Constipation and what works
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I have a couple of prunes everyday, plenty of other fiber (fruits, oatmeal and whole grain bread) and water, nuts and dark chocolate (for the magnesium), probiotic supplement daily, and a calcium/magnesium/vit c supplement. I find that I stay regular that way.0
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A lot of things work. A teaspoon of castor oil for those who don't mind the horrible taste, a small serving of stewed ( or not stewed) prunes, most warm beverages make the digestive tract move along.
I tend to be regular fortunately. Some people do have this as their struggle.0 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »Magnesium does not work for me.
I had to go to the doctors. I have medication and sometimes THAT doesn't work. Sometimes even a laxative doesn't work. It feels horrible to not go for days and then have a laxative do nothing.
I didn't develop this problem until last summer. It *kitten* sucks.
I would highly recommend digestive enzymes at every meal. We had to start our girl out on two capsules of BioGest (no other brand worked for her) per meal. It took about 2-3 weeks for it to kick in with regularity but when it did it took care of her chronic constipation. We did that for a few years. After that we slowly cut back to one per meal, then just twice a day, etc. etc. Might be worth a try. Can't hurt anyway.....
like pro biotics?
I'm jealous of everyone who just takes something and has success
I drank a whole bottle of magnesium citrate once and NOTHING...and that was after 3 days of not going.
Kids at school have asked me if I'm pregnant 0 -
I'm hypermobile and my bowels are affected along with my joints, which probably isn't helped by the codeine I take for joint pain. The worst I had it was 2 weeks without going and believe me I tried everything I could think of, prunes, high fibre cereal, 3 different types of laxative and warm baths. I was crying with pain when I finally "went". Of course not having a gall bladder I can't digest fat so I could have tried eating something like full fat yoghurt, only I couldn't face the idea of having constipation and the runs at the same time (it has happened before and it's extremely painful)
I've got EDS, and no gallbladder, so I totally feel your pain. I think the EDS has the most to do with my poopin' problems since it has been a life long issue that started when I was about 3 months old. 400mg of magnesium every morning (and a cup of coffee) keeps me pretty regular. It took several years for me to figure out magnesium was the key for me, but even then I need to stay hydrated or that won't even work. If things are moving particularly slow for a couple of days, 1 cup of peppermint Smooth Move senna tea steeped for about 15 min usually does the trick with out moving the needle too far in the opposite direction.
On another note, full fat dairy has never been an issue since I had my gallbladder removed. I don't usually have problems with digesting fat until I get to NY strip steak type fat levels. Although Cheetos Cheese Puffs were the food that put me in the ER the night it was removed
Damn Cheetos! 1 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »Magnesium does not work for me.
I had to go to the doctors. I have medication and sometimes THAT doesn't work. Sometimes even a laxative doesn't work. It feels horrible to not go for days and then have a laxative do nothing.
I didn't develop this problem until last summer. It *kitten* sucks.
I would highly recommend digestive enzymes at every meal. We had to start our girl out on two capsules of BioGest (no other brand worked for her) per meal. It took about 2-3 weeks for it to kick in with regularity but when it did it took care of her chronic constipation. We did that for a few years. After that we slowly cut back to one per meal, then just twice a day, etc. etc. Might be worth a try. Can't hurt anyway.....
like pro biotics?
t
No. Digestive enzymes are polar opposite of probiotics. They help breakdown the food you eat so it doesn't sit and clog your gut up. We found our girl just didn't digest her food well so her body couldn't push it through very easily. I would encourage you to try bio gest made by Thorne (they have several so make sure it's the bio gest) and take 1000mg of magnesium OXIDE (not citrate) per day. I bet taking two capsules of the enzymes per meal and the mag oxide at night will really help. Give it an honest two weeks taking both at the same time and see what happens. It can be a tough issue to overcome but with some experimenting you can get there. But I totally understand because our girl could go two weeks without going and it was awful!
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Nobody should be taking laxatives daily to help with constipation, not that any of you are suggesting it although I know lots of people do and it really isn't healthy. If you are really uncomfortable and need some relief try a glass of luke warm water with some cordial (just for taste) and add to it a tablespoon (or 2 in extreme cases) of Epsom salts. Within a couple of hours I guarantee you will weigh a couple of pounds less and feel complete relief :-)3
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Nobody should be taking laxatives daily to help with constipation, not that any of you are suggesting it although I know lots of people do and it really isn't healthy. If you are really uncomfortable and need some relief try a glass of luke warm water with some cordial (just for taste) and add to it a tablespoon (or 2 in extreme cases) of Epsom salts. Within a couple of hours I guarantee you will weigh a couple of pounds less and feel complete relief :-)
Does cordial mean liquour?0 -
Per a doctors instruction years ago, 2 moderately heaping tablespoons of sugar free Metamucil (or equivalent) ever night before bed. Keeps things moving along nicely. I get either Metamucil or Equate Fiber (orange flavored) from Amazon for pretty decent prices.
If I don't do this regularly, nothing else happens regularly.0 -
I 3rd or 4th (lost count
)
the 10 portions/800g of fruit and veg a day.
Drink plenty water also.
2 -
drinking water1
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I agree that we ought not be taking a laxative or stool softener daily, but I can see where someone would get to that place without realizing... the mag chelate I take is a food supplement (like taking calcium). If I forget to take it, I'm not suffering drastically. I still get bound up occasionally, but I am the most regular I've been in decades. And I was doing everything dietary that people recommend, plus tons of water... I still do all of that, but the magnesium seems to be the key for me to stay mostly regular and not have to resort to things no one wants to talk about.
It is bad for you, long run, to have to strain and push for a bm. It's important to find a solution that helps you not have to do this, and to heal up from hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and so on. Plus I tend to think that the more you have to fight for a bm, the more damaged your rectum nerve endings and blood vessels become, and it's a vicious cycle.
So to sum up,
*Eat your fruits and veggies,
*drink more water than before,
*Get some exercise,
*Take magnesium as a supplement,
*When all else fails, (including otc remedies), a warm water enema can make you feel reborn,
*Don't give up hope.0 -
I'm doing well but my husband and son are both dealing with constipation issues.
Fiber One: It's much easier to get people to eat fiber packaged as a brownie.
High Fiber Bread: A lot of tasty bread has high fiber. I look for 20% RDA or more. Mission Carb balance has something like 60% and it tastes pretty good. Even corn tortillas can be surprisingly high fiber.
Beans: I try to put beans in food whenever I can. Ground beef or turkey cut with some black beans stretches the budget, adds fiber, and even picky eaters may not notice. Great in tacos.
Water: Yes plain water is best. But flavored water gets consumed more...I like adding some lemon or a flavor enhancer packet.
Exercise: When constipated you feel like just sitting on the couch but it's the worst thing to do. Get up, walk, do some mild twisting movements. Yoga and belly dance is really good if not in pain.
Popcorn: More fiber than you would think, and fits really well on MFP.0 -
I was chronically constipated, even though I drank about a gallon of water a day, ate tons of fruit and veggies, and consumed boat loads of fiber. I finally started using a powdered magnesium (mainly for my chronic migraines) and holy smokes....nothing stays in me. It's such a great feeling. Magnesium pills never did anything for me, but powder form, I guess my body just absorbs it better. It's been a miracle.0
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I'm going in for abdominal surgery (a partial hysterectomy) so making sure there is no..blockage is important. I've been prepping for that by upping my fiber game with Metamucil (must use cold water or it's heinous) it is a laxative but fiber based (so it both counts and doesn't apparently), the fiber X2 Nature's Own break (mmm mealy grains), dried plums (I don't care what the package says), and since Publix had them on bogo the Flat Out wraps which can have anywhere from 8-10g of fiber depending on the brand. I have some OTC medicines for when the time comes, but hey, fiber is important and I definitely had not been getting enough as it was.
Edit: The paperwork also said lots of water, and some walking around. I spiked a bottle of creamer I put in the fridge (it's noted in several places that creamer in fridge isn't public) with a bottle of milk of mag. so I like to think I'm helping someone out with their dietary issues.0 -
Sugar free Metamucil. It's not really a laxative, just ground up psyllium husks. It's the only thing that has ever worked for me. YMMV.
Edit: Oops. I didn't realize this was a really old thread that I've already replied to with the same advice.0 -
ronjsteele1 wrote: »ronjsteele1 wrote: »Magnesium does not work for me.
I had to go to the doctors. I have medication and sometimes THAT doesn't work. Sometimes even a laxative doesn't work. It feels horrible to not go for days and then have a laxative do nothing.
I didn't develop this problem until last summer. It *kitten* sucks.
I would highly recommend digestive enzymes at every meal. We had to start our girl out on two capsules of BioGest (no other brand worked for her) per meal. It took about 2-3 weeks for it to kick in with regularity but when it did it took care of her chronic constipation. We did that for a few years. After that we slowly cut back to one per meal, then just twice a day, etc. etc. Might be worth a try. Can't hurt anyway.....
like pro biotics?
t
No. Digestive enzymes are polar opposite of probiotics. They help breakdown the food you eat so it doesn't sit and clog your gut up. We found our girl just didn't digest her food well so her body couldn't push it through very easily. I would encourage you to try bio gest made by Thorne (they have several so make sure it's the bio gest) and take 1000mg of magnesium OXIDE (not citrate) per day. I bet taking two capsules of the enzymes per meal and the mag oxide at night will really help. Give it an honest two weeks taking both at the same time and see what happens. It can be a tough issue to overcome but with some experimenting you can get there. But I totally understand because our girl could go two weeks without going and it was awful!
The form of the nutrient is indeed important. For example:
- I take magnesium aspartate daily for something else and have no laxative effects whatsoever. Many people find iron supplements to be constipating, but I don't have this issue with the ones I take, currently iron bisglycinate.
- Many other forms of iron did nothing to improve my iron or energy levels.1 -
I gaurantee that this trick works and you don't have to go out any buy a supplement or anything like that!!!...The solution is boiling HOT plain water. I sip one large cup in the morning and one in the evening. You can even add one cup at lunch. Stay far away from cold, ice water. It does not help at all with digestion.
As an added plus you should increase fruit and vegetable intake and decrease animal protein slightly. I personally try to have one animal protein source a day and get my other protein from non-animal protein sources.0 -
MeredithDeVoe1 wrote: »I agree that we ought not be taking a laxative or stool softener daily, but I can see where someone would get to that place without realizing... the mag chelate I take is a food supplement (like taking calcium). If I forget to take it, I'm not suffering drastically. I still get bound up occasionally, but I am the most regular I've been in decades. And I was doing everything dietary that people recommend, plus tons of water... I still do all of that, but the magnesium seems to be the key for me to stay mostly regular and not have to resort to things no one wants to talk about.
It is bad for you, long run, to have to strain and push for a bm. It's important to find a solution that helps you not have to do this, and to heal up from hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and so on. Plus I tend to think that the more you have to fight for a bm, the more damaged your rectum nerve endings and blood vessels become, and it's a vicious cycle.
So to sum up,
*Eat your fruits and veggies,
*drink more water than before,
*Get some exercise,
*Take magnesium as a supplement,
*When all else fails, (including otc remedies), a warm water enema can make you feel reborn,
*Don't give up hope.
I'd add adequate fat to the list.
I'm talking some giant blob of the stuff as a cure, but a consistent moderate, adequate amount throughout one's day, ideally from food, as a matter of routine.
It seems like I've seen this "too little fat" problem more frequently here on MFP, probably because some people falsely believe they need to eat as little fat as humanly possible in order to lose weight, but they also start eating larger amounts of fiber-containing foods at the same time.
Ultra low fat is not a good strategy for one's excretory system, and it doesn't help one properly absorb all the available micronutrients in other foods, besides.1 -
It's magnesium citrate, by the way, but yes, 400 mg of that will fully activate the nerves operating peristalsis. Another thing I've found is that 10 mg Chia seeds daily have a good regulatory effect. I add it to pizza some days, yogurt others.
Speaking of chelate (greek for "to grab"), phytic acid chelates magnesium and several other beneficial minerals. That's a bad thing. Phytic acid is in the cell walls of many vegetables and grains, but especially so in oatmeal and whole wheat. Do some research on that.0 -
Smooth move tea works for me..2
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