Constipation- TMI

Reshaping_me
Reshaping_me Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,
This may be too personal, so be careful and please proceed with caution ;)

I have not had a bowel movement in 7 days unless you count deer-like balls. I know this is may be TMI, but I am desperate. I have tried laxatives, Amitiza (a prescription), and smooth move tea. Does anyone have any suggestions about what I should do? I have contacted a doctor and she suggested Miralax. Have you tried this before?

I am just feeling very frustrated and bloated! :(
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Replies

  • ariant23
    ariant23 Posts: 161 Member
    Miralax is fine - even for long term use, it is different from standard laxatives - we use it in pediatric bowel impaction cases. it helps add water back to the stool in your colon. It is also used for people on opiods (think additive painkillers) - severe constipation is a very common side effect.

    You need to STOP eating: ABC - apples, bananas and cereal (which here means refined carbs like white rice). the "ABC diet" is for diarrhea, so skip those things if you are blocked up.

    Keep drinking lots of water, caffeine is ok, it can help "move things" along...

    And, set aside time each day to try. For now, every few hours. When stool sits in your colon it loses moisture, which makes it harder and more painful to pass. So you should ALWAYS poop as soon as you feel the urge, don't hold off all day. you're likely to have some anal tearing when passing this stool that is stuck, so don't be too alarmed if you see BRIGHT red blood. That means it's fresh and not an internal bleed. if you see dark black (old blood), call your doc.

    for now, plums, pears, prunes are your friends. if you are a juice type, hit the baby section of your favorite store, and you should be able to find 100% pear juice from gerber. It's a great laxative, you can even mix the miralax (or store generic, totally fine) with the juice.

    good luck.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Hi there,
    This may be too personal, so be careful and please proceed with caution ;)

    I have not had a bowel movement in 7 days unless you count deer-like balls. I know this is may be TMI, but I am desperate. I have tried laxatives, Amitiza (a prescription), and smooth move tea. Does anyone have any suggestions about what I should do? I have contacted a doctor and she suggested Miralax. Have you tried this before?

    I am just feeling very frustrated and bloated! :(

    First, make sure you are staying properly hydrated. that's important for bowel movements. Try some organic psyllium husk fiber. I take about 10 grams a day in the morning of this. I ran it by my GI, and he gave me his approval for its use. It's really the only I've found that works consistently. I get it on Amazon for about $10.50 a can. make sure that your diet is consisting of enough fiber as well.
  • zoquo
    zoquo Posts: 75
    I highly recommend getting a colonic. Get it all washed out and start again with some proper food to prevent this happening again. Trust me you will feel AMAZING afterwards especially if you've not been for 7 days!!!
  • Rusty612
    Rusty612 Posts: 23 Member
    Make sure you're getting enough fiber in your diet. You should be having a bowel movement every day, at least. Most of us don't get the fiber we need because processed foods don't contain much at all. Soft breads, meats, cheeses - these things aren't our fiber friends!

    Try adding 2 cups of leafy greens (even butter lettuce if that's all you can stomach) to every day, and try eating whole fruits like pears, apples, oranges - one with each meal.

    I'm sorry you're having this issue, I'm sure it feels awful. Once you've passed the problem of the moment you can take steps to prevent it in the future by incorporating regular fiber into your diet. Good luck!
  • TheeGeeMarie
    TheeGeeMarie Posts: 59 Member
    Drink 8 ounces of prune juice and a cup of coffee, then do some cardio somewhere with a bathroom handy. In addition to that make sure you're always hydrated and getting enough healthy fats in your diet.

    Edit: and fiber, of course.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I highly recommend getting a colonic. Get it all washed out and start again with some proper food to prevent this happening again. Trust me you will feel AMAZING afterwards especially if you've not been for 7 days!!!

    No. Colonics are dangerous.
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
    This sounds a little crazy, but I have this problem when I eat a lot of fiber, even though I drink enough fluids. I feel that if I eat like a rabbit, I end up pooping like one. If I have a real problem, I eat something with fat in it, and it moves things a long. Animal fat seems to work better than olive oil, which I use all the time. My trick is to put a couple of slices of bacon on a salad or sandwich. It's only about 80 calories, but it does the trick. Our systems sometimes need some fat.
  • redhotsc
    redhotsc Posts: 43 Member
    Please continue to try to get everything moving. ariant23 and rusty612 had excellent advice. I have IBS-constipation. I used to only defecate every 6-10 days. In college, I realized that this was not normal. I saw a doctor and started trying to get regulated. Then, about 6 years ago, I had horrible back pain to the point I was rushed to the ER. I found out that my bowel was impacted and at the point that it could burst. The doctors had me use enemas (something that started with "f", but I can't think of the name) and mirilax until everything cleared out completely. I was sent to the dietician to relearn how to eat. I am happy to say that I am now regular. I have also found out that my dad and sister share the same battle. For your health and safety, please get things "moving".

    Drink ~70oz or more of water a day. Mirilax is safe to use daily. Ensure that you are getting high fiber. Whenever things back up, stay away from dairy and starches.

    Best of luck.
  • GOINSTD12
    GOINSTD12 Posts: 331 Member
    Thank God someone had the courage to mention this problem. I eat a lot of fiber (salads with raw veggies every day, lots of cooked veggies, very little processed grains) and lots of yogurt and fresh fruit, but I still have this very same problem.... well, almost the same, I do go several times a day but always hard little rocks. It's very frustrating. I am trying to increase my water intake (tho I already urinate at least 1x/hr). I did get Miralax, but fair warning - it took some time before I got real results. I HAVE found that increased activity/exercise helps. I don't eat apples, but I do eat a half a banana most days in my fruit smoothie. I have changed to almond milk and use non-fat greek yogurt. I also eat cottage cheese with pineapple a lot. I will try the organic psyllium. Any other suggestions?
  • ariant23
    ariant23 Posts: 161 Member
    you don't need expensive internet "organic" psyllium. it's the same as your grandma's metamucil. try the kind in the little capsules is you dont like the grit.

    as for the "f" enema someone mentioned, it's a "Fleet enema" and i wouldn't do it w/o at least consulting the pharmacist, but preferably your physician.

    As to the "colonic". bad. think shady non-medical people.

    and as a few people have mentioned. you might need some fat. naturally saturated fat seems to do the best (think bacon or a fatty steak)
  • cmcrawf1
    cmcrawf1 Posts: 3
    I have had scopes in either end because of this issue, trust me when I say I feel your pain ;) A couple things that I have found helped:
    -Coffee (irritates the bowels)
    - Oil pulling for 20 minutes a day (sounds awful, taste crappy (no pun lol) but it works)
    - Triple up on water
    - Juicing, it has helped immensely with this issue.
    - If you have a dairy allergy that helps to or if you know something that makes you have to go.
    But worse case scenario you could have impacted poop which would need medical attention.
    I would try a cocktail of things and really giving it all you've got on the can, it's going to hurt a bit but afterwords you will feel much much better.

    Hope this helped;

    Happy pooping!
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    you don't need expensive internet "organic" psyllium. it's the same as your grandma's metamucil. try the kind in the little capsules is you dont like the grit.

    as for the "f" enema someone mentioned, it's a "Fleet enema" and i wouldn't do it w/o at least consulting the pharmacist, but preferably your physician.

    As to the "colonic". bad. think shady non-medical people.

    and as a few people have mentioned. you might need some fat. naturally saturated fat seems to do the best (think bacon or a fatty steak)

    the psyllium husk fiber is not "expensive". It's $10.50 for about 5 x as much as you get in the bottle of Metamucil, and has no additves. It's just pure whole psyllium husk fiber. No added sugar or anything else. It's not the same thing. Metamucil is a powder, the psyllium husk is the whole fiber husk.
    Eating fat to help with constipation is probably not the best idea, especially if it's a chronic issue.
  • Reshaping_me
    Reshaping_me Posts: 19
    These are all GREAT suggestions. I guess I just feel frustrated due to the fact that I workout daily for 30-45 minutes, drink 80 or more ounces of water, and eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day. I feel like I am "healthy." Am I not? Why is this so difficult for me?
  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    These are all GREAT suggestions. I guess I just feel frustrated due to the fact that I workout daily for 30-45 minutes, drink 80 or more ounces of water, and eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day. I feel like I am "healthy." Am I not? Why is this so difficult for me?

    Hard to say without knowing your medical history, and even if we did, no one here is in a place to diagnose. Is this a new change in bowel habits for you? If you used to be regular, and suddenly are not, then maybe following up with a GI doc would be in order to make sure there is nothing amiss. If you have always been this way, well, unfortunately some people are more prone to it no matter what they do. I've gone as long as 3 weeks with nothing (though I have GI issues) and it really is miserable.

    Also, Miralax is wonderful stuff but really isn't quick acting. It will take a few days to really build up (especially if you're super backed up), so if it doesn't work right away, don't get discouraged and think it's not going to help. Give it a good try. Are you on any other medications? A lot of meds have constipation as a side effect.

    ariant23 has been giving some really solid advice here. Some other things that could help would be propping your feet up with something while you go - we were made to squat and modern toilets can be a problem for some. I know it sounds dumb but it's true. They make a foot prop called the HealthStep, but paint cans or anything else you have lying around can work too. Depending on the cause, probiotics might help as well. For most people, they are perfectly safe to try but of course it's always a good idea to run supplements by your doc.
  • zoquo
    zoquo Posts: 75
    I highly recommend getting a colonic. Get it all washed out and start again with some proper food to prevent this happening again. Trust me you will feel AMAZING afterwards especially if you've not been for 7 days!!!

    No. Colonics are dangerous.

    Colonics are not dangerous! What are you talking about? You clearly have never had one. I have been on two detox cleanses one for 1 week the second for 2 weeks with colonics 2x a day. And as long as you go to a professional there is nothing dangerous about them! I did them myself with good instructions. Rested my digestive system during this time and had plenty of fresh juice and veggie broth during the detox along with daily yoga and abdominal massages. Please do your research before making unfounded comments. I was simply offering a temporary solution to a painful problem.

    http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20429816,00.html

    Peace
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Up your fibre consumption & drink plenty of water... lots of whole grains/ oats

    Prune juice or prunes are quite good to help you go

    I have had many colonics and I think they are amazing - Should help regulate everything after.

    Maybe more down to your diet, You eating lots of fruit/veggies etc?
  • claudiakendall98
    claudiakendall98 Posts: 242 Member
    If you want to fix problem now buy smooth move organic tea. Drink one cup of this tea before bedtime and you will be good to go without cramps etc the following day.Other then that do all that was suggested above ,water, metamucil sugar free once or twice a day .Eat veggies and fruit.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    If you want to fix problem now buy smooth move organic tea. Drink one cup of this tea before bedtime and you will be good to go without cramps etc the following day.Other then that do all that was suggested above ,water, metamucil sugar free once or twice a day .Eat veggies and fruit.
    She said she has been using Smooth Move tea without luck.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I have had similar problems since I have started dieting. Due to some physical reasons...this is not a good thing for me.

    Like the OP...I consume enough fiber but I tried increasing it through eating more vegetables...increased my water even more...increasing my fat...laxatives...suppositories...drinking additional fiber...none of it seemed to work.

    Avocados...that strange fruit...has done the trick for me this week...finally I have been regular...don't have to strain...and feel sooooo much better.

    I eat anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 a day...the next morning within a short time after getting up...I am in the bathroom. I will eat them for the rest of my life!!!!! Yes...they are fairly high in calorie but the trade off has been worth it.

    Maybe it is too much TMI but obviously many of us suffer from it and sharing what works for each of us is helpful.
  • lockedcj7
    lockedcj7 Posts: 257 Member
    I've been badly constipated and miserable a few times in my life and I know your pain. I'm not one to wait around and be miserable. I'd rather fix the problem and fix it now.

    Laxatives and suppositories don't work for me but enemas do. I much prefer the old D.I.Y. bag style over the Fleet disposables for several reasons. Done properly, they are NOT dangerous, habit forming or any other such nonsense. Heck, virtually every household back in the '50s had an enema bag hanging on the back of the bathroom door.

    I've read lots of misinformation regarding enemas and it all sounds like, "you'll put your eye out!" I have never read anything even remotely academic that says that occasional use of enemas is inherently bad or dangerous.

    Feel free to message me if you want more information.
  • yogacat13
    yogacat13 Posts: 124 Member
    Try adding a magnesium supplement and a hot bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Just to add...

    I have tried most of the advice given here. Most of them relieved the immediate problem. They just didn't resolve it long term and that I what I was striving for. So I took a look at my diet to see if there was something that was causing my problem.

    I had concentrated so much on upping my protein...eliminating sodium due to BP...upping my fiber and potassium...that I had ignored my fat intake. When I first started losing weight I tried to reduce the calories in the way that I cooked and one of the easiest ways to do that is by reducing the fat that I used in my recipes. What I didn't think about was that I needed some on that fat in order to stay regular.

    I have tried to increase it by adding in natural peanut butter...using a bit more olive oil...and now the avocados that contain healthy fats. It has played havoc with my calorie count but I feel it is worth having to make some modifications to solve this problem.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Try adding a magnesium supplement and a hot bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts.

    but don't take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. That's the highest recommended dose for adults.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I highly recommend getting a colonic. Get it all washed out and start again with some proper food to prevent this happening again. Trust me you will feel AMAZING afterwards especially if you've not been for 7 days!!!

    No. Colonics are dangerous.

    Colonics are not dangerous! What are you talking about? You clearly have never had one. I have been on two detox cleanses one for 1 week the second for 2 weeks with colonics 2x a day. And as long as you go to a professional there is nothing dangerous about them! I did them myself with good instructions. Rested my digestive system during this time and had plenty of fresh juice and veggie broth during the detox along with daily yoga and abdominal massages. Please do your research before making unfounded comments. I was simply offering a temporary solution to a painful problem.

    http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20429816,00.html

    Peace

    Here's the link- from a legitimate medical source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/consumer-health/expert-answers/colon-cleansing/faq-20058435

    and from the article: In fact, colon cleansing can sometimes be harmful. Colon cleansing can cause side effects, such as cramping, bloating, nausea and vomiting. More serious concerns with colon cleansing are that it can:

    Increase your risk of dehydration
    Lead to bowel perforations
    Increase the risk of infection
    Cause changes in your electrolytes, which can be dangerous if you have kidney disease or other health problems
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    These are all GREAT suggestions. I guess I just feel frustrated due to the fact that I workout daily for 30-45 minutes, drink 80 or more ounces of water, and eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day. I feel like I am "healthy." Am I not? Why is this so difficult for me?

    Have you called your doctor? Seems like an important step after so much time without going, especially if you're experiencing discomfort.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Try adding a magnesium supplement and a hot bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts.

    but don't take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. That's the highest recommended dose for adults.

    why's that? I was previously told (by my doc) to take 1500 for migraine prevention, which worked but gave me the burning sh!ts so I quit after a while - but because of the previous advice, when migraines started up more frequently again I added back a little over 850mg a day in divided doses on my own, you have me wondering now if that's a bad idea...
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    Its been over 24hours


    Hopefully OP has taken a dump
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    Try adding a magnesium supplement and a hot bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts.

    but don't take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. That's the highest recommended dose for adults.

    why's that? I was previously told (by my doc) to take 1500 for migraine prevention, which worked but gave me the burning sh!ts so I quit after a while - but because of the previous advice, when migraines started up more frequently again I added back a little over 850mg a day in divided doses on my own, you have me wondering now if that's a bad idea...

    Magnesium can help with migraines, but its better to use in combination with other meds. 400 mg of Riboflavin (B2) is another good one with low side efftects and can help a lot too. So can Aleve. I take 250 mg of Magnesium, the B2, and also Topamax to keep migraines under control, that works well. Too much magnesium can result in cramping, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, mood changes, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain with urination, and appetite loss. Should be taken with food if it is taken
  • smyrnist
    smyrnist Posts: 9
    Hi,

    My advice could be out of topic when trying to avoid fat but I know that drinking a tsp of olive oil and a big glass of water afterwards (you really need this to clear that smell out of your throat) on an empty stomach and preferably in the morning really helps... :)
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Try adding a magnesium supplement and a hot bath with Epsom or Dead Sea salts.

    but don't take more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. That's the highest recommended dose for adults.

    why's that? I was previously told (by my doc) to take 1500 for migraine prevention, which worked but gave me the burning sh!ts so I quit after a while - but because of the previous advice, when migraines started up more frequently again I added back a little over 850mg a day in divided doses on my own, you have me wondering now if that's a bad idea...

    Magnesium can help with migraines, but its better to use in combination with other meds. 400 mg of Riboflavin (B2) is another good one with low side efftects and can help a lot too. So can Aleve. I take 250 mg of Magnesium, the B2, and also Topamax to keep migraines under control, that works well. Too much magnesium can result in cramping, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, mood changes, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, pain with urination, and appetite loss. Should be taken with food if it is taken

    Thanks for that. I'm without insurance for a few more days but come April 1 we'll be covered again and I can talk to a doc about it. In the meantime... I'm not sure. I haven't noticed the side effects you mentioned, at this dose, but lowering it a little at a time (till I experience migraine again) can't hurt anything either. Think I'll go that route till I can be seen.

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