Bowel problems ( ***warning**, graphic and very descriptive!)

[Nubianess]

Hi guys,
Im having serious bowel problems, which was one of the reasons i came to raw foods.
I have always been constipated, and then i would have large, painful BMS like every 2nd or 3rd day.
When i incorporated more raw into my diet, especially green smoothies things became easier and less painful, but i needed an enema to help things flow now and again.
i think my gut flora has alway been inbalanced, i dont have the best eating habits..
i was/ am still bulimic,. but this has been on and off behavior no longer than 3-4 months at the most...
I think all the overeating unbalanced my gut flora.

I sensed something was wrong, with my body and then i turned to raw,. but ive never been able to go long periods at 100% I have been high raw for about a year now.
It seems my bowel problems have gone through the roof.
BAsically, I cannot have a Bm anymore. I try and try and try. I can feel food moving through me, I feel full. but nothing comes out.
It almost feels like i have painful sores on the inside of my intestines. (sorry of thats TMI) I can feel mass moving through them, especially at night, and its soo painful.

Ive looked up chron's disease and bowel cancer,and IBS and it seems i have symptoms of these.
I cant have a Bm without an enema.
Even with an enema, im not completely cleaned out, it feels like theres a large obstruction in there. (again sorry if TMI)
I alternate between being severly constipated to having diarreah
If i dont use an enema nothing comes out, even when I wait 3 days and drink lots of aloe vera juice and lemons and prune water. my lower back hurts and tingles and i get bloated,.. thats my cue to use an enema usually.

I even had the juice of ten lemons in one day for 2 days in a row,.. usually it only takes the juice of one lemon in hot water to make me go. 20 lemons later... no movement.
My mother laughs at my enema habits,. she thinks I do them for the sake of doing them.
I wish i didnt have to.
I wish i could go on my own.
Sometimes I cant sleep
because my bowels feel painful and sore... its weird.
I get bits of food out with my enema... so when I eat a salad,.. i SEE a salad in the toilet afterwards!

I dont know what to do, Im booking myself in for a colonscopy and a professional colonic in the new year,.. but between now and then, i think i would just live on green juice, thats the only thing my body can handle.

It feels like my digestion has completely shut down. I dont get hungry anymore, i just get cravings... if i dont eat for 2 days, i wont be physically hungry, I eat by the clock. I set a time to eat, if i miss it, i dont realise because i just dont get hungry anymore!
Im putting on weight quickly as well, its like my body just absorbs everything i eat,. my body is working so differently,. I just dont feel right.

my stomach doesnt make any noises, grumble, nothing.. its stalemate in there.

Any suggestions?
I didnt want to fast, until i learnt to eat properly and listened to my hunger e.t.c, but my body needs a fast, I cant process food at the moment. Has anyone experienced this?
Ive prepared myself for the worst case scenario- cancer.
If it is..then so be it. It would be my wake up call...
either way, if its cancer or not, I think i should go a on long juice/water fast, my body obviously wants to clean out. Ill see how i feel after 30 days.. i dont care if i dont eat for the next 3 months... as long as I can heal from this.
thanks for your suggestions!

[katchmoleen]

The first thing to do is to add some fiber and softening type stuff to your routine. A stool softener such as docusate sodium, 2-3 capsules 1-2 times daily can help greatly. So can good old psyllium fiber. Start by adding a tablespoon twice a day to your smoothie or water and keep adding more until you are finally going on your own. Until the above measures get you going on your own (and you can keep doing the above forever, not harmful or addictive) you can use "smooth move" tea or cascara sagrada tablets at night to stimulate a movement in the morning. They can cause tough cramping, ask me how I know, so don't use them without using the above and drink tons of water. Also, I would add some probiotic capsules every day and kombucha or nondairy kefir or yogurt to restore your flora. I have the opposite symptom but the solutions are basically the same. I had such a nice BM this morning I wanted to take a picture and frame it lol, but it has taken months of being raw for this to happen.

[Nubianess]

Hi kat,
thanks for your reply.
I have tried P&b shakes, only clogged me up even more becaue i felt bloated and bulky, but i couldnt get it out! it took a few enema attempts to get anything out so ive stopped psyllium and bentonite clay.

Ive tried colax tablets made from fennel, liquorice, aloe vera, cascara and i drank this with warm lemon water.. no avail either,..
ive stopped green smoothies with bulky greens such as kale.
im juicing cabbage instead.
i have cabbage juice everyday and a cup of warm fermented miso soup- again.. no movement.
its been like this for about 2 to 3 months now.

[Aleesha Sattva]

if it were me... i'd be fasting. i'd go for that colonic (even though personally i wouldn't) and i'd book that doctors appt.

i'd fast while i waited for answers cause our body heals while it fasts.

healing juice is green juice. cleansing is fruit... so have more green than fruit. a few days here and there on water would be a good idea as well.

(((hugs))) to you my friend...

[katchmoleen]

Yes, the bentonite can be very clogging. Try the psyllium without the bentonite. Have you tried just the docusate stool softeners? They can be very helpful. They would be in the laxative section of the drug store. I believe your problems are probably connected to past bulimic behavior. Your intestines didn't have enough food coming down the pipe and they get lazy and forget how to work. I have the problem because of chronic diarrhea due IBD. Now that the diarrhea is gone, my bowels are having to learn how to work again.

It is miserable isn't it? Have confindence that raw will fix the problem. In the meantime, like Aleesha said, try fasting and colonics to at least get cleaned out. But the real fix is to teach your bowels how to work again. They have gotten very lazy and need exercise.

[Nubianess]

Thanks Aleesha,
I think its a wake up call for me..
I always had weird bowel habits,. but this is too weird.
Ive made a liter of green juice with tons of ginger in,.. ginger is meant to soothe digestion. and my body loves ginger.

Im booking the colonic for early in the new year.
Ive taken up jogging again.. i plan to do some excercise 6 days a week.

there is an emotional aspect to this as well,. I lived on my own before, and moved back to my parent's house 6 months ago for financial reasons.

Being in this environment re-triggered bullimia and other behaviors in me... im sure my body is screaming something at me that im not listening to?
Thanks for the suggestions kat, but im feeling a fast right now, I dont get phsycially hungry anymore,
I dont want to put any more food in me if its such a hassle to get it out!
yes, i did find bentonite very very clogging, il probably use it again when things are up and running, but not now.

Im going to look up a holistic healer and a chakra healer as well,...just to balance me out emotionally.

As always, everything is from the inside out :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

do you have a rebounder? rebounding ALWAYS gets things moving in my body.

[Nubianess]

unfortunately i dont,
ive heard stomach massage and sit ups help massage and stimulate digestion.
a good hard work out always gets things moving for me as well.

I think a few days of fasting will do me good... ill be joining you AGAIN with your fast Aleesha lol.

i HATE the doctors,.. ugh!
the idea of a colonscopy, - double UGH! but I want to know what is going on inside me.

My ive been taking tons of cabbage juice (which is meant to be good for bowel disorders) and wheatgrass shots over the last 3months,.. so im sure thats helped me a bit.
Ill look into prebiotics,.. would i need this when im fasting though?
I doubt i will.

[Revvell]

Richard Schulze (https://www.herbdoc.com/) has a great herbal colon cleanse system. I've used it and I'd suggest you give it a shot. Also, get some really good enzymes. In my last interview with Viktoras Kulvinskas he mentioned that he's got some really good ones. It sounds as though your food is not digesting therefore, not eliminating.

There's a saying "You are what you eat". My saying "You are what you digest".

BTW ~ how well are you chewing?

For your emotions, check out Byron Katie and watch her videos. I'd also suggest you look into EFT.

Good luck to you.

Revvell

[Aleesha Sattva]

good advice rev (((hugs)))

you don't need probiotics when you are fasting... but go ahead and take them when you begin to break your fast (or even a day or two before). i'm happy to be fasting with ya again my friend.

[Aleesha Sattva]

what about some yoga moves? something that massages that area.

[Nubianess]

sounds like a good idea Aleesha,
im looking up affirmations as well and yoga popped into mind!

thanks for your help/support.. i was a bit apprehensive about putting this on here,. but its not been too bad!!:)

I feel better actually,. im less tense as I havent discussed this with anyone, its been my little secret thats been eating away at me.

Ive got tons of food that would unfortunately go to waste.. but my body is worth more than food!
im off to juice some carrots and pop in the freezer,
I want to do mainly water with this fast though... i might juice a few days and just go on pure water for for over a week.
Its a wake up call for me,.. I need to get things in order.

[Nubianess]

ive found a few poses i will try before my job tommorow morning. they seem pretty simple,..

[EternityRider]

A gentle colon cleanse (Colonix, etc) and juice fasting might be the best thing.
I've been rereading this book lately - one of the best I've seen on the topic:
Blessings..

http://www.bernardjensen.com/images/2024.jpg

p.s. I had similar symptoms to yours, only not as extreme. I bought Super Colon Cleanse recently from Whole Foods Market (under $15). I hand-picked it carefully for its ingredients. It's not another "glorified psyllium powder", as most low-priced cleansers are. The small amount of senna in it is safe, yet effective. And it's far cheaper than the higher quality cleansers like Colonix, Blessed Herbs, Oxypowder & all, yet provides good results. If you have not tried a cleanser yet, I certainly suggest one, only be sure to use moderate dosages at first.. see if you can get more movement, then gradually increase. Consult a doctor (preferably a natural therapist) if you feel the need.

A colonoscopy would be revealing. Just know that mainstream med folks would sooner cut & medicate. So if it's something very serious, but not unbearable, please consider getting a natural therapist into the mix before doing anything drastic. Many times, surgery is avoidable with the use of natural therapies, for which the medical Establishment does not have the training, orientation or even incentive to address. Very best of wishes.

[luckitri]

You may wish to learn if you can tolerate senna. I can't tolerate the least bit of it. However, I did recently learn that I have "severe diverticular damage without inflammation." I am suspecting that many of my intolerances are due to that. I am happy with psyllium. I also love slippery elm bark powder made as a tea. Dr Shulze's formulae have the senna in them so I had to give them all away. So worth figuring out before you go to the expense of it.

[luckitri]

You can also do the psyllium daily for several months at a time. Start slow with a teaspoon or less once a day. Mix it in a glass of water with 1 tsp blackstrap molasses. (Minerals) Chase with another glass of plain water. It will cause bloating at first but eventually that will calm down and you can build up to doing prior to each meal.

[Nubianess]

Hey guys, thanks for all your suggestions.
ER, where did you get that book from? I assume its not a recent publication. Ive heard of Jenson before.
I would be on the lookout for it.
The front picture describes how I feel!! lol
Ive tried cascara, aloe vera juice,accidophilus, psyliium, bentonite, milk thistle, bentonite, colon cleanse tablets, i feel cramping when i take them,.
The psylium bloats/clogs me, when i take it with or without the bentonite.
Nothing seems to get me moving.
ive been using aloe vera juice every morning for over a month,.. nada.
Even large green smoothies... I have to take an enema to expel anything even if all ive had was green smoothies/soups after i did the last enema.
It seems my bowels are not working at all,. theres no noises,. nothing. nothing is moving through, so i dont want to take in any thing. Just water and juices
I think a fast is in order.
Im starting today, until I feel better,
I'll keep you updated on how things go with the doctor.
I just want to know what is going on, and then after that, I can consider my options.

[Revvell]

Sounds to me as though you need to check the emotional aspect of why you're holding in your s**t.

I had a friend who had the same issue until she got clear on it from an emotional aspect. Amazing how emotions manifest physically in the body. I'm thinking fasting may be of temporary help, just as dieting causes one to eliminate excess weight ~ for a short time.

Until the cause is eliminated, the problem remains.

Revvell

[Nubianess]

Lol revell,
I have thought through this, and i even did your excersises you always post, the ones where you say:

I am doing XXX because ......
Ive done that and i realise that im not in the right environment for my emotional wellbeing. I have to keep myself to myself here.
If you read earlier, Ive had to move back in with my parents for financial reasons.
Lets just say I moved OUT two years ago for a reason and swore NEVER to return and here I am, under their roof :rolleyes:

[Revvell]

Lets just say I moved OUT two years ago for a reason and swore NEVER to return and here I am, under their roof :rolleyes:

Been there, done that. Was out for a bit, got myself in trouble (read my blog here on RFT) and moved back. Couldn't WAIT to get out again. Don't 'member how my bm's were at that time but I'm sure I wasn't moovin' 'til I moved again!!!

What you're saying here is 'xactly what I'm saying. It's all emotional. You're stuck (for the time being yet, know this, this will change).

[lavendarJ]

If you have a Dr. who connects and respect raw vegan living and everything else that you've done (cause it sounds like you've tried some sure-fire methods already) then you should go to a doctor ASAP. That's suprising -coming from my mouth - but I know your pain because of my own past history with constipation. The need to connect with the emotional aspects of why this problem lingers has already been suggested - the fact is that those emotional blockages can promote physical blockages/obstructions (might explain the no appetite). I have done seasonal colonics - will it reach the root of the problem, don't know - they might at the very least, clean out that lower part of your colon and take away some of the strain off the intestines (if you're bloated and uncomfortable).

Make the very most of the move and alter the way you internalize and define it because chances are you might be labeling it as "success" or "failure" and that's going to keep you constipated in a whole lot of ways. I'm considering moving in with my sister and kids for 6-8 months next year because we are working on starting a business together. God knows I love my sister and nieces and nephew. She is a dynamic divorce' who went through a lot of abuse for 13 long years before the final exit and so I will go the distance for them because we are accountable to each other and charged with nurturing the next generation. Anyhoo, seriously just the thought of how much I'd be sacrificing:
- my privacy
- my peace of mind
- competing definitions of what makes for a clean house
- refrigerator issues (like a clean fridge, people think my fridge is new because it is clean and not caked up with spilled, sticky, moldy junk and food residue, hate the thought of a pack of ground beef being near my salad)
- the ability to just "zone out" and relax/meditate/ whenever I want, might have to actually structure peace-of-mind moments
......
Well, you get the picture, I think we are going to do it; the hope is to have my own bathroom and hey, I can always buy a good compact fridge (the kind kids take to dorms) for my produce (and just to preserve my peace of mind). Seriously, I felt really sluggish and have had the bowels pouting a bit because of thinking of this - I had to take time out to restructure those thoughts. Taking another look at I am able to to appreciate that this venture so much more. If we move in together, it's just temporary and the big PLUS is that it allows me to set aside a certain % of money every month and cuts down the time we projected for reaching a certain amount of start-up funds in half. This is worth it to me since we are going to business together and I've taking on many other things (otherwise it might take longer over all because I've got Grad school loans kicking in soon). So in the end, my benefits do outweigh my sacrifices (not that they have to, but sometimes it's just good to conceptualize) in many ways..
- start-up account achieves target amount in half the time
- able to assist sister in her last year at the university (accounting & finance major) by helping my nieces and nephews with school responsibilities, etc.
- moving in also frees up money to do more traveling in 2010 and to attend/plan various workshops

So raw vegan (if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not a simple yes/no person and tend to be lonnnnnnnnnnnng winded but that's me:D). That's my humble and unprofessional opinion. Take heart with what you are internalizing and find a doctor who is not just going to prescribe some harsh stimulant laxative cause any doctor in his/her right state of mind should be concerns if you just tell him what you've told us and I'm sure that's just a drop in the bucket....

Oh yeah, forgive the typos that might exist cause I'm passing on the spell check....:o

[stellaJewels]

Hey nubian - that was like reading a description of myself half the time... I can hear and feel your frustration hon, so I'll start with a big ol' ((hug)) for ya...;)

My suggestions are a good non-dairy probiotic like Garden of Life and/or Dr Ohhira's and make coconut water kefir (Body Ecology grains are good and go a long way); The Deer Exercise to strengthen the colon muscles; when you start eating again add chia and coconut flour as both draw water into the intestines and make going soo much easier; if you do go to a doctor, I'd suggest trying a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor first (I was at mine yesterday), they actually fix problems rather than just diagnose them

Good Luck and good job being brave enough to post, people here are always so supportive and knowledgeable it blows my mind!

[luckitri]

Yes there is a time to go to the doctor and there is something called a blockage - I think it is doctor time.

[Nubianess]

Lavender, what you said is VERY true, It took me a Looong while to accept that I wasnt coping financially and I had to move back. I loved having my own space. I have the same issues as you about having my own food away from meat, being able to zone out when I want e,t,c
plus im with people who dissaprove of my vegan lifestyle and other choices I have made..
Took me a few months to realise that I would be here longer than I thought,.. its something I see as a failure,. because moving out and being independent was a huge sucess for me in my books.

Thanks for the hug Stella, (hugs)) back.
Ive already done a course in prebiotics, I took over 90 tabs of accidophilus over the course of a month and a half. I think im gonna ferment some cabbage juice.., thats meant to be very good as well. Ill sip on that from time to time as I fast.

Lucktri, it is doctor time, Ive admitted to myself,. I hate the doctors,. but whats gotta be done has to be done.

I feel better now, its 8pm, Ive done a water fast all day, my stomach grumbled for the first time in ages!
Ive never been so excited about stomach noise! lol

Thanks for the support guys xx
Nub

[EternityRider]

If it's as serious as it may sound, i.e. obstruction, and the DR/specialist opts for surgery, remember, you can still get a second opinion, preferably from the natural community. (Of course, if an emergency develops, don't mess around). But let us know, as we can research it for you. It could be a simple as the removal of a few polyps, which is routinely performed during a colonoscopy.
Very best of wishes.

[Nubianess]

Thanks Rider,. I would keep you guys updated on the progress of things.
I already feel better, i started fasting yesterday.

Im looking into slippery elm powder. apparently its soothes the digestive track.

has anyone had any experience with this?

[stellaJewels]

Yeah, I make homemade sauerkraut, kim chi, beet kvass, and kombucha, all help some but I still felt WAAAAY better after starting the Dr Ohhira's. Fermented foods have a lot of lactobacillus, but the Ohhira's has a bunch of different strains that you can't get from kraut. I've had to use lots of different stuff over the last 18 months to get some to implant themselves in my digestive tract, especially after enemas b/c those will wash out the good flora. 90 pills over 6 weeks really isn't that much

[Nubianess]

Ill look out for prebiotics with more than one strain of bacteria in it.
I feel better already, I feel the soreness is more or less gone and my stomach is making noises again, so its still alive!! lol

Im seeing doctor sometime around the 4th or 5th, till then im still fasting!
ive been taking in lots of green juices with ginger, which might be helping soothe things as well and my slippery elm powder is in the post.
keep you updated! xx

[Mnbordergirl]

Your intestines CAN twist and partially twist...it happened to my younger cousin.

Honestly, dont mess around. Go to the Doctor. The worst that could happen is that they put a scope up there and have a look around...

This is no worse than your enemas...

[mallow]

Wow. I've had such a similar experience. Main reason I went raw.

Some thoughts:

try to reduce your stress levels
colonics (natural gravity method ONLY) = fantastic/life changing (for me at least)
cascara sagrada and senna are big no-nos if you have addictive behavior such as bulimia. Cascara sagrada can scar your intestines. Senna tea is less dangerous, but it is habit-forming over time. But it's good once in a while, and effective.
Seeing a doc is probably a good idea.