Constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

I used to be drop a deuce anytime I wanted. Then this IBS came along and I don't know what to think. The doctor says I have it so I believe him, but what he told me to do just doesnt work. The fiber he perscribed just doesnt do it. I try to go about 5 times a day, and about half the time I am able to get some out, but nothing relative to what goes in if you know what I mean. Laxatives seem to be the only way for me to have a real bowel movement. Whenever I try the old fashioned way I all I get is gas and maybe a 4 incher. I hate it. Any thoughts

Just to clarify, I'll try to go to the bathroom 5 times a day. I strain and strain and all I get out is a little thing. Not what I would call a good bowel movement

make sure you are drinking enough water during the day...
that makes a difference.
also you might want to try a stool softener like colace or miralax (different than a laxative) they keep fluid in your colon so stuff moves along instead of stimulating the colon chemically -- you dont want to become dependent on that either or it will be the only way you CAN go... eeks.

be thankful you still go daily... plenty of people only go once a week or so... i hear about that all the time.

it is not normal to move your bowels five times a day, if you were doing that before, that is why you have a diagnosis of IBS. One movement every day or even two days is normal. Be sure to drink at least two liters of water everyday, or that fiber will turn to concrete in your gut and you will be constipated. Stop using laxatives, you become dependant on them, and then they become less and less effective and then you really have a problem.

You might want to try reading The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut: The Complete Nutritional Guide to Ileitis, Colitis, Crohn's Disease, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease by James Scala. Scala firmly believes that the way you eat is directly related to these conditions. His drug-free food and lifestyle program has been proven to offer relief from the pain and embarrassment of living with IBS while providing reassuring step-by-step guidance on: Developing a personal-testing program; Identifying "safe foods"; Fitness and stress-reduction techniques; Dietary and vitamin supplements. It's a very popular book and has been around a while -- you should check it out. It might give you some ideas on what YOU can do to help rid yourself of this headache. Good luck to you.

I'm not sure why you need to go 5 times a day. That is not normal. A healthy bowel movement should be about once a day.

It is also dangerous to get overly dependent on laxatives. If you rely on them, they can become ineffective.

If you think that your doctor is not giving you the right prescription, perhaps you need to seek a second opinion.

For more research into IBS, check up here
http://www.ibs-treatment-options.com/

Try to drink plenty of water, eat a lot of green leafy vegetables and get some exercise. I have the same problem before but now it seems that my bowel movement is getting more regular. I also tried to eat yogurt everyday and I think this really helped a lot.