All stopped up ;)

gnalani
gnalani Posts: 126
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all, everyone's favorite oversharing question :) I'm super backed up. I wasn't having any problems until this week. My fiber over the past week is 24-54 grams a day. I'm drinking record amounts of water. I searched the forums and I've tried the smooth move tea, probiotics, magnesium, black coffee first thing in the morning. Any help would be very appreciated!

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Exercise. Prunes.

    If you're exercising, drinking water and eating fiber and still have bouts with constipation, see a doctor. There could be a reason for it.
  • MyiahRose
    MyiahRose Posts: 183 Member
    Flax seed
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    Are you getting enough fats to "grease" the track?
  • tamelakaye79
    tamelakaye79 Posts: 70 Member
    There is a product called Natural Calm- I bought it at a local health food store- and it basically is magnesium in powder form. I got the lemon berry flavor- you mix it with hot water at night and drink it like a hot tea. It has a calming effect to help you sleep and works gently but like a charm the next day. I have struggled with this for YEARS and this is the best that I have found :) I will post a link below and you can read the reviews, etc. Hope this helps!

    http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon-16/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410963824&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm
  • gnalani
    gnalani Posts: 126
    There is a product called Natural Calm- I bought it at a local health food store- and it basically is magnesium in powder form. I got the lemon berry flavor- you mix it with hot water at night and drink it like a hot tea. It has a calming effect to help you sleep and works gently but like a charm the next day. I have struggled with this for YEARS and this is the best that I have found :) I will post a link below and you can read the reviews, etc. Hope this helps!

    http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon-16/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410963824&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm

    I've tried the smooth move tea and also magnesium, separate and at the same time, and it didn't do anything for me :( But I loved the taste of the smooth move tea! I'll look into the Natural Calm brand and see if the nutrition is different enough to try. Thanks!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Are you passing gas? If not, get to a Dr. ASAP. Go to the ER if you can't see a doctor today. This is a sign of an obstruction, which can cause seriuos problems, even death.

    If you are passing gas but constipated, try Miralax. It is the safest product out there and can be taken daily, if needed. Be sure to drink plenty of water as it works by pulling water to your bowels, so it's easy to become dehydrated if you don't drink enough.
  • gnalani
    gnalani Posts: 126
    Are you getting enough fats to "grease" the track?

    54-78g a day over the past week.
    Flax seed

    It hasn't been part of the routine, but I have some and I'll give it a try!
  • gnalani
    gnalani Posts: 126
    Are you passing gas? If not, get to a Dr. ASAP. Go to the ER if you can't see a doctor today. This is a sign of an obstruction, which can cause seriuos problems, even death.

    If you are passing gas but constipated, try Miralax. It is the safest product out there and can be taken daily, if needed. Be sure to drink plenty of water as it works by pulling water to your bowels, so it's easy to become dehydrated if you don't drink enough.

    I work in health care and I know its not a bowel obstruction. But thanks! I hate taking medications but if I can't get over this more naturally I'll give Miralax a try.
  • tamelakaye79
    tamelakaye79 Posts: 70 Member
    There is a product called Natural Calm- I bought it at a local health food store- and it basically is magnesium in powder form. I got the lemon berry flavor- you mix it with hot water at night and drink it like a hot tea. It has a calming effect to help you sleep and works gently but like a charm the next day. I have struggled with this for YEARS and this is the best that I have found :) I will post a link below and you can read the reviews, etc. Hope this helps!

    http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon-16/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410963824&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm

    I've tried the smooth move tea and also magnesium, separate and at the same time, and it didn't do anything for me :( But I loved the taste of the smooth move tea! I'll look into the Natural Calm brand and see if the nutrition is different enough to try. Thanks!

    IDK about the other tea- but with this you alter the dosage until you find the right fit for yourself. You start with the lowest- which it 1 t- and increase until you are at a good place. For me- the 1 t didn't do anything- I take 2 per serving and have found my happy place :) I tried Miralax for weeks and weeks and it didn't help me- but I know lots of people that do get relief with it!
  • sumeetg37
    sumeetg37 Posts: 108 Member
    mmmm..... are you pregnant? Hormonal changes are often the cause of constipation especially in women. I don't recall the exact hormone now but there is one that tells your bowels to do their thing...

    Learn all kinds of fun facts when your wife is pregnant... and a doctor...




    EDIT: Being glib about the pregnant thing there are clearly other things that can cause hormonal changes...
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    There is a product called Natural Calm- I bought it at a local health food store- and it basically is magnesium in powder form. I got the lemon berry flavor- you mix it with hot water at night and drink it like a hot tea. It has a calming effect to help you sleep and works gently but like a charm the next day. I have struggled with this for YEARS and this is the best that I have found :) I will post a link below and you can read the reviews, etc. Hope this helps!

    http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Calm-Raspberry-Lemon-16/dp/B00BPUY3W0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410963824&sr=8-1&keywords=natural+calm

    I've tried the smooth move tea and also magnesium, separate and at the same time, and it didn't do anything for me :( But I loved the taste of the smooth move tea! I'll look into the Natural Calm brand and see if the nutrition is different enough to try. Thanks!
    Have you used diuretics most of your life? They can mess with your system if you're not careful. You should see a dr to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong. Intestinal blockage is not something to take lightly!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    That's a big range in fiber. 25-50+ is a big jump, and that alone could throw things off. I'd try being more consistent at a level for awhile (or gradually upping). And if your fat content is high enough, you're drinking water, etc. etc., I'd say try reducing the fiber to see if it makes a difference. If it does, you wear eating too much, too soon.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Are you passing gas? If not, get to a Dr. ASAP. Go to the ER if you can't see a doctor today. This is a sign of an obstruction, which can cause seriuos problems, even death.

    If you are passing gas but constipated, try Miralax. It is the safest product out there and can be taken daily, if needed. Be sure to drink plenty of water as it works by pulling water to your bowels, so it's easy to become dehydrated if you don't drink enough.
    I'd like to add something that I'm sure you meant and didn't type.

    Farting doesn't mean you're okay. You can have a good sized obstruction and still fart, even eek out a little poop (usually like diarrhea.)

    The presence of farting doesn't mean there is no reason to go on in and get checked.

    I'm sure you didn't mean it to come off like, "If you're farting, you don't have a problem" and am not really correcting, just adding on. :)

    Adding: This is not to say I think the OP has an obstruction, but there are a myriad of things that can cause constipation. :)
  • da_bears1008
    da_bears1008 Posts: 354
    Coffee.. /thread
  • Owlie45
    Owlie45 Posts: 806 Member
    Exercising has always worked for me.
  • ThePhoenixIsRising
    ThePhoenixIsRising Posts: 781 Member
    TMI alert!********




    Have you tried putting on a glove and checking to see if anything is in there? I know it's gross, but there have been times I had to break up and pull out hard poop to clear the way for everything behind it.

    I warned you!
  • Josalinn
    Josalinn Posts: 1,066 Member
    Been there, unfortunately, and Miralax, at least until you get going again. My doc said I needed to be on it "for the rest of my life" but yeah no, not doing that. After I got regular I just focused on fiber and water, but you may need to if you are getting plenty of those.
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    Trader Joe's has Secrets of the Psyllium, which is psyllium husks. I have to have a high fiber intake per my GI, and this stuff helps me get more fiber and the poops have been magnificent. I don't have my gallbladder so eating too much fat has a negative effect for me personally.

    I've been taking the psyllium pretty much every day, and the few days I've missed taking it I've noticed. :embarassed:
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
    That's a big range in fiber. 25-50+ is a big jump, and that alone could throw things off. I'd try being more consistent at a level for awhile (or gradually upping). And if your fat content is high enough, you're drinking water, etc. etc., I'd say try reducing the fiber to see if it makes a difference. If it does, you wear eating too much, too soon.

    Completely agree! I'm not sure what your fiber intake was prior to this week but dramatic increases can block you up for a bit. Definitely cut back for a while and then once everything is back to normal, so to speak, start gradually increasing.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Are you passing gas? If not, get to a Dr. ASAP. Go to the ER if you can't see a doctor today. This is a sign of an obstruction, which can cause seriuos problems, even death.

    If you are passing gas but constipated, try Miralax. It is the safest product out there and can be taken daily, if needed. Be sure to drink plenty of water as it works by pulling water to your bowels, so it's easy to become dehydrated if you don't drink enough.
    I'd like to add something that I'm sure you meant and didn't type.

    Farting doesn't mean you're okay. You can have a good sized obstruction and still fart, even eek out a little poop (usually like diarrhea.)

    The presence of farting doesn't mean there is no reason to go on in and get checked.

    I'm sure you didn't mean it to come off like, "If you're farting, you don't have a problem" and am not really correcting, just adding on. :)

    Adding: This is not to say I think the OP has an obstruction, but there are a myriad of things that can cause constipation. :)

    Thank you, you are correct. Passing gas does not mean there is no obstruction or no problem. But not passing gass can mean a total obstruction, which needs immediate attention. The gas can build up and cause a rupture, or even push stool back into the small intestine or stomach.

    OP, there is also a massage technique that can help move things along. It's best shown by a doctor, but you might be able to find it online.
  • gnalani
    gnalani Posts: 126
    Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I'll try being more even on the fiber and if that doesn't help I'll add the flax and look into the laxatives.

    I really don't think I have a bowel obstruction and there is definitely no way I'm pregnant lol.

    Thanks again!!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    What everyone else said.. plus, it can take time for some of these remedies to work, so I would suggest give it a bit of time before trying something else. Just make sure you drink lots of water while you are waiting!

    Also, make sure you are getting enough insoluble fiber, as opposed to just fiber in general. You can google a list of foods high in insoluble fiber, but it's essentially the bran in grains and seeds. I use a tablespoon of ground flaxseed (DON'T try whole flaxseeds, they're indigestible and go straight through) and 2 of wheat bran mixed into my yogurt for breakfast, plus I love these cardboard-like bran cracker things, which are great with cheese.

    I target 35g or more of fiber to keep things moving. Everyone's requirements are VERY different it seems.

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