I suffer from IBS and take 36 laxatives a night?

Question

If I don't take the laxs I cannot go to the toilet at all even though I eat fresh veg and fruit every night. I'm sick of my meals always being veg and sick of being sick after taking the laxs. Can any one suggest anything to help with IBS? I am undergoing treatment on my bowells but the clinic I'm under make me wait upto 8 wks for the next lot of treatment. This seems to be taking to long as I'm waiting to start back at work and can't because of having to go to the toilet all the time.

Just to clarify I do take 36 senokot max strength, I used to take 90 but after no help from my g.p. I cut them down myself. As I said if I don't take them I cannot go as I went four weeks without taking them to see what happens. When I do take them the next day I'm always on the loo.

Sorry to go on this is the first question I have ever asked and obviously didn't make it very clear. I am under a Specialist at Wythenshawe Hospital Dr. Kiff who is suppose to be one of the best also under a bowel dysfunctional clinic they both have told me I AM NOT TO STOP taking the laxatives, but I am tearing my hair out with having to take them. I feel like I am not getting anywhere. I don't take them for the fun of it. I have had numerous examinations and they have told me the muscles in my bowell are not working this is why apparently senokots have been prescribed because they are a stimulant.

Answer 1

You are caught in a terrible cycle - because the very things you are using to try to stimulate your system will have the very opposite effect you desire.

The body tries to compensate for the massive overdose you are taking and thereby causes the very problems you are trying to treat.

You, like others who have responded - and me having had IBS for the last 15 years or so - are all victims of the diets we have consumed along with other issues - such as stress.

However - in the last year I have found something that has made a radical difference. I also have friends to whom I have recommended the same and found that they too have experienced surprising and radical improvements even after years of debilitating digestive problems - along with associated and distressing bouts of diarrhoea, constipation, agonizing stomach craps and gases, and other 'unpleasant bathroom experiences'!!

There are estimates that maybe 80% of the population of the countries like the US and the UK - where the typical diet is laden with processed foods, and the types of foods and drinks we consume cause the mass destruction of beneficial bacteria in our guts.

There is a growing school of thought that a major way to address the issue is to re-balance the bacteria in the digestive system. We often end up with our intestinal floras skewed in favour of 'bad' bacteria 80 to 20 - where the 'Good' bacteria are in the minority.

We NEED to reverse this situation – to 80% GOOD bacteria. This can mean that many people find the daily taking of a 'probiotic' supplement very helpful. BUT sadly there are many products out there (and they are not 'cheap') that do not have the right bacterial content, or have just to few bacteria in them – so people try them thinking they will help and lose faith because they are not good enough..

The 'trendy yogurty style' drinks are also not potent enough for the work that needs to be done.

Having tried many solutions over the years - I luckily found a potent probiotic earlier this year - which incorporates ALL 13 strains of the strongest and most important 'GOOD' bacteria - the Lactobacillus family -. It also as they say:
..."is the World's First Certified Organic Probiotic Super Food. It contains all 20 Amino Acids, significant enzymes, a broad spectrum of essential nutrients and a full range of minerals and antioxidants".

I (and others who have suffered exceptionally) have also found that this probiotic food supplement really helped. In fact the change has been quite dramatic…I only wish you find this too. You need to get of those pills and any chemical stuff you may be offered before your gut is too damaged, or something worse is triggered.

What is good about the probiotic product I would recommend - is that it is made of all 'real natural foods' – totally organically grown, no chemicals, and incorporates minerals and aminos for you AND the nourishment that the good bacteria need once they get to your badly damaged gut, to help them re-establish themselves quickly and successfully. Ad the good bacteria thrive the bad bacteria are killed off or supressed.

Most of us have found that the effects are noticeable within days or a couple of weeks. You may need to take some of the powder 3 times a day to start with (before meals) to clear your system of any backlog and ‘bad bacteria’ (this may mean a bout of diarrhea whilst your bowel is effectively 'detoxed' - so try and do this over a few days you can be relaxed and at home to get over the early stage). If it is too troublesome - you can start on a lower dose and build more gradually. After a couple of weeks you should be down to taking one dose a day to maintain good digestive tract health.

The powdered product looks browny/green and smells fruity and malty. It is not at all unpleasant to take stirred into a fruit juice to make a smoothie or you can sprinkle it on your foods (when you are getting back to normal as a change from smoothies).

You really MUST try and stop those senna based pills whilst you do this process as you need to let you gut get back to normal working. The combo of lots of vegs and fruit, PLUS senna will be overwhelming your system at the moment. BUT very little will help if you don't clear the toxic rubbish out of your intestines and get a clean start repopulating with the bacteria that assist proper digestion.

There is a useful article about all the ways we kill off the good bacteria, and how probiotics help at http://www.gonando.com (I put link below to the actual page) - and I also put a direct link for you to read about the organic probiotic product that many of us IBS sufferers have found s blessing.

When your gut starts to work again you will feel transformed, energised and like a new person. Good luck. I hope it helps.

Answer 2

Taking 36 laxatives is not good, it will do permanent damage to you colon.

I have IBS as well and know the pain it can be. I found that if i drank a lot of water every day (over 2 litres) it seems to prevent IBS attacks.

Try to spread the water throughout the day, give it a go, there's no harm in water and i found it did wonders for me.

Just bought a book yesterday about a low starch diet for IBS, will try that for a few weeks and see how it goes once i read the book. The book also points out that people with IBS tend to have back and neck pain, which I have.

Anyway if nothing else try drinking more, no harm in drinking more water

Answer 3

That dosage of laxatives would cause IBS if you didn't already have it, so it must be making it permanent.
You need small doses of fiber throughout the day.
Avoid all chemical laxatives. Most people find the Metamucil ( psycillium ) to cause too much gas and aggravate the IBS. The Citrucel ( methylcellulose ) does not cause gas so is easier to do. ( like a tablespoon with 8 oz water, every 6 to 8 hours ). Your intestines will take several weeks to recover from the IBS and maybe longer because of the laxative abuse. good luck

Answer 4

This is far too many laxatives to be taking - you already know that. It is likely that because your body has got so used to using so many laxatives that your bowels cant function normally with the reduced number you are now taking.
A good thing to help your bowels function is to eat a lot of fibre. Instead of fruit and veg all the time, try adding raw bran to your cooking (you can get it at health food stores) or eat wholemeal pasta and bread instead of white. Make sure you take some excersise every day and most importantly drink plenty fluids to help bulk out your stools and to help them pass more easily.

Answer 5

Anyone with IBS should not be taking laxatives as it can only make the problem worse. There are medications that will help and you should ask your doctor or pharmacist about these. You certainly need to get this looked at and if you don't have a doctor that understands then get some books from your library and read up about it yourself. It could be a dietary thing, have you tried eliminating wheat and dairy as these are big triggers for some people. Also, try to avoid spicy food and heavy meals as these also add to the issues.

Answer 6

I have this same problem (IBS) and I hate it too! I'm no doctor, but 36 laxatives per day seems exteme to me. I went last week to a gastroenterologist who told me to STOP taking laxatives in pill form because your body quickly becomes addicted to them & you can't eliminate waste without them. He told me to use Milk of Magnesia instead. I bought the cherry flavor and it's actually not bad. The doc said it can be taken every day & it is NOT habit-forming. I take 3-4 tablespoons each afternoon around 5:00 pm & I'm able to use the bathroom before I go to bed at night. No cramping like with laxatives, no diarrhea either. Just normal poop.
Good luck!

Answer 7

Hello- you state that you eat fresh veg and fruit every nite- how is your diet in the day-as eating fruit and veg at night does not enable your body to digest foodstuffs in a long enough period of time. The amount of laxatives you are taking can potentially damage your body
I strongly suggest you go to your GP or your GI consultant to get further professional input on trying to manage your IBS safely, if you have not already. Alternatively contact IBS registered website for further advice.

Good luck

Answer 8

I have IBS too, what are all of your other symptoms. My IBS is mixed, sometimes i can't go and sometimes i go all the time. That amount o laxatives every night is going to alot of damage to your body. I understand your pain and i wish I could help. There is a recipe book that i bought a while back called eating for ibs. It helped me alot you may want to check it out. Good luck to you hon and I will pray for you to get better soon

Answer 9

Oh. My. God. I hope you are lying because you are OVERDOSING on laxatives every night. You have a serious problem that is either in addiction to your IBS or you may not even have IBS. You sound severely BULIMIC.

Make an appointment with a psychiatrist and stop the laxatives before you die.

Answer 10

You say in your original question that you cannot go to the toilet, therefore you take a massive dose of laxatives. Then you say you can't go back to work because of having to go to the toilet all the time? I'm a bit confused here...