Diets and supplements

Hi Jaycee12 a food diary is definitely a good idea. How much veg do you eat with your tea? Are you leaving the potato skins on? You may be consuming more fibre than you thought and that may not be helping. I have noticed that by cutting down on veg it has limited my bowel movements but I'm not constipated. The thing is though I like to eat very healthily so I am not overly happy about doing this. I have had to cut out fruit apart from a few strawberries. What are you drinking? Caffeine makes me bloat and increases toilet time as do fizzy drinks.  Probiotics are a bit hit and miss. I have done research into this subject  in the past and  it seems that there are all different types and some do not colonise the gut with good bacteria as they are supposed to. Some simply pass through the system from one end to the other without  anything being absorbed.   I would suggest doing a bit of looking around online and see which ones may suit you and whether there is any independent evidence that  backs up the claims of their advertising. I'd also advise taking a low dose of Imodium, if that's what you've been advised to take to, and play it by ear day by day until you achieve a more 'normal' bowel movement pattern. I hope things improve soon, Bev 

Hi Bev, thank you for your reply. I peel the potatoes as I have read on previous posts that some people find they have bowel issues leaving the skins on. I would say a generous tablespoon of veg which can be any type. I do know now that my onion gravy probably contributed to my many visits to the loo. Today I have visited the toilet very little and a bit worried now! Am I just empty or am I constipated from eating pizza yesterday. Yes I know it sounds stupid but after three days of running to the loo I decided to have a night off and eat what I would not normally eat. Today I am struggling with the fissures and it’s driving me insane. Now I have to keep sitting on the sitz bath to ease the pain. Is there any end to this? My skin look fine a few days ago and now shrivelling due to sitting in water. The nurse at the hospital don’t really seem to be able to offer much advice as it’s trial and error and the suggestions I have already tried. Feeling quite down at the moment. I see my oncologist Monday for a check up so hoping she can offer some solutions to the pain. I am very tempted to go back on morphine but feel that is a backwards step. I don’t know what I would do if I did not have this site to sound off. Feeling a bit sorry for myself. Hopefully things will soon improve.

julie x

Hi Jaycee12,

Stopping the morphine could be the culprit for speeding up your bowel movements, morphine as with other opiate based painkillers tend to slow down your system, if you’ve stopped the Movicol things may settle down in a week or so. A food diary is always a good idea with any digestive issues, it’s a great way of identifying triggers although sometimes I have random bloating/gas that I just can’t pin down. I’ve been drinking live goats milk kefir since my diagnosis, I had to stop during treatment because of the live bacteria in the kefir but started again a couple of weeks after treatment had finished. It’s a fantastic product & is a great way of boosting the good bacteria in your gut. You drink 150-170mls each morning 30 minutes before you eat or drink anything. I get mine via post from a company called The Chuckling Goat, take a look online & see what you think. It’s a bit of an acquired taste but if you like feta cheese you’ll be ok with the taste. if you decide to try it let me know as I have a 50% off discount code. I also take a high grade fish oil supplement containing Omega 3, Omega 6, GLA, Vitamin E & cold pressed Evening Primrose Oil. I take a good quality multivitamin & mineral supplement & also a vitamin D with K2 supplement. One of the best things I ever did was cutting all refined sugars from my diet which meant cutting out almost processed foods including rice, pasta, breads, pre-packed meats etc., I’ve fallen off the wagon recently & it’s really had an impact so I’m going back to basics to get a handle on things again! 

Nicola 

Hi Nicola, I will certainly look at the kefir. I am wondering what is left to eat when you cut out breads and rice. I think it’s challenging to cut out foods you consider staples. I rarely eat white bread and when I mentioned in my post I had pizza, that was because I was going to the toilet so much and thought it might solidify things. I want to reduce meat as I have read this isn’t good for fissures. I only drink water, decaf tea and coffee. I have a decaf coffee in the morning and occasionally at lunchtime. I don’t touch alcohol as it just gives me migraines. I hardly ever eat processed meat like sausages, burgers etc. A lot of healthy foods have fibre. Now I am not eating in between meals like nuts and seeds I am losing weight. This is worrying me as I don’t want to become too thin.  Do you eat vegetarian foods with pulses and beans?. At the moment I think I will start slow with chicken and fish and simple vegetables. I know I must not get constipated as the fissures are really causing me pain. I am drinking gallons of water. I too take vit D with vit K but that’s all. I will take a look at some multivitamins. I have a lot to learn!

Julie x

Hi again Jaycee12, 

I find a low carb, sugar free, clean diet suits me, although we’re all a little different & I don’t make my life a misery when I’m eating this way, if we go out for food etc., I have what I fancy then eat better again the following day. I have a bit of weight to lose but I find eating this way also gives me lots more energy & I feel so much better. It’s an anti-inflammatory way of eating too so it has a positive effect of my arthritis. I tend to eat free from oats on a morning, lunch is usually salad & fish such as mackerel, sardines, prawns or maybe a baked sweet potato then my evening meal usually consists of meat or fish & vegetables, I make ‘clean’ curries, chilli etc., & generally eat those with seasoned cauliflower rice. I also don’t eat much cows dairy I eat more goats dairy as it’s easier to digest. I find often pulses & beans cause bloating with me but I can have them now & again in moderation, I’ll probably add some red kidney beans to my chilli etc. I still have chocolate when I fancy it but I have dark chocolate 85% or over & limit it to a couple of times a week. My treat each week is a full Sunday lunch with all of the trimmings, yum! A lot of what I’ve learned has been trial & error but my sister does a lot with fitness & nutrition with her job & I’ve taken a lot of dietary advice from her. As I’ve said though one size doesn’t fit all but in my opinion cutting out processed foods & refined sugar can only be a good thing. 

Nicola 

Hi Jaycee12 I would be careful with the beans and pulses, they do cause bloating and increase the poo volume in me. I think you could still probably eat a few nuts and seeds, I do and there's no impact unless I eat too many. I have about 4-5 brazil nuts (I understand just 2 a day contain your daily intake of selenium) and a few almonds. Occasionally I also have sunflower seeds, but again, I limit what I have. Pumpkin seeds are a no no. As Nikki65 says it really is trial and error. I have two eggs for breakfast but I know they can upset some people's stomachs. Then, my diet is pretty similar to Nikki65's although I have to confess I still eat chocolate and eat square crisps every day and drink coffee, I have to have that caffeine to function, I just try not to go overboard!  Bev. x

Jaycee12 Ps be careful with the brazil nuts, I've just re-checked the selenium content and it's so high it's not actually recommended to eat more than 2-3 each day, must admit if I'm peckish I can eat quite a few, I will have to cut down!  

Thank you both for your ideas. I agree it’s trial and error how our bodies will react to certain foods. I like to think what I eat is fairly healthy and we tend to cook plain food since my diagnosis. I would make lentil curry and chickpeas etc but now I am reluctant to even try them. I know when I was actually undergoing the treatment I kept craving crisps like Doritos for some reason but I don’t crave anything much now. I like chocolate and it’s a occasional treat. I look forward to being able to go to a restaurant and eat but feel it’s a long way off at the moment. I have a sort of friends reunion meal coming up in September and hope I am settled enough for that. Trying to cope with a painful fissure and bowel movements is not fun! I am still going to read up on the chuckling goat milk Nicola thank you.

julie x

Bev (1in1500) lucky you, I love nuts especially pecans, cashews & pistachios but they now bloat & constipate me  Strangely I seem ok with all seeds. I also love a decent cup of frothy coffee but this bloats me now too  I can have one now & again & get away with it but amongst other things anal cancer has turned me into a tea drinker! I don’t go far without activated charcoal capsules either these days  

Nicola 

Hi Nikki65 yes the activated charcoal tablets I forgot! They really help and I take them on my bloaty days or if I have a dodgy toilet time in the a.m Bev x