chronic constipation--please help!

Options
24567

Replies

  • Grimlock69
    Grimlock69 Posts: 197
    Options
    Food combining has really Been helpful to me. Go to YouTube or google it.
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    Options
    Can't see your diary so it's hard to say. I can say this:
    1. I'm not a doctor, and you need one. A medical doctor.
    2. I've had problems when I went extremely low in fat, or in fiber.
    3. I may respect your dislike of laxatives, but I can't believe you would endure the pain of constipation rather than use them. Chronic constipation can lead to more problems down the road, like diverticulosis.
  • ksoria9
    ksoria9 Posts: 6
    Options
    Try peppermint tea. It helps me.
  • slayerdan
    slayerdan Posts: 193
    Options
    If you can stand it, you need a 1-3 day fast. I fast 2 days a month, but depending on how I feel dont always do them together. For two days before, eat nothing but watery fruits and bananas and green vegetables. Then during the two days at least as much water as you drink now. If this doesnt even marginally work, you need a doctor.....there are medical reasons people become constipated. Luck,.
  • seph_house
    seph_house Posts: 101 Member
    Options
    no help but a small warning... i had a spot of the same problem a few years back and finally caved and took a senna based laxative. they did the job but the movement itself was very painful and quite scary at the time.

    (ok, what actually happened was it kicked in in the middle of the night and in a somewhat painful way. i sat in the bathroom for a little while feeling sorry for myself at the stomach cramps and then... the next thing i knew i woke up in a pool of blood on the floor!!
    as far as i can work out, i fainted briefly from the pain and hit the bridge of my nose on the wall. it was a tiny cut but bled lots as face/scalp wounds do and fainting and bashing your head in the middle of the night when you live alone is... scary... so your experience might be much better than mine:)
  • steffiejoe
    steffiejoe Posts: 313 Member
    Options
    Try drinking some plum smart. It works for me.
  • sunshinegirlnm
    sunshinegirlnm Posts: 312 Member
    Options
    I take 400 mg of magnesium each night before bed, which also helps with muscle soreness and sleeping in addition to, ehem, stool softening.

    Also, 1T flax seeds ground and added to water before bed helps.

    Finally, I find kale a miracle worker.
  • jessebreanne
    jessebreanne Posts: 46
    Options
    My son and I both have a slow colon which is the worst, everything gets to a certain point in the bowel and then stops leaving you sick, sore, and no amount of fiber or exercise works. The doctor has put us both on a daily full dose of polyethylene glycol (peg) 3350 - oral (Golytely or Miralax) It is inert, your body does not become dependant on it to function, and there are no negative side effects. If you are severely backed up it may take up to 5-8 days to resolve, and you may want to choose to continue on it daily as a preventative measure. You can get it at Wal-mart next to the Metamucil. The house brand is $5 less and is exactly the same. Some reports on the internet say that you can form a dependance, but I have had 2 doctors and a pharmacist assure me that is not the case. I would definatly go see the doctor first if you are having nausea, vomiting, or sweats as this may indicate a bowel obstruction. Good luck.
  • adjones5
    adjones5 Posts: 938 Member
    Options
    Try drinking aloe vera juice everyday. I drink 1/4-1/2 cup every morning.
  • kutterba
    kutterba Posts: 107 Member
    Options
    TWO things you might try - Vitamin C on an empty stomach in the morning with a full glass of water; the other, as WW will tell you, "healthy oils." Healthy oils literaly lubricate your body. Make sure you're getting just the right amount - up to 3 tablespoons a day - in your vegetables, in your salad.. where ever seems appropriate. and then, if neither works - definitely see a doctor.
    And walking and water and walking and water and walking and water! If you're exercising you should take in 10 glasses of water on top of your coffee.
    I agree with the person who asked if you eating ENOUGH... are you? never less than 1200 calories a day.
    good luck!
  • onawho
    onawho Posts: 196 Member
    Options
    Try Metamucil. It is not a laxative. Make sure you drink lots of water.

    I have had an issue of "going" for a long time, upwards a few years of battling this problem. I tried everything. yogurt, coffee, probios, fiber, pumpkin, cleansers you name it, I tried it.

    I went to the doctors and she suggested Meamucil. I was doubtful, and won't you know it,.....it worked! Its the physilum (sp) not the fiber that helps things move.
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
    Options
    Could your fat intake be to low? Or calories too low?

    calories are definitely not too low. I USUALLY eat 2000+ every single day but I can't manage that right now. i've been eating 1600 for 2 days, so not very long at all and that's not low for someone my size.

    My fat intake could increase for sure. It probably should increase actually.

    Do you regularly eat walnuts or almonds? They are a high calorie food, but when you eat them regularly they, well, sort of lube you up. I've heard some people say the same about peanut butter. They are also some healthy ways to get some extra fat. To get the benefit from the walnuts you need to eat 1/4-1/3 cup per day.
  • CommandaPanda
    CommandaPanda Posts: 451 Member
    Options
    Good afternoon, MFP!

    love4fitnesslove4food, kudos to you for posting what some might consider an embarrassing question!

    It sounds like you may need to detoxify your body. With body building (and athletics in general), we consume an absurd amount of supplements and food in sporadic fluctuation throughout the year. It sounds like you might have some clotting in your gastrointestinal tract. Throughout the year, random "stuff" gets stuck within and clings to the inner walls of your intestines (all throughout). They accumulate over time and eventually may cause problems.
    Here's an article that may interest some of you (goes into deeper conversation that I'm able to here):
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/atd13.htm

    Here's another article that best described various plans that you can follow for a good detox:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek121.htm

    There are supplements on the market that might work well for your situation, but before I offer those up I feel as though you should read through those articles and if you think that those aren't for you then you can reply here or send me a message.

    Hope I've helped you out!
  • dpalmerwilson
    dpalmerwilson Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    Taking 2 tablets of Magnesium Glycinate 400 in the evening before bed generally does the trick. If not, add another tablet or two then back off. Works perfect for me!
  • Fuschia_free
    Fuschia_free Posts: 9
    Options
    Wow this is raw.... i didn't bother to read every post. You said you get enough fibre BUT i'm just gonna say it- if you can find it try ripe mangoes, papaya. Unfortunately, I don't know what could help you BUT fruit. I haven't had this experience but i do know that mangoes and papayas are good.

    Or drink prune juice - i hear it's good. I personally don't touch the stuff :noway:

    Hope this helps
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
    Options
    Also, warm prune juice works, and fast!
  • debussyschild
    debussyschild Posts: 804 Member
    Options
    Try cutting out animal products for a few days - meat, cheese, eggs, yogurt, etc. Replace those with beans, lentils, veggies, etc. Cut out any and all refined grains. Drink plenty of water with your meals so it latches on to the fiber you are eating.

    And...I don't know about your caffeine habits, and this is probably unhealthy advice...but a cup of strong coffee always makes me go. I don't get constipated, but I do notice that within half hour of drinking coffee, I have to poop.

    ETA: I average about 50-60 grams of fiber per day. I think the RDA for fiber is way too low.

    Thanks! I drink coffee every morning. I get at least 50 grams of fiber a day effortlessly. I think I'll do the animal product thing and cut out dairy--I don't eat meat so that's not an issue. I worry about the beans--they make me so gassy and it causes pain.

    Your symptoms sound a LOT like what my friend who has IBS was going through until she was diagnosed. If changing your diet around and using several different products to help you have regular bowel movements isn't working--or your having to resort to using them all the time--I would suggest going to your doctor and asking them about it. There is medication you can take to help relieve symptoms of IBS and make your tummy behave. Hopefully, you don't have irritable bowel syndrome, but it would be worth your while to get a doctor to at least rule it out. Then you might have more success with eliminating things from your diet--one at a time, I might add--to see what specifically is causing you this problem.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Options
    Good afternoon, MFP!

    love4fitnesslove4food, kudos to you for posting what some might consider an embarrassing question!

    It sounds like you may need to detoxify your body. With body building (and athletics in general), we consume an absurd amount of supplements and food in sporadic fluctuation throughout the year. It sounds like you might have some clotting in your gastrointestinal tract. Throughout the year, random "stuff" gets stuck within and clings to the inner walls of your intestines (all throughout). They accumulate over time and eventually may cause problems.
    Here's an article that may interest some of you (goes into deeper conversation that I'm able to here):
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/atd13.htm

    Here's another article that best described various plans that you can follow for a good detox:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek121.htm

    There are supplements on the market that might work well for your situation, but before I offer those up I feel as though you should read through those articles and if you think that those aren't for you then you can reply here or send me a message.

    Hope I've helped you out!

    Reading them now--Thanks so much! I also want to add that I don't take many supplements--just vitamins, omega 3, selenium, and l-tyrosine.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Options
    Could your fat intake be to low? Or calories too low?

    calories are definitely not too low. I USUALLY eat 2000+ every single day but I can't manage that right now. i've been eating 1600 for 2 days, so not very long at all and that's not low for someone my size.

    My fat intake could increase for sure. It probably should increase actually.

    Do you regularly eat walnuts or almonds? They are a high calorie food, but when you eat them regularly they, well, sort of lube you up. I've heard some people say the same about peanut butter. They are also some healthy ways to get some extra fat. To get the benefit from the walnuts you need to eat 1/4-1/3 cup per day.

    I'm allergic to nuts :(
  • crisnis
    crisnis Posts: 83 Member
    Options
    Perhaps you aren't actually constipated - I would suggest you see your physician. The symptoms you describe could be an IBS (irritable bowl syndrome) symptom or it could be something else going on. With all of the remedies you have already tried you should have found relief if simple constipation was your only issue - any of the "at home" remedies will encourage you to see a physician if you don't get relief within a matter of days. It could also be that if you have changed your diet you simply don't have as much waste as you maybe used to having - some people go every day, some every other (or 3) your bowel pattern may be completely normal for you - BUT if you are having other symptoms (fullness, bloating, pain) I would absolutely make an appointment with the doctor.

Categories