Ok, so I have lost 75 Lbs. since June 2002. This diet ripped my anus so bad that I just had to have surgery to correct the rips down to the muscle. The doctor that put me on this diet because my blood sugar was 350 (now 90) gave me a list of 4 items I could eat. He didn't mention hydrating or Atkins. I have been told to stay OFF the diet till I heal. I am taking Fiber Choice and a stool softner (docusate sodium) but still lots of blood from the surgery.

Also beware of any sweetner using Maltitol. This stuff is poison to me. Not only do I get gas and cramping but for one piece of candy I get three days of feeling like someone has rubbed acid on my anus. The burning goes on 24 hours a day.

Nuts, I love nuts, but with this diet any nuts passing through do not get digested and shoot out of my anus like tiny shards of glass.

How much more pain should I endure before giving up?

hi there alandorman,

Whether you are eating low carbs, no carbs, high carbs or all carbs -- diet is not responsible for anal tears. However, chronic constipation can weaken and cause injury to the rectal & anal membranes, as can hemorrhoids, infection/ abscesses, fissures and physical trauma. Keep up with the fiber and stool softeners, be sure to drink lots of water, eat more high-fiber veggies and olive oil. You should avoid constipation at all costs.

The low-carb diet has helped you lose 75 lbs in a relatively short time, and it sounds as though your blood sugar is much better controlled. Those two factors should tell you that low-carbing is GOOD for you. I can't imagine a dr. telling a patient to only eat 4 things? .. if that's true, I'd say LOSE this dr, sounds like a quack. Find another dr. who's low-carb friendly and supportive. Get your hands on a copy of Atkins book and read it cover to cover .. the paperback edition is cheap, or you should be able to find a copy at your local library. Information is power!

If maltitol and eating whole nuts are causing problems, the solution is simple - DON'T EAT THEM

Good Luck to you.

Doreen

I've never seen a post with so many anus mentions.

I promise I didn't mean to, but I burst out laughing at this post. NOT because of the pain or the surgery but because (as Iowagirl mentioned) of how many times "anus" was used in an otherwise normal post... Okay, I'm immature, sorry.

Hmmm. I don't think that "an owie in my neither regions" would have been as application specific as the "A" word.

Alandorman

I agree with DoreenT.

My DH had the same surgery for massive anal fissures and gigantic hemorrhoids. He had a diet poor in fiber and lack of hydration which led to dry hard stools which he strained to move.

He is now using BeneFiber twice a day, eating more fiber and drinking a lot more water. I also am giving him 1 tbsp. of Flax Seed Oil twice a day. (prescribed by me)

Eating nuts can be a problem if not chewed completely. Also anything with seeds in them, tomatoes, sesame seeds and so on can cause colon distress.

Did you have a colonoscopy with your surgery?

HN

It sounds like your doctor gave you SOME of the right info, but not enough of the right info. You definitely need to drink enough water to keep things flowing smoothly. I have never had constipation problems on low carb. BUT I eat plenty of vegies EVERYDAY. So, do at Doreen suggests. Get the book and really know what you're doing. But definitely don't eat Malitol or nuts if they cause problems for you. Victoria

I had been in pain for 2 months before the tear was visible. It was tearing from the inside out. The colonoscopy revealed a healthy colon. So I went to a health Hut and was recommended Aqua Flora Phase 1 and Kyolic Garlic which I still take. The doctor that did the first colonoscopy had recommended I eat sunflower seeds for roughage. The first handful ripped me completely open. The colonoscopy, two weeks after the first one, during surgery, revealed multiple rips. Here is the strange thing. I have been hydrating like crazy, taking Fiber Choice and stool softener also, but when I have a BM it still comes out hard as plastic (green?) and a bunch of water comes out with it. It's like my body is not combining the liquid with the solid and making it softer. The liquid and solid come out at the same time but not mixed together. Any suggestions from any health gurus?

Alan, it certainly sounds as though you have a long-standing problem with your digestion. Yes, chronic constipation led to the injury that you sustained, but there's obviously some underlying problem causing it, since you are taking fiber and drinking lots of fluid. I strongly urge you to arrange a consultation with a Gastroenterologist (not a surgeon ). You may have some disorder of the digestive tract .. such as diverticulitis, or even some pathology in your liver or pancreas that's causing you to not digest your foods efficiently.

We can try to help you with your low-carb and dietary choices, but a diagnosis and treatment plan is best left up to a specialist who can actually examine you and find out the real cause of the problem. Plus, I think it's important you seek medical advice soon ... rather than trying this or that herb or diet program, which would only delay treatment that could help you get better.

Good luck to you,

Doreen

Hi!

I'm new here so I hope you all don't mind if I jump in! I am an RN and I used to see patients in their homes. This is the problem I encountered with fiber pills and supplements-if you do not drink TONS of water, the bulk they produce will harden in your colon and cause impaction. I cannot tell you how many times this happened to my older patients. Hate to be gross here, but, many times they had to be manually disimpacted(that was my job) and given enemas. I'm so sorry this happened to someone here. Adequate fluid has to be ABOVE the recommended 8 glasses a day when you take these-they don't always tell you that on the bottle. I think someone did mention this in an earlier post. The best fiber sources are ones that come from nature-like psyllium, veggies and fruit fibers. Beware of OTC pills

HTH

kat

Hi there. I'm new on the site. I have also experienced bad cramps, gas and diarhea from malitol in chocolate bars. I no longer eat anything sweetened with that if I know- but sometimes, it's not always clear on labels or I might be in a hurry...

The other thing I've had trouble with in diet products is aspartame. I only started drinking diet pepsi in July 2002, and eating a few frozen treats with it, but I had developed vision problems and severe headaches. Don't wish that on anybody

I drink tons of water- over 80 ounces a day as well as tea and coffee - now sweetened with Stevia. I like that much better.

Good luck with your condition. It must be very uncomfortable to say the least.

Stevia? My wife had mentioned that sweetner to me. Sounds like something worth looking into. I agree about the labels. I like putting sugar free syrup on my morning sausage and eggs but started cramping up and discovered the syrup is now made with Maltitol. I predict that Maltitol is going to become the asbestos of the 21st century. Some group of scientists, not controlled by the advertising giants, is really going to test this stuff and discover that it is really bad for your body. I contacted a major candy company about their sugar free candy and was told that they will be switching to another sweetner and recommended that I do not take Maltitol if it affects me like it does. Something is in the air and I predict that within a year the FDA will be reinvestigating this poison. My non-diabetic daughter ate one piece of candy and cramped up. My wife cramped up so bad she thought she was going through menopause. I gave ONE carbolite jelly bean to a friend of mine and she said it cramped her up so bad she had to leave work. Has anyone had good results eating this crap?

Hi again. I'm sorry I can't remember if you're in canada or the states. You can buy Stevia in liquid form or in little tablets or powder. It costs more than the other substitutes but it's all natural. It takes a little experimenting as it is much much sweeter than sugar.

I have found that it leaves a bit of sediment like material in the last slurp of coffee or whatever, so I leave that behind...

Another bonus is that it has been toted as a cavity prevention
activator. There is a lot of information about Stevia on the net- so have at her.

I am going to learn how to mix it in other drinks too, and recipes, but my guess is that I will always need much less than I think, because it is so sweet. If you try it, you'll understand what I mean. By the way, you can buy Stevia plants and grow it yourself. One lady I met, has done just that and she said the leaves are what they make the stevia from (which is what the sediment is I guess)

Anyway, I have to get up in the morning so I'll sign off now.

Just wanted to add my little few cents into your digestive problems.

I developed, out of the blue, last year a problem that turns out to be that I am not producing enough pancreatic enzymes every time I eat. There is part of the rub, it is not every time. It doesn't sound to me like that is your problem though. But I agree that you should see a gastroenterologist. Mine just listened to what I said and knew immediately what was wrong. My general practioner had me thinking I had to have emergency surgery.

Also, let me tell you this one experience I have had.

If I am eating low carb, and then all of sudden eat something very dense in fiber (like cereal or nuts or anything like that)...oy! It gets very bad. My body does not like being shocked that way.

Anyway, perhaps you should go see a specialist and maybe a nutritionist and then figure out where to go from here.

Good luck and I am so sorry you have had to go through such stuff.

See a gastroenterologist immediately. Green bowel movements can mean that there is too much BILE exiting your body - could indicate a serious digesitive problem. I had similar problems, though it was fissure/hemmorhoids for years...now I'm on Questran a medication that is a bile sequestrant and no more pain.

Please please please STOP trying to self-diagnose. Leave this to the experts - not just a proctologist, but also a gastroenterologist.

You can live normally again, but give the solution to those who can help you. You will need a variety of tests. Don't decide what is causing the problem or what the problem is. ONE doctors opinion with or without proper examination/tests (digital/flex-sig or colonoscopy) is JUST an opinion. Please get immediate consulation.

----Carbolite as with most carb-free goodies/companies use Malitol or Mannitol = sugar alcohols and everyone has a different reaction to those. Most cause gastrointestinal upset or worse as expressed here. Remember when OLESTRA (fake fat) first came out in potato chips? Know why it isn't there anymore? Yep! That's right. BIG digestive troubles...after all...who can eat just ONE? BEST BET - STICK TO REAL FOOD!
Did you also notice that A SERVING of a carbolite chocolate bar is ONLY 2 LITTLE SQUARES??? Wake up America...aint nothing really FREE. (yet)