I've been eating prunes every day but they are having the opposite effect to what they are famed for?

Question

Why is this? Getting a bit fed up! Damn IBS is playing up and prunes are not helping.
I don't want to take any medicines, I'd much rather alter my diet to control the condition. I thought prunes were supposed to be effective.

Lol, can't drink Guiness, too many calories!

I didn't say they were dried did I... read Q please.

Read the goddamn question David Saunders. You'd think with all your many qualifications you could deduct from my post I have been doing this for more than one day.

Answer 1

damn IBS, mine is acting up too right now!
prunes don't work for me either in any form.
i think it's that they are bulky, and have quite a bit of fibre; which actually does not help my condition at all. it in fact aggravates it.

so do other usually recommend remedies for constipation, so pay those little heed. those bulky fibres just make you feel more bloated and clogged up when you have IBS usually.

i wish they'd stop recommending fibre. it's agonising to people with IBS, who have constipation.

telling people who are in agony and can hardly move to exercise also is not very helpful advice, and walking, and exercise doesn't even work usually. a lot of time, you end up in more pain, and with muscle cramps in your abdomen, which again aggravates the IBS even further.

i've tried altering my diet, for a few years, still try to; but as yet the only thing that works is lactulose, which is a liquid sugar that you can get at the chemist. your doctor can prescribe it as well. it's just a syrup. though it may cause you to get trapped wind, so you may want the doctor to give you something for that as well. or ask the chemist what to use for that.
fibres are worse for the bloating and wind though than lactulose.

i've always found dried apricots to be far better than prunes, so you could try those.
drink fruit juices, eat vitamin C chewables. drink warm water, not cold water.
be careful not to overdo the remedies or you can get more pain. you want to go easy.

Answer 2

Well, yes, but you can't just eat dried prunes and expect things to work. Dried prunes absorb liquid, and that can delay the desired effect sometimes. Try eating them stewed and see if that helps some. You might also try adding small amounts of soluble fiber to the diet, as opposed to insoluble fiber- like bran. Some folks have luck with Metamucil type products because psyllum seeds are mostly soluble fiber. You can also try a magnesium supplement. The prunes you are eating are about half insoluble fiber, dried to add to the insult, so are probably absorbing the moisture you need to move things along easier. There are some places on the web that will list food fiber content, and you can compare the amount of insoluble/soluble fiber to determine which would be best for you. I hope this helps you some with the diet, and good luck.

A prune is usually considered to be the dried form of a prune plum. When you said you were eating prunes, you did not say they were not dried. I read the Q. You asked for non-medicine solutions, which is what you got. There is a difference in fiber types, as you know. While fiber is irritating to IBS patients, especially fiber from grain products, the main trouble is usually with the Insoluble type. I merely mentioned one thing that has been known to help some IBS with constipation sufferers. Nothing helps everyone. Ditto with suggesting the magnesium supplement. Had you complained of diarrhea, I'd have mentioned calcium instead. Each IBS sufferer is an individual and must find the food combos and diet which works best for them. Perhaps prunes are not your particular aid, for the record, they contain as much soluble fiber as insoluble fiber, and for the amount of insoluble fiber they contain you may as well have a serving of oatmeal.

Answer 3

Hi Tigerfly, very strange, i know that potassium and prunes are a natural constipation remedy that you can quickly use to help you get constipation relief.

Potassium is needed in your colon walls to insure that peristaltic action occurs. Without potassium, colon walls are weak and unable to respond and contract properly when fecal matter needs to be move.

Potassium in your colon wall tissues brings in more oxygen, which is required for good cell function and elimination of toxins. In addition, potassium creates an alkaline environment inside and outside the cell, which help protect cell walls from bacteria, fungus, and other pathogens.

You can also eat the foods that are high in potassium are:

Kale, cabbage, yellow tomatoes, spinach, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, alfalfa sprouts, goat milk, sesame seeds, wheat germ brewers yeast, flax seed, grapes, green peppers, pineapple, beets, potatoes with skin Blackstrap molasses

But, if this products is not work for you, most likely, your problem - is to poor eating habits, insufficient exercise, not getting enough fiber and not drinking enough water.

Do dietary changes, you should include eating more fiber which is found in fresh fruit (bananas, apples, papaya, grapes and oranges), fresh vegetables, whole grains and pulses. You should also drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water or juice each day.

A good thing that you should avoid if you are suffering from constipation is alcohol, processed and junk goods, foods and drinks which contain caffeine as they can cause dehydration and avoid drugs and medication if you can. And get adequate exercise.
Jason Homan

Answer 4

thats b/c though prunes are good for you
Its not the best idea to eat them everday mainly b/c once your body got used to it it rejected the effect.
it's like your body is saying that it's just another food you're feeding it.
but don't get me wrong, keep eating them it'll get better
try eating them in different ways like for example:
buy a prune jam or drink some prune juice once in a while; you know mix it up a bit.

Answer 5

Prunes don't work for me anymore, try eating beetroot. I add sliced beetroot to my sandwich fillings and to salads. This keeps me regular.
Dried apricots should do the trick but you need to eat them before you have anything else to eat, be careful too many can give you the runs.

Answer 6

Have some draught Guiness as well as the prunes. Then get ready to go, tell everyone else to take cover!!!

Answer 7

Drinking lots of water always helps to "move" things along. Or go to a health food store & ask for some Senna tea, all natural.

Answer 8

If you have IBS try aloe vera juice, a tablespoonful a day in a divided dose, I have cured people with this.

horrible tste so buy it natural and have some juice like ribena with it.

Answer 9

Eating too much fibre is as bad as eating too little.

Everything in moderation is the key.

Answer 10

It's not something that works just because you do it one day. High fiber foods should be a regular part of your daily diet.