New Help For IBS with Constipation

Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, also referred to as IBS, is characterized by a collection of symptoms in which abdominal pains or discomforts are linked to a change in bowel patterns. These can be either loose or more frequent bowel movements, (diarrhea), or hard or less frequent bowel movements. (constipation)

Irritable bowel syndrome affects approximately 10–20% of the general population. It is the most common disease diagnosed by gastro-enterologists (stomach and intestinal doctors) and one of the most common disorders reported by primary care physicians for their patients.

In people who have it, there appears to be a disturbance in the interaction between the gut or intestines, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system that regulates of bowel function. Most people who have normal movements receive urges to go, people who have irritable bowel, do not seem to get them. There are numerous treatment options available to manage it.

Recently I discovered something about my own IBS with constipation and it really helped me. Constipation can be inadvertently influenced by your bodies balance of electrolytes. Did you know this? Its something you might want to consider if you suffer from constipation!

If you're constipated, you realize the connection between your water intake, diet, and ability to have good bowel movements. Drinking water every day is essential and vital for good bowel health.

If you’ve read the previous page you know that you can also find some relief from irritable bowel syndrome by taking stool softeners and daily fiber at different times of the day.

They gave me the relief I wanted but things were still 'not really normal'. If they were normal, there wouldn’t be supplements to take every day! See what I mean?

It was hard for me to understand was why I was having such a hard time with elimination, especially since I drank so much water everyday. Water is 'supposed to be' an important part of having regular bowel movements. If you drink enough water, then you’re ‘supposed to’ have regular bowel movements and not have ibs with constipation. My best friend, who is a Nurses Practitioner, couldn’t figure it out either. It was truly perplexing and baffling to both of us. Most medical practitioners tell us that taking laxatives even twice a month is not good for you. Now matter how bad your constipation is! The most important reason for this is because it not only makes the intestinal tract reliant on chemicals to do it's job, but it also upsets the body’s balance of electrolytes. Electrolytes found in our bodies are sodium and potassium. They form what’s called the sodium-potassium chain. They are responsible for all cell activity. Without the sodium-potassium chain our bodies simply wouldn’t function. We’d all be dead.

That’s how important electrolytes are! They may also be an important aspect of irritable bowel syndrome! Electrolytes could be the missing link.

An imbalance in electrolytes can cause Diarrhea in infants. That’s what a product called 'Pedialyte' is used for. When an infant gets diarrhea, you give them pedialyte and soon the symptoms disappear.

It seem though, that an imbalance of electrolytes might also cause constipation. They are both an imbalance though and someone (like a physician) should have thought of it. It became very clear that irritable bowel syndrome is affected by our electrolytes because of something that inadvertently happened!

Recently I was shopping and grabbed a bottle of lemon lime Gatorade which was unusual for me since I’ve tried Gatorade in the past and didn’t much like it. I started drinking a glass of it everyday. Gatorade, of course, is known for having 'electrolytes'. Athletes all across the world drink it for just that reason!

Then I started noticing a big improvement in my daily bowel movement. My morning 'urge' became much quicker and much stronger! What was once so much of a challenge for me before was now so easy. I also started noticing other positive changes.

If you've ever had to get up more than once a night to pee, you know how much that can disrupt your sleep. With a simple glass of gatorade before bed, the urge 'to go' as often, didn't happen. The correct electrolyte balance in your body makes a big difference in the way your bladder and kidney's process liquids! That's a fact!

Energy levels also improved and I felt much better because of proper elimination. Symptoms overall were greatly diminished!

But I also knew something else about me. The meals I prepare don't have much salt in them. At one point in my life, I gave it up, so I got used to not adding it to foods. It really helps you 'taste' what you're eating. I like salt but just don’t use a lot of it. I had also not been eating many foods with high levels of potassium. My diet had been missing two important nutrients. It became very evident to me that my electrolytes had been low and that my body needed more than my normal diet provided. How simple an answer to help my symptoms of ibs!

My body was off balance. The little I had in my body I was being flushed out with my high water consumption. My irritable bowel syndrome is definitely linked to many things but low electrolytes has NEVER been suggested to me. I couldn’t believe it was so simple!

If you drink a lot of water and still haven’t been able to find any relief, try a glass or two of Gatorade daily. It could be the IBS answer you’ve been waiting for! Something else that works well with IBS with constipation problems is 'milk'.

As people grow older, you can become lactose intolerant. Lactose is a simple sugar that is present in all milk and is digested in our bodies with the help of the enzyme lactase.

As we age, our bodies production of lactase decrease, which makes it harder to digest milk. Excessive amounts can often cause 'gas' or 'diarrhea' in adults. This is actually a good thing if you have IBS with constipation and you like milk. Most adults can tolerate a glass of milk each day without any serious side effects. Try either one to get the results you've been looking for. You could also try Yakult. I just learned about this stuff, but it's available now in the US.

Yakult is a citrus-flavored, yogurt-like drink that contains water, skim milk, glucose syrup, sugar, flavoring, and cultures of the bacterium Lactobacillus casei. This drink is manufactured and sold in Japan, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and Europe. The Lactobacillus casei is a natural probiotic for constipation relief.

Yakult (Yogurt) Flavored Syrup

There are also herbal remedies that help make elimination easier. Some good herbal remedies are:

Health Plus capsules

Colosan Cleanser

Stay away from those herbal remedies that contain Cascara Sagrada though, if you have a sensitive system. This herb can make matters worse for people who already have problems with gas, cramping, and bloating and this herb cannot be safely taken for long time periods.

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To go to the next Healthy Money Saving Tips page, here's the link: Sensible Constipation Remedy

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