Suggestions from a Patient
This is written from the perspective of a person who has been diagnosed as having Irritable Bowel Syndrome. This illness is a disorder in the regular functioning of the bowels, which cannot be attributed to any other known disease or cause.
However, it is generally associated with frequent episodes of diarrhea and/or constipation, (often both), accompanied with bloating, flatulence (gas), perhaps sluggish colon, and general discomfort. Irritable Bowel Syndrome may also be associated with food allergies.
A gastroenterologist told me that three-fourths of his patients had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (I.B.S.). A high percentage of these patients seem to be elderly. My problems certainly have increased with age. However, I realized early that the prescribed pharmaceutical medicines only made my condition worse.
Though the following paragraphs were written with an attempt to treat the symptoms of I.B.S., the best would be to cure it. Perhaps the best suggestion I have heard to cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome, would be to try to re-implant the normal flora to the digestive tract. This would be, to eat (one can get it in capsules from Health-Food stores) live cultures of the "good" bacteria, like that found in yogurt, but in a much higher concentration. Buy capsules containing such bacteria as Lactobacillus bifidus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. Then take one capsule twice a day for a month. You may want to repeat this treatment after any treatment of oral antibiotics you take. Also, try to get the more 'natural' foods, without too much artificial ingredients.
The following are suggestions I wrote previously, when I was having difficulties called Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
One problem that became increasingly severe for me, with my I.B.S., was constipation. The usual (good) recommendations are to eat plenty of fruits and vegetable, drinks lots of water, and not eat too much refined starches. Avoid fried foods. But for me it seemed that, no matter what I ate, my 'sluggish colon' kept getting worse. I could not get it to move or eliminate. Often wastes would accumulate in the lower colon and rectum, without passing.
If I would take something to try to increase the motility, such as fruit juice, bran, oils or laxatives, there would be some results. But often, the motility would be in the upper colon, accompanied with an increase of flatulence (gases), with little actual elimination from the rectum. The intestines would be in distress, and keep trying ineffectively to pass wastes, but only actually passing gas. I.B.S. symptoms vary a lot. Often there are frequent calls to go, but only a very small amount is passed. Needless to say, Irritable Bowel Syndrome is an extremely unpleasant situation to live with.
Physicians say one should not take laxatives regularly, or we become dependent on them. One physician recommended Milk of Magnesia, if one has to take one on a regular basis.
For daily consumption, why not try a health supplement instead?
I wish I could give credit to the source, but I read an article suggesting adding Magnesium to the diet, to promote regularity. This really works! Magnesium is an essential element to the body. It naturally occurs in foods and can be purchased as supplement where you buy your vitamins, herbs, etc. Those who have a problem with a sluggish colon, often found with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, should try this.
In the past, I had been told that I should increase the Calcium in my diet, because I am getting osteoporosis, have had a broken back, etc. Also I used to eat a lot of Tums which have calcium. Calcium is a definite requirement to good health, and many people need to take supplements to obtain enough. However, if you take supplemental Calcium, you must also take Magnesium. They work together for proper functioning. My problem was that I was not taking Magnesium. This was the major factor in the increasing sluggishness of my colon, as possibly with many elderly persons who are urged to take calcium for their bones. (Calcium without magnesium could lead to greater clogging of the artieries).
Calcium supplements tend to cause constipation.
Magnesium supplements increase motility (regularity).
Don't ask me what form of Magnesium (Magnesium Carbonate and Magnesium Citrate are available, and perhaps others) is best for I.B.S.--I am no expert. It does not need to be prescribed, though one has to be careful not to take too much of anything. One source recommended taking 400mg daily, or more, but less than 1000mg of Magnesium. If one takes 1000mg or over, it would cause diarrhea. Some will be affected by much less. For most people, 400 mg would be sufficient to take. Of course this varies with the individual. The various minerals in the body should be properly balanced. However each person is consuming different amounts in the diet. You could get your blood tested every so often. Though trial and error is simpler, changing one element can affect many important chemical relationships in the body fluids.
An important point: For proper nerve functioning, there needs to be sufficient Magnesium to balance the Calcium in the body fluids, particularly the spinal fluids, etc. But one has to remember that too much of any element can really mess up one's health. For instance, too much Magnesium can give a person diarrhea and/or seriously reduce Potassium and other essential elements. One has to be very careful when working with blood elements. Many other health factors can be affected.
What is the right balance? I have seen a product sold as 'balanced' Magnesium with twice as much Magnesium as Calcium. And other supplements have these in the reverse, and many in the same or seemingly unrelated amounts. The correct balance, or ratio, whatever it is, is to be maintained within the body, not in the actual supplements that one consumes. An individual body may need much more of one supplement than another, because of differences in diet, or metabolism of the individual.
Another great article I read, but misplaced, pointed out the extreme differences in the proportion of calcium and magnesium in the foods we eat. For instance, milk is much higher in calcium than magnesium. Newborn babies utilize it very well to grow their bones, without other supplements. Adults are different. Meat, on the other hand, is much higher in Magnesium than calcium. All foods have varying amounts of these minerals. So each of us consumes different quantities of these minerals in the diet.
