Bowel issues...
Replies
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Drink plenty of water. My daughter and I have figuered out that we have to drink LOTS of water through out the day to help. Especially right before you go to bed and when you first wake up. I also take a daily probiotic. Before I would go days without being able to go and then the pain would build up.
I also use the coffee idea also.
Good luck!!0 -
Bowel obstruction, possibly?0
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I have been told that drinking a large glass of warm water right down is good. I don't know for sure.....a nurse once told a patient that I was caring for.
What about that activia yogurt?
Tried activia... no luck
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You could try a low residue diet for a couple of weeks; it won't make you go more often, but it may make you feel better in between.0
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The doctor ran a test were a swallowed a pill with clear rings in it and did 3 sets of x-rays. One right before I took the pills, 2 days after the pills, then 3 days later and the pills still never made it through my digestive tract!!!0
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A bowl of All Bran every morning will solve the problem. Bran is nature's intestinal scrub brush.
I will second this! I add 30g of All Bran Buds to my greek yogurt in the morning. Its not as tasty as my fiber one brownie with yogurt, but I feel so much better. I started doing this after a recent bout of severe "omg I can't go and it hurts to move", and found out that my dad and aunt have similar issues (yay genetics) and my aunt eats bran each day.
Also will agree with a lot of water and some good fats. If you eat a lot of fiber but don't drink enough water, it will bind you up too.0 -
if you use laxatives often they become habit forming as you shed healthy bacteria using this method, which just makes the problem worse next time.
I would suggest:
i. up your fat intake slightly (lubricates digestive tract),
ii. take mineral oil.a TBS or 2 every few days (lubricates digestive tract), and
iii. start eating a daily pro-biotic yogurt or Kefir.
This!! Include oils (good ones like coconut, olive oil, etc) to your protein shakes if you drink them (1tbsp or so) and when you cook veggies put a little oil in them - You need the fatty liquid to help things 'slide' through....Also, use a natural laxative like metamucil every day...My grandma & aunts swear by warm prune juice - It really gets things going within 20mins or less!! Even if you don't like coffee, you may want to just grab a quick mochacchino or something that doesn't taste too much like coffee & even a few sips of it will get things started - guaranteed!! Many of these things combined on a regular basis should really help you get cleaned out!! For me, I drink coffee each morning which is why I swear by that & I have been a coffee drinker every day for 10+ years & it still helps...Another thing - If I don't drink enough water then the next day I have issues....Stay hydrated definitely!!!
I hope some of this helps you out!! :flowerforyou:
ETA: You should also cut out any food that get gooey when wet - Like bread (when it gets wet it gets all gooey) it turns into that goo in your stomach and it makes it hard for things to pass through....I can't think of other examples right now but you get the point right?
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I have this problem big time. When you used to eat alot more and fatty foods, It is easier to go to the bathroom. But when you eat less and not as fatty of foods, it just doesnt push through as it used to. I either have to eat prunes or take Milk of Magnesia every other week. I hate it, but I hate the thought of food just sitting in there. Oh and coffe doesnt make me regular at all! I drink it everyday.0
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I'm so with you...I also am LUCKY if I go once per week. If I don't go for a while I get really sick with diarreha and vomiting. At present it has been about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks for me right now. Oh sure I maybe have a little bowel movement once every few days but not like it should be. IF I drink lots of water and exercise/run regularly it isn't too bad. (I drink lots of water, but I haven't been running lately) Chocolate and junk food helps, but then I gain weight. I agree...so frustrating! I have been known to take Dulcolax also. I'm thinking about trying the flax seed oil pills that someone else suggested.
I hope something starts "working" for you soon! 0 -
Having had two exploratory surgeries from cancer where they took the intestines out of the my body and placed them back in, mine are totally screwed up. I have had a couple of scopes and they diagnose with IBS which seems a "catch all" term for anything they can't fix. They have told me I should switch to baby food to see if that will go through like it should. As it is, I have not tried the baby food, have pain every day and take generic Bentyl rx before each meal and still suffer. I have tried yogart, probiotics, and so many things it is crazy. Mine does the same thing whether I eat or don't eat and it is exasperating. I honestly understand your frustration. :sad:0
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I suffered with this for years before finally getting a great doctor who said, "Instead of using laxatives to treat the symptoms, how about we determine what's CAUSING this and deal with that so you can actually improve your health rather than just mask the symptoms? Your body is telling you something's wrong. Let's try to fix it."
To make a long story short we found that the problem (in my case at least) is that my digestive system will not tolerate certain foods. Specifically, wheat/gluten, dairy products, and apparently my gut doesn't like corn meal either. If I eat correctly the plumbing works! If I ingest something my body can't handle, my gut goes on strike and makes me regret it big time. I usually get a nasty headache and sometimes muscle aches (neck/shoulders) as initial symptoms, and within 24 hours I realize I have gut lock. ::sigh::
It's made me much more careful about what I eat, that's for sure.
The best way I've found to get things moving again is to take slippery elm bark capsules, flax seed oil, and magnesium citrate capsules, along with a full coffee mug of warm water. I've also learned to supplement with more magnesium citrate if I have a meal that's high in calcium like my breakfast smoothie (made with almond milk but there's a lot of calcium in it.) Calcium is another thing that can cause constipation. Magnesium tends to loosen things up, and it also relaxes the muscle spasms I get when my digestive system is out of wack.
Hope that gives you some ideas to look into. Good luck.0 -
my dad takes culturelle probiotic supplement and metamucil every day. Also I know when I have trouble if I mix 2 oz prune juice and 2 oz purple grape juice and drink that every morning, it helps. (I cant stand straight prune juice. it is gaggy)0
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***** I have the same issues! I am learning lots from reading all of the posts! ************0
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thats a good idea the mineral oil thing i think im gonna try that.....or olive oil maybe???? you think???0
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I did not read everyones responses so maybe its been said-
For 10 or so years I ate a lot of low fat products. I have always needed to lose about 10-15 or so lbs- so I used to believe it would help me lose or if nothing else not gain more if I ate low or no fat as possible.
Yet, this didnt work- I may not have gotten huge- but it really got me nothing as far as weight loss or better health. I also had trouble daily going to the bathroom. Sometimes I just skipped and thought nothing of it- other times - well- for lack of TMI- lets just say- low fat I believe is the reason I am in your thread...
When I learned how to eat better and that fat isnt the enemy and that we NEED it- my body got happy and all things now move along just as they should. I cant believe how not eating enough GOOD FATS was wrecking my digestion. I never felt bloated or crampy or in any other way poorly. I just feel tons better now, more energy and just more at home in my body if that makes sense.
So a good BALANCED diet may help- and Id bet it wont hurt :flowerforyou:0 -
I have had these type of issues for about 15 years. I have IBS-C and have a ton of food intolerances. I have to watch my fiber intake, personally I follow a low fiber diet which make my IBS-C even worse. If I dont do the things below I can go almost a week and a half and have nothing leave my system. (When I was a kid I remember I used to only use the bathroom once a week and I would cry each and everytime I went, my mom thought it was normal and I never went to a Dr.for it)
This is what I do to help things move along.
Eat Yogurt
Use Miralax nightly
Use Soluable Gummies Daily
Add Chia Seeds to my drinks and yogurt
Drink plenty of water
Add Flax Seed oil to smoothies or foods
I use enema's if I get really uncomfortable.
I have had these issue since I was a kid and things got really bad once I hit my 20's.. I had all the tests possible done and I had a colonscopy done. Everything came back normal and I was told I have IBS and cronic constiptation.
I have tried probiotics and I did not notice a difference.
I have also tried digestive enzymes that were recommended to me and they did not make any difference.
I have a ton of issues with food in general. I understand your frustration and it may take you a long time to figure out what works for you.0 -
I had a similar problem when I lost quite a bit of weight. It got so bad that I would only go every 10 days or so and I ended up seeing a GI Doc that specializes in IBS. After a battery of test, the conclusion he came to was that I did not have enough fat in my diet.
Some tips he told me where to try to eat more fiberous foods- black beans, lentils, sweet potatoes.... Drink more water and stay away from artifical sweetners. He said he has quite a few patients that have problems with artifical sweetners. Walk after each meal for 15 mins if you can (helps with mobility in the GI track). He also said stay away from laxatives except for Miralax. He told me that he doesn't necessarily encourage the use of Miralax daily, but that for some of his patients that is the only way they can find relief. He said it's fine to mix a tablespoon in with coffee or water once daily if needed, but strongly encouraged me to try eat a higher fat/ fiber diet.
Also he said that soem medications can cause constipation so if you started taking an new medications on a reqular basis you might want to double check and see if the side effects include digestive issues.0 -
OK, I am having this same problem (:blushing:) and not sure why after looking over everyone's advice...
- I run everyday
- I eat fiber/bran
- I have 1/2 an avocado everyday (fats)
- I drink a LOT of water (peeing, I got that covered!)
- I drink a cup of coffee every morning
.... and yet, I feel like I didn't lose weight this week due to the fact that I'm backed up - yeah, its like THAT
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU *SUPPOSED* TO GO????0 -
OK, I am having this same problem (:blushing:) and not sure why after looking over everyone's advice...
- I run everyday
- I eat fiber/bran
- I have 1/2 an avocado everyday (fats)
- I drink a LOT of water (peeing, I got that covered!)
- I drink a cup of coffee every morning
.... and yet, I feel like I didn't lose weight this week due to the fact that I'm backed up - yeah, its like THAT
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU *SUPPOSED* TO GO????
You're fat intake is pretty low. And if you're used to coffee, it might take more than for someone who isn't used to drinking it.0 -
I second the flax seeds / linseeds suggestion. I have similar problems but I've found if I take 1-2 teaspoons a day (usually sprinkled on food otherwise they can be a tad difficult to swallow!) then everything gets a lot more regular. When I stop the problem comes back.0
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OK, I am having this same problem (:blushing:) and not sure why after looking over everyone's advice...
- I run everyday
- I eat fiber/bran
- I have 1/2 an avocado everyday (fats)
- I drink a LOT of water (peeing, I got that covered!)
- I drink a cup of coffee every morning
.... and yet, I feel like I didn't lose weight this week due to the fact that I'm backed up - yeah, its like THAT
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU *SUPPOSED* TO GO????
You are way too low on fat. try and get all the fat the MFP recommends for you, not less than that amount.
How often. It differs but from everything I have read it should be at least once every 2 days up to once/meal (3-5 times/day).0 -
Yes, my gastro dr put me on a daily dose of dulcalax. There are not suppose to be any long term effects. Seems to work for me, better than Miralax.0
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OK, I am having this same problem (:blushing:) and not sure why after looking over everyone's advice...
- I run everyday
- I eat fiber/bran
- I have 1/2 an avocado everyday (fats)
- I drink a LOT of water (peeing, I got that covered!)
- I drink a cup of coffee every morning
.... and yet, I feel like I didn't lose weight this week due to the fact that I'm backed up - yeah, its like THAT
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU *SUPPOSED* TO GO????
You are way too low on fat. try and get all the fat the MFP recommends for you, not less than that amount.
How often. It differs but from everything I have read it should be at least once every 2 days up to once/meal (3-5 times/day).
Did I read that correctly???! 3 to 5 times A DAY?
And as far as adding fat to my diet, I am not conscientiously trying to keep it low, that's just how it ends up. Any suggestions on snacks I can add?0 -
nuts have healthy fats and protein0
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seriously try going gluten and lactose free.... it has helped me so much and its not as hard as most people think. Like metioned before have some healthy fats and drink lots of water!0
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Yes , always have had .. Try Sweet Tamarind , about 5 will give you the runs but theres also things like Liquorice root tea which will do the job x0
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Think about a course of colonic irrigation. It makes a huge difference and you can really see the difference in your skin afterwards, with all the toxins taken out of your body. I use cold pressed flaxseed. Be careful of too much wheat fibre, it can be really harsh on the system. Actually cut out wheat altogether for a little while and see if it makes a difference. Use oats, rye, rice cakes, buckwheat etc. and as much raw foods and whole foods as possible. Talk to a good nutritionist, they have more knowledge about how you should be than most doctors.
I go probably every other day or every day now doing this. My husband goes 4 times a day every day! I would hate that so much!0 -
Yikes!0
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Try any yogurt with live cultures, that's what works for me. I have a 1/2 cup once a day, and it's a treat too.
My MIL swears by nuts. She eats a couple of tablespoons worth everyday. I know cashews work for some.
I saw that you don't drink coffee. A cup of hot tea in the morning after breakfast might help too.
Don't underestimate the need to be relaxed when you have the urge to go. There's a reason why some like to read in the bathroom, or have a radio/music to listen to.
Just some ideas. Hope you get it figured out soon. 0 -
Try Phillips Probiotics. Once a day with a meal. Regulates this issue (either way) by adding good bacteria to your digestive tract that fights the bad bacteria.
I second this. I also used to be 'occasional', but started taking probiotic blend (Costco carries them) and am just a regular old person now. :-)0
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