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WarriorPrincess

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Mar 18, 2016
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147
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
05/2005
Country
US
State
TX
I know that many of us have other medical conditions that go along with Fibromyalgia. One of the major ailments that affects just about everything I do, is IBS. I have the D version, which means diarrhea. I tend not to take medications that supposedly treat diarrhea, because then I end up with the opposite problem, which is at least as bad as the diarrhea.

My cat is experiencing diarrhea after surgery, so I called the veterinarian earlier, to see if there's anything I can do at home to help her. The vet mentioned I should add a spoonful of canned pumpkin to her food, and stated that the additional fiber should firm up the waste and rectify the diarrhea. I asked if canned sweet potato would have the same effect, because I wasn't sure which I had on hand, and she said yes. I added some pumpkin to my cat's food, and it seems to be having the desired effect.

It occurred to me that the next time I have diarrhea (which sometimes lasts for days, and can really interfere with my life), I'm going to try this myself. I might mix it into something like mashed potatoes, just heat it a little and serve, or perhaps make a pumpkin bread. Have y'all ever heard of this, and if so, have you tried it?
 
I had never heard of it being a treatment for diarrhea to be honest, so I just went and googled it. Pretty much all of the top responses are about pets, even though I didn't specify pets in the search. So it seems that this is a very common method for animals such as cats and dogs, and not so much for humans. I suppose there is no harm in trying, if you like pumpkin (which I really really don't), but our digestive systems do work differently to those of animals so there's no guarantee that it would have the same effect.

I don't have fibomyalgia, but I do have IBS, so I might give this a try at some point too.

I hope your cat is feeling better!
 
I have a sister that won't eat pumpkin pie at thanksgiving because she says it constipated her. So maybe your onto something. I know dogs have different digestion then humans hence why we aren't supposed to feed them table scraps, but I think domesticated pets are evolving.

Do you take a fiber supplement? This has been the best habit for me. I take the best I can afford (my gastro perscribe a brand that is 25-50% higher then the ones we see advertised) and it is great if my hems are erupting but otherwise the Cheaper keeps me from swinging to far in either direction. If I get a little constipated I purchased a detox fiber that draws fluid to the intestines and that usually does the trick (if not up your magnisium) It too is kinda pricey but I no longer need often so a jar last me a year.

I have had IBSD since I was a teen 35 years. It was getting worse until I made this a habit.
oh, don't do the gummies, the taser good but don't have the same affect and can make you gassy.
 
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Managing your fibre intake is definitely a good idea. Also, exercising may help if you are up to it. I don't know if that's because of something particular, or simply because it increases your overall health. And obviously one of the worst things for IBS is stress. I know how tricky it is to manage stress, but there are certain things you can try - removing sources of negativity and stress from your life, meditating, etc.

I've done a little more research since I first replied and there are some people who speak of the benefits of pumpkin where IBS is concerned. But if you're like me you might want to look for recipes which completely mask the taste. You can make pumpkin bread, cakes, etc. Lots of cinnamon and nutmeg should help disguise the taste a bit.
 
I also have IBS. It predominately D, but occasionally C. I don't take medications for the D either because I too get the opposite problem. Have you tried a FODMAP diet to pinpoint foods that may trigger you? I did that last summer and was able to find some foods that made me worse. That said, I have given my dog a spoonful of pumpkin when she has had D. She doesn't get it often, but when she gets nervous she will. It dries her right up!

I have never tried it on myself, but have found that a couple bananas will help me if I'm having a bad day. Right now I am on a different type of elimination diet and have to have a lot of fiber. I have to be careful because not enough or too much will cause me problems. It's been hard to find a balance of it.
 
The funny thing is that I seem to be attracted to things that aggravate my body. As I think back over the years, and look at lists of foods that irritate the conditions I have, many, if not most of my favorites are on those lists. I'm not sure why exactly that is, but if I eat/drink them slowly and really pay attention to not only how I immediately feel, but also to how I feel after the fact, I can tell there's an issue. I noticed this recently with eggplant, which is one of my favorite foods. Pumpkin is another of my favorites. I have never made a connection between being 'bound up' and pumpkin though, so I might have to do an experiment.

By the way, my cat hasn't had diarrhea since I've started adding it to her food. I've been giving it to the others as well, and have noticed less litter box issues. Once this can is gone, I'll stop adding it to their food, and see what happens.
 
Many times relieve might come from what we expect the least...
 
I had actually heard that both sweet potatoes and pumpkin are good for pets that have an upset stomach. We've used it for our dog before, and it seems to have worked - plus it's stuff that we regularly have on hand to eat anyway, so it's easy to make some extra for the pets. I'm curious to know though if it would work for humans, too. I suppose there's nothing wrong with trying - healthy eating is always a good thing!
 
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