I just can't poo and my DR was of no help

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  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    PearlAng wrote: »
    Not sure if it's been mentioned, but Metamucil has worked wonders for me

    The calories weren't worth it for me...
  • spunkypug100
    spunkypug100 Posts: 20 Member
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    I like the Yogi Smooth Move tea. I drink it before bed and usually have success in the am. I too only go once or twice a week but I only drink the tea if I'm feeling uncomfortable. My mom gets constipated quite bad and used miralax. My daughter is on the same path but it seems to be worse when she has milk products.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
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    If that was me I would be using an enema and then trying the oil and stuff once the immediate problem was handled.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    just go eat five guys and be done with it.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    gothchiq wrote: »
    If that was me I would be using an enema and then trying the oil and stuff once the immediate problem was handled.

    Me too! :confounded:
  • sheclimbsrocks
    sheclimbsrocks Posts: 110 Member
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    Also, my digestive problems all went away when I quit dairy. Maybe try eliminating that, or other problem foods. for a week & see what happens. I also get 'stuck' if I eat some fried foods, like onion rings or other yummy treats!
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    just go eat five guys and be done with it.

    This was actually what did it last time I was bunged up after a week's camping, and it is definitely more enjoyable than prune juice. Drink a couple of beers as well for good measure.
  • mickeymnmnb
    mickeymnmnb Posts: 2 Member
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    I've always had bouts of constipation, mixed with bouts of diarrhea. The doctor told me to add more fiber to my diet, eat more fruits and vegetables/less carbs (standard answer from doctors when you have GI symtpoms). I did and I got worse. I have been having serious problems with constipation for over 6 months now. The doctor instructed me to take stool softeners twice daily and referred me to a GI Specialist who instructed me to also take Miralax daily. It worked, but I still had pain in my belly and other symptoms, plus, I hate taking that much medicine.

    The GI doc then referred me to the nutritionist. She put me on the FODMAP (Fermentable Oligo- Di- and Monosaccharides And Polyols) Elimination Diet a week and a half ago with great success so far. I've been able to quit taking the medicine and actually had a normal BM today. Woo hoo! Only 2-1/2 weeks to go before I can start adding food back.

    Once I start adding foods back (one at a time) I'm hoping to learn what I'm sensitive to so that I can eliminate it permanently and start enjoying the other things again. The FODMAP Elimination Diet eliminates the following: Lactose (milk, certain milk products), Fructose (HFCS, honey/agave, fruit), Sugar Alcohols (certain fruits and vegetables, certain sugar-free foods), Fructans and GOS (wheat/rye/barley, certain vegetables, inulin/chicory root, dried peas/beans, nuts/seeds).

    So far it's the answer I've been looking for. It's hard to do, without the advice of a nutritionist, but there is some really good info here: http://blog.katescarlata.com/category/fodmaps/. Good luck!
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
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    thatshistorical wrote: »
    Try eating a more fatty meal (healthy fats--avocado and olive oils) once or twice a week. Cut out some wheat and dairy. Try fish oil capsules too. They work wonders.

    Last advice (might be TMI, but we are talking about poop here...)--get a squatty potty or a stool to rest your feet on in front of the toilet. It helps me A LOT. We aren't really meant to poop like we are seated in a chair. Prudish Victorians made us do that. Our muscles work better to evacuate the premises if our knees are slightly higher than our hips.

    This is one reason why there are so many colon issues in our country and a lot less in 3rd world countries where they poop in a floor toilet/hole.

    I tried the squatty potty once... thumbs up :joy:
  • eba2003
    eba2003 Posts: 43 Member
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    Have you made any changes to your diet recently? Introduced new foods or eliminated anything?
  • beckydavies92
    beckydavies92 Posts: 2 Member
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    I've had a lot of problems with constipation for years and years. For a long time I thought it was normal to have abdominal pain due to constipation, and then only pooing once a week if I was lucky. I still have some problems, but mostly its under control.

    The one thing that really helps is something called Fybogel. Its apparently Ispaghula Husk, and works like a fibre supplement. I'm in England, so not sure if you can get it wherever you are, but see if you can get hold of it. I have one sachet every night after dinner. I do have some laxatives prescribed as well if it gets really bad, and then something called Buscopan. That works as a muscle relaxant in the gut so it relieves some of the pain. Water helps, of course. And coffee does too. I do always have a good poo after a night of heavy drinking too... I've also stopped having any white carbs - strictly brown bread and brown pasta etc. Mostly, cutting out carbs as much as possible has really helped.

    Maybe this is a bit disgusting, but what does your poo look like when you do go? The appearance of it will help in knowing whether you have any sort of food intolerance (I'm a medical student, so we've learnt a lot about what poo can tell you...)

    One thing to remember about gluten too - it will take about 6 weeks after cutting out gluten for the reaction in your gut to go down. To diagnose a gluten intolerance, you can have a blood test done, but its a bit unreliable. The gold standard (at least, in my area) is to put a camera down and physically see the gut having its reaction - kind of like having a allergic rash in your gut. If you've cut out gluten, and your gut is no longer reacting to it, there won't be anything to see. So the advice we give is that if you want to find out for sure, you do need to keep eating gluten for the time being. Again though, a gluten intolerance would make your poo look different.

    Also just a quick disclaimer, I am only a student, and I don't know you well enough to really offer medical help - this is just a bit of advice. Please don't rely on it too much!

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