Happy when Constipated

[jalapeno1234]

I know this sounds weird...unusual...crazy...wrong, in a way haha but those who have suffered from IBS d* will understand this fully. I'm not even sure if I have/had IBS...I went through a spell from Jan 2018-June 2018 where I was literally taking Imodium up to 3/4 times a week due to loose stools, cramps..sometimes coupled with nausea ..weirdly though, I never actually got sick..just terrible d*. I moved to a city in September 2018 to focus on my postgrad course, expecting the worse..but so far feel with a diet change and less stress, I havent touched one Imodium since July 2018. I got some 24 hour thing on Boxing day which I believe I caught from my dad but it was literally a short and sharp thing so I did end up taking one then. But in general...I've only really had d* when Im super nervous or had too much coffee.

SO.
I decided when I first moved here that I'd switch to white bread - my parents always had me eating wholemeal which was lots healthier but I found I suffered from acid reflux and if I ate it along with vegetables/spicy stuff on the same day, itd truly upset my stomach. White bread, no matter when I eat it, makes my stomach silent. Im full, happy but obviously constipated..if I eat enough tomoatoes, peppers, onions, gravy and greens, yep, my body will be more in motion but for the most part I stick to bread, rice, couscous and pasta. Its gotten to the point where I ENJOY going a couple days without going. Im able to drink one or two coffees and not feel like I need to run to the bathroom and generally I just feel MILES better. I weigh just under 50kg and I'm 5'8 so technically yep, Im underweight..this is just another reason why I can eat all these carbs and not really care (the d* I got last year lasted so long I lost almost one stone).

Does anyone else feel like this? In the long run, I know Im damaging my insides - my mom always taught me "that stuff is bleach, its poison, babe" and I guess in a twisted way Im addicted cos of how slow it makes my digestive system.

[Carys]

I don't believe you are damaging your insides. Providing you are eating fruit and veg then your body will be getting the fibre it needs to 'bulk up' and it is more important that you aren't having the constant stomach upsets you were having. Some people eat white bread for a whole lifetime, and providing the rest of the diet is balanced - (with wholegrains, Bvitamins, various minerals that wholemeal breads contain) then you'll be just fine, in my - not a dietician - opinion lol. Its true that white bread is kinda 'empty calories' with less nutritional value, but if it is eaten in moderation and you make sure you eat well, then surely its better to not be running to the toilet really often. Do bear in mind though that you made two changes, not just the diet, but a less stressful lifestyle in general. It seems and sounds like you are happier after the move, so maybe you could consider introducing a bit of wholemeal now you know you are less stressed and see if it truly was the bread causing an intolerance reaction due to the wheat content. As a fellow IBS sufferer, yes, I do like it when I return to my natural pattern of 'going' every three days (I know it sounds odd to some, but that was always how I was before IBS). I have a pretty good idea now of what sets things off for me, and highly seeded bread seems to.

Edited to add - going every couple of days isn't probably constipation, that might be your usual pattern, not everyone goes once a day!