Bathroom

So I have IBS-C and acid reflux and take meds daily for the acid reflux.  About 1 month or so ago I've started seeing some blood on the toilet paper after either having a bowel movement or after having tried to do so.  It's not a lot but I'm assuming it's not a good sign either.

I'll make a doctor's appt but wanted to know if anyone had any idea what it may be from or has any experience.

Thanks!

CURLY-what a relief!! what do you think did it?

my Dr. recommended miralax also, i havent tried it yet but a while back my cousin, also a doctor, said she takes it daily sort of as a preventative measure and shes been good.  im thinking of taking it, just hope its tasteless and not like metamucil!!!

I think it was the smoothie I had for breakfast that did it.  I'm going to buy some Miralax tomorrow & give it a shot.  Good luck with it too!

what was the smoothie?

i also went to cvs today and got the cvs brand of colace, recommended by the pharmacist.  i went a little this morning and am hoping since tomm is the wknd ill be ok so im not taking anything.

It was a mocha smoothie from a little hometown coffee shop where I live (NC).  I hadnt had any kind of coffee drinks in forever, I just thought I would treat myself.  I might just have to make it a weekly thing if that's what it takes!

YAY! I'm so proud of you girls! Miralax is a great alternative, it's not a harsh stimulant and it's not habit forming (like some are- you're right!). AND better yet, it's FDA regulated so you KNOW what you're getting, opposed to supplements! Kudos for asking the pharmy, colace in combination with the miralax should work out great. My work here is done. :) happy pooping!!! ;)

ugh...back to work= NO BATHROOM!

ill have to start the miralax, i hope its tasteless??

do i just out it in water, ive tried others that were supposedly tasteless, sooo bad!!

Just wondering, Agru, but how much fibre and water do you take in in a day on average?

Also, most water-soluble laxatives have a slightly chalky taste. I'd try taking it in water made up with some sort of squash (cordial?) in it, but that's just me speaking. Depends on what you can bear.

cordial? isnt that alcohol?  im eating a peice of acorn squash now!

during the day i drink maybe 20ounces and then when i get home i drink a lot more, like maybe 90 ounces?

the miralax says it works in 1-3 days!!!? it also says mix into a cold or hot drink.  the other one i tried a while back and it just tasted like bitter chemicals.

oh, fiber, dont know how much i get.  i have a whole wheat bagel for part of bfast, 2 fruits, and salad w/dinner.

thanks!

I meant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(drink) hah, not the alcoholic variety. Not sure what that might translate to in the US? But yes, you mix it into a hot or cold drink. Flavoured teas like herbal teas also help reduce any chalky taste.

Okay. You're drinking plenty of water. But you may not be eating enough fibre in your diet in general and this can be a big contributor to constipation. The minimum amount recommended for a female is 25g and you're best getting this through food in both varieties - soluble and insoluble. Insoluble is the fibre that forms bulk and regulates acidity and PH in the gut. Soluble is the fibre that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Too much of one and too little of the other can also lead to complications and constipation so look for a good mix of both:

Insoluble fibre examples:
 -- Whole-wheat pastas, breads, etc
 -- Quinoa
 -- Brown rice
 -- Bran products
 -- Fruit and vegetable skins, such as potato skins, tomato skins, plum/prune skins, apple skins, pear skins
 -- Nuts and seeds, particularly flax, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts

Soluble fibre examples:
 -- Oats
 -- Rye
 -- Barley
 -- Potatoes of all varieties
 -- Psyillium husks
 -- Legumes and pulses, especially lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, pinto beans and soybeans

And pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Particularly raspberries, plums, bananas, sweetcorn, prunes, apples, pears, blackberries, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, asparagus, artichokes and dried fruit. 

Never introduce lots more fibre without drinking enough water to compensate. There is a more detailed list of fibre sources here for future reference.

Introducing fibre into your diet so you have enough to keep you regular will be good in the long run, so you won't need the Miralax for an extended period of time ideally. You should monitor how much you take in, really, as you have constipation trouble.

awesome lala!

i forgot, i also have fiber one cluster cereal almost daily too but i dont know how much fiber is in the diff foods.  i also tried the miralax tonight but it works in 1-3 days.

so im thinking i need insoluble fiber.  i dont eat any of those things except for fruit+veggies.  prunes never ever helped, infact, a GI doctor once told me dried fruit os not good for ppl w/IBS.

ill look tomm at some of my regular foods so i can guage where im at now, fiber -wise.

thank you!

...a GI doctor once told me dried fruit os not good for ppl w/IBS.

Dried apricots or prunes with a bowl of oatmeal and a strong black coffee is my emergency constipation remedy. LOL. I think it may depend on what your trigger foods are and your type of IBS, though I am greatly surprised they told you that as you have IBS-C: dried fruit is choc-a-block with fibre. IBS-D I could understand, but not -C.

Indeed - insoluble fibre is the stuff that makes your poo bulky so it pushes out of your system better. If you're not taking in a lot of that, you'll inevitably have some toilet troubles. I'll be able to give a bit more advice when you get an idea of how much fibre (and of what sorts) you're taking in though. :D

yea, i cant eat oatmeal-major constipation!

so in terms of foods, i think i get about 20grams of fiber, then i also eat 2 big apples and a pretty big salad w/dinner so i dont know how to add those in to the total.

the thing is, i eat basically the same thing on the wknds and i have no problem then, i do have 2 instead of 1 cups of coffee but thats it.  bfast+lunch are basically the same, dinner is always diff and same w/snacks.

i took the miralax last night, nothing though...

The Miralax will take a little to kick in, as all meds do.

There's probably about 3 to 4g of fibre per apple, whilst the salad will vary depending on the vegetables within it. So, okay. You're making the minimum. But bodies and how they tolerate fibre do differ, too. You may need a little more than what you're taking in right now or you might not have the right balance of both types. On average, did most of your fibre come from wholegrains and cereals, or from fruit, vegetables, beans and otherwise? Or was it about a good mix of both?

whole wheat thomas bagel and fiber one cluster cereal, then the apples and romaine salad.  i do have slow colon, forgot to add that! lol, had that tested previously.