Chronic Constipation

sarabeth9114

Going out of my comfort zone a little by posting this, but i am desperate for some help. I have struggled with GI problems since i was 13 (i am 21 now). At first it was my gall bladder that i had removed at the age of 14 and thing settled down for awhile. Then when i was 17 things started back up and i had chronic diarrhea for two years. All of a sudden my body stop going and i became constipated i had hemorrhoid surgery. Along this path they have found i have a paralyzed muscle that helps the colon relax so pushing out stool is almost impossible for me. Pretty much it sucks if i dont have diarrhea.

Anyways i have been in chronic constipation for two years and counting...i have been put on massive amounts of laxatives.
7 does of mirlax daily..failed prescription amitiza 3 times daily with 3 mirlax..failed and made me incredibly sick. now there is a new laxative on the market called lizness that i am on and its not doing its job either. i go once a week and im bloated and miserable most of the time.

so after all this basically i am asking does anyone struggle with constipation and have any advice about what works for them?

Thanks

R_Bedard

This sounds simple BUT have you ever tried upping your fibre? I find once I added a LOT more fibre to my diet I felt much better. Flax seed, chia seed, kashi products, strawberries, pears, raspberries, blackberries have a lot of fibre.

MandaJean83

Hey girl! First off, I looked at your profile and I'm a nurse in the Baltimore area as well! So that's cool!

As far as your constipation goes, here are my thoughts. First off, what is your diet like? Are you overly sensitive to binding foods, perhaps? Dairy and bananas can be extremely binding for some people. Secondly, do you get enough fiber? And if so, are you drinking plenty of water along with it? One thing that works for my patients (crazily enough) is WARM prune juice. I've seen it do wonders even for the chronically constipated.

If the problem is with your colon not being able to relax, have they ever considered a muscle relaxant? If the muscle is always tense, obviously you won't be able to bear down enough to push it out (sorry if that's gross LOL). So if you had a relaxant on board, would you be able to bear down more effectively? I'm no doctor, but this is the thought that came to mind!

Sorry for what you're going through. I have a LOT of issues with constipation as well, so I can somewhat relate to your dilemma. I hope you find something that works.

sarabeth9114

thanks guys! such a small world!

i consume at least 30 grams of fiber a day. I try to add flax seed as much as possible to my foods. i drink smoothies often in the morning and always add in some. I drink on average 80 oz of water and at one point i upped it to 100 oz. They have talked about sending me to the motility clinic at John's Hopkins..the doctor they want me with wasn't accepting new patients at the time they were going to send me.

i might have to try the warm prune juice..taking laxatives and not going everyday is not only frustrating but uncomfortable.
this constipation i feel like really interferes with my weight loss

vidasana87

Sara- Please try Magnesium Biglycinate. 3 capsules per day, minimum.
I am curious to see if this works for you like it did for me. Your post sounded like ME 2 years ago!

sarabeth9114

Is the Magnesium BIglycinate an over the counter type supplement?

fiberartist219

I'm glad you're getting enough fiber and water. Have you tried different kinds of fiber? Also, what about probiotics?

For me, probiotics usually do the trick. Either some Activia yogurt or the pills like Align or Philips Colon Health work nicely.

I rarely have to resort to actual laxatives. I know how uncomfortable being constipated is though. Have you also tried cutting out dairy? Sometimes people can react to lactose or certain cheeses. Also, certain types of meat, like beef, are known to digest slowly, compared to other types of foods. You might want to try avoiding that too and see if it helps.

I hope that you find relief! Being backed up is miserable.

fiberartist219

PS, Magnesium supplements do cause movement in some folks, so what the previous person mentioned is probably worth a shot.

endoftheside

Natural Calm (magnesium citrate) is very relaxing, and this includes relaxing the bowel muscles, though I don't know if it would work if you have a paralyzed muscle. This and a high-powered probiotic are my go-tos for the problem.

Sabine_Stroehm

I hear you. I've seen GI docs. I've been told to "up my fiber". I've been told everything.

For me? Taking a magnesium CITRATE supplement helps to soften things and move them along.

ssl0905

Sorry you have to go thruough this....I'm not to familiar with chronic constipation issues since usually an OTC laxative works for me but I love to research and I found a post where someone comented that they use a concoction of an herbal mixture for a drink given by a Chinese Medicine doctor which helped her with the problem....she mentions it also comes in pill form so I looked up some stuff and apparently there is an herbal Rhubarb pill that helps with the symptoms....I have however, tried chinese laxative tea (not the name of it) and it works great, its called "Golden Slim Tea", you drink it at night and it works wonders in the morning, it does cause some cramping but not to bad, I dont know how easy it is to get where you are but I know they sell it online as well. It is suppose to be for weight loss but im sure if you use it when you need it it should be fine. Oh, one more thing, it taste awful but im sure thats the least of your worries I dont know how much help this is for you, I also think the prune juice is a great idea...here are the sites I found the info on, hope this helps

http://www.medicinenet.com/constipation/patient-comments-51.htm

http://www.drshen.com/herbsforconstipation.htm

craigmandu

Please don't try any "remedies" that you don't discuss with your doctor first. It sounds like you have a medical condition that even your local GI doctors are having problems getting under control, if they want to send you to Hopkins.

Not putting down anyones advise, it just seems you need more controlled monitoring of your condition.

Mtleiker

Same here... im so glad you posted this. im open to many things. bella vi is a diet pill all natural that had me going everyday !!! i only have a bowel movement once ( twice if im lucky ) every week. i quit the bella vi because i felt it was just masking a bigger problem. i have candida in my gut... which many people have and i just started taking probiotics which you can buy over the counter. with it i drink tons of water and after 2 days i could feel my bowel moving. of course im not going everyday like every other person i know. but it helps better than miralax and laxatives alone. ive had candida since i was little so its probably gnna take me time to regulate. ill inbox you whether or not i become normal and need not rely on laxative or miralax anymore. i've been taking the probiotics for 3 days and today i finally had a bowel movement

sarabeth9114

I am going back to my GI doctor next week so everything will be discussed with him before doing it!

I have taken mag citrate for bowel clean outs that unfortunately i seem to be doing about once every other month if i'm lucky.. i have heard about the teas. i might check that out and prune juice is gross but if it works then i'm okay with that!

I have looked into the probiotic pills but havent done any
i was on an activa diet type thing per doctors orders before but it didn't work too well and i had a hard time sticking with it.

glad i am not the only one in this boat...stinks though! feel all your guys pain

vidasana87

Yes, it's over the counter. Citrate doesn't seem to be as effective over the long term, compared to Biglycinate.

Magnesium Biglycinate and "smooth move" senna tea are my saving grace!

I hope you give it a try and I hope it works for you too!!

skinnylynnie74

I just bought a book called Fiber Menace. Check out the website www.gutsense.org. It has saved my butt, literally! I had a colonoscopy on Friday, to figure out my constipation, along with hemmorhoids and bleeding from straining.

I ignored the doctors, read the Fiber Menace book and placed myself on a low fiber diet with plenty of fats (animal fats, as well) that helps my ca-ca stay small and soft. I feel like a new person after a few days of making changes.

I also have been put on desiccated thyroid because constipation is one of the symptoms of under active thyroid. Might want to get your levels checked.

Good luck!

sarabeth9114

Never thought about getting my thyroid levels check! i probably should! thanks!!

ssl0905

Yes, it's over the counter. Citrate doesn't seem to be as effective over the long term, compared to Biglycinate.

Magnesium Biglycinate and "smooth move" senna tea are my saving grace!

I hope you give it a try and I hope it works for you too!!

Senna tea..I read thats good aswell and the magnesium..the tea I suggested has Senna and Orange peal as its only ingredients....Sorry if some dont like natural remedies, dont mean to offend any one by suggesting them, but its a suggestion that may help

raegan1215

one of my best friends has had constipation problems since we were in middle school (i'm 34 now) and is finally getting some relief from working with a homeopath. might be worth a consultation with one! good luck.

jmv2012

This is a great topic. I have constipation problems, as well. I have damage from years of IBS, stress, food sensitivities to the point that my colon doesn't move well at all. My GI dr put me on a regimen of probiotics, enzymes, and Miralax.
/jmv/

Trilby16

One word: senna tea. You'll thank me!