Embarrassing but help!! Constipated!!

I've used Metamucil in the past to help with my liver. It is a mild laxative that works great when taken in the morning before a meal. I usually take two tablespoons in a glass of water and that helps to get things flowing.

Have a couple of TBSP of flax oil right off the spoon, by itself. That will sort you out. If this becomes a more chronic issue, consider looking into taking some probiotics and supplementing with magnesium.

One additional benefit of a daily tbsp of flax oil is that it will raise your metabolism. Just by adding that one thing I lost about 20 pounds over a couple of years with the same activity level and food intake.

Try Bob's Red Mill Whole Ground Golen Flaxseed Meal, 2 tsps in your breakfast cereal. I use the following:

1/4 cup cooked Oldfashioned Oatmeal (Quakers)
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
1 handfull of chopped walnuts
Pinch of non-salted sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 packet Truvia (sweetner)
Silk Almond Milk to your taste

Works for me. :flowerforyou:

My Dr. reccomended benefiber. I was going over on fiber a day and he knew I was dieting, but the bowels were not quite working right (even getting hemmoroid flare ups ouch!). I just put some benefiber in my coffee in the morning and that is all I use, you can use it up to 3 times a day. Workes like a charm on a daily basis! Good luck!

I have the same problem and I have to do 3 things everyday or I'm in big trouble:
1. Eat 3 Prunes
2. Take 2 Citrucel tablets (or any fiber supplements of your choice)
3. Drink LOTS of Water

And I eat lots of fruit and Veggies in my diet and I stay away from sodas and I try and keep my foods clean as possible.

Feel free to look at my diary (not yesterday! Pool Party and too many Margaritas!) but in general I eat pretty clean. Feel free to friend me if you like.

Sorry to say this but if all else fails you can go to the local drug store and buy a disposable...dare I say it....enema! Sorry, but it does work it you have to...:blushing:

Good luck.

I drink 2 oz of prune juice every day to avoid this.

Oh My Word.... I thought I was replying to each person, I am a newbie!! Thanks everyone, I usually can drink a smooth move tea, but 2 days and NOTHING.... It scares me to eat at this point!! Thanks for all the suggestions!!

Be careful with smooth move, since it contains senna.

If nothing happens, you might need to use senna, or miralax.
Then focus on prevention.

fwiw, grains plug me up.

so I don't eat a lot of them. My breakfast still contains some great fiber sources. I eat

Trader Joe's - Crunchy Salted Peanut Butter -All Natural, 1 tbsp
Nutiva - Organic Chia Seeds, 0.5 tbsp
Nonfat Plain Yogurt 24 oz. Carton, 6 oz
Blueberries - Raw, 0.33 cup
Bob's Red Mill - Natural Raw Whole Flax Seed, 0.5 tbsp
Add Food Quick Tools 265 31 17 16 11 22
That's 265 calories and 11 grams of fiber. From the seeds and the blueberries.
And then I take magnesium every morning and every night.

Constipation often means different things to different people. You don't have to go every day to be "healthy" and "regular." Some people are perfectly happy and comfortable going twice or three times a week. Much less often than that and you probably ought to do something, though.

A few stray thoughts that might be helpful. (You know us nurses are all about regularity....)

Some have found that eating a lot of meat and cheese can stop you up a bit, so you might consider watching your intake of anything that is low- or no-fiber. Which would pretty much be anything from animals.

Increasing physical activity can stimulate bowels to move.

Fiber and fluid will do it. If you are convinced you are including plenty, then an obvious concern should be that there is more going on there than you think. See a health care provider.

A cup or two of warm fluid (tea, coffee, hot water with lemon) will get things going.

Metamucil or any of its generic buddies is great for a number of things--including bulking up the stool, which stimulates the colon to get a move on. Takes a few days to work, doesn't give you cramps or gas (unless you get silly and take more than you should). A good supplement to consume daily or every other day.

Even better (maybe because it comes across like plain old water) is Miralax, which is available over the counter. Last time I looked, it was cheaper to get the generic by prescription, even than buying house brand. This too has to become part of your routine if you are going to use it. It doesn't work fast--it works gently and naturally.

Low back spinal issues can cause constipation--if you have nerve roots that are getting squashed or are impinged on in any way, it can interfere with going.

A large meal can get things going, simply by jump starting peristalsis (the muscular contractions in the digestive system that move things along).

Hope some of this helps....

And don't be embarrassed! Where would we be without the sanitation guys? The colon and kidneys (and for that matter, the liver) are the cleaner uppers of our insides. We need them to work and work well in order to feel our best.