Thanks for posting.  You've been missed here.  I hope all is well with you.

Martha

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

My name says it all!

I had a lot of anal fissure pain from radiation and a resugence of IBS (maybe from chemo & stress). I got the gastroenterologist to take me more seriously. He gave me a breath test that was positive for small intestine bacterial overgrowth. I took Xifaxin (the stuff that's being heavily advertised on TV). I went to a Registered Dietician who understands the FODMAP diet and started on it. My primary put me on Cymbalta 30 mg daily, a serratonin reuptake inhibiter, because serratonin effects GI muscles, as well as depression. Between the combination, things have improved. My stools are no longer watery, I'm far less incontinent, and the fissure has become much smaller and less painful. I'm grateful to my husband for being so understanding and helpful.

And we moved, an activity that's exhausting and takes forever!

This is some very good information that may help someone else.  After almost 7.5 years of post-treatment ups and downs, I still deal almost every day with bowel issues.  One day Imodium will be my best friend and then the next day I am bent over in constipation pain.  There is no even keel for me.  To complicate my situation, I have a history of small bowel blockages (the most recent being in July 2015), malabsorption, and most recently diagnosed chronic kidney disease.  What foods are good for one problem may not be for another.  I have been referred to a nutritionist by my internist and have tried to get an appt. but can't get them to call me back.  I'm quite frustrated at this point.

I'm glad you are doing better!

Martha

Ouch_Ouch_Ouch said:

Dear Martha -

I'm sorry that you're having these after effects. I really hate living such an anally-centered life myself!

Do you mean a registered dietician as nutritionists don't necessarily require a degree, so they get their knowledge by exterience or other nutritionists. Try to contact a registered dietician. I've has IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrom - diarrhea dominate) for much of my life. I had radiation enteritis for 2 months during treatment - total yellow water. I had a ton of IV antibiotics when I was hospitalized x 3 for neutropenic fever. These things really "enhanced" the IBS.

If you ever try a FODMAP diet, it may be a little trying to get used to and gives one a sense of deprivation, but it does seem to work. That makes you want to continue. The RD I see wants me to be be on it with any symptoms for at least 8 weeks to eliminate inflammation. After that, foods are slowly reintroduced to see exactly which ones are the ones a person cannot digest.

FODMAP resources ---
* Monash University, Australia (where the FODMAP research originated - free FODMAP application) - http://fodmapmonash.blogspot.com.au/
* Kate Scarlata (Registered Dietician who specializes in IBS and FODMAP, has collaborated with the University of North Carolina, Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders) - http://www.katescarlata.com/

Thanks for the info--I'll check it out.  I really don't know who my appt. will be with at this point to discuss dietary issues.  The paper my internist sent me instructed me to call the hospital's Nutritional Services Dept.  I am having trouble securing an appt. but will try again this week.  I'm sorry that your situation is so complicated.  That's how I see my situation as well.  What may be good for the kidneys may increase the risk of intestinal blockage and with the suspected malabsorption, no matter what I eat, I'm probably not getting all of the nutrients I need from my food.  I have always enjoyed food and view eating tasty food as one of the pleasures of life, making sure, of course, to use some common sense when making choices.  Admittedly, sometimes I'm not very good at denying myself something that I really, really want!