let’s talk about my guts! that always seems to be a popular topic here on meals & moves. if you don’t care to read about digestion and what i’m doing to help my issues.. skip this one and come back tomorrow for a recipe. also, this post is going to be LONG with a LOT of words. brace yourself.
if you are just joining us, you can read this post and watch this video post. but, in a nutshell, i have something wrong with my colon. i have chronic pain, usually at night, and severe bloating. i poop maybe every 3 days, sometimes it is more like 5 and has been as bad as 10 days. i have had an endocopy, upper GI scope, colonoscopy, CT scan, and gastric emptying study. i have tried two kinds of antibiotics, a few kinds of probiotics, and two other prescription medications. my GI doctor cannot figure out what the cause of all this is. it is very annoying, painful, inconvenient, irritating.. all of the above, that’s what it is.
the only conclusion that my GI has come to is that i have a very lazy colon and the smooth twitch muscle fibers (is that the right term? i don’t even know) don’t function properly. my muscle fibers don’t communicate with my brain and my body just doesn’t eliminate even though it really, really should. oddly enough, i have chronic UTIs and have had them since i was a child.. this is due to my body not thinking i need to urinate when i actually do.. and then an infection occurs. we are talking at least once a month, if not more. i have gone to specialists about this, but the only solution i have found is to drink a gallon of water a day and MAKE myself pee so i don’t get a UTI. if i don’t drink my water, then i get a UTI. every time. but if i am diligent, i am in the clear. i wish it was just that easy for number two.. but it’s not. my colon hates me and won’t eliminate on command. turns out, it’s not trainable like a dog. shucks.
my GI said the next step for me would be surgery or putting me on prescription meds for all of time and eternity. no thanks. these are two options that i am not willing to consider at the moment, because i don’t feel like i have done everything i can do to find a fix to the solution WITHOUT surgery or medication. sure, i have gone down several western medicine paths, but i haven’t tried any alternative medicine nor have i tried tweaking my diet. i want to try every possible solution to see if it works before A) getting part of my colon permanently removed or B) taking medicine for the rest of my life.
so, i have looked at other avenues.
colon hydrotherapy.
as i mentioned a week ago, i had a colon hydrotherapy appointment (or a colonic, for short.) this is basically a professionally administered enema on steroids. there’s no messing around with colonics.. they really clear you out. i went to innerlight colon hydrotherapy because it had great reviews and i felt like they practiced safe and sanitary procedures.
before the actual procedure, the technician, chad, took over 30 minutes to talk to me about my situation. he was full of suggestions and information! he wasn’t telling me what was wrong with me, instead he was telling me what MIGHT be wrong with me and what steps i could TRY to see if they brought relief. he gave me several website links, product names, and relief suggestions. that right there was worth the $70.. but then i still had the colonic to look forward to! joy.
the procedure itself was really uncomfortable. i read this warning online, so i was prepared for the worst. i mean, how awesome is it to strip down to a gown and put a little tube up your butt? right. that’s what i thought. and then, once the tube is inserted, water flows into your colon and intestines.. then it is flushed back out, along with whatever waste your body may be hoarding. i had pooped a whopping 3 times in 23 days, so there was a whole lot of waste hiding in my insides. the process of the water going IN wasn’t bad at all. it really didn’t feel like much. the part that was irritating was when the water was trying to come out (along with all my waste) because it kept getting held up for some reason.
chad suspected that it is because i have a redundant colon and the water was getting held up in the extra looping. either that, or my colon narrowed at some point and it made things get clogged up. i am planning to check with my GI on this matter, because i am pretty sure that is something that should be able to be seen on the CT scan results.. or at least on the results of one of my five hospital tests! it would make sense, though, because it seems as though i am always able to eat, eat, eat and never eliminate.
anyway, once the irrigation procedure was done, i was able to head to the bathroom to eliminate any excess water and waste. since the water had a hard time coming out of me each time he cycled it, there was a whole lot leftover. fun! it was actually a relief to get all that junk out of my trunk, so to speak. oh—added bonus? the toilet at innerlight. it was the fanciest toilet i have ever encountered in my life! heated seats, lots of crazy buttons, and a built in bidet. i told marshall all about this fancy toilet and he informed me that the next thing he wants to spend our money on is a fancy shmancy toilet. noted.
i had an appointment to have another session of colon hydrotherapy, but then i landed this nasty cold and canceled my appointment. i want to wait until my sickness goes away before i go in for another sesh. luckily, i am feeling almost 100%, so i will be going in again soon. i know that this is not a long-term solution, but it sure is nice to get the pipes cleaned. if you live in SLC and are interested in a colonic, check out innerlight.. at least for the fancy toilet, if nothing else.
what i have done for the past week.
i am saving up for an appointment with a naturopath, but in the meantime i thought i would try out a few things myself to see if anything helped. i started these tweaks on monday, the 20th, and guess what? NO PAIN. ALL WEEK. none. no pain in my guts! you guys, this is huge.
YES i have still had extreme bloating, however it has been slightly less than usual.
YES i am still constipated, but the—uh—consistency of what i have been able to eliminate is no longer super rock hard and pebble-like. and i am not going to go into any more detail than that because quite frankly that’s more than you need to know.
but NO.. i haven’t had any pain.
here are the measures i have taken this past week.
i have started making juice in my vitamix. yeah, yeah.. i know it’s not real “juice” but it’s blended vegetables and it is a whole lot more veggies than i would be able to EAT. i love this drink! i have had one a day for the past week. on the days that i had it first thing in the morning, my guts felt better than on days where i had it after work. my typical blend includes spinach, kale, celery, carrot, cucumber, apple, a splash of OJ, a little water, and ice. one time i added chia seeds and another time i added flax seeds. to make the juice, i put all of the above in my vitamix and seconds later: liquid nutrition. marshall has been drinking one a day with me, too! we love it. i didn’t have a juice until late last night, after i already had some intestinal pain. i was in a rush sunday morning and opted to skip the juice, maybe that’s why my gut ached later on? who knows. the takeaway? keep drinking the blended juice and make sure to drink it in the morning.
gasp. i know, right? while most say coffee helps you poop, i have read several studies and had several people tell me that coffee (and caffeine) can have the opposite effect on some people. i love my coffee, that’s no secret.. but i also want to find relief. so, i nixed my morning java. i did have a cup on monday, but tuesday through saturday i didn’t. it wasn’t that bad, i think i like coffee more for the taste and ritual than for the caffeine, actually. i didn’t have crazy caffeine withdrawals or anything like that.
on sunday, i had coffee at brunch. i REALLY wanted some, so i had two small mugfulls. it was delicious. oh, AND i pooped my first “normal” poop in over a month around 2 PM.. about 2 hours after brunch. (TMI? sorry!) but i also had some pain last night. not sure if it was the coffee or the fact that i didn’t have the juice or WHAT. the takeaway? keep skipping the coffee and to be sure to try eliminating/adding things one at a time so i can see what the pain culprit is.
i have been drinking a mug of decaf peppermint tea each and every night for a week. i heard it was good for digestion and hey, it doesn’t hurt anything, so i have been drinking it each night. i like it. it tastes good. it warms me up. the takeaway? keep drinking tea every night.. even if it’s not helping my gut pain, at least it’s keeping me warm!
i have been taking this phillips probiotic for months now because my GI suggested it, but i took some advice away from my colonic and added a digestive enzyme to my regimen. this was also recommended by a lot of you guys, so thanks for that. i went with this brand because i trust renew life because i’ve used their products before (and they were a part of the great fundraising act!), so i went with the digestmore enzyme. when my probiotic runs out, i am going to go with a renew life probiotic, probably the one i reviewed awhile back. the takeaway: i really think the digestive enzyme is what’s helping the pain the most.. but that’s just my theory.
so, that’s what i have been doing for a week. like i said, i had a bit of pain last night. nothing near what it’s been in the past, and it eventually went away and was totally gone before i went to bed. yesterday was different than all the other days because i drank coffee, i didn’t have the juice until about 9 PM, and i hadn’t had any tea.. so who knows why i had the pain. shoot, it could have been totally unrelated to any of these things for all i know.
one other thing i have started being VERY diligent about is keeping a detailed journal of EVERYTHING i am eating and drinking (with the time), the time of day and type of exercise i do, and anything that happens (or doesn’t happen) in the bathroom. i am also documenting how i feel and how bad the bloating is. i know i should have been doing this for MONTHS, but i am really bad at writing things down. i have good intentions and start out strong, but new habits die even harder than old ones for me.
i am brilliant and decided to download a journal app on my iphone. i am always on my phone playing games (obviously), so a journaling app on my phone seemed like something i could keep up with. i was right! i ended up getting “my journal” and i think it was $1.99.
i have kept a very detailed account of everything that’s been going in and out of my body for the past week, so when i DO have pain i can look and see if there were any similarities in my diet on those painful occasions. i can also see what i was doing on the days that i felt great with no pain. please make me stick to this journaling thing, i think it will be really useful when i get into a naturopath.
what i am trying this week.
in addition to the tweaks i mentioned above, i am also trying out a seven day cleanse that my mom told me about: zrii.
it is mainly used for weight loss, but it is not weight loss i am after. it is also GREAT for digestion. my mom and sister, suni, have both successfully completed the cleanse and both felt really fabulous after the seven days. even better, they both were very, very regular. not sure if it will help my regularity at all, since i am a freak of nature, but i am willing to give it a shot.
something fun: my boss has hopped on the cleanse wagon with me (it’s weight loss purposes for him) and so we are in it together this week! i will elaborate more on the cleanse in another post, since this one is already pretty lengthy.
on my list to try.
there are a number of things i want to try out to see if they help me. a few are:
- essential oils (recommended by my sister, marisa)
- eliminating various items from my diet to see the outcome (some ideas: eat less/no meats & cheeses, eliminate all dairy, eliminate certain grains, etc)
- seeing if birth control pills play a role (not sure how to figure this out but some people mentioned it)
- acupuncture
- seek direction from a naturopath
that last one is actually what is on TOP of my list.. but the naturopath i want to see is $285 for a 90-minute consultation and then $150 an hour for any appointments after that. i know it will be money well spent, but i am going to wait for pay day to roll around so i don’t have to pull money out of savings.
i am always open to suggestions, but i am also very mindful that what works for one person will not work for another. there is no cure-all, but i am willing to experiment to find my own tailored cure.
i have to say one thing: you guys have been amazing. i have received hundreds of helpful comments and emails that have contained possible solutions. while i haven’t been physically able to reply to each and every one of your bits of advice (i have a full time job!), i appreciate them ALL. so THANK YOU. thank you for caring and being concerned and giving me the time of day. i actually have a notebook where i have written down EVERY suggestion.. i am open to try whatever i can in order to find a solution to my problems. it’s so nice to hear what has worked for you all. i know it may not work for me, but everything deserves a shot.
WOW, that was long. gut talk OVER.
in other news, i am currently obsessed with this new video from tegan and sara (collaborated with morgan page.)
doesn’t it make you want to go pump some iron?!
one last thing: PLEASE vote for eden’s salted caramel crock pot blondies. it would mean a lot to her. and me. click here, her recipe is the far right. thanks!
that’s enough out of me. feel free to leave your thoughts.. if you made it this far.
xo. janetha g.
ETA: i linked to my zrii website that was generated for me when i bought the product. i signed up as an “independent executive” because it made the product cheaper for me to buy.. and that’s when they made me the website. i am not trying to slang it to you, although you can make purchases from that site i am not trying to get you to do that! that link was just for those of you who were curious and had asked me about it so you could browse around and read what it is. i will do a comprehensive post about it soon.
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Sounds like your guts had a pretty good week. good job on the coffee, that would be difficult for me. Like the vid. Love your butt.
This reminds me to start taking probiotics again. I took Align for a few months but it was pricey so I stopped. It did seem to help my stomach pain so I need to get back on the wagon!
I really want a vita-mix now that I know you can make juice with it! I would think blended juice is even better since it has the whole fruit and fiber in it.
also, LOVE Tegan & SArah! :)
Ooh! Fun song! I’m digging it :D It’s kind of like Jane Fonda meets modern techno video. yeah-ya.
Sounds like you’ve been working really hard to get your body back on track! I commend you, especially on the coffee part. I’d give it up but it’s part of my job, AND I kinda love it. So, it probably isn’t happening.
Cheers to green juice! I’ve been downing a glass a day as well!!
So I was thinking, you and Marshall typically eat dinner around 8 or 9 right? Have you considered that your body might not be able to digest the food properly before it “turns off” for the night? I can see that you’ve been feeling better without changing your dinner time, but maybe it would help?
Well, I am already in pain way before dinnertime, but that is a great point that timing of food consumption could play a role!
I have similar issues regarding lazy/inconsistent bowel functioning, and have also tried colon hydrotherapy (and found that it provided very necessary temporary relief, but no noticeable lasting effects for me personally).
For what it’s worth, I have discovered that fewer, larger meals (the largest one being in the mid-day, and no more than three meals a day) gives the back half of my digestive system the dedicated time and focus it needs to move stuff out (most of the time . . . still susceptible to stress and hormonal constipation, it seems).
Everyone is different, of course. Hope you are on the path to finding some answers for yourself.
Long time reader/lurker – just popping in to say thanks for discussing such a “TMI” topic. We all poop, damn it. It shouldn’t be taboo to discuss problems and share solutions. My mum had a similar GI problem for several years, she’d come home from work crying with frustration at the extreme bloating & pain that occurred at the end of the day, even after eating barely anything. It was really heartbreaking for all of us to watch. She’d had all sorts of tests, everything was ruled out including coeliac & H. pylori.
Eventually she went to hospital for what seemed like the 10th time in the last 5 years with the same extreme pain – only this time they FINALLY found a large benign tumor in her upper colon and scheduled an emergency surgery to remove the obstruction (it was the size of a fist!). It was missed by all the scans and the colonoscopy as it was too high up (or something like that). Medicine has come a long way but it makes me wonder how many people out there still suffer from mysterious digestive diseases that we don’t yet fully understand. Wishing you all the best and a speedy solution!
Oh my goodness! That is quite the story! Glad they caught it. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t know if you do/don’t already, but I’ve noticed SUCH a difference in my bowel regularity (i.e. it has some regularity huzzah) since I started consuming flax and/or hemp seeds daily.
I got bags of each at Costco (make sure to check the supplements section and the foods section for the flax–I found a bag that was bigger, cheaper, and organic in the supplements aisle :D).
Flax goes in my oat bran/oatmeal and/or on top of smoothies; as do the hemp seeds. They’re also just plain tasty. Something to try, maybe? I aim for at least 2T overall per day, and like I said, it really has made a difference (I used to deal with freaking chronic constipation, or cyclic constipation + three days of normal bowel movements, then back to the start >:l )
Best wishes :D
I am currently cycling between chia and flax seeds.. I don’t eat them often enough though.. definitely need to remember to throw them into my meals more often. Thanks!
I am hoping your guts quit being stupid and just start being nice to you!
I am sorry all this hell you have been through over this, but hey at least your alive right?! : ) Always go to look at the positive : )
Love you!
YAY for the Enzymes!!!! I know I tell you this all the time, but I swear by them! Even though I’m on medication for my Cohron’s I still notice discomfort when I skip a day of my enzyme.
I’ve heard good things about the colonhydrotherapy. Glad these things are making you feel some sense of comfort. It gets better hun…it does. This figuring out what is wrong process is the worst but once you have an actual diagnosis (whether self-diagnosed or from a doctor) it gets so much easier to treat. :) Always thinking of you my dear. <3 X0X0
Janetha, I’ve had problems, my mother had problems, and my sweetie has problems, as does my sister. so we tend to talk potty talk. I so hope one or many of the suggestions will work, and work permanently!
Aww lovely, I’m so happy to hear that you have some relief! I hope it stays that way, after reading about your uti issues I thought I’d ask.. Has anyone ever looked into interstitial cystitis? It’s commonly misdiagnosed as having constant utis.. I recently found out I have it after a brillion tests and surgeries. And from what one Dr told me, the meds that they give for utis can actually aggravate it more. Anyway, sorry to ramble.. Worth looking into imo. But, so glad the colonoscopy worked, I have to have one soon myself and am not looking forward to it.. So it’s nice to know what to expect. Xoxo
So obsessed with this song at the moment.
Thanks for keeping us in the poop loop. I wish you didn’t have to sort this out but thank you for sharing your experience and game plan with us. It is so great seeing someone empowered about their health. Rock on.
Thanks for sharing so much of your story on this topic! I know some people might think talking about poop is gross, but anything involving digestion is so interesting to me! And I have a friend who has similar issues, so I’ve been sharing what you’ve tried with her.
Love that you’re trying to fix things before going with surgery or meds. Not that those aren’t okay if it’s what it comes to, but I’m always a proponent of trying to fix things with food and nutrition first, if possible.
Also, I had to laugh when you shared the diary app you’re using. I just pictured someone sitting on the subway typing in when they pooped. Hahahaha.
have you tried cranberry juice (or extract, i think it comes in pills) for the UTIs? it’s hard when you’re changing a bunch of things at the same time, but hopefully you’ll be able to figure some things out through the journal!
First off, let me just say that I LOVE your gut posts (I have a weird obsession with the topic of poop). I have had stomach issues my entire life and about 7 years ago I too had a Colonic. The women that did mine said that if you get regular Colonic’s (4 times a year) that it will actually strengthen a weak colon because when you put water up there it forces your colonic to push it out, which in turn makes it stronger. I was lucky in the fact that it only took one for me to get me back on track (although, my experience with a colonic was HORRIBLE, and when we meet in person, which we will, I will tell you all about it). I have been a different person since then. I do have things that help it out though. I eat an intense amount of fiber, and I have now started limiting my dairy products (pretty much yogurt only because of the probiotics). I also drink an entire glass of Metamucil every single day, and that has kept me regular. I went from going about once a day to about 5 times a week, which as you know is a BIG improvement! I hope all of these changes keep you feeling better! Stomach stuff is the pits, but it sounds like you have a great attitude and an even better plan!
Ohhh I forgot about acupuncture! I did it for awhile when I had knee problems and did some for digestion ad it worked too! Good luck! I’m rooting for you and your slow guts!
Is it possible to kick your colon’s ass? How would that work? Either way, I don’t like it making your tummy hurt. It needs to learn a lesson!
Wow! I just posted about my digestive issues today too! Crazy! I also used to only go number 2 about two times a week, sometimes less. But my food always came up in the form of puking instead. I am so VERY thrilled for you! I also have gone through countless tests and I know the joy that comes with feeling like you might be finding solutions! Seriously thrilled for you! I used digestive enzymes for about 3 years but they never helped. I used to regularly see a naturopath when I lived in Oklahoma and my mom still mails me things all the time. Love them! :) AWESOME POST! :)
I am so so sorry you have to deal with all of this – it sounds miserable. I am glad you are taking all the steps you can before you have to do any sort of surgery/medicine though. So many people would just look for a quick fix. The colon therapy sounds super interesting!
I think this is something so so many people deal with (as is evidenced by the tremendous popularity of products such as Activia lately), so I think the more we can all talk about what works and what doesn’t the better! As for myself, I’ve found that when I eat lunches and dinners consisting of mostly vegetables with some protein it helps tremendously, and if I get a bit too happy with the carbs or cheese it is disaster time. I can have carbs at breakfast no problem, and some at other meals, but sparingly. this has been the biggest help for me. Also, fruit juices in the morning are SUPER helpful (but it sounds like you are RAWKING the juice thing already!), and I have to say that having a high fiber (REALLY high fiber, like fiber one or all brain) carb like cereal with yogurt in the morning along with some hot tea (or coffee, but I know you are trying to cut that out) has helped a lot too. I’m basically a fiber maniac, because it makes all the difference in the world for me, but it’s nice that I can get it from so many sources. I seriously don’t understand how people who don’t eat much fiber haven’t exploded by now.
But hey, the bottom line is keep testing things bit by bit and you will find what works for your body. Hope you keep feeling better!!
Glad to hear you have had some relief. I have a mystery tummy issue that I guess the next step is scope both ends. Oh fun! & know you can relate! lol
I LOVE making vegetable/fruit juice in my Vita-Mix! I like that all of the fiber & nutrients stay with the fruit instead of being extracted as a normal “juicer” does.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this info! I just had a GI appointment today for a second opinion about my GI issues (similar to yours- bloating, pain, chronic constipation) and they suggested a colonoscopy. I’m pretty scared, but the meds and changes my other doctor suggested just aren’t working anymore.
I don’t know how much fat is in your diet, but my doctor pointed out to me today that I need to increase my fats with almonds, nut butters, almond oil, etc. because my body doesn’t absorb fats well and my insides need a little more “lubricant” to help things flow out easier! TMI, but at this point I can pretty much tell anyone about my poop..I’m sure you feel the same! ha
I’m so happy for you!!!! I know firsthand the relief of figuring out something that HELPS your GI business. Yay for poop!
yikes girl! so sorry you have to go through all this. glad you’re finding some things that help though! i get chronic uti’s as well and they are the worst! :(
My favorite topic! Also – story of my life. Doctor after doctor, test after test. Finally went to a holistic doctor who did a comprehensive stool analysis and found a Candida overgrowth! Did the candida diet for a month, along with a bazillion supplements, and felt INCREDIBLE. I didn’t get rid of it entirely though and my symptoms came back a month later (I also discovered a wheat sensitivity). Did the diet again for about two months and have since felt like a new women. Don’t give up! I thought I was a lost cause for years.
Great update. I have a few things that might help:
You may have heard this before, but lemon water first thing in the morning can be very helpful. Just add the juice of a lemon into water that’s the temperature you’d drink tea. I do this daily.
Probiotic with your lemon water. Followed by your green smoothie a little later.
Herbal teas are great. Celestial Seasonings’ Bengal Spice tea is worth a look. Has that delish chai taste, but it’s completely caffeine free.
Also, food combining has been mentioned a lot. My big takeaway with that is to have fruit on an empty stomach. Supposedly fruit combined with heavier things, like cheeses or meats, causes all sorts of bloat and digestive backup. It’s because the fruit digests faster than the other foods, so it’s ready to “go,” but can’t move, due to a traffic jam created by the heavier foods still digesting.
My friend Kimberly Snyder talks a lot about digestive issues on her blog, http://www.KimberlySnyder.net You might have a look there and see what resonates.
You are right, surgery and permanent meds are NOT acceptable options at this point…not until you’ve tried many, many other possible solutions. I’m confident you’ll hit upon some techniques that work for you. Actually, sounds like you already have :-)
Good luck!
It’s good to hear you’re at least finding ways to find SOME relief. I had the opposite issue several years ago and my GI brushed it off to nothing more than an “inability to handle stress.” I like that your Dr is at least hearing you out, doing tests and trying to figure out what it is.
Okay. I’m going to share some personal tips. I don’t want to sound high and mighty, because it sounds like you have a totally unique, unexplainable condition (boo). First off, the UTIs…I had never had one, other than when I was like 4 years old and refused to pee in kindergarden, until about 2 years ago. I traced it back to biking at the gym (gross, but that was the only explanation). They were recurring, like 4 times, and it drove me crazy because I had to pay for lab work, an OBGYN visit, and antibiotics every time. I found an alternative solution. When you detect the onset (which we can usually recognize after one or two UTIs), drink 1/2 tsp of Baking Soda mixed with about a cup of water. It changes the Ph of your urine and repels bacteria. I’m wondering if you’re missing something in your diet. You are obviously very healthy, but has anyone addressed a Ph imbalance? It seems too simple and obvious to be the answer, but I was shocked when I pretty much cured myself more than a few times over. In other news, I’m very regular (every morning…), but have you tried eating bran cereal or Kashi (the super, hefty fiber-filled varieties)? Eat a bowl of bran cereal before you go to bed, you’ll wake up ready to poop! It’s something we feel awkward talking about, but the best feeling in the world is when you feel clean and clear and empty—ready to refuel! I’ve tried to follow your story closely, and I’m frustrated FOR you. I would seriously ask about things like pH balance, and also, there’s a bacteria H. Pylori that causes issues. I’m sure your GI doc has done that test. I might’ve missed it. But we’ve gotta get you on track!! When did these poop probs begin? Or is it a lifetime issue? I’m not a doctor, but I’m a problem solver, and it kills me when I hear stories like yours. There’s an answer—you’ll find it.
I find that 1,000 mg of magnesium each day or so makes me very regular. Good luck with the lazy colon.
I must really love you to read that much about poop.
I just hope you find an answer soon and commend you on being pro-active about your condition.
My naturopath is covered by insurance. I can’t remember if you have health insurance or not.
I wanna do a cleanse! I need a reset badly (+10 lbs since Halloween-ugh). I looked up Zrii online and the reviews weren’t great but if you guys have good results I’m certainly willing to try it.
I know what it’s like to have a frustrating condition, between my wacky thyroid and my reactive hypoglycemia I’m sometimes a mess who no one can relate to. And did I tell you I think I’m allergic to almonds? That totally blows.
But that’s what makes us each crazy individuals!
Love ya!
I am such a dork when it comes to stuff like this. I love the updates!
But what I love more is that hopefully you are still on your way to finding answers. I had some problems with painful bloating and digestive enzymes really seemed to help me, too.
p.s. thanks for the song recommend! You should do more of those!
Have you tried eliminating wheat? I have read a lot of success stories related to GI issues resolving on their own by making this change. It might be worth a try! Hope you find something that helps soon.
Hey Janetha, so sorry you are going through all this. Sounds miserable. I just wanted to pop in and say that my mom has chronic constipation, like it isn’t uncommon for her to go 10-14 days. She had tried everything from overdosing on laxatives and miralax and changing diet. She finally tried a fiber powder that you put in your protein shakes and has been regular ever since. She swears by it! I use it every day just for the benefit of fiber and love it. Let me know if you want more details, and good luck!
So so happy to hear that you are doing better!!! I know you still have a long ways to go to be “normal” but at least you are heading in the right direction now! Thanks for keeping us posted and letting us know what helps/doesn’t help. I will take notes for my future gi patients =)
Awww crap.
Colon issues are no fun! Good luck and looking forward to see if the cleanse helps!
hi janetha! serious lurker here.
i have a tonnnn of stomach issues too, and just wanted to put in my two cents. one of my doctors told me that drinking ginger tea is a huuuuge help for constipation. she also said that drinking peppermint tea can actually increase constipation. i’m not sure how much validity there is in terms of the peppermint fact, but i can say that the ginger tea is pretty effective. i don’t know if it’ll help you, but i just thought i’d let you know! good luck figuring everything out!
So glad you got some relief from the hydrotherapy :) That feeling when you have to release the water etc after – when you think normally you would think you you were really ill should that happen yet for once it gives get relief – it’s crazy really!
Must say i am looking forwards to my appointment today – i made the mistake of indulging in some wonderful cheese & bread for lunch on Saturday. I know lactose is my issue, but a tiny bit has been ok in the past but i think i indulged too much and have been sporting that pregnant look since then. Sadly only one way round that, because i have no self-control & thats to cut out all lactose :( Only question now is if the bread is a problem too.
Hope you’re cold goes away so you can get the help again for your gut.
xx
Love you and love that you are loved by so many!! Awesome comments from wonderful ladies who really care!
Love this blog family!!
xoxo
I love the idea of doing a 7 day cleanse! Do you know of any other “packaged” cleanse that would be more affordable than the one you are experimenting with? Thanks!
try the aromatherapy associates lavender and peppermint support oil and either rub a small amount into your stomach or bath with it! peppermint is amazing for digestion and the lavender will help with any pain/inflammation.
I’m glad you’re starting to feel better!
No idea if this will help at all, but I eat an apple every evening about 9pm, maybe 2-3 hours before bed and always poop first thing in the morning. When I don’t eat apple, I don’t…
Something else to try I guess! :-)
So glad to hear you are in less pain! That’s amazing. Really sounds like you will figure this thing out with all the effort you are putting in. I promise to give you friendly reminders about your journal too – I can get slack in that area as well!!! My gut issues seem to be the opposite to you…I get the runs! Diarrhoea isn’t funny condition…but it’s definitely smart. Diarrhoea knows EXACTLY how far you are from the nearest toilet…and is like ‘I’ll race ya!!!’
But I can happily say that my gut issues are so much better since I started this particular diet for IBS. It can be a bit restrictive, but at least I’m not sprinting to the nearest loo after meals!
Hey janetha,
I have the exact opposite problem (sorry for the tmi)but I swear by acupuncture – I took a couple months off and declined GREATLY (to the point of Sunday night allowing me a whopping 48 minutes of sleep bacause I was in the bathroom alllllll freaking night long) I tweeted yesterday that it’s pretty freaking amazing how just 1 session with the needles and I was already feeling better!
Oh, Janetha! I completely feel your pain and what you are going through. GI issues are completely frustrating. I’ve been dealing with a ton myself. During my appendectomy in December, the surgeon noticed something with my colon and I was in severe pain after. I went for tons of tests and went back and forth to doctors. Three weeks ago, I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. It’s been such a struggle to figure out what foods I can and can’t eat. So I completely know what that is like. It’s been hard to cut out coffee. I’ve been drinking a lot of green tea. :) Thank you for posting this because you mentioned some things that I think I should try myself. Stay strong! You will get through this.
I just wanted to let you know that I read your blog and I’ve been going through this same exact thing for years as well! About 3 months ago, I started seeing my naturopath and I am making slow progress which is amazing. I had the same exact symptoms you have AND I can’t have dairy, gluten or added sugars.
It’s been a long, hard process but I am holding out for the reward in the end. Keep pushing though and I highly suggest seeing a naturopath if you can save up for one!
I’m glad coffee isn’t the culprit – phew!
But seriously, I think it’s awesome that you are considering all of these other options and willing to make sacrifices for the sake of your health. I know how frustrating it is to deal with a chronic condition, but I also think that when we decide to put feeling good above simple pleasures (like coffee) it’s for the best. I think many people don’t want to give up stuff or make changes and they continue to feel miserable – no fun! I hope this comment makes sense!
Willing to bet that was a fancy Japanese toilet. One of the coolest things about Japan–heated toilets!
Janetha,
i see it’s already been suggested, but i would cut out gluten. The more I read about it, the more I think NOBODY needs to eat any…
I REALLY REALLY hope you feel better soon. (and although I’m sure it seems odd/weird to share all that, I can see from the comments that you are helping a lot of people. just knowing you’re not alone in a health situation is a blessing)
Hello! I have been reading your blog for awhile because you have such an entertaining style of writing and also cover a lot of interesting topics. This post really inspired me to comment because in high school i had the exact same symptoms as you (constipation, bloating and then once the pain started I realized this was a problem i needed to fix), i went to a homeopathic doctor and that visit made all the difference, in a way that countless tests and harsh medications had not (so i really hope you can schedule an appointment with a naturopath!), the things that have solved the majority of my problems are: 1000mg magnesium before bed, probiotics in the morning on an empty stomach, making sure that i wake up early and give myself time to drink coffee relax and eliminate (this is very important because i tend to hold all of my stress in my stomach and if i dont go in the morning i wont all day), and more recently i have been experimenting with a paleo diet which seems to reeeeally cut down on the bloating! So i hope any or all of this can be useful to you and i wish you luck! Don’t give up, there is most definitely a way to fix this!
One of my friends seemed to have the exact syptoms you described. She went to everyone looking for answers. Finally someone suggested she may be ALLERGIC TO GLUTEN. She gave it up and is completely back to normal. You should try that it really sounds like that may be you’re problem. You have to go 30 days with no trace of gluten to see if it’s effective though.
I was tested for that and it came back negative.. I have a feeling that it has NOTHING to do with food and everything to do with my muscular function, but I am sure the bloat could be managed with food changes!
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