To my constipated friends! ;)

Check your birth control. I found out an unpleasant side effect of the Mirena is constant constipation. I too hate the laxative thing. I actually like the taste of prune juice, and was doing the gold bottle prune juice, half a cup a day. Cherry juice also helps but it is potent and really high carb. I eat chia seeds almost every day, I really think they help keep the intestines hydrated and lubricated. I really dont have trouble when I eat them regularly. I have them either in yogurt or home made kombucha. If you soak them in water they make a jelly kind of like jello, I like to add them to juice n stuff.

coffee

fresh juice from a juicer moves things along right away.

This topic intersects with my professional life a lot. As a Pharmacist I can tell you that the "Lazy Bowel" odes happen. I have seen patients buying a 24 case of milk of mag, or citro-mag just to keep moving. Watch out.

Fibre- great bulk forming laxative - needs water! Convieniently also works with diarrhea as it can absorb some of the fluid in the colon and slow things down as well.
Softeners (ie Docusate) - Watch out these just make stool softer, if too soft people can have issues where they run to diarrhea (or alternate constipation - diarrhea). Also if there isn't enough movement it can just sit there as well

Stimulant laxatives (Senna) - often combined with softeners but they do not have to be. While natural they do have potential adverse effects, read labels and if no relief in 2-3 days see a doctor.

Osmotic laxatives (Mag variety) - Works great! generally used for more serious issues. PROBLEM OF LAZY BOWELS!!!! If abused (ie used too much, used for wt loss...) the bowel becomes dependent on them to move, in some cases this does not reverse.

Others PEG (Lax -a-day, others) =-> has become the go to agent for our pain and palliative care teams. still have to avoid in use with obstruction but inert otherwise, draws additional water volume into bowel. seen great success with this.

All that said, remember that bodies do change over time. Regular can be anywhere from 3 times a day to some people 3 times a week. IF things become painful or uncomfortable by all means use a laxative, but use them sparingly.

Good luck

Exercise. Move those legs, move those arms. Bend and stretch at the waist.

That gets things moving when they don't want to. As well as eating well and drinking water, obviously.

My new friend is Fiber One 90 Calorie brownies. I have one a day to keep life good and get a good chocolate fix at the same time.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE those things....I eat them at night when i have that chocolate craving.

Thanks for everyones input! I am very curious though, for those of you who have cut gluten out of your diet. How hard was that for you guys? Did you get use to it quickly...but did it take a while to adjust. That sounds really extreme of a lifestyle change. Just wondering how you guys are adjusting to it.
Thanks!

Let me PM you an answer so I don't appear to be hijacking this thread.

Thanks for everyones input! I am very curious though, for those of you who have cut gluten out of your diet. How hard was that for you guys? Did you get use to it quickly...but did it take a while to adjust. That sounds really extreme of a lifestyle change. Just wondering how you guys are adjusting to it.
Thanks!

My advice is not to look for gluten-free alternatives to the foods you already eat (most of the time this will only leave you wanting "the real thing"). Instead eat foods that are naturally gluten-free (fruits, veggies, meat, nuts). Overall, it wasn't that difficult. I really missed bread for a while, but now I don't even think about it.

I was "off" for months when I started this change in eating.. i went to fiber one and even prunes..( I love prunes) but lately I think my body has FINALLY adjusted and I am back to being regular without having to add any extra fiber like I did in the past.. It has taken 6 months but i hope I stay this way..

Here's my two cents worth. I used to to fiber con tablets. The worked great, but the side effects were bloating and pressure. It was as bad as not going. Went to my doctor. She recommended citrucel. I started taking it 2x a day, then moved to 1x a day. It took a few days for my body to get in the groove, but now all is well. No food babies, no bloat babies. You can take it everyday according to the doctor.

Drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning and last thing at night. You will/should become regular like clockwork.

Hey darlin I would suggest to you to buy some Smooth Move Tea instead. It's milder and works as an over night relief. It really does work and probably costs less. A plant based relief method vs. chemical. It's awesome. You can find it in the Tea isle of any grocery store. It's a medicinal tea.

The "Smooth Move Tea" is an herbal laxative tea. It has the same side effects as pharmaceutical laxatives. Like any stool softener/laxative they can become habit forming (ones digestive system becomes reliant on softeners/laxatives to have a bowel movement) I personally have tried "Smooth Move," Laci Le Beau's "Dieters Teas," as well as pure senna/casscara sagrada tea. Those cause a lot of cramping and undesired bloating and gas. I agree with you hon, Milk of Magnesia works like charm!!! Like anything moderation is key when using either "natural" or pharmaceutical.

Ditto the above post. Smooth Move is neither milder or works better. Just because it's "natural" doesn't mean it's safe. I haven't tried Milk of Magnesia, I have to rely more on Insoluable fiber (which isn't easy to find!), Miralax and lots and lots of water. Avocado's seem to help too, lol. My issues are caused from Protein intake and nothing medically is wrong.

I go "old school" with PURE Prune Juice... I cup as needed. I noticed with my eating healthier that with drinking at least the 8 cups of water regurally & exercise that I am a bit more regular. If i miss a day or two, i look back at my diet & tweek - by eating cleaner & making sure my water is in & i usually go within the next 24 hrs. Also, I have a warm or room temperature glass of water every nighht before bed & after my morning workout (keeping hydrated with water during that also) I usually go - if not i go to the prune juice to get it in (or OUT) by the time I'm ready for bed that night.

I would stay away from any item that is regulating or that you have to take everyday in order to go... Try plenty of fresh fruits (apples & oranges, carrots, leafy greens).

Most of the women in my family have suffered from over--using laxative... especially after having children... Not a good thing. Your body because addicted very quickly & thinks it needs 'it' to go.

I bought a nutri blast and use it once a day with the greens/fruits /fiber boosts they recommend. I have had a bowel resection so things were never the same after that and truly this has really helped. I have a aways eaten good fiber, veggies fruits but for some reason this works the best.

There is a biological reason why this is working for you. The active ingredient in Milk of magnesia is magnesium. Americans are chronically deficient in magnesium due to the consumption of filtered and purified water. When water came primarily from natural sources, such as wells, we got plenty of magnesium into our diets. Now, we are getting most of our water from purified sources, hence the deficiency.

You can save some money and avoid a dependency on laxatives if you take a low dose of magnesium daily (200mg). Magnesium does a lot more than keep you regular, it also improves thinking and nerve functioning. That is why you feel more energetic, too.

Do not take your magnesium with calcium. The two have opposing ionic charge, canceling each other out. Calcium supplements should be avoided in any case due to the risk of kidney stones and hypertension. Science has also proven that calcium supplements do not help prevent osteoporosis. So skip the calcium, and just take a low dose of magnesium in the evenings before bed (this is when the body needs it the most).

^^^THIS^^^

I discovered magnesium in January. I try to get plenty of fiber and I drink at least 8 glasses of water every day, but magnesium has been life-changing for me, and honestly I don't know if I would have made this much progress without it.

* Magnesium has taken me from a person with chronic constipation to "going" just about every day
* Magnesium has calmed my nerves
* Magnesium has helped me get to sleep faster and stay asleep longer
* Magnesium has virtually eliminated my nighttime leg/foot cramps, and has made my menstrual cramps almost disappear
* Magnesium has cut my cravings for sweets and alcohol to a level I never imagined possible (and is a big reason I've been able to stick to a healthier eating plan)

Magnesium is a natural relaxant for many major body systems. It is a mineral, so the risk of interactions is very low. It's used in so many different medical applications that, once you consider them, help you to realize why it is so beneficial to the body when used in a daily maintenance dose.

The product I use is called "Natural Calm". It's Magnesium in powder form that is dissolved in warm water and taken at bedtime. The dose is slowly increased over time to give the body time to adjust. Fiber is good, but sometimes not enough.