Alright, so, too much fiber = problems. All of the recommended fissure-friendly foods generally contain fiber (of course). I’ve been eating oatmeal, soft whole grain wheat tortillas with flax seeds, whole grain wheat bread, a tiny bit of smooth peanut butter here and there, plain hummus, peaches, Greek yogurt, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, an occasional banana, baby spinach, and on one occasion a bit of brown rice + a few tiny pieces of white chicken breast. I’m drinking around 100 ounces of water per day, and taking a capful of Miralax daily (to the top line in the cap, the recommended dose for adults).
The result? Gas and fairly loose stools – not liquid, but what I would consider borderline diarrhea. A 6 on the Bristol scale, I think. I’m a little confused on the scale because some people are saying you want stools the consistency of toothpaste or soft-serve ice cream, which I would think is what I’m experiencing. But other people say you want soft yet formed/bulky stool. Soft-serve ice-cream texture isn’t going to be formed... If anyone can shed some light on this issue, I’d be grateful.
Anyway, it’s also day 3 of my period, a time when I usually get a nervous tummy and really bad cramps, and I’ve been having this loose stool a bit too much. Last night I put less than half my usual Miralax dose in my water, but this morning I had nausea and loose stools twice. I took one Imodium pill and then cut another pill and took half - I was desperately worried this would wreak havoc on my fissure. Most of the discomfort I’m feeling, however, is the usual uncomfortable sensation I get after diarrhea rather than fissure pain, so that’s a plus. I’m using some preparation H suppositories, and might start using the prescription hydrocortisone suppositories a CRS gave me until I see her next week to try to undo any irritation this may be causing. Given that I have to use more than one wet wipe afterward, I do imagine it could be causing some issues, maybe a bit of inflammation? It can’t be good to coat a fissure with stool. Hence the suppositories to clean it out a bit. Not sure if I want to attempt an enema.
I skipped breakfast this morning due to the nausea, and all I ate for lunch was 5 saltine crackers, Greek yogurt, and a banana. For dinner I tried to choke down some black beans, and they almost came right up again. I can barely get past the taste, unfortunately. I'm going to have some oatmeal shortly instead. It’s possible I’m getting too much insoluble fiber, and need to try to stick with soluble fiber. I’ll probably still take some Miralax tonight to combat the Imodium, although I doubt that small of a dose will do much harm. At least, I hope...
I should note that I’m taking a probiotic pill right now (I skipped last night’s dose because I was nervous it was contributing to the stomach upset), and eat 2 soluble fiber gummies every day. I tried taking a Metamucil pill last night in an attempt to add at least a little bulk to my stool – no luck (yet).
It seems to me that I may be overdoing the fiber, especially when I take Miralax on top of it. Does it matter so much what you eat when you’re on something like Miralax, which should soften your stool (and help you be regular) regardless of the food it consists of? I mean, I’m not planning on scarfing down a giant mixed bag of almonds, popcorn, and crunchy potato chips, but I almost feel like I’m doing myself a disservice by eating so much fiber combined with a stool softener. Someone else on the forum mentioned that Miralax pretty much “pulverized” the food in her stomach, so I’m just wondering if I should stop being paranoid about ONLY eating foods with fiber and incorporate other stuff for balance? I mean, we talk about how you shouldn’t eat any foods that may not be fully digested and therefore have sharp pieces, like tortilla chips, but doesn’t the Miralax “pulverize” everything, chips included?
I do plan on trying to incorporate more/different foods into my diet. According to my research, rye and pumpernickel bread have more soluble fiber than whole wheat/grain bread. Go figure… I’ve put both on my grocery list.
What do you think – what should I do? How much do you agonize about the food you eat when you take an effective daily stool softener?