Help...Can't have a Bowel Movement!!

24

Replies

  • JoJoDoerr
    JoJoDoerr Posts: 173 Member
    I have had a lot of problems over the years and what helped me was making sure I am well hydrated and going on a vegetarian diet. Seriously! I do eat some meat sometimes but I have found that if I do a vegetarian diet for a while I go regularly every day...as soon as I add meat back into the equation I start going less normal and sometimes a week or more pass! I also make sure I get plenty of fiber. I get the high fiber breads, the splenda with fiber, etc.

    "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    after a while your body actually gets used to having laxatives/etc in it, so you in a way get "addicted." you really might need a Dr's help figuring out a plan :(

    good luck!
  • MizAngie
    MizAngie Posts: 113 Member
    drink hot water and lemon,,,
  • amandacolletti
    amandacolletti Posts: 11
    yes i excersie 5 days a week...walk 3 miles...i have lost 38lbs in 2months....not taking no supplements...and yes i eat alot of fruit..more so than veggies...and yes i drink plenty of water
    Most of the fiber supplements you buy in the stores (except Metamucil) are soluble fiber - those are actually bulk-forming and can constipate you. If you're using a lot of stool softeners/laxatives, your body can become reliant on those to have a BM.

    If you are eating a lot of protein, or taking supplements with a lot of calcium or iron, that can also cause constipation.
    Do you eat enough fruits and vegetables? Do you eat whole grains or refined grains? How much water are you drinking? How much are you exercising?

    I feel like more than half of my job is talking about how to stop being constipated
  • luhluhlaura
    luhluhlaura Posts: 278 Member
    My personal, non-medical opinion based off the best of my knowledge:

    -Fiber can be constipating if you don't drink enough water. You say you're drinking enough, but try upping your intake just a little. It could help.
    -If you're on any medications, or began taking a new vitamin, that can constipate you. Try to use vitamins from food sources rather than synthetic ones. --And always take with a meal and lots of water.
    -For some natural relief, try drinking prune juice (gross) or eating prunes (delicious!) with LOTS of water, and maybe a cup of coffee. Go for a walk or exercise in some way, it helps move things through your colon.
    -Also, since changing your diet, have you been eliminating FATS? Fat/oil helps lubricate the colon so matter slides through better (this is why you can use mineral oil as a laxative...bleh lol) Try incorporating some good fat back into your diet. Use olive oil to make a vinaigrette for your salads, enjoy avocado on a sandwich, eat some nut butters, or try oily fish such as salmon.
    All with plenty of water!

    Good luck, hope you find some relief soon!
  • DJParrish01
    DJParrish01 Posts: 38 Member
    If I eat an orange, I better be near a toilet.
  • RepsnSets
    RepsnSets Posts: 805 Member
    I would be off to a doctor after one week as Im guessing you would of tried everything under the sun after it being this long.

    Something doesnt sound good there....
  • DAMNCHARLIE
    DAMNCHARLIE Posts: 569
    chocolate milk on an empty stomach and good ole laxatives do it all the time
  • Janikua
    Janikua Posts: 1 Member
    One tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar with warm water, once or twice per day. You can take it for as long as needed and also helps loosing weight. This is the only thing ever worked for me and I have tried like almost everything
  • bademasi
    bademasi Posts: 180 Member
    I agree that you should see your doctor if you get no relief from the suggestions posted here.

    Things that can help you go...

    1 Sunsweet Prunes they are very good. My Grams old solution and it does work.

    2 If you own a juicer.... fresh apple juice will clean you out. Not store bought juice.

    3 Vitamin C sometimes will help with 3,000 mg. you will go by morning

    4 Drink a beverage that contains caffeine (such as coffee or tea), as caffeine tends to stimulate your bowels.

    Yes! There are foods that tend to be constipating and there are foods that tend to help your digestive system process food and help get rid of the waste. Foods containing fiber can help prevent constipation. Fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, and nuts.

    Some medical conditions such as diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, low thyroid, and pregnancy can cause constipation. Medications such as strong pain pills, antidepressants, and antihistamines can also cause constipation. Most of the time, however, constipation happens for reasons such as waiting too long to go to the bathroom and not having enough fiber in your diet. The good news is that dietary and lifestyle changes can keep you “regular” and help you feel better.


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  • LethaSue
    LethaSue Posts: 285 Member
    100% fruit juice. Grape juice is good for me.
  • ttheriot
    ttheriot Posts: 20 Member
    Eating a low fat diet can cause constipation. Consuming extra fiber can also cause it if your water intake isn't enough-which it needs to be a LOT more to help the fiber move through. A very healthy option is to take 3000mg of Omega 3 fatty acids/day. Fish oil, from a good source is very good. Flax seed oil is good, but not as good as a deep, cold-water fish oil. You need to get a good brand from a health food store. The oil of the Omega 3s helps "oil" your system, and moves things along. Plus it's very good for you.
  • heather_ishmael
    heather_ishmael Posts: 2
    Try drinking kefir. I love blueberry, peach. This is the brand I drink. Kroger seems to have it the cheapest but if you can catch it at Aldi they have it from time to time cheaper. http://www.lifeway.net/Probiotics/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=kefir-general-adgroup&utm_content=lifeway-kefir&utm_campaign=kefir

    Some information on Kefir. http://www.helladelicious.com/our-food/2011/01/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-kefir/
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    I agree that you should check with your doctor. That said when my daughter was 'backed up' they told us to give her Miralax.
  • chammich
    chammich Posts: 104 Member
    Swiss Kriss with lots of water. Works great.
  • SilentRenegade
    SilentRenegade Posts: 243 Member
    Spinach always makes me go. I used to suffer from severe constipation issues... (really high fever, very sick to my stomach, etc.) So I took some magnesium citrate which will literally... well don't leave the vicinity of a toilet. Last time I ever wanted to be constipated.

    Anyway, CHEESE binds me up bad, so if I have cheese, I have extra spinach that day.

    Prune juice, coffee (for some people), and most veggie juices should also help.

    But I'd go to the doc to get it checked out... especially since you seem to be taking quite a bit of fiber supplements and such.
  • BeeSunny
    BeeSunny Posts: 172 Member
    I also have trouble but I have found yoga, water, increased exercising, fruit, and praying does the trick every three days!!!
    I agree with the others See a doc if it is longer then 3 days!!! Good luck!!!
  • BeeSunny
    BeeSunny Posts: 172 Member
    Try drinking kefir. I love blueberry, peach. This is the brand I drink. Kroger seems to have it the cheapest but if you can catch it at Aldi they have it from time to time cheaper. http://www.lifeway.net/Probiotics/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=kefir-general-adgroup&utm_content=lifeway-kefir&utm_campaign=kefir

    Some information on Kefir. http://www.helladelicious.com/our-food/2011/01/the-amazing-health-benefits-of-kefir/

    Good to know I love it!!!! Does that really help with bowels? How long does it normally take?
  • techigirl78
    techigirl78 Posts: 128 Member
    I was in same situation. I have IBS and when I stopped drinking soda (and caffiene), it got real bad. I didnt go for over two weeks at one point. Over the course of four months it was bad. My stomach had constant lower left pain. I took exlax and almost went to hospital due to the pain. Doctor said fiber wasnt enough. She said to use miralax for 2 months plus lots of fiber and water. I was scared to use it, but she indicated it is the safest and what she reccommends. I took it and after 3 weeks or so of one dose a day until I was going 3 times per day. Now i drink at least 12 glasses of water and try to get 25-40g fiber per day. If i go 2 or more days without going, i take miralax again for a few days. However, I can go weeks without it. This has been a life long issue for me though. Changing my eating and cutting out caffiene through me off. If this is really new for you and doesnt resolve quickly, then you probably want to talk to doc.
  • jamoises
    jamoises Posts: 18 Member
    I have had this problem for quite some time.
    I id some research and found that Aloe juice is a natural laxatie that from what I have read your body does not become dependent on.
    At first I took .5 cup in grape juice once a day, then decided that the juice has too many calories, so I just down 1/2 cup daily. So far it has helped.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Wait, you haven't gone in 2 months?!?

    You really need to see your doctor. Severe constipation can be a sign of certain illnesses.

    Best of luck!
  • hwjssc
    hwjssc Posts: 194 Member
    Water and fiber one bars and brownies and only 90 calories each...(and they taste good too)
  • nava31
    nava31 Posts: 2
    Every night for snack, eat about 20 little raw baby carrots. In the morning on and empty stomach drink a full glass of water. And you are going to remember me.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
    Brussel sprouts always work for me, as does 1/2 of a sauteed eggplant in olive oil (I eat it
    with the skin)...

    Protein, nuts, and dairy products can bind you.

    Also, MFP has a really low recommendation for fiber. You should consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber
    each day and drink plenty of fluids.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Eat prunes.
  • deniseearheart
    deniseearheart Posts: 919 Member
    Because of how long this has been going on, and all of your other failed attempts I HIGHLY suggest going to your doctor.


    I agree definitely go see the DR
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I'd agree that you should talk to your doctor. Are you taking any medications, painkillers etc? They always have that effect on me, and once I stop them I'm OK again. But you need to talk to your doctor about this, just stopping medication on your own is BAD idea!

    In the meantime, drink LOTS of water. If you're taking laxatives and increasing your fibre, you need a lot of water to help everything get moving.
  • Bookers23
    Bookers23 Posts: 187 Member
    Of course consult your physician if you continue to be concerned. In order of weakest to strongest methods of producing a BM. This is not a lifestyle change, rather a solution to constipation in gradual steps. Colace or prune juice, senna products, I love a tea called smooth move, it is a senna tea with added benefit of being warm, dulcolax, miralax, magnesium citrate, phosphate soda, fleets saline enema. If one fails to produce a movement, move to next step. Be aware of liquid movements, or really hard ones. You may have a pretty good blockage if you pass hard stool after magnesium citrate for example. With any of these make sure to drink a lot of water. For day to day maintenance, increase both soluble and insoluble fiber with adequate water. Again, consult your physician if this continues. These are just examples of readily available products. Hope this helps!
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Prune juice works but it's nasty. Eating prunes and having a glass of water with them is much more palatable. Laxatives and stool softeners should probably only be used temporarily and under doctor supervision. Those things can lead to dependence - where you cannot go without them!
  • crimznrose
    crimznrose Posts: 282 Member
    I read up on it when I started being a "once a week" person and found that when you cut your diet back (lower amounts of fats, calories, etc) it can wreak havoc on your digestive track in the form of conspitation (and occasionally diarrhea). It's supposed to eventually even out, but I have yet to see it after three months. I usually take a double cup of coffee when I've lost patience, but occasional mild laxatives shouldn't be too bad - key word is occasional.

    My boss' daughter has a chronic constipation problem and takes a daily low dose of Miralax. Maybe that would help you out as well?
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