It sounds like your problem might be related to peristalsis.

When I eat certain foods, I cannot produce a bowel movement either -- and when I am finally able to go, the stool seems otherwise healthy and formed. In other words, it's not dry or pebbly or anything of the sort, but I simply cannot go and despite lower abdominal pain and discomfort, the necessary muscle contractions to produce a bowel movement do not occur.

However, for me, coconut is a major problem, as it completely paralyzes my peristaltic muscles. I think it's an irritant for me or something (no idea why), but I have to avoid that and other certain foods that trigger constipation in me. I also have to avoid pork products and grains completely, too, or it prevents peristaltic contractions and I am unable to use the restroom the following day.

Whenever my IBS acts up, I cannot even leave the house due to the pain. I can only imagine how dreadful you must feel. Good luck; I hope you're able to sort your problems out soon!

I can only give two things that helped me. Seperate meals of protein/fat and starch. That may or may not help The biggest thing by far is eating a large meal of only high protein low fat red meat. I'll eat lbs of lean briscuit (eat propotionally to your size of course. I am 175 Male) with no spices, no added fat and nothing else in the meals (no veggies or starch). I will literally have a good BM within half an hour of finishing. I think if you eat a meal like that on its own once every other day it should keep you going. Let me know how that works if you try it cause I've never heard that advice from anyone else but it works great for me

Here are some ideas http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?cat=121.

Also, someone I know was helped by Garden of Life Raw Enzymes.

MSM helps some people. Best of Luck.

In all honesty, I am having trouble analyzing your food for all of the supplements you. I'm no expert, but maybe tone some of these down and focus on eating good, healthy food. I do understand the gas and bloat. I've been there (still am), and it sucks. Coconut products can cause me some discomfort and you list quite a few servings of coconut in your daily routine. My only other suggestion would be to vary your diet. Eating the same thing every day does not vary your nutrient intake and may be leaving you lacking something, if not a little variety. Most importantly, relax some if you can. I find when I worry about the Big C then I never go. Keep eating. It will happen.

It would appear you do not have enough stomach acid as evidenced by your bloating and gas.

Take 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar 4x per day in 8 oz of water plus betaine HCL. The betaine HCL is nothing more than hydrochloric acid weak strength to assist you in food digestion. Once your digesting of your food is complete with the addition of more acid, the gas and bloating will abate.

Been there, done that.

If the above doesn't work, then add in and take 10,000mg of some sort of Vitamin C. Once you get the runs, then back off to 7000mg and titrate down until you are confortable.

Have you tried 3 days or more of VLC (no rice)? Just to see if the gas goes away. You should have next to no gas at all, as gas is almost always from UNDIGESTED carbs making their way too far in your colon. Bloating is usually a combination of too much sodium, plus having your glycogen stores full and consuming carbs on top of that. For instance, I just ate a 24oz porterhouse, a salad the size of a sald serving bowl, and 2 sweet taters with butter, after a heavy workout and I have no bloat. Had I tried this BEFORE paleo and working out, it would be bloat city.

You can get your carb processing enzymes ramped up by Intermittent Fasting (google).

That sounds so miserable, hopefully things will improve and your underlying IBS will become more manageable! I have dealt with very similar issues (had to go to emergency with gas pain twice, I flat-out fainted from the pain), and I found that occasionally I would find a "solution" only to find it wouldn't work the next time I tried it-very frustrating! One thing for the constipation I tried and seemed to work (for reasons unknown) is 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil on an empty stomach. First thing in the morning, I would just take a couple spoonfuls, not eat for a couple hours, and that seemed to help movements to start. If it got really bad, 3 cups of black coffee in times of desperation.

For the gas, I find that cutting out rice and decreasing salt helps most of the time (but not all of the time). I see other people have suggested the apple cider vinegar, I have found that helps, but I can't take it on an empty stomach, it gives me a real nauseous response (so acidic, obviously). Another thing is green tea, I drink it all the time, little bit of caffeine maybe helps.

No expert, but have suffered similar problems and have some thoughts:

• From the Elavil and the constipation I'm guessing you've had your thyroid checked. Don't have to answer, just an observation.

• Both fat and sour foods increases intestinal transit time. At least with fat, I've read a study where people with IBS were more prone to retain gas after a fatty meal. I've also noticed this personally. Only time I've had an reverse experience was after downing a bottle of olive oil in just a few hours on an empty stomach (note: do not try unless at home, preferably with a good stock of TP).

• Agree about the rice. I've only read studies showing a correlation between rice protein and child constipation, but this also rhymes with personal experience.

• Regarding fiber, I would take away lettuce, kale and pumpkin seeds as they can be at bit harsh on the system, at least in my experience. I would recommend root veggies, tubers and fruit like banana or apple, basically anything you can peel. Good that you already cook everything, it helps. Have you read about FODMAP:s?

• My experience with VSL#3 was that it slowed me down even more. It is used for ulcerous colitis, so perhaps it is meant to slow things down. But if it works for you, keep on it!

• I would also try taking it easy with the red meat, at least I still have problems digesting to much of it. Gelatin and broth are great suggestions, would recommend fish and fowl to be the next step.

• Spices that I know can aid digestion or quicken things are black pepper, ginger and turmeric. Probably chili as well.

• Coconut flour absorbs water like crazy! Eat with ample fluids.

Well, a rambling mix of physiology, medicine and personal opinion. Just as it should be on PH, no?

Sorry to hear about this, Renee. Did any of these suggestions help?

Have you been tested for SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), or discussed that with your naturopath? I've worked with an ND lately about issues including constipation and food intolerances, and that was one of her first suggestions.

Been on a gut-healing protocol that's helped, including lots of bone broth and staying within the GAPS diet for a while. I've noticed a marked difference in digestion by taking 1-2 tsp of Bragg's apple cider vinegar 10-20 minutes before a meal, and not drinking too much water with the meal.

In any case, good luck and I hope you figure it out.

Completely anecdotally, but rice is part of that "BRAT" diet recommended to stop diarrhea. (Bananas, rice, apples, toast.) It probably means white rice but I just thought I'd mention it.

I've previously suffered with constipation and all the magnesium, HCl, enzymes, high-dose vitamin C (we're talking 15-20g per day) etc. supplementing never did me any good. For me it was more to do with foods, finding out what I was sensitive to, what quantities of particularly foods were helpful or harmful, etc. I know this "answer" sucks because it takes a lot of work and time to figure out :(

I hope you're able to find a solution!

Hello! I have been diagnosed with IBS-C recently, but hav had the desease as for long as I can remember. For 2 years ago I collapsed and was sent to hospital. I had severe heart beating, my skin turned bluish and I had total loss of strength in the body. Had cramps all over the body and the doctors did not understand my condition because everything was "normal" in the examine results. This episode include 2 later on should lead into 2 years of research for the answere. The first year after theese insidences I was lying in bed with all sorts of strange symptoms. 2 years after I start to google for answeres.

New researches of IBS has shown that serotonin is the answere to the for now idiopatic desease IBS. And especially the IBS-C variant. If you google IBS-C and serotonin, you should find a lot of answers to what I'm talking about.

In earlier years the reason for IBS was talked about as a psykiatric desease, but this is as I write OLD school. Its all about neuro transmitters in the gut and in the brain. Unballance in the level of serotonin in the body will result in that the brain can not communicate with your gut organs.

The key is to take a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) medication. This mediacation was made to raise the level of serotonin in the body (from normal levels) for depressed people. For people with IBS-C it will raise the level from low to normal. This will almost certain get the communication between your brain an your gut up to normal levels. It did to me almost emediatly after starting with cipralex. It also stabelized many other symptoms that the doctor could not tell me the answers of. My heart rate and pressure decreased from 100rpm-145/96 to 60rpm-120/80 when lying down (bad periods). I also got this rare symptom that my feet swelled up (pit edema). Something that should indicate som serious condition with your heart. This symptom also disapeared after only 3 days on medication. Then we certenly know how important the serotonin is for transmitting signals between many parts of your body. I have always had problems with cold feets and hands and the body in general (skin). Now when I know so much more about serotonin the answere is easy. One major role for your brain is regulating your blood vessels. When theres little of serotonin your brain will not control your vessels correctly. You will get cold in the skin. It should be a known symptom for people with IBS.

Well I could go on and tell you much more of my experiances with cipralex, but I think this will be enough to help IBS-C pations to try a medication wich has given many people in later researches good results. So, run for your medic!

I'm sorry for my bad english! :)

Have you read Fibre Menace? I'm not commenting at all on your fibre intake - lord knows, we're all different in what works - but I did find his explanation of how things work (and therefore what's happening when they don't) to be interesting. It might give you a few leads to work from.

I'm listening to the Balanced Bites podcast with Chris Kresser at this very moment, and he suggests that H. Pylori (and chronic stress) suppresses stomach acid production. The pH of your chyme is what triggers your body to release digestive enzymes, which is what triggers peristolsys. Low acid also allows pathogenic bacteria in so your probiotic may be fighting an uphill battle against constant reinfocements to enemy troops.

Both Fibre Menace and GAPS promote enemas to clean out the colon and reset the gut function as a kick-starter for healthy elimination. Admittedly I've not been brave enough to try that, but think of it every time I pay my dime in vain, so to speak.

I had stomach pain and related constipation in the past from different forms of magnesium. Magnesium glycinate ended up being the easiest on my stomach but once i realized it wasnt helping with anything i was hoping it would, i stopped taking it. Magnesium oxide gave me loose stool and i never had any luck with natural calm.

A few things ive done in the past was use a few ounces of aloe vera juice with some water before bed.

Also, 2 tbps ground flaxseed has worked well for me in one of my smoothies or with some water before bed.

I also have ibs-c and believe it is really caused by poor digestion. I have to take additional enzymes with my meals. Had the best success with biogenesis inflamazyme product.

You need to heal your gut.Pharmaceutical probiotic like VSL#3,mastic gum,aloe vera juice,colon massages,salt water cleanses,fennel tea after meals,avoid citrus,apples need to be eaten with nut butters,lots of sweet potatoes,etc.Do this for at least a month,preferably 2 and you will notice a huge difference.Good luck!

Do all of these things, and then you may need to go in for further testing. I found I had something called a "redundant" colon - which means really lengthy and folded. The issue is that I still wouldn't go through surgery unless it was the LAST resort (actual colon obstruction with fold). You can go through colonoscopies and pill tests (swallowing pill with rings to observe colon transit time) to observe if there is a major problem.

Another thing you may want to test before all the crazy, invasive explorations is arthritis. I have spondylitis, a spinal arthritis that causes digestive issues. The low-starch diet is a great compliment (recommended by both paleo and KickAS.org). Here's the book: http://www.lowstarchdiet.net/ Sinclair mentions terrible constipation and not ever realizing it had anything to do with her rheumatic condition. You may wish to contact a rheumatologist for further tests if you see no problems with the colon (as I did). This is something my gastro doc had no clue about.

My best advice is to rest up and keep trying things...even if just one new thing a week.

Good luck!

Hello Renee,

As Anna pointed out, I think the problem is from the medication. You say you take Zopiclone and Elavil. Elavil is anticholinergic, which means it inhibits parasympathetic nerve impulses, which are also responsible for the movement of smooth muscles present in the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, lungs, etc, which is why such medication can cause constipation, and even difficulty urinating, etc. You also take zopiclone, which, too, lists constipation as a possible side effect; although it's listed as a rarer one, I think that it would affect people with delicate digestion - especially IBS issues. Consider trying more natural sedatives/relaxants such as valerian if you have trouble sleeping.

I definitely don't think fiber is an issue - judging from your diet, you are getting plenty of fiber. However, I know that some people (like me) find rice causes constipation. Even brown rice. Also, brown rice is high in insoluble fiber, which can be damaging to the instestinal lining, and is best avoided by people with IBS. Perhaps try replacing the rice with a sweet potato, yam or squash. In general, well-cooked root vegetables are very gentle on the digestive system. I see you eat beets & carrots; also try swedes & parsnips.

I would also recommend limiting raw foods because they are harder to digest and can cause digestion issues, especially in people with IBS. That includes raw nuts & seeds; have you tried soaking & gently roasting your seeds? that makes them a lot easier to digest. Try, for example, replacing your blueberry dessert with some cinammon-roasted parsnips; alternatively, you could try heating the blueberries with some coconut water to make a sort of jam. I would also avoid citrus; citrus fruits are one of the more common triggers of IBS flare-ups.

Are you drinking bone broth? If not, I would strongly recommend it. Make sure its home-made, and very gelatinous, since gelatin is very soothing on the GI tract and, you also get a lot of minerals & vitamins as a bonus. And while I'm on the subject of drinks, you should also try peppermint and chamomile teas, which really help with bloating, gas and digestive disorders in general.

Now if fasting is something you can do (don't force it by any means), you could try, as I know lots of people who have helped their IBS flare-ups by giving the digestive system a break. 16 hours is fine (you can also sleep on it). Forgive the sordid details, but I go to the toilet a lot more on fasting days.

Alternatively, you could take a spoonful of oil on an empty stomach (in the morning is best) - NOT olive oil, though it can be very irritating! Try coconut, avocado, or macadamia. Its a really good way to 'get things going' and help vacate the colon. Seeing as you're bloated and are suffering from feelings of pressure, its really important to stimulate the gut.

Finally, I would also recommend massage; try lying on your back and applying gentle pressure on the lower abdomen, making slow circular movements. Also try dry - brushing the stomach to boost circulation.

Good luck, and get well,

Milla

There are lots of things that can cause the symptoms that you are describing. I am on a Paleo diet as well and I love it, but I have had to go through lots of trial and error to find the correct balance of good carbohydrates, proteins & fatty acids to make by digestive system run perfectly. Constipation was the main problem and of course it's hard to lose weight if your your body is not digesting the proteins in the high quantities of meat consumed. The following worked for me:

Betaine Hydrochloride (HLC) tablets - Your stomach mat be underproducing stomach acid. HLC helps to neutralise stomach acid and break down the proteins in your stomach, before they enter the rest of your digestive system. It helps with constipation. Make sure you do the test to see if your stomach is underproducing or over producing BEFORE you launch into this. read this link http://www.modernherbalist.com/betaine.html.

Lastly, you only need one serving of fruit per day and it's best to eat it in the morning. Increase the amount of green leafy vegetables that you are eating, decrease red meats and increase oily fish like salmon, increase your healthy fat intake (avocados, nuts, fish, coconut etc.), don't eat fruit with your meat.

I hope this helps a little :)

Try Mono meals. Eating one food at a time. I have had so much benefits with this. You may want to ease up on supplements cause for some ( including me ) supplements react with my bowel movements. Good luck! Add more fat and ditch the brown rice.