I was kidding, Nicky. I think more people should feel open to talk about this stuff. How else can you figure it out?

Don't worry, Annie, I totally know you were kidding...hehe...I was just looking for an excuse to throw in 'poo poo' lol...

*sigh* I'm so immature...lol

Annie,

Those are some wonderful suggestions. I'm going to try every single one, one at a time.

Except for the gluten, I already tried that one. I started on the south beach diet and at the same time cut out gluten for a couple of weeks. I've been feeling wonderful, although that's probably just because it was coinciding with me going into a beautiful remission. I've added gluten back and it doesn't seem to hurt. And the extra fiber in the south beach diet made me huge.

I would love to figure this out. I actually used to be cute. Now half of my face falls down and I bloat up like a giant, blubbery thing. Ugh. I HATE it! I don't even want to go out of the house sometimes.

Ally

Bluesky, in France Mestinon is used in two cases: for myasthenia and to improve intestinal transit, the latter without prescription...
Maurice.

Mestinon dosage to improve intestinal transit is 60 mg mornings and 60 mg evenings.
Maurice.

Readers here on this thread may find this book interesting and helpful:

The Second Brain, by Dr. Michael Gershon:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/health/23gut.html

Serotonin is really a major player in the activity of the gut.

I just had to join in the poo topic! I'd like to say Hot Topic!

I have for years had what Drs over here call a spastic colon or a lazy colon. However it doesn't happen all the time and really only happens when I am sick.

I had a bout of gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining) and my bowel just stopped working. I didn't have any gas although my stomach was full of it and I just didn't poo for days. I didn't even feel like going for a poo! They gave me some stuff to get it moving - never again!

This total shut down of my bowel has only happened since I had major surgery for bowel adhesions in 1998. Normally I am very regular and everything is fine in that department. But if I'm sick enough to be admitted to hospital I just stop going and just dont need to go. I wont go properly until I am back home. Its very strange. LOL

Love
Rach

OK, since you brought it up, I too had problems in this area and everyday after I eat, no matter what it is I bloat up so bad I too look pregnant but when I wake in the morning I am normal.

I have started adding Miralax in my morning coffee and can I say miracle wonder! I am so regular as long as I take it. I still bloat after eating anything (but I think that may have to do with my liver problem} but the miralax works and I am happy. And trust me I tried everything made and when my husband said to try it I laughed at him. Try it, I don't think it could hurt.

Oh and I saw my gastro a couple months ago and he said everything was fine, no infection, no twisting, nothing... he couldn't understand the bloating unless it had to do with my liver problem, go figure

Mrs. D, this makes a LOT of sense. My grandmother was Bi-polar -- serotonin problems (???) -- two of her daughters and at least two of her granddaughters have IBS. We aren't depressed in the head "brain, but we must be in the gut "brain".

There is alot of new research on serotonin in the brain too:

The serotonin transporter gene is inherited and has 3 forms.

This very interesting article explains it and some other psychology involving inheritance/behavior and disorders:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread113971.html

95% of the serotonin you have is in the body (not the brain).

In fact SSRI drugs can cause diarrhea and nausea in some people because of this.

The drug cisapride (Propulsid) was the first GI serotonin receptor agonist. Unfortunately it had drug interactions with some drugs and with low electrolyte status it could cause heart arrhythmias. But it was highly useful for gastroparesis and some IBS patients, and GERD. Because doctors failed to follow guidelines sent to them via warning letter, and continued to misuse this drug, the FDA took it off the market in US.