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[Kathleen]

Hello ladies ,can I pick your brains please?
On my last visit to the GP, just before Christmas, I was told my iron levels were low and that it would be a good idea to take an iron supplement. For the last six weeks I've been taking Floradix which is a herbal remedy and supposed to be easy on the stomach. About a week ago I stopped taking it as I was getting constipated. It has been a week since my last dose and now I am passing some mucus instead of poo (sorry if TMI). My question is do you think the iron has irritated my bowel and will it settle now I'm not taking the supplement any more? I'm worried as I have Ulcerative Colitis and a flare up usually begins with mucus but I have been well for a long time and the only thing I've changed in my diet is the Floradix.
Any thoughts or experiences would be very welcome. Thank you.
By the way I've only just seen how to use the message icon! Honestly I worry about myself sometimes!
Take care all.
K. 

[Dancinggirl]

Are you getting any abdominal pain? Are you drinking enough fluids? ARe you including enough fibre in your diet. My older sister has Crohns and my young sister had Ulcerative Colitis and I've always had a very sensitive digestive system myself.  Autoimmune problems such as these are always difficult to manage. Are you on HRT? My older sister with Crohns found it was much calmer when she was allowed to take it.
I wonder if the sudden extra Iron has just aggravated things a little  - I would give yourself a week or two with a little more fluids etc. and see if it settles down.
The problem is that anxiety can make things worse - can you get out for some good walks (I know it's dreadful weather at the moment) as exercise improves circulation and definitely helps to get things moving again.   Hope this is helpful.
DG x

[CLKD]

Iron makes most people constipated 

Go back to your GP and see what else is required to ease bowel action.

[Sarah2]

I'd say it was unlikely that the iron had irritated your bowels but more that it's made you constipated and the mucous is a side effect- many people who are constipated have mucous alternating with diarrhoea because the stools are compacted in the bowel, but the mucous still escapes, as it's in the bowel all the time to allow the passage of stools.
 This is why some people also have loose stools even though they may still have constipation because some partially digested food 'escapes' around the compacted stools. sorry if tmi!

 

[Hurdity]

Hi Kathleen

What sort of Floradix are you taking?

I take the liquid herbal tonic and it has no effect on my bowels (a bit darker due to the iron!) but I don't take it every day though as I don't need it because I get most of the iron I need from the food I eat. I take it every few days because I eat much less than I used to, and I am still having a bleed every few weeks due to HRT.

I like the F tonic because it is purely herbal, and natural extracts, and not a highly manufactured product which many supplements are - ie bear little relation to what they came from and contain far too much of the substance. The tonic is more like a concentrated food juice/extract.

I think tablets are more likely to cause constipation but I doubt whether the tonic would.

Some women use Spatone which is a drink, and has the same effect.

Hurdity x

[scriv]

My family have always found Fybogel Hi-Fibre Sachets help constipation. It is gentle and natural and seems to do the trick. Worth a try?

[CLKD]

Fybogel    but it does work, apparently!

I find that a probiotic drink several times daily eases my bowel motions, I stopped using them for 3 months and found I had slow transit  .  Now that I have started again I don't feel as bloated nor do I feel the constant need to 'go' .  Mum told me that the worst part of her 2nd pregnancy was the constipation from the iron tablets 

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies and thanks for your replies. I thought I'd give you an update.

I phoned my hospital's Inflammatory Bowel Clinic for advice regarding my bowels as I am a UC and IBS sufferer. I was told I needed blood tests which would pick up iron levels and any inflammatory markers, I was also asked to provide a stool sample for a faecal calprotectin test.  Apparently calprotectin is a protein that is found in the poo of people who are experiencing a flare of their IBD but it doesn't appear if the problem is being caused by IBS. Hopefully when the results are in my GP will contact me with a treatment plan and in the meantime I'm eating little and often and drinking plenty of water. "Touch wood" I'm feeling better today so maybe I'll get through this without too many problems!

I know bowel problems can also be part of the menopause so I'll update when I have more information for those who are interested.

Once again many thanks  ladies for your advice on this one, much appreciated.
Take care.
K.


 

[CLKD]

 

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies, just a further update for those who are interested. Well, my bowel problems did turn into a flare up of my Ulcerative Colitis and I have been prescribed Mezavant tablets to take 4 times daily. My blood work was okay but the Calprotectin test revealed inflammation (apparently the normal level for this protein is under 200 and mine was 391).

The thing is ladies and the reason I am posting is that there is a treatment which cures inflammatory bowel conditions and is available in Australia and some doctor's offices in America. It is called FMT which stands for Faecal Microbiota Transplantation and involves introducing by enema,colonoscopy or endoscopy the diluted poo of a healthy donor into the bowels of the patient. This is used to treat CDiff infections and has a 98% success rate. There are currently clinical trials underway looking at using this treatment for IBS, UC and Crohns. Quite why so many trials are needed I don't know, as professor Borody in Australia has been  successfully treating people with these conditions  for 13 years! I mean, how much more data do these medics need!
The thing is ladies, what do you think? Would anyone be interested in receiving this treatment if it was offered by a doctor and all the necessary precautions were taken? Would the "Ick" factor deter you or would the prospect of not being a slave to your guts be so tempting that you'd do anything.
As a UC and IBS sufferer I know I would jump at the chance.

Take care ladies.
K. 

[CLKD]

Interesting but in the UK new ideas have to be trialled and NICE have to make them available.  All these tests take time and money and to be absolutely sure there should be a double-blind test at least once on a satisfactory amount of healthy population and be Peer reviewed.  Which is why they take time etc..

Well I would assume that the bowel motions of another person would have be sterile ……… otherwise how would one be sure that another disease/condition isn't introduced?  It is an interesting concept though and if approved by NICE and if I were suffering I would probably 'go' for it (no pun intended  )

Glad you have got some treatment!  Let us know how you get on and yes, we are interested 

[Ju Ju]

I've heard about this and I would jump at the chance, Kathleen.

[Dancinggirl]

I know two Consultant Gastroentorologists  - when I get a chance I going to ask them about this. I feel sure that if this really has such a success rate around the world, they may be involved with the research into it.  It sounds such a simple idea and if it works I feel sure the NHS would adopt it very quickly as it would be far cheaper than the current treatments.
If I was suffering with any of these bowel conditions I would definitely try this over any of the current drug treatments - most of which have pretty nasty side effects!
DG x

[Kathleen]

Hello ladies. CKLD, Ju Ju and Dancing girl many thanks for your responses.

I've been doing a bit of research on bowel problems and FMT and here are a few snippets  of information you may find interesting:-

Canadian doctors have created a capsule containing bacteria from healthy faeces which is being given to patients with C Diff and curing them of the infection.

Scientists have taken cultures from the intestines of IBS sufferers and found they have "bad bacteria."

FMT was used as part of a trial to treat people with C Diff and over 90% were cured after the first treatment and a 100% after two treatments.

St. Mark's hospital in Wembley are currently running a trial to see if FMT cures patients with Pouchitis (this is where someone's colon has been removed, a pouch is created but then the pouch becomes chronically inflammed). This trial is due for publication in the nest few months.

Lack of oestrogen weakens the surface cells of the gut making them more vulnerable to infections etc. This would explain why women at the menopause develop bowel problems.

A doctor in a Glasgow hospital is curing children with C Diff using FMT.

Dr Thomas Borody worked with Dr Barry Marshall in the 1980s and they discovered that stomach ulcers were caused by bacteria (not stress). They identified the bug and discovered the correct drug treatment. Other doctors didn't believe them at the time until Dr Marshall gave himself an ulcer with the bacteria and then cured himself with the medicine. Now everyone accepts that stomach ulcers are caused by h pylori.

Dr. Borody developed FMT over 20 years ago and he treats people with Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis and IBS, his clinic in Australia has an 8 month waiting list.
 
So ladies what do you think? It appears that these diseases are not autoimmune conditions and IBS isn't stress. In fact it is all down to the proliferation of harmful bacteria and when that imbalance is corrected by introducing good bacteria from a healthy gut, the problems are solved and the patient is cured. I just hope that our doctors can begin offering FMT treatment as soon as possible, it would save the NHS a fortune and eradicate a lot of suffering!

Thanks for reading and sorry for the long post.
Take care.

K.     

[Dancinggirl]

All very, very interesting. There is still much to be learned about our bodies and how they work.  I think there will be a time when they look back in horror at the treatments we get these days just as we view the treatments of the past.
Unfortunately drug companies have such an influence that I believe many professionals overlook quite basic ideas and logical conclusions. Sometimes simple things can work wonders!
I am hoping there will be far more research into the positive effects of oestrogen and that a way will be found to maintain a healthy balance of hormones for a longer time with fewer risks and side effects. Oestrogen is a natural substance. As a greater proportion of the population grows older and we all have to work for longer, the lack of hormones take such a toll on our bodies it would make a lot of sense to research this as a preventative treatment.  DG x