you figure out what is going on and what can be done about it.

As for doing the purges, I do them every 10-14 days, because often the purges are the only bowel movements I have. I have a prescription from my GI doc for the same stuff used to prepare for a colonoscopy--I have been using the Go-Lytely. It has added electrolytes to help prevent dehydration and just "feeling awful". It's pretty hard on the body, but I don't really have a choice anymore. I have been doing it 2-3 times per month since January of this year. I also take daily: Miralax, Linzess (twice the max. dose), Bisacodyl, as well as Zofran for nausea and a med for gastritis. I do take another 15 or so different meds for other medical problems.

Before you decide to do anything to "clean you out" or do any type of purge, PLEASE consult your doctor. A purge, depending on what you use, could do some real damage to you, especially because of the other medical problems you have!! PLEASE, DO NOT TRY SOMETHING LIKE A PURGE WITHOUT TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR AND GETTING THE OK FROM THEM FIRST!! The last thing you need is to put a lot more chemicals into your body and have it screw up everything else going on in your body. A purge is really not limited to just pushing out the waste or cleaning things out, it's more like a tornado going thru you. It is rather unpredictable and does tend to leave a trail of damage behind. Can you tell I'm a little concerned about you doing this??

Please don't think I'm trying to be bossy or rude or whatever, I just do not want you to hurt yourself. The combination of constipation and bowel incontinence sure is a weird thing though, huh? I hope that we can keep "talking" about this stuff. I think we could really help each other, whether it's sharing things that have worked or not worked to treat the problems, or just providing support, someone to talk to, and knowing we are not alone with these struggles.

Yes, please do continue taking laxatives if it has benefited you well, IF not. You can always resort on taking probiotics. Keep in mind to always ask your doctor's advice about your medications. Hope you get better very soon.

Hi memaw, just wanted to know if the probiotics are helping you any? My GI doctor didn't tell me about any type of diet for what I had so I'm sure many of them don't have faith in them. As I kept reading more about my then disease, that's what people were recommending. I'm positive it helped me because I did go off of the pb for 1 day and the diarrhea returned, then back to pb and gone when I finished my vancomycin (specific antibiotic). I gradually ate normal foods and increased them each time and was totally OK after a week. I'm back on my pain meds now which seriously constipates me so I'm taking 3 stool softeners/day (generic colace or docusate sodium 100 mg. both are OTC) and producing masterpieces with no grunting. lol. Just trying to cheer you up since we all are literally talking ****. Have you seen a GI doc?