Tummy Troubles

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Denise1102
Denise1102 Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
Let me start by giving a little insight on my condition. I have been diagnosed with Colonic Intertia, which basically means that my "stuff" doesn't move through my intestines and out as quickly as it should. I'm on a drug called Amitiza, that really doesn't do much good. In January, I started working out regularly and attempting to eat right in order to lose some weight. For about the last 2 weeks I have been more backed up than I ever have been!! Here's a look at my basic days exercise and food intake:

Monday -Saturday- I workout to Turbo Fire every morning.
Drink my Shakeology for breakfast.
Have a snack later in the morning...greek yogurt or an apple w/ peanut butter.
For lunch either a plain grilled chicken sandwich or some oven roasted turkey breast with low carb wheat tortillas and a salad with low fat Italian dressing. Sometimes cottage cheese.
In the afternoon, probably a protein bar.
Dinner is often like lunch.

In the last 2 weeks, I've started drinking way more water than I used to....like a gallon or more.
I've also increased my protein.

It seems the more I try to up my protein and water intake, the worse my stomach gets.

Anyone have the same issues? Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!!

Replies

  • nsandhaus
    nsandhaus Posts: 1 Member
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    Hello, I found to have similar issues. I recently added Metamucil and it really seems to help.
    Good Luck!
  • fancyface1955
    fancyface1955 Posts: 90 Member
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    Hi,

    I'm curious to know more about your condition. I have problems moving my "stuff" too. I go only once a week. I'm not in any pain or discomfort. I am drinking more than I had been- I just figured it's from all the working out i'm doing. What symptoms led your dr. to diagnose you with this? I'm just curious to know if I might have this or something similar. I'm told it's not normal to "go" once a week.
    I appreciate your feedback. :-)
  • jbaerbock
    jbaerbock Posts: 85 Member
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    I had a very similar problem. For 3 years I barely ate anything because I had chronic nausea issues due to my problem. Doctors kept bouncing me between treatment trials and drugs who's "side effect" was supposed to help. Well at one point due to lack of eating I was feeling so drained every day I started taking ginseng to address that problem. A week later my nausea started becoming less frequent. A month later my nausea was gone. I have been free of trouble for about a year now due to ginseng, an herb of all things lol [crazy doctors only ever look at the chemicals].

    I also take probiotics and pre-biotics/fiber. I take a capsule that contains 12 billion live and active cultures and then the fiber/pre-biotic takes the form of a smoothie I make with milled golden flaxseed added in [2 tablespoons usually]. That combination helps with many kinds of constipation problems in no time.

    If you have any questions about what worked for me feel free to message me. I'll try to keep an eye on this board too just incase you reply here. Goodluck though, an icky digestive system causes sooo many problems and it sure isn't fun.
  • Denise1102
    Denise1102 Posts: 13
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    I've always had troubles going, even since I was a kid. It got to the point where I would bloat up so bad and be in so much pain and nothing steadily would help. I would sometimes go 2 weeks between movements. Having one 2 days in a row was something I never experienced. I finally went to see a GI doc and discussed my symptoms. This was after visiting a normal family practice doctor to only be told that I was backed up and when enema after enema didn't help, he actually said "I don't know what to tell you". I never went back.

    So anyways, the GI doc said it sounded like things aren't moving and that it could be this condition where the electrons or whatever inside my intestines aren't giving the signal for things to move. So they did a "Sitzmark" test. I'm not sure how to spell it. I went to the hospital, swallowed a capsule with like 25 little marker things in it. Then had an ex-ray daily for about 4 days to see how fast and how far they moved thru. Obviously they were all still there at the end, and there ya go. My diagnosis. The meds seemed to help at first, but so did everything else. Once I got used to it, nothing continues to work.

    Hope this helps a little....
  • Denise1102
    Denise1102 Posts: 13
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    I also have taken the pro-biotic/acidophilus/fiber pill. My doc once told me that I could be taking too much fiber. I guess that can mess you up too. A lot of things work for a week or so, but nothing seems to take. I think I'm going to look for some fiber powder that I can mix in my shakeology. I don't think I could get the Metamucil down!! LOL
  • jbaerbock
    jbaerbock Posts: 85 Member
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    I also have taken the pro-biotic/acidophilus/fiber pill. My doc once told me that I could be taking too much fiber. I guess that can mess you up too. A lot of things work for a week or so, but nothing seems to take. I think I'm going to look for some fiber powder that I can mix in my shakeology. I don't think I could get the Metamucil down!! LOL

    I forgot to mention I started way slower on the probiotics. They can gas you up real bad if you start on them to high up. I started with a juice drink called Goodbelly. They have tons of different flavors and all have some good probiotics in them. Otherwise if you want to go even gentler yet you could eat like 2+ yogurts a day and work up from there. In my case I had to get rather high on them before I got any benefits [then again i was rather messed up].

    And your doc is very right. Too much fiber in a pill format or a spoonful swallowed can be dangerous. It can clot together and cause an intestinal blockage, which can kill you. Natural sources of fiber are always preferred. Or like it sounds you're going to do which is mix it into stuff that way it has less chance to clump together.

    The docs that failed me were all GI experts. They even sent me to the main Mayo GI Center in Rochester, MN. That guy really had no idea what he was talking about. He was worse than my local GI's sadly.
  • DSTMT
    DSTMT Posts: 417 Member
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    I have IBS and the same problem, and I also find that even when things work, they don't work for long. I can't take things like metamucil because it actually makes the situation worse, even when drinking like three quarts of water a day, so I have to get a bit more creative.

    When I first started eating chia seeds I was amazed at how well they worked....for about two weeks. I still eat them, but the results are not at all what they once were. I get painfully bloated a lot too and recently started taking peppermint oil capsules, which worked really well...for about four or five days. Although they do still help a bit for the corresponding nausea I get all the time. If anyone knows anything that works consistently over the long-term I'd love to know!
  • jbaerbock
    jbaerbock Posts: 85 Member
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    Oh and what they thought I had was what they dubbed a lazy stomach/digestive system. The muscles just weren't doing their part and so stuff sat in my stomach longer than it should and sat around in my gut longer than it should as well. Think they called it gastroparesis officially. But that's what the ginseng solved, it's known to have a positive effect on muscles, endurance, and overall feeling of vitality. Granted you have to know your ginseng to pick the correct supplement. Apparently I found a good one though hehe.
  • jbaerbock
    jbaerbock Posts: 85 Member
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    I have IBS and the same problem, and I also find that even when things work, they don't work for long. I can't take things like metamucil because it actually makes the situation worse, even when drinking like three quarts of water a day, so I have to get a bit more creative.

    When I first started eating chia seeds I was amazed at how well they worked....for about two weeks. I still eat them, but the results are not at all what they once were. I get painfully bloated a lot too and recently started taking peppermint oil capsules, which worked really well...for about four or five days. Although they do still help a bit for the corresponding nausea I get all the time. If anyone knows anything that works consistently over the long-term I'd love to know!

    Not to sound like a repeat crazy person lol. But I've been doing the ginseng/pro-biotic combo for a year now and have noticed no decrease in effectiveness. Gotta get the correct Probiotics and Ginseng though. Most ginseng supplements sold arent pure or strong enough to do much and most probiotics sold have just one bacteria type and not a combination of a bunch of different types which has more chances of helping.

    Here's the Ginseng I take:
    - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009EXLJE/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Here's the Probiotic I take:
    - http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Factors-Ultimate-Probiotic-Vegetarian/dp/B005P0XZXE

    I find the probiotic helps me more if I take 2 capsules together with my last meal of the day. Or if I have a lot of flaxseed which acts as a prebiotic [food for the bacteria in probiotics] I'll only take 1 capsule as it seems to really boost their "activity" shall we say lol.
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    I have digestive issues as well, though thank goodness not as bad as some here. I went to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor/acupuncturist and the herbs he has been giving me have really helped-- TCM herbs seem to be very effective for intestinal motility problems. But the thing I find that helps me most is taking magnesium supplements-- just the ordinary capsules, not any sort of magnesium intended to be a laxative. The type I am taking is magnesium citrate. I always take a calcium supplement with those, as it's important to not take in a lot of magnesium without the proper quantity of calcium.

    The effect of the full recommended dose of the magnesium supplements-- 2 capsules-- is quite powerful, but then again my issues are nowhere near as severe as yours.
  • rvclarke
    rvclarke Posts: 2 Member
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    I had the same problem but, I don't normally have stomach problems but I was trying hard to get more protein but I started eating a fiber bar daily instead of a protein bar and it works for me.
  • Denise1102
    Denise1102 Posts: 13
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    I have IBS and the same problem, and I also find that even when things work, they don't work for long. I can't take things like metamucil because it actually makes the situation worse, even when drinking like three quarts of water a day, so I have to get a bit more creative.

    When I first started eating chia seeds I was amazed at how well they worked....for about two weeks. I still eat them, but the results are not at all what they once were. I get painfully bloated a lot too and recently started taking peppermint oil capsules, which worked really well...for about four or five days. Although they do still help a bit for the corresponding nausea I get all the time. If anyone knows anything that works consistently over the long-term I'd love to know!

    Not to sound like a repeat crazy person lol. But I've been doing the ginseng/pro-biotic combo for a year now and have noticed no decrease in effectiveness. Gotta get the correct Probiotics and Ginseng though. Most ginseng supplements sold arent pure or strong enough to do much and most probiotics sold have just one bacteria type and not a combination of a bunch of different types which has more chances of helping.

    Here's the Ginseng I take:
    - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009EXLJE/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Here's the Probiotic I take:
    - http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Factors-Ultimate-Probiotic-Vegetarian/dp/B005P0XZXE

    I find the probiotic helps me more if I take 2 capsules together with my last meal of the day. Or if I have a lot of flaxseed which acts as a prebiotic [food for the bacteria in probiotics] I'll only take 1 capsule as it seems to really boost their "activity" shall we say lol.

    Thanks! I'm gonna try the Ginseng you recommended with my probiotic and see if that helps! If any of you find another miracle, please let us know!!
  • Denise1102
    Denise1102 Posts: 13
    Options
    I have digestive issues as well, though thank goodness not as bad as some here. I went to a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctor/acupuncturist and the herbs he has been giving me have really helped-- TCM herbs seem to be very effective for intestinal motility problems. But the thing I find that helps me most is taking magnesium supplements-- just the ordinary capsules, not any sort of magnesium intended to be a laxative. The type I am taking is magnesium citrate. I always take a calcium supplement with those, as it's important to not take in a lot of magnesium without the proper quantity of calcium.

    The effect of the full recommended dose of the magnesium supplements-- 2 capsules-- is quite powerful, but then again my issues are nowhere near as severe as yours.

    I also just bought magnesium. Some people in my office were talking about it. Maybe this combo will help! Thanks!
  • Linnaea27
    Linnaea27 Posts: 639 Member
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    Glad to help! My issues started with taking hormonal birth control 2 years ago. . . before that I was completely fine. It's horrible to have digestive problems!
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
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    http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Bears-Sugar-Free/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC

    If anyone gets desperate... lol
  • Denise1102
    Denise1102 Posts: 13
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    http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Bears-Sugar-Free/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC

    If anyone gets desperate... lol

    OMG!!! I'm laughing to hard it hurts!!!
  • jbaerbock
    jbaerbock Posts: 85 Member
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    http://www.amazon.com/Haribo-Gummi-Bears-Sugar-Free/product-reviews/B000EVQWKC

    If anyone gets desperate... lol

    LOL that's awesome!

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