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Hi there, Paleo has helped with a lot of my symptoms, but not the one that causes me the most grief. Every time I go to the bathroom (once a day, and takes a lot of squatting in order to prompt), afterwards it's like my colon just keeps squeezing and goes into a cramp, right where the ascending and the transverse attach. And the cramp lasts the rest of the day.

This has been happening for so long that now I have corresponding back pain in the same area of my back. Like my whole right side is just tight and burning and sore all the time. Also means that any gas that accumulates has a harder time passing because the colon is in spasm.

The only thing that seemed to lessen this symptom is that a few years ago I was put on a very conventional weight-gain diet (the IBS as well as a lingering eating disorder had caused me to waste away) and I think because there was always so much food moving through me, my colon wasn't as crampy. Like it was prevented from cramping by the matter in there, if that makes any sense. However on that diet I was insanely bloated the whole time, and also isn't really ideal for someone who doesn't want to keep gaining weight...

I am currently taking 1/3 tsp acacia fiber in the morning. Thinking of upping the dose and taking more throughout the day to see if that helps, though in the past taking more has made me more bloated. It's like I can't win.

Anyway there are so many uber-smart people on this site who know a lot more about human physiology than me, so any advice would be welcome.

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I'm assuming you're already doing this, but just in case I'm wrong...What probiotics are you using? Raw sauerkraut works wonders for me, personally. When I don't eat it daily, I experience, well, much what you describe but with fewer results. I can't emphasize probiotics of some kind enough.

The other thing I'd consider is being sure you're getting enough soluble fiber from food sources, rather than supplements. Simplistic, I guess, but sometimes the simple solutions work.

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 I'm doing homemade goat kefir in the morning and a high-strength powdered probiotic at bedtime. I've been wary of trying sauerkraut because afraid of the gas (I am very FODMAP-sensitive) but sounds like it's worth a try. – Renee Aug 26 at 23:36
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Are you supplementing Magnesium? If not, I would suggest 200-600 mg Magnesium Citrate before bed.

Have you tried laying off the supplemental fiber? If you are eating a reasonable amount of veggies, there should be no need for more fiber & it could just be exacerbating your problem.

And do make sure you are not dehydrated. Drink 1/3 cup liquid or less with meals, more in between. Kombucha tea may be helpful with meals.

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The thing is, magnesium makes it worse - the looser the stool, the worse the cramping afterwards. I did no fiber for a while, I felt it was worse then - I don't eat a ton of veggies because of gas issues. I will work on the fluid intake, though, thanks. – Renee Aug 26 at 16:51
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water water water

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I doubt this will do anything. And if she's drinking too much, she'll interfere with protein absorption. – BoneBrothFast Aug 26 at 0:15

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