Constipation

black_sabbath
black_sabbath Posts: 52
in Health and Weight Loss
This may be an odd question, and some may say gross.

But what food helps with constipation? I've been bad for months and the doc said it was the food I used to eat. I went healthy had plenty of fibre just like she said, but i'm still the same. It's extremely painful.

Any one else have a similar problem?
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Replies

  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    Beans!
  • flukes9
    flukes9 Posts: 78 Member
    MiraLax is the best thing ever!!! It's safe to take daily and it's so helpful because it's not a laxative, it's a stool softener. When fiber supplements and lots of water don't work, try this. Seriously, it is amazing with no side effects. From someone who has had a lot of problems in that area, let me say it's a miracle worker.
  • jadedbutterfly71
    jadedbutterfly71 Posts: 83 Member
    I never had a problem until I cleaned up my diet...lol...try drinking more water, and maybe take a stool softener. That's what has helped me.
  • MCsAngel2
    MCsAngel2 Posts: 49 Member
    Since you said you definitely have fiber in your diet - did you also increase your water intake when you increased your fiber? Part of the reason 64 oz. a day of water is a standard recommendation has to do with also assuming you have enough fiber in your diet. Fiber won't work without the water...in fact, it generally makes it worse.

    If your water intake is at the recommended level, and you have adequate fiber, but you're still constipated, I recommend asking your doctor . He/she may tell you to take fiber pills or metamucil in addition.
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    Prunes. Pears. And start taking a stool softener (NOT a laxative!) daily at bedtime until things get moving properly.
  • acfkaren
    acfkaren Posts: 60 Member
    Me :sad:

    I try and drink a lot of water.............................sometimes I have to submit to fybogel. It's getting so I am afraid of "going". Yet too much insoluble fibre makes my IBS flare up.

    I need help too!
  • KeepGoingRhonda
    KeepGoingRhonda Posts: 527 Member
    Eat sunflower seeds...gets me moving everytime!
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    Beans, vegetables, raisin bran.
  • EnduranceGirl2
    EnduranceGirl2 Posts: 144 Member
    Get more exercise. If you're eating protein bars and shakes, they can be horribly constipating. Try cutting them out of your diet or eat half your current amount and see if that helps.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    If you have 5 servings of fruit and raw veggies a day things will be smooth sailing!

    Even just one apple a day usually keeps things moving.

    Water, drink 8 glasses of water (or 64 oz.) every single day.
  • bleacheblonde
    bleacheblonde Posts: 333
    I have had the same problem for my entire life. It really sucks, and it makes it very difficult to lose weight. Fruit, oatmeal, and dried fruit (especially prunes and dried apricots) help. I've found that brown rice helps too. And I take Metamucil twice a day, once in the morning and once at night with a glass of water. If I do this consistently, it improves things. And drink LOTS OF WATER with ALL of those things! If you don't have enough water, fiber will not help at all.

    In a dire emergency, magnesium citrate will clean you the heck out (it's a saline laxative, stimulant free). It causes some nausea, but it will definitely get the job done. I used to choke down a bottle of it every few days, but it tastes like pure hell. I don't know if causes dependency or not so I wouldn't use it too often.
  • rmartin72
    rmartin72 Posts: 1,085 Member
    Beans, vegetables, raisin bran.

    Honestly does work and drinking of a lot of water
  • kmoore02
    kmoore02 Posts: 167 Member
    Six teaspoons of Epsom salt in warm water will get it moving. I had the same problem and I drink 8 - 10 cups of water a day and plenty of fiber. Then a friend reminded me its the medicine I take thats doing it to me.
  • black_sabbath
    black_sabbath Posts: 52
    Me :sad:

    I try and drink a lot of water.............................sometimes I have to submit to fybogel. It's getting so I am afraid of "going". Yet too much insoluble fibre makes my IBS flare up.

    I need help too!

    I've done the same, I have fybogel with mebevarine. I was diagnosed with ibs and now I have the opposite. Tried stool softeners, plenty of fibre, water, fybogel....nothing is working :(
  • spdaphne
    spdaphne Posts: 262 Member
    water, beans, and lots of veggies!!!! load up on those veggies because they have fiber too and can help things to flow better :)
  • paulsmisses
    paulsmisses Posts: 178
    This may be an odd question, and some may say gross.

    But what food helps with constipation? I've been bad for months and the doc said it was the food I used to eat. I went healthy had plenty of fibre just like she said, but i'm still the same. It's extremely painful.

    Any one else have a similar problem?

    i was terrible for first 6 weeks and found that natural senna tablets and loads of water helped, and gradually my body is accepting my new diet. but i know how miserable it is and its so hard to shift once you get blocked up. good luck x
  • devonette
    devonette Posts: 263 Member
    Depending on what triggers your IBS, it can be tricky to deal with constipation, so you may have to experiment. Laxatives or suppositories can help for a once in awhile thing, but if it's an every day thing you need to look to your foods for help.
    If the constipation is a recent thing, it could also be connected with a medication you either discontinued or just started, and you might want to check with your doctor in that case.

    Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and drink lots of water. Dried prunes are a wonderful natural laxative. If you are okay with wheat products, try eating a bowl of Shredded Wheat'n Bran and skim/ low fat milk every morning. That works wonders for my family. Make sure you haven't cut all fat/oil from your diet, because your body does need some to function correctly.
  • MissCheese
    MissCheese Posts: 195 Member
    Gentle exercise does help to stimulate the bowel, as do squats.
  • Werglum
    Werglum Posts: 378 Member
    Ground linseeds (I think they call them flaxseeds in America - not sure where you are or what they'd be called there!) I put them in my porridge in smoothies and you can put them in baking (like oaty raisin cookies) as well.
  • iris8pie
    iris8pie Posts: 224 Member
    Psyllium Husks!
    they scrape the insides of your intestines, and puff up your bowel moments and make you sing like an opera singer while you poo :)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks
  • slim104
    slim104 Posts: 160
    Psyllium Husks!
    they scrape the insides of your intestines, and puff up your bowel moments and make you sing like an opera singer while you poo :)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks
    LMAO reading this....i have a picture in my head now!!
  • TonyStark30
    TonyStark30 Posts: 497 Member
    Ground linseeds (I think they call them flaxseeds in America - not sure where you are or what they'd be called there!) I put them in my porridge in smoothies and you can put them in baking (like oaty raisin cookies) as well.
    This, and but don't have Flaxseed and beans on the same day! Lol
  • Miss_L
    Miss_L Posts: 20 Member
    Any form of laxative is an absolute NO!!! Your body needs to learn to be regular naturally, whether every 3 days is regular for you, or every day is regular for you.

    If its quite hard then soluble fibre will help soften it all up, so a fibre supplement such as benefibre will help.
    If its hard to to go all together, more rough-age will hell, so brown rice, oats, bran, rye bread etc.
    Eating dried prunes etc will help, or what always helps me is stewed apples (no added sugars) with plenty of water added while cooking, and when softened add lots and lots of wheat bran, let it soak up the water etc. i eat it warm with yoghurt to make it more palatable, but a serve of that each day should help.
    And like everyone else has mentioned, plenty of water! Litres! And of course the usual, no white bread, processed foods etc :)
  • imissbagels
    imissbagels Posts: 166 Member
    i have the same problem. Ive added flaxseed to my breakfast every morning. Its helped things along.
  • Venturin
    Venturin Posts: 244 Member
    Psyllium Husks!
    they scrape the insides of your intestines, and puff up your bowel moments and make you sing like an opera singer while you poo :)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyllium_seed_husks

    LOL this is the post of the year
  • Erica27511
    Erica27511 Posts: 490 Member
    Fish oil capsules help me every time!
  • julieb1975
    julieb1975 Posts: 3
    Drink a mug of warm (not cold) apple juice. Or a half cup or so of dried apricots. Both do the job for me... also Miralax is pretty good as well, so second that recommendation.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    I have the opposite problem. :cry:
  • ANUFABME1920
    ANUFABME1920 Posts: 7
    fish oil...with every meal
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
    I saw several posters say 64 oz of water. You should really be drinking 1/2 your body weight in oz. instead. 64 oz. is too little for most people. And of course add to that if you exercise or live in a warm or humid climate. I did not know this for a long time and stayed dehydrated and had similar problems because of it.

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