I Stay Constipated. What To Do?

Track your fiber

Any Walden Farms product does the trick for me.

What does your fat intake look like?

I drink a lots of water. More than the recommended 8 cups. Then lots of fruit. Apples and pears and others with fiber. Some days I might eat 3 apples. Soft bananas, not my favorite. Prunes. Warm prune juice. This one really works. Don't drink too much of it though. Fiber supplements. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and increase fiber slowly. Also beans and peas. Oatmeal and raisins. That's all I can think of now. I have had my fair share of problems. Make sure you get your thyroid checked out. Low thyroid can cause constipation.

Hydration - Dietary fat - Physical movement - Caffeine

There are 2 types of fiber: soluble and insoluble: http://www.webmd.com/diet/compare-dietary-fibers

My go-to insoluble is oatmeal

If you need to increase your fiber intake....go slowly.

Since I started here, the same thing has been happening to me. I probably don't drink enough water, but I do try to have at least 2 bottles a day but I've never been a big water drinker. I have drank more water in the past 3 months than I normally would in a year.

I have narrowed my issues down to the protein drinks I do for lunch and/or stevia. There is stevia as an added sweetener in one of the protein powders I use, so I cut that particular powder this week and this morning...well, let's just say it worked. Now I'm only using a protein powder that doesn't have stevia for the next few days to see what happens. I noticed when I started using stevia extract to make lemonade the same thing was happening. I'll be bummed if it's the protein powder because I really enjoy having a protein smoothie for lunch.

I'm not saying stevia is your issue, OP, but maybe it's a change in your diet that could be causing something?

Are you on regular metformin or extended release? ER causes fewer GI side effects in many people. And the regular causes diarrhea as a common side effect.

So either way, it might help to try the other one and see if that does the trick.

LaceyBirds wrote: »

A dose of Miralax every single morning, and 4-8 ounces of prune juice every/every other day. Drink lots of water. Be careful with fiber such as Metamucil - if you don't drink a lot of water every day, it can actually cause a blockage - landed me in the hospital a few years ago with a complete blockage. Caffeine helps, and walking helps - going up and down stairs a few times will help. Fleet enemas, both water and mineral oil, may be needed, not too often though, only when you really can't go. Make an appointment with an internist/gastroenterologist to see if there is something mechanical going on that can be treated.

I have had IBS-A for 40 years, and also have other bowel issues, so I am always going back and forth trying to find the right combo that will keep me as regular as possible, but it's a real struggle, so I feel for you.

I just found these great videos yesterday, they are really helpful: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHgeHcpwJOlQi5WMddMAQ6WtnI-oYfi5W

Good luck.

I'd go for the doctor and totally bypass continued usage of Miralax unless instructed to do so and being watched over by a medical professional.

I had 8"-10" of my colon removed earlier this year and I am on a high fiber diet to keep things running smoothly. If you're restricting carbs because of the diabetes you could, and more than likely are, cutting down your fiber intake. Most people don't even hit the recommended 25g of fiber as it is. I personally have found that post-op I do much better at 50g of fiber per day, but I can no longer take pysllium husk like I used to to help boost my fiber. Now I take Smarty Pants gummies with fiber, and while they are expensive the 6 gummies offer up 6g of fiber (and other vitamins I was having issues hitting day to day).

Raspberries are one of the best fruits with a really high fiber count. Cheerios are also a good source of fiber at 17g for 42g (1.5 servings) and have become a staple for me.

Chia seeds have been a miracle cure for me. I was constipated for a long time, I tried everything, prune juice, all bran cereals etc..

I just put 20g of chia seeds in my morning oatmeal, it doesn't taste anything and it keeps you regular.

I've suffered from IBS for years (the constipation variety), and my doctor recently suggested I drink apple juice to try to get things moving. It's worked well.

Try colonic if bad then probiotic

TeaBea wrote: »

Hydration - Dietary fat - Physical movement - Caffeine

There are 2 types of fiber: soluble and insoluble: http://www.webmd.com/diet/compare-dietary-fibers

My go-to insoluble is oatmeal

If you need to increase your fiber intake....go slowly.

I haven't had problems with constipation since I started taking powdered Vitamin C to bowel tolerance, which for me is 4 grams. I take Buffered Vitamin C Powder - non buffered bothers my stomach.

Might want to run any non-dietary method past your doctor. (Unless your doctor is monitoring your diet as well, in which case, that too.) Also, it's entirely possible that drinking more water will indeed clear this up. Good luck!