Embarrassing but help!! Constipated!!

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.

I use a supplement called Natural Calm - it's powdered magnesium citrate that dissolves in water. Does the trick for me!

That's a laxative, even though it has a natural-sounding, healthful-sounding name.

I use a supplement called Natural Calm - it's powdered magnesium citrate that dissolves in water. Does the trick for me!

That's a laxative, even though it has a natural-sounding, healthful-sounding name.

Miralax, which you and others recommended, is also a laxative. It's simply an osmotic versus a stimulant (like the smooth move tea has).
I personally take regular magnesium supplements (not the citrate preparation).

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.

That explains part of my problem..thank you

I went through the same thing.....stress is a huge factor in constipation, same with any medications.....my dr recommended magnalax for three nights and it works!!! it tastes gross but got me back on track....you can get at drugstore..... and flax, I add flax meal to my yogurt everyday to keep regular

Benefiber

its perfect, taste like nothing and you can add to anything!


Im telling you, its perfection!

My dr said a stool softener will help keep things moving. You chance hemorrhoids otherwise and those can be a PITA!! Literally!

This. I'm on meds that give new meaning to ****ting a brick! I take a stool softener everyday.

might just be the diet change. Too much iron maybe? Try taking some milk of mag and watch out lol

I do the metamucil, lemonade flavor; it is has helped me tremendously. I do veggies and fruit daily too, but this has helped me, like a said, a LOT. Just a suggestion.

I suffer from a chronic GI disease and my surgeon recommended Miralax. They felt it was safe for use and it has helped a lot!

Try drinking 1 cup of warm water each morning with a squeeze of lemon juice. Sit wit you feet on a stool so that your knees are up. This position is the body's natural queue to "go".

Reduce:
Dairy
meats
saturated fats
spicy or hot foods
sugar & sweets
tea and coffee

Increase:
Fresh fruits (eat fruit by itself in the morning)
Green vegetables
Sprouted seeds
Whole Grains
Have plenty of rest
Drink plenty of fluids
Exercise moderately
Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly

Ongoing Constipation Support:
Eat raw sauerkraut
Add 1-2 capsules of acidophilus
One digestive enzyme at each meal
Linseeds and pumpkin seeds (2 TBSP of linseeds ground with 1 TBPS pumpkin seeds) Eat with a salad and chew realy well. Alternate with a TBSP of black seasame seeds.

Anti-constipation Supplement Program:
Alo vera, 1 TBSP 2x daily mix with apple juice if preferred
Triphala, 1 TBSP in a glass of water or juice 1 hour before bed
Wild blue-green algae or spirulina, 2 TBSP daily or 2 Tables a day
Flax oil, 1 capsule or 1 tsp a day
Psyllium husks, 1 tsp in a 10 oz glass of water or juice
Milk thistle, 1 capsule or 20 drops of liquid tincture in water 3x a day
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids, 1000mg, 3x a day
Vitamin B Complex (rice based), 25-50mg, 2x a day with meals
Magnesium, 400mg, 3x a day

Herbs for constipation:
Cascara sagrada (for short-term relief)
Senna (for short term relief)
Barberry
You will also be able to find herbal formulas specifically for constipation in your local health food store

Teas:
Nettle tea: 3 cups daily is great bowel wakener
Slipper Elm

----Taken from You Are What You Eat Dr. Gillian McKeith

Hope it helps (btw - the Magnesium in powder form called "CALM" ....if that doesn't send you to the bathroom....nothing will. Guaranteed!!!