Thanks for the tip on paprika; she's Hungarian by heritage and loves it. That's something we can work on.


Paprika was a hidden ingredients that I ate, wasn't listed on packaging and was used as a coloring. It was in breadcrumbs on processed veggie burger. That's what caused the flare up that led to surgery.


If I ate paprika, it caused a shutdown, dead stop in my guts, complete back up. It was always for me 60 hours (2½ days) from paprika consumption, no movement at all, whatever is in stays in. bloating.

After about 60 hours everything that was already there plus everything that you've added comes out. This took days.

Watched all of breaking bad on the loo. Every season, over just four days! But you need to take mind off it.

During a flare up, I was 14hrs on loo in a 24 hr period, occasionally running past family to take tablets with food.

Probiotics like vsl#3 made crap small and hard like you've only ate spinnich and iron. Which isn't what you want. You need fibre, I find for me, keeping loose naturally is best course. Pineapple juice, no more than three slices bread a day, fruit and veg (no skin, no seeds, no nuts, no spices) and eggs, occasional meat / fish and touch wood Im OK.

Eating out is a fking nightmare, but call ahead and explain to the chef.


Change the angle that you sit on the loo at.

Stack up something like a box or footstool to get your feet up nearer level with the seat and things go easier.
Do not push ever. This makes condition worse. I know it's a difficult situation as all you Want to do is push, but it contracts the area your struggling with and can cause a more problems. Breathing slowly, in for a four count , hold four, out four with feet up, gets a crap out quicker than bursting a vessel.