BM.. help!

luciewhitefield25
luciewhitefield25 Posts: 70 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

This is a little embarrassing but I am going to share it anyway, as it is nice to hear if others are having the same problems, or any other tips & tricks that I haven't tried yet.

So my BM have always been a struggle but since I have been aware of what I am eating and been eating clean for the last 2/3 years.. it's got worse. Now more than ever! It has always been something I have just dealt with. However this year in particular it has got worse, the last few weeks I have been going about 4-5 days with nothing or minimal about, like the size of a small stone! Normally if I eat a treat, for example have a Dominos on the weekend, I will then go, but apart from that, during the week there isn't much at all, and I suffer from bloating.

I am finding it hard to drop weight and I am generally just feeling tired/lethargic and like I want to sleep all day! I train 5-6 times a week and I train hard! so as far as I am aware this is not normal!

I do IF, which has always agreed with me, and I find actually makes me less bloated. I aim for around 1600-1800 calories a day depending what I am training, I have stopped tracking for now as I find that I am starting to obsess over whether it is my food, not eating enough, too much protien, too much carbs etc. So instead I am handwriting my food dairy for this week ready to take to my Drs.

I saw my DR last week and he put me on a laxative "Macrogol" which I can take 3 times a day if needed, so far they have hardly done anything except make my bloat with my stomach turning rock hard and me questioning if I am pregnant!!!

I have tried fibregel, dried apriots, prune juice, orange juice, Senakot, Aloe Vera juice - you name it!

Can anyone pleaseeeeee give me some advice!? I have just ordered a testing kit to do to see if I am tolerant to any type of foods? Thanks in advance!!!

Replies

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    What is your fat and fiber intake?

    Yes I too have tried all of those things in the past. Honestly...I have had more luck with balancing my fiber and making sure that I get more fat in my diet. I have a tendency to eat low fat so I make sure that my vegetables are roasted in some type of oil. The rest of my fat usually comes from cheese. I will warn though...don't overdo the fiber initially(too much too quick can cause constipation). Build it up over time.

    I feel for you...took me a while to find the combination to where bathroom time is more pleasant.
  • Worsum
    Worsum Posts: 6 Member
    Something you can try is Magnesium Citrate powder if you can find it at your local health food store. Taken daily, it helps to keep things moving. With that said, make sure you're drinking plenty of water and your diet is rich in magnesium and fiber (lots of fresh fruits and vegetables). This should help 'move' things along. If you do get the magnesium citrate, it is safe to do a double dose at first to help as well. You cannot O.D. on the stuff. If you get too much, you'll just 'run off' which will likely make you feel better as well.

    Have you been checked for Celiac? Low B12 levels? Leaky gut? Thyroid? These all play a part in how the gut processes food and eliminates as well.
  • luciewhitefield25
    luciewhitefield25 Posts: 70 Member
    I drink around 3-4 litres a day. Sometimes more through training, so I always on the loo for a wee! Thanks for the advice.. I normally struggle to reach my fat intake but I do have Avocados, fish at least twice a week, I cook everything in coconut oil and tend to snack on Cashew nuts a few times a week? I have stopped tracking for a while as I was beginning to obsess but maybe I should note down just my fat intake to check what I am on. I am not sure of my fibre, I genuinely eat some sort of fruit/veg with every meal!?

    I didn't know if IF was causing a problem perhaps? Will look at magnesium.

    I have booked to go see the DR again so will keep you updated, can't get an appointment for another week though!
  • scribblemoma
    scribblemoma Posts: 115 Member
    I keep my diet very macro balanced (including 25g daily fiber) but I still take a daily magnesium supplement and since starting that it has really helped. I’ve had chronic issues since I was a baby...I feel your pain! Best of luck <3
  • DanSanthomes
    DanSanthomes Posts: 135 Member
    I was same for a few months and someone on MFP suggested having a yoghurt.

    Started having a probiotic one every day and sorted me right out. Back to clockwork now.
  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    I have IBS and every diet change I make sets me up for constipation. I take Miralax a few times a week and try hard to get enough fiber in my food (but often don't). I know your struggle.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    I have started taking a probiotic at least once a day, sometimes twice, a digestive enzymes, and a magnesium ultra at bedtime. This has helped a lot. Otherwise, I was having to take a senna tea to get moving again.
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    Magnesium citrate and a lot of water is pretty much the only thing that helps me consistently. It works by pulling water into the intestinal tract makimg things move better. Also make sure you're getting leafy greens. Diets high in protein can contribute to problems so I find lots of veg helps round things out without adding too many calories.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member
    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    JaimeJaimeM wrote: »
    Yes no problem! Do you monitor your fiber on MFP? You should be in the ballpark of 25-30grams a day. Make sure you're hitting those marks.

    Additionally you can do saline enemas to help clear yourself out. I usually do it every other week but you could honestly do it once a day and be fine.

    Another thing that will help with bloat is if you start taking Digestive Enzymes - these will help break down the food in your stomach better and give you less stone-like poops.

    Oh hell no to the bolded.

    Go back and see the doctor.

    ^^This! Go see your doctor again. You should not reqire regular enemas in order to go!

    A lot of great advice here. Someone else here suspected that you may not be getting enough fat, and I agree with that.

    I find that pears, beets, prunes (check what a serving is- overdoing the prunes for several days gives me the opposite problem) or plums help me out in this department, and I try to have a serving of one every day.

    Good luck.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    What type of medications do you take? I'm on a medication that has constipation as a side effect. If that is the case, regular constipation remedies such as extra fiber, water etc. don't work. I intake a little over the recommended daily fiber, fat intake is good, and drink over 100 ounces of water a day and still have issues due to my medication. My doctor also confirmed it was my medication.

    I was prescribed Linzess; however, I haven't tried it yet. Waiting until I have a free weekend just in case it causes diarrhea.

    It's very frustrating.
  • leejoyce31
    leejoyce31 Posts: 794 Member
    I used to take magnesium citrate; however, it impacted my renal function. Some people think there is no limit on how much you can take, but that is not the case. So be careful with excessive amounts of magnesium.
  • luciewhitefield25
    luciewhitefield25 Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks for all of your advice, some are really helpful! I am 100% going back to the drs and I am keeping a log (excuse the pun) of all movements and what I put into my body, then hopefully that way we can see if there is an under lining issue. I did have some almonds today to up my fats, I will keep this up to see if there are any improvements and get some Magnesium supplements.

    I often wonder whether I have just got a "slow metabolism" and this might just be something that I will have to get use too? Don't know if that is even a thing but just can't imagine myself ever going "normally" now.
  • skullsandskeletons
    skullsandskeletons Posts: 675 Member
    You could also consider getting a referral from your doctor to a gastroenterologist.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    I struggle- always have. But this time around it was getting pretty bad. lately I've added benefiber (or store brand equiv) to my drink 2x a day. In my morning coffee, and in my water in the afternoon. Seems to be helping. You just stir it in and it doesn't change the taste or color or anything. I was pretty miserable for a while, and even over the counter laxatives weren't working. I was about to go to the doctor when I started upping the fiber intake and that seems to have helped.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    When I am counting calories on a deficit, I only go a few times a week as well. Exercise seems to help? For me, I think it’s just less food moving through my system... rather than a problem. Although it can cause discomfort.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,148 Member
    jlynnm70 wrote: »
    I struggle- always have. But this time around it was getting pretty bad. lately I've added benefiber (or store brand equiv) to my drink 2x a day. In my morning coffee, and in my water in the afternoon. Seems to be helping. You just stir it in and it doesn't change the taste or color or anything. I was pretty miserable for a while, and even over the counter laxatives weren't working. I was about to go to the doctor when I started upping the fiber intake and that seems to have helped.

    If fiber in diet is short, this can work well.

    If fiber is ample, extra fiber makes things worse. I know this from unhappy experience (my problem at the time was water), and saw it happen to others here on the "10 veggie servings daily challenge" thread (where the problem was fats).

    (The definition of "ample fiber" probably varies by person, though.)
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I had very similar issues with my IBS for years and was even hospitalised I was in so much pain before being properly diagnosed and also it took me over a decade to pinpoint most of my trigger foods (not trying to diagnose you as having the same as me BTW there are so many gastrointestinal problems that present the same), but laxatives (oral or otherwise), anti bloating tablets and milk of magnesium made me much worse too and doctors really loved prescribing me stronger and stronger ones which made me feel worse. I also had really bad stomach pain that would knock me for six. Mebeverine helped me with that and some of the bloating (do not take without being prescribed), also mine was linked to stress.

    My trigger foods are also quite varied, bananas, coffee, bran cereal, cold deli or microwave pasta (but not cooked fresh or dried pasta) oats, nut cluster cereals, (but not any nuts) sticky thai rice and also if I try to change up my diet too much like having loads of fibre like a big veg and chickpea curry or nothing but going high protein with barely any carbs, even meal timings could trigger me so fasting is totally unfeasible to me too. Took me years to link some of these and I still haven't identified them all (I'm suspecting white fish as another but can't be sure) good luck and hope you get diagnosed quicker than I did. x
  • baby_bokchoy
    baby_bokchoy Posts: 61 Member
    There's a great app called Cara that allows you to track your daily health and all the changes that might affect it - including bowel movements, what you eat/possible trigger foods, bloating, stomach pain, etc. It's really easy to use and might be helpful for tracking! I've got IBS, and used it before my official diagnosis. It helped me pinpoint my lactose intolerance. Good luck!
  • Dreamwa1ker
    Dreamwa1ker Posts: 196 Member
    luciewhitefield25 wrote: »
    Hello,
    I saw my DR last week and he put me on a laxative "Macrogol" which I can take 3 times a day if needed, so far they have hardly done anything except make my bloat with my stomach turning rock hard and me questioning if I am pregnant!!!

    The bolded part concerns me - I have a kiddo who has had GI problems in the past, and they always would push on his abdomen to make sure it was still soft. They said if it gets hard it is concerning (e.g. could be something like a blockage). I would definitely get back to your doctor because that could be a bad complication.
  • corrarjo
    corrarjo Posts: 1,157 Member
    When I started my latest journey in January I was eating 500 to 1200 calories a day for a few weeks. Needless to say, I was anything BUT regular. I know I needed more fiber, so the hunt was on. I decided on three basic “meals” to provide ~20g of fiber every day. Of course that goes up and down, depending on whether I skip a meal or add some other item to the menu.

    The first meal is steel cut oats with flax meal and blackberries, good for around 10g. Add a few dried prunes and it goes up a little.

    The second meal is my daily salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, and avocado, good for 4g to 6g, depending on quantity of ingredients. I can add some additional ingredients to up the amount of fiber.

    The third meal is yogurt with flax meal and walnuts, good for an additional 10g or so. The amount of fiber varies with brands and types of yogurt.

    I probably get an average of 20g of fiber every day. Non soluble fiber does’t dissolve and is not digested. It goes in the front and comes out the back, scrapping down the intestinal walls, keeping me all pink and shiny inside. The soluble fiber is not digested, but does absorb water, mixes with the digested food in my intestine, and forms those nice, soft, “Lincoln Logs” I like to see. The thing is, soluble fiber needs water to do it’s job. But just drinking those recommended 8 glasses a day, alone won’t cut it. Any water I drink will go in and out unless I eat enough salt to retain it. Too much salt and my ankles swell up. Not enough salt and there’s not enough water for the soluble fiber to do it’s job. Plenty of fiber and not enough water and I’m constipated. Not enough fiber, but plenty of water and I’m constipated.

    For me it’s a delicate balance of water, salt, and fiber. I took me about a month to figure it out.
  • corrarjo
    corrarjo Posts: 1,157 Member
    @csplatt, If you really want to get cleaned out and inspected, talk to your doctor about a colonoscopy. Sign up for that and they'll give you a gallon of "cool-aid" to drink the night before. I think it contains so much fiber you need a prescription to get it. The stuff will clean you out in a matter of hours. Don't be too far from the bathroom while you're drinking it. The next day you'll be on the examining table with a remote camera up your wazoo. The drugs they give you are great too.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    corrarjo wrote: »
    @csplatt, If you really want to get cleaned out and inspected, talk to your doctor about a colonoscopy. Sign up for that and they'll give you a gallon of "cool-aid" to drink the night before. I think it contains so much fiber you need a prescription to get it. The stuff will clean you out in a matter of hours. Don't be too far from the bathroom while you're drinking it. The next day you'll be on the examining table with a remote camera up your wazoo. The drugs they give you are great too.

    Wow not sure my post hinted I was interested in any sort of assistance or inspection 😂 maybe save that tip for the folks who want to know how to flush out water weight!

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,222 Member
    edited April 2019
    While I see that many people have commented I will throw in a couple of cents.

    Sounds like you're too low fat and when you eat fat and or more food you go to the bathroom.

    It also sounds as if you may have been at a deficit for too long if you're starting to down regulate during your daily life.

    You may want to visit the re-feed and diet break thread (can be found in the sticky threads post at the top of the forum)

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