TMI----Constipation issues! I need help!

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Replies

  • bakemma
    bakemma Posts: 161 Member
    HONEY! Its a natural laxative. A full teaspoon every 30 minutes for a couple hours should get you going. It couldn't hurt to try.
  • kristen6350
    kristen6350 Posts: 1,094 Member
    My trifecta when I get like this: Coffee, fat (as in bacon, sausage) and Gummi Fiber Chews. Works EVERYTIME. So caffiene, fat and fiber in combo.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    Try a heating pad on your abdomen too. That might help? I'm soooo sorry. Did the doctor say anything about an enema?
  • SFCStank
    SFCStank Posts: 25 Member
    Sit down with a bag of red grapes
  • myoung15523
    myoung15523 Posts: 18 Member
    Have you tried massaging your abdomen? You need to massage your abdomen in a clockwise direction, it will help stimulate your bowel to move. The diarrhoea you had will probably be what's known as overflow where any fluid in the bowel bypasses any solid faeces. Keep taking the laxatives and drinking plenty of water to help with osmosis. I hope you get some relief soon ☺️
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    Is it weird to say that I want an update when she finally goes, lmao! I am feeling so uncomfortable for you OP!!! On the day that you do excavate your bowels... You may want to call into work sick. It could be an all day poo-mergency.
  • ridge4mfp
    ridge4mfp Posts: 301 Member
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Is it weird to say that I want an update when she finally goes, lmao! I am feeling so uncomfortable for you OP!!! On the day that you do excavate your bowels... You may want to call into work sick. It could be an all day poo-mergency.

    If it's weird, I am right there with you. I want to know too. Hopefully, though, she will evacuate her bowel, not excavate it. The latter could be quite painful! >:)
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Fiber will make it worse (Read the book "Fiber Menace"). Best thing is Magnesium Citrate, especially since most folks are severely deficient in Magnesium to begin with. The Citrate form helps you poop. In fact that is what you buy in a bottle at drug store in liquid form to take to clean you out before a surgery. But for daily maintenance you want to take just a couple capsules (250mg x 2 = 500mg).
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    laxatives, prune juice, more fiber and that thick liquid cooking crap my uncle had me tried never did much for me..
    i accidently found something that worked fastttt though, a fruit sugar called 'xylitol', when i first bought it, i brainlessly put 50g in my coffee and hmmm everything was cleaned out of me by end of day....since i changed my diet, i don't get constipated like i was for years anymore but, whenever i start noticing i am heading there, i add 20g of this natural fruit sugar to my coffee the next day and it has kept the constipation from returning.. if you are like me and don't have a medical reason for your problem, try this xylitol for fast relief.

    Large amounts of xylitol will work for many people, however I just want to clarify that while there are very small amounts of xylitol naturally occurring in fruit, it is NOT a sugar at all. It is a sugar alcohol which is an entirely different thing...not sugar and not alcohol. The xylitol you buy is not even made from fruit, it is made from hard wood or corn cobs. I like it, btw. Tastes great!
  • GreenKay
    GreenKay Posts: 14 Member
    Clean, real food and a good probiotic. I like Primal Defense.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    Is it weird to say that I want an update when she finally goes, lmao! I am feeling so uncomfortable for you OP!!! On the day that you do excavate your bowels... You may want to call into work sick. It could be an all day poo-mergency.

    If it's weird, I am right there with you. I want to know too. Hopefully, though, she will evacuate her bowel, not excavate it. The latter could be quite painful! >:)

    LMAO that's a nice typo... ha ha!
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
    I'm glad you went to the doctor. I did not mean to seriously suggest the gummy bears. My mom goes through chronic constipation issues, and the citrate helps a lot. Also, eating a very high-fiber diet can help with it, not for one day, but as a lifestyle change.
  • slg00006
    slg00006 Posts: 2 Member
    I had the same problem (not quite to your extent) when I first started decreasing calories ~1 month ago. I spoke to a nutritionist, and she said that when you are in a constipated state, upping fiber may make it worse if there is blockage. She recommended increasing potassium levels with coconut water. That may be why a banana typically works for you. After a couple of weeks, I'm starting to be regular again. Good luck!
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
    Alright MFP friends, last night I got desperate and took 2 Dulcolax.....it barely did anything :( I haven't been regular in over 2 weeks. All a dr will do is prescribe me another laxative....so I need some creativity.....Yesterday I had 25g of fiber....and i couldnt even stomach having dinner....it did nothing as far as relief. I have eaten bananas, raspberries, quest protein bars, etc....any other ideas? I have been drinking lots of water usually 8 glasses or more. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine.....Over the last 2 weeks I have gained 4 lbs, bc of this. I have worked out 3 days a week doing cardio, and 3 days of heavy strength training. I have gone maybe 3 times in 2 weeks.....and when i did it was barely anything. I consume between 12-1300 calories a day.

    Any ideas? I really don't want to take more laxatives. I have never had a constipation problem before, and I fear getting side effects of it. The weight gain is not really an issue for me, as I know I am doing the right things. But I am in a lot of discomfort. I haven't even eaten today, because just drinking water makes me nauseous....but I'm still doing it!


    I'm not sure I agree about rushing her to a clinic or doctor. She didn't say she hasn't gone in 2 weeks, she said she hasn't been regular in 2 weeks. Those are 2 totally different things. As a female that is prone to the same thing I have tried everything mentioned in these posts. Prune juice, milk of magnesia, and the salt water cleanse all just made me nauseous and still my stomach was hard as a rock.
    There are 3 things I do every day and I havent had a problem since. 1) double shot of espresso (regular coffee works once you get normal again)
    Every morning... 2) at night before bed have a cup of laci le beau tea, it has senna leaf in it and is very mild, it's actually used in baby laxative 3)have popcorn every day...it is the king of fiber foods. You'll need to do these everyday until you get regular. Then you can just do the popcorn daily and the coffee & tea if you ever start to feel off.
    If you experience fever or vomiting then go to the emergency room. My husband had an impacted bowel operation and it's no joke. But his symptoms were much more severe than anything you've said.


  • jlturner386
    jlturner386 Posts: 65 Member
    **NEW UPDATE**

    My mom convinced me to do mineral oil enema.....when that did nothing, and then my stomach started filling with air, and I was in excrutiating pain and unable to pass gas, she made me go to the e.r....5 hours later, a c.t. scan, another xray, some fluids, and exam, she diagnosed me with Ileus....which means that my intestines basically just shutdoqn....it cant remove anything, not air, not anything....she wanted to admit me just to intebate me with a tube up my nose and down my throat to suck the air out of my abdomen.....but i felt like at this point the air was the last of my worries....she said if i start vomiting to come back, and they will admit me....she gave me valium and phenergen to help with nausea...im supposed to call my pcp in the morning bc they are sending her all of my scans and info...they want her to refer me to a g.i. specialist to see what caused my intestines to stop working...i.e and intestinal infection, or something else....im not allowed to eat anything solid until my bowels begin working, which i will know when it finally moves the stuff already in there out...this explains why the enema didnt work bc once the it rinsed so far up. ..nothing else came down like it should...so there is only stuff left in my large intestine, and my small intestine is filled with air.... :( im gonna be miserable for at least a few days until either they figure out the cause and treat that, or it just decides to start working again.....talk about an ordeal :(
  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
    **NEW UPDATE**

    My mom convinced me to do mineral oil enema.....when that did nothing, and then my stomach started filling with air, and I was in excrutiating pain and unable to pass gas, she made me go to the e.r....5 hours later, a c.t. scan, another xray, some fluids, and exam, she diagnosed me with Ileus....which means that my intestines basically just shutdoqn....it cant remove anything, not air, not anything....she wanted to admit me just to intebate me with a tube up my nose and down my throat to suck the air out of my abdomen.....but i felt like at this point the air was the last of my worries....she said if i start vomiting to come back, and they will admit me....she gave me valium and phenergen to help with nausea...im supposed to call my pcp in the morning bc they are sending her all of my scans and info...they want her to refer me to a g.i. specialist to see what caused my intestines to stop working...i.e and intestinal infection, or something else....im not allowed to eat anything solid until my bowels begin working, which i will know when it finally moves the stuff already in there out...this explains why the enema didnt work bc once the it rinsed so far up. ..nothing else came down like it should...so there is only stuff left in my large intestine, and my small intestine is filled with air.... :( im gonna be miserable for at least a few days until either they figure out the cause and treat that, or it just decides to start working again.....talk about an ordeal :(

    Oh you poor thing. I'm so glad you sought medical treatment - bowel issues can be very serious! Please don't listen to all the people advising enemas and so forth, this has clearly gone beyond what can be treated at home and I hope the GI specialist figures out what's wrong.
  • BruceHedtke
    BruceHedtke Posts: 358 Member
    I certainly hope you get some relief soon! I seldom have issues with constipation but when it does hit, it's just miserable. I can't imagine what you are dealing with.
    FWIW, the last time I had constipation, I mixed some Epsom salt with water and drank that down. Ten minutes later (so it seemed), I had relief. Maybe it was a one-off thing but I know the next time, that will be the first thing I try.
  • oh_happy_day
    oh_happy_day Posts: 1,137 Member
    edited October 2015
    Alright MFP friends, last night I got desperate and took 2 Dulcolax.....it barely did anything :( I haven't been regular in over 2 weeks. All a dr will do is prescribe me another laxative....so I need some creativity.....Yesterday I had 25g of fiber....and i couldnt even stomach having dinner....it did nothing as far as relief. I have eaten bananas, raspberries, quest protein bars, etc....any other ideas? I have been drinking lots of water usually 8 glasses or more. I don't drink alcohol or caffeine.....Over the last 2 weeks I have gained 4 lbs, bc of this. I have worked out 3 days a week doing cardio, and 3 days of heavy strength training. I have gone maybe 3 times in 2 weeks.....and when i did it was barely anything. I consume between 12-1300 calories a day.

    Any ideas? I really don't want to take more laxatives. I have never had a constipation problem before, and I fear getting side effects of it. The weight gain is not really an issue for me, as I know I am doing the right things. But I am in a lot of discomfort. I haven't even eaten today, because just drinking water makes me nauseous....but I'm still doing it!


    I'm not sure I agree about rushing her to a clinic or doctor. She didn't say she hasn't gone in 2 weeks, she said she hasn't been regular in 2 weeks. Those are 2 totally different things. As a female that is prone to the same thing I have tried everything mentioned in these posts. Prune juice, milk of magnesia, and the salt water cleanse all just made me nauseous and still my stomach was hard as a rock.
    There are 3 things I do every day and I havent had a problem since. 1) double shot of espresso (regular coffee works once you get normal again)
    Every morning... 2) at night before bed have a cup of laci le beau tea, it has senna leaf in it and is very mild, it's actually used in baby laxative 3)have popcorn every day...it is the king of fiber foods. You'll need to do these everyday until you get regular. Then you can just do the popcorn daily and the coffee & tea if you ever start to feel off.
    If you experience fever or vomiting then go to the emergency room. My husband had an impacted bowel operation and it's no joke. But his symptoms were much more severe than anything you've said.

    Actually she said she'd barely passed anything in two weeks despite multiple doses of laxatives. You can still have an impacted bowel and be passing small bits of feces, she also said she was in pain and she has no history of bowel issues, chronic constipation etc. Which is exactly why I suggested she get checked out properly and not attempt further home treatments like more laxatives, enemas and manual disimpaction etc. And as per her latest update, seeking medical attention was a good idea.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    **NEW UPDATE**

    My mom convinced me to do mineral oil enema.....when that did nothing, and then my stomach started filling with air, and I was in excrutiating pain and unable to pass gas, she made me go to the e.r....5 hours later, a c.t. scan, another xray, some fluids, and exam, she diagnosed me with Ileus....which means that my intestines basically just shutdoqn....it cant remove anything, not air, not anything....she wanted to admit me just to intebate me with a tube up my nose and down my throat to suck the air out of my abdomen.....but i felt like at this point the air was the last of my worries....she said if i start vomiting to come back, and they will admit me....she gave me valium and phenergen to help with nausea...im supposed to call my pcp in the morning bc they are sending her all of my scans and info...they want her to refer me to a g.i. specialist to see what caused my intestines to stop working...i.e and intestinal infection, or something else....im not allowed to eat anything solid until my bowels begin working, which i will know when it finally moves the stuff already in there out...this explains why the enema didnt work bc once the it rinsed so far up. ..nothing else came down like it should...so there is only stuff left in my large intestine, and my small intestine is filled with air.... :( im gonna be miserable for at least a few days until either they figure out the cause and treat that, or it just decides to start working again.....talk about an ordeal :(

    Good lord. That sounds dreadful.

    You did the right thing by seeking treatment and hopefully you will get a meaningful diagnosis and treatment plan soon.
  • MorganMoreaux
    MorganMoreaux Posts: 691 Member
    OP - that sounds absolutely terrible!!! Very glad you went the ER and will soon see a specialist. I hope the cause of the Ileus is something simple and transient and you get better soon! Please keep us updated!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    msf74 wrote: »
    **NEW UPDATE**

    My mom convinced me to do mineral oil enema.....when that did nothing, and then my stomach started filling with air, and I was in excrutiating pain and unable to pass gas, she made me go to the e.r....5 hours later, a c.t. scan, another xray, some fluids, and exam, she diagnosed me with Ileus....which means that my intestines basically just shutdoqn....it cant remove anything, not air, not anything....she wanted to admit me just to intebate me with a tube up my nose and down my throat to suck the air out of my abdomen.....but i felt like at this point the air was the last of my worries....she said if i start vomiting to come back, and they will admit me....she gave me valium and phenergen to help with nausea...im supposed to call my pcp in the morning bc they are sending her all of my scans and info...they want her to refer me to a g.i. specialist to see what caused my intestines to stop working...i.e and intestinal infection, or something else....im not allowed to eat anything solid until my bowels begin working, which i will know when it finally moves the stuff already in there out...this explains why the enema didnt work bc once the it rinsed so far up. ..nothing else came down like it should...so there is only stuff left in my large intestine, and my small intestine is filled with air.... :( im gonna be miserable for at least a few days until either they figure out the cause and treat that, or it just decides to start working again.....talk about an ordeal :(

    Good lord. That sounds dreadful.

    You did the right thing by seeking treatment and hopefully you will get a meaningful diagnosis and treatment plan soon.

    Agreed. Good lucks with your GP, and hopefully you can get in with a GI specialist soon!
  • jlturner386
    jlturner386 Posts: 65 Member
    I had to go back to the er. This morning after 3 hours of being home. I woke up and my rightarm and right leg were numb with pins and needles. I was laying on my left side at the time. So i rolled over on my back and it spread to my left foot, within a minute my left arm was numb, 3 mins later my nose and mouth went numb. I was in the hospital all day....they said they dont know what could cause it, i have to see a neurologist after the weekend, because they cant diagnose diseases like m.s. or other things in the e.r....that statement scared the crap out of me. So im home not eating, have some pain meds and valium....
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    And you still haven't gone? Oy, I feel for you!

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  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
    OMG, I am so beyond sorry. I am hoping they can get this done sooner than that. I wish there was a way to have gotten this all fixed in the ER today. It sucks that you are in such pain, with these types of issues, and can only be sent home with pain meds until you see a specialist. So sorry!
  • sassysisterjd
    sassysisterjd Posts: 41 Member
    OP that sounds so miserable!!! I really hope the doctors can figure it out and get you some relief soon! I am so sorry!
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
    So uhm, Valium can cause constipation... not so sure that's exactly helpful for your initial issue. O_o
  • AndrelleJohnson
    AndrelleJohnson Posts: 47 Member
    You can try Smooth Move Tea, that usually works really good but if you really want to stay away from the caffeine you can try MiraLax. Just add it to your water, you won't taste or anything. I use it on my son, it makes it easy for him and works pretty good and fast.
  • ChasingBubbles
    ChasingBubbles Posts: 5 Member
    Take some probiotics everyday regularly it will help . get some good ones Dr. Ohhiras are great! You need to be carful I use to have similar issues and I ended up with a herniated esophagus.
  • soulofgrace
    soulofgrace Posts: 175 Member
    I had to go back to the er. This morning after 3 hours of being home. I woke up and my rightarm and right leg were numb with pins and needles. I was laying on my left side at the time. So i rolled over on my back and it spread to my left foot, within a minute my left arm was numb, 3 mins later my nose and mouth went numb. I was in the hospital all day....they said they dont know what could cause it, i have to see a neurologist after the weekend, because they cant diagnose diseases like m.s. or other things in the e.r....that statement scared the crap out of me. So im home not eating, have some pain meds and valium....

    Oh boy. Hun, I'm so sorry you have to wait until next week after having been told something like that. I'm glad your mom is there for you. Do whatever you can to keep your mind off it. Move around as much as possible. Best wishes to you.
  • deescrafty
    deescrafty Posts: 174 Member
    Please just do what the medical professional suggested and follow up with them timely. I'm sure most of us on mfp have had constipation due to our changing diets, and all have something that has worked for us. This is now past home remedies. Please keep us updated as we care about you and your discomfort. Best wishes.