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Default Dec 06, 2018 at 10:01 PM
  #1
I saw my dr. today and have a GI appt next week about my chronic constipation. The one time I tried the magnesium citrate drink it took 8 hours to work, made me cough, messed with my electrolytes levels afterward and while it cleaned me out I was weak for a few days afterward. So, I am afraid to try any osmotic laxatives like Miralax or stimulate laxatives like Ducolace.

If I drink extra water, eat extra fiber, will my body just push the "stuff" out itself eventually? Or, should I risk the side effects of using something like Miralax for relief, say, on Friday and Saturday to see what it does to me?

Anyone experience constipation have any advice about not using osmotic laxatives or stimulant laxatives to treat constipation, but another method or use food instead?
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Default Dec 07, 2018 at 10:32 AM
  #2
Honestly I used to have horrible problems with this when I was a kid. But the moment I started drinking coffee (especially instant) I never had the problem again. My suggestion would be to consider coffee - also probiotics.

I use Miralax on my cat when he gets in trouble. But I try not to use a lot of it. With him I also use oil. Salmon oil. It either makes it slide right out or doesn't agree with him. I sometimes use coconut oil for that purpose.
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Default Dec 07, 2018 at 10:40 AM
  #3
Simply, drink lots of water and eat lots of fiber.

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Default Dec 07, 2018 at 09:40 PM
  #4
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Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton View Post
Honestly I used to have horrible problems with this when I was a kid. But the moment I started drinking coffee (especially instant) I never had the problem again. My suggestion would be to consider coffee - also probiotics.

I use Miralax on my cat when he gets in trouble. But I try not to use a lot of it. With him I also use oil. Salmon oil. It either makes it slide right out or doesn't agree with him. I sometimes use coconut oil for that purpose.
How did you solve your constipation problem? Do you take Metamucil (another OTC product that you add to water -- I haven't tried this one yet either).

I think I get backed up when my hormones go haywire either before or after I get my period.

I normally drink decaf coffee but I think I'll try caffeine tomorrow and hope it stimulates my colon to push it real good as the Salt N Pepper song goes (which is not about constipation LOL but I was trying to make a joke).

i was also told I have to start adding Metamucil fiber supplement to water to keep my poo soft, but, I don't want to do that. i'd rather try Dandelion tea or something natural. I drink Peppermint tea and Chamomile tea so maybe I'll investigate teas for constipation too.

i don't normally drink regular coffee b/c it makes my heart race for about 5 hours. But I'm willing to put up with it tomorrow (Saturday) just to get some relief.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TishaBuv View Post
Simply, drink lots of water and eat lots of fiber.
Tisha, I already drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to the point where my urine is totally clear, which means I'm hydrated. I just don't understand how that water doesn't get absorbed in my colon, and gets peed out instead.

i also read online that if you up your fiber intake too quickly, it can backfire on you and cause constipation. Fiber has to be added slowly over a couple of weeks.

I eat fiber every day but I know I don't eat a ton of fiber. So I am trying to slowly add more fiber to my daily meals. It's just so frustrating b/c I have rosacea food triggers, foods I have to avoid b/c I have N.A.F.L.D. or NASH, and am supposed to avoid fruits that the body mistakes for pollen, since I'm allergic to Birch trees and some stone fruits like apples, etc. mimic the pollen from Birch trees when ingested raw, but not cooked. So, all that fiber source from those stone fruits I can't eat either.

But thank you ladies for at least responding. I will try the coffee and I will just slowly add more fiber to my meals. I will try to add some stretching and some walking daily to my routine too, hopefully to get things moving in my colon and intestines.

Constipation is so frustrating to deal with. I can't stand doctors who just dismiss it as "take this laxative or fiber supplement" as if that solves the problem. Um, no, it just is a temporary band aid. I feel like I will have to use food, coffee, teas, probiotics (I don't know what those are and I can't eat yogurt b/c of my fatty tissue liver disease since dairy constipates me too), some exercise and I'm good with the water (clear pee means good hydration supposedly).
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Default Dec 08, 2018 at 08:43 AM
  #5
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
How did you solve your constipation problem?
Quirky Questions: Why does coffee make me poop? | One Medical

1 glass of coffee in the morning. Actually I use more than one spoon of instant. I got regularly every single day. Note that I take caffeinated coffee.

I have never found Metimucal or fiber to work for me. Water either.
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Default Dec 08, 2018 at 02:42 PM
  #6
Emily, so I went to the coffee shop this morning around 10 a.m. and ordered a 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf chocolate mocha. Around 11:30 a.m. I had a small bowel movement. Not much came out, but some did. Then just now at 1:15 p.m. after I drank 2 glasses of water -- the caffeine could still be in my system from this morning -- I had another small bowel movement. So, I think I will stick with the 1/2 caf 1/2 decaf mocha treatment.

I tried drinking 2 glasses of microwaved apple juice last night -- it has sorbitol but not as much as prune juice has -- and all that did a few hours later was give me gas but did not produce a bowel movement. I was disappointed.

I think I will still go buy some prune juice and try the Butter Bomb -- prune juice microwaved with 1 teaspoon of melted butter -- maybe later tonight or tomorrow.

It's been 7 days now with only intermittent, small bowel movements since my period (damn hormones and my hypothyroid and NASH and middle age and sedentary lifestyle).

I read online that another natural treatment for constipation is to drink 1 teaspoon of olive oil on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, or drink 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in a cup of microwaved water, or drink castor oil, or drink Dandelion tea or Cilantro tea.

There's an abundance of info on the internet about "natural constipation" treatments but who's to say those would work for everyone, and my anxiety is so triggered already thinking about resorting to OTC products like Miralax or Metamucil.

How long did it take you to clear up your constipation Emily? Weeks? Months? Do you still get a caffeine buzz or did your body eventually adjust? Just 1/2 caffeine and 4 hours later I'm still buzzing from it. But I'm trying to drink water too.

I think it's interesting that neither water nor Metamucil worked for you either. That must mean like you, I may have a structural problem with my colon, or if not structural, both of our colons won't absorb the water into the stool/waste inside to help it soften and get pushed out. So damn frustrating.

Maybe I just have to keep trying the caffeine route and hope in a week it clears out my colon. I meet with the GI dr. tomorrow. Don't know how that will go. Thanks for commenting on my thread. I thought I was the only person with this constipation problem.
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Default Dec 08, 2018 at 03:50 PM
  #7
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
Maybe I just have to keep trying the caffeine route and hope in a week it clears out my colon. I meet with the GI dr. tomorrow. Don't know how that will go. Thanks for commenting on my thread. I thought I was the only person with this constipation problem.
Well I stared drinking coffee at 16 so I really don't remember. I have never gone a day without coffee since so... But here is a question... are you eating a lot? I have freaked myself out about constipation when I wasn't eating very much. But the less you eat the less you need to go.

I didn't realize it had been 7 days. There is also something called Magnesium Citrate that you can just buy at the pharmacy. I have never tried it but I have heard that is what doctors recommend for serious cases.

The GI doctor will fix it -- no worries.
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Default Dec 09, 2018 at 01:37 PM
  #8
Whenever I have problems, I eat bran muffins, raisins or prunes. I boil the prunes and only eat about 6 - 8 of them. If I eat anymore than that I get horrible gas.

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Default Dec 09, 2018 at 01:55 PM
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Whenever I have problems, I eat bran muffins, raisins or prunes. I boil the prunes and only eat about 6 - 8 of them. If I eat anymore than that I get horrible gas.

Didgee, I may go out today and eat a bran muffin from the coffee shop and then some raisins later on. The gas from prunes is no fun. Now that I know from experience that prune juice take about 4 hours for me to create a bowel movement, I wonder how long boiled prunes will take.

Do you have to constantly eat prunes? How does one get ahead of their constipation? If you're a woman, your hormones mess up your digestion before, during and after your period. I tend to get constipated right after my period and it sucks. Also, my hypothyroid disease causes constipation so I really need to probably take something OTC against my will, to keep it all soft in my colon. So frustrating. I just don't know what to do!!

I drank some microwaved prune juice last night around 10 p.m., after having anxiety all day about which methods I should use to get rid of my constipation. At about 4 hours later, 2 p.m., I strained for about 30 minutes and had a really hard bowel movement after a lot of belching and farting. It was really painful and only a small piece, but it was definitely blocking things.

I think I will ask the GI dr. tomorrow about taking stool softeners. Because, if its all hard and stuck in there, I don't see how taking an osmotic laxative that will bulk up and make larger what's already hard inside my colon, easier for me to pass. This is why my anxiety is so high. There's just no right way to get rid of constipation b/c it depends on what's stuck inside -- how hard it is etc. -- and the best way to get it out.

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Default Dec 11, 2018 at 07:33 PM
  #10
I believe low potassium levels can cause constipation (among a million other things, of course). You can get potassium over the counter, but in stupidly low doses that's really not worth it. I try to drink a can of V8 Low Sodium every day (the low sodium has more potassium because they use potassium to replace the sodium and keep the flavor the same). Apricots are another good source of potassium. And of course, there's always bananas.

In the US, the FDA just finalized the new food label requirements that include listing potassium, so you'll still see some labels without potassium, but more and more will have it on there.
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Default Dec 14, 2018 at 06:29 AM
  #11
Not sure what the doctor said but I ran across this the other day..

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J8HVV0...ng=UTF8&btkr=1

Basically it is a book that says Fiber actually makes constipation worse. In my experience that is true. I have never had fiber do anything to help me go.
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Default Dec 14, 2018 at 08:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton View Post
Not sure what the doctor said but I ran across this the other day..

Fiber Menace - Kindle edition by Konstantin Monastyrsky. Health, Fitness & Dieting Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Basically it is a book that says Fiber actually makes constipation worse. In my experience that is true. I have never had fiber do anything to help me go.
Wow! Thanks for this info! I totally have experienced constipation from eating too much fiber. So I HATE it when my G.I. or Family Physician suggests I add Metamucil or add more fiber to my diet. No thanks.

It makes zero sense. Fiber just bulks up the poop and it gets stuck and dried out, so no way will I add more fiber to my diet.
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Default Dec 15, 2018 at 09:06 AM
  #13
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
Wow! Thanks for this info! I totally have experienced constipation from eating too much fiber. So I HATE it when my G.I. or Family Physician suggests I add Metamucil or add more fiber to my diet. No thanks. It makes zero sense. Fiber just bulks up the poop and it gets stuck and dried out, so no way will I add more fiber to my diet.
Yes. When I was a kid and had these issues they constantly told me to do such things and it NEVER WORKED.

Now I know it probably was making me worse.

I have always wondered what the point of fiber was and didn't really believe the supposed benefits. But then to learn that animals have very different physical digestive systems to us (more made for fiber consumption) and there is the the nail in the coffin.

I have long felt there is a bias / conspiracy in medical advice to favor a plant based diet and so those people feel encouraging people to get more fiber will do that.
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Default Dec 15, 2018 at 01:54 PM
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
Do you have to constantly eat prunes? How does one get ahead of their constipation? If you're a woman, your hormones mess up your digestion before, during and after your period. I tend to get constipated right after my period and it sucks. Also, my hypothyroid disease causes constipation so I really need to probably take something OTC against my will, to keep it all soft in my colon. So frustrating. I just don't know what to do!!
No, I don't eat prunes constantly.

I don't deal with constant constipation. I think it is, because I drink a lot of very watered down fruit juice and eat a good amount of vegetables and fruit everyday. If I don't eat any for a day I get backed up. Walking helps things move as well. I find if I work at a desk for a few days straight it is harder to move my bowels.

My period can back me up, but it is usually when I don't drink enough. I tend to get very hungry and thirsty during my period, so it is rarely an issue.

Taking laxatives everyday is going to mess with your colon.

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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
I think I will ask the GI dr. tomorrow about taking stool softeners. Because, if its all hard and stuck in there, I don't see how taking an osmotic laxative that will bulk up and make larger what's already hard inside my colon, easier for me to pass. This is why my anxiety is so high. There's just no right way to get rid of constipation b/c it depends on what's stuck inside -- how hard it is etc. -- and the best way to get it out.


Taking an osmotic laxative can be brutal. If you have bits blocking you up, the cramping will be intense. That would be my last resort. What about a rectal enema? They can cause some 'local' cramping and temporary **** burning, but they work. Once all the fluid in your rectum has been expelled the cramping stops. Personally I would try diet first, and no I am not referring to Metamucil.

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Default Dec 15, 2018 at 01:59 PM
  #15
Emily you've just scratched the surface of just how much the medical community has it in for their fellow humans. Fiber doesn't help matters...at all. It makes them worse. Why don't more people believe this?

We're all just guinea pigs and dollar signs to most doctors. I am friends with a doctor, and even she bullies me to follow the common (bad) medical advice of:

eat more fiber
use a daily fiber supplement
drink 3 liters of water a day
follow the FODmap diet (for IBS, Crohn's, etc.)

Ever since I was little, I've had constipation, now made worse by my thyroid disease over the years. Well, what if I also just have a slow transit time? That can contribute to constipation.

An entire industry has been built around the concept of Fiber as a cure-all to constipation and digestive problems. My G.I. dr. is adamant that I get a colonscopy AND endoscopy at the same time to uncover the reasons for my constipation. I don't want to get those procedures done because they can cause tears, cause inflammation, cause bleeding, cause infections in the colon's pouches that leads to diverticulitis. So, no thanks.

I am going to read that book Fiber Menace. Humans' digestive systems weren't designed to break down fiber, you're correct. So it's counterproductive when doctors tell us to eat more foods that our digestive systems can't even break down, even if we take OTC enzymes to help with the digestion. Such a nightmare.
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Default Dec 16, 2018 at 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
Emily you've just scratched the surface of just how much the medical community has it in for their fellow humans. Fiber doesn't help matters...at all. It makes them worse. Why don't more people believe this?
The more I read the more terrified I become. I feel like I have taken on a second job just trying to glean the reality of what is actually good for you. I am actually grateful for the internet because at least you now have an option to check out anything.

But I am glad I found that book. My "gut" was always telling me that fiber didn't do anything for me but I didn't listen because of the "experts" telling me otherwise. Now I know.
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Default Dec 17, 2018 at 09:15 PM
  #17
Wow Didgee you are lucky that you don't suffer from chronic constipation. I will add some walking every day to my routine when I get home. I did read that one should walk after every meal, but that kind of seems unrealistic based on our busy modern day schedules.

I definitely think period poop can be runny, constipated, or in-between before, during or after the period depending on the woman and how her hormonal changes effect her digestive system. At least I know I get backed up AFTER my period so now I will use this next week before my period, to eat less fiber and drink more water and juice to keep it from getting too dry and hard.

I will have to find a place that is medically trained/licensed to give enemas. Supposedly, those can be dangerous to do. Thanks for that info.

Yeah, I am staying away from laxatives and fiber supplements. No way in hell. I have decided to research "low fiber" diet and will just eat that stuff. Forget fiber. Fiber is my digestive system's enemy.

Quote:
Originally Posted by The_little_didgee View Post
No, I don't eat prunes constantly.

I don't deal with constant constipation. I think it is, because I drink a lot of very watered down fruit juice and eat a good amount of vegetables and fruit everyday. If I don't eat any for a day I get backed up. Walking helps things move as well. I find if I work at a desk for a few days straight it is harder to move my bowels.

My period can back me up, but it is usually when I don't drink enough. I tend to get very hungry and thirsty during my period, so it is rarely an issue.

Taking laxatives everyday is going to mess with your colon.



Taking an osmotic laxative can be brutal. If you have bits blocking you up, the cramping will be intense. That would be my last resort. What about a rectal enema? They can cause some 'local' cramping and temporary **** burning, but they work. Once all the fluid in your rectum has been expelled the cramping stops. Personally I would try diet first, and no I am not referring to Metamucil.
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Default Dec 17, 2018 at 09:19 PM
  #18
Emily, I'm with you that I always had an intuitive sense even as a little kid, that all this "fiber" people and doctors told me to eat, was actually doing me more harm than good. And still today, doctors knowingly miseducate their patients b/c the research that fiber is BAD and TOXIC is in every medical journal that exists.

I LOVE reading medical journal studies and articles and reports from doctors who aren't afraid to call out their colleagues as liars. And they are liars, doctors who give out bad advice without even considering their patient's health and well-being.

We have to advocate for ourselves no matter what, especially with doctors.

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Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton View Post
The more I read the more terrified I become. I feel like I have taken on a second job just trying to glean the reality of what is actually good for you. I am actually grateful for the internet because at least you now have an option to check out anything.

But I am glad I found that book. My "gut" was always telling me that fiber didn't do anything for me but I didn't listen because of the "experts" telling me otherwise. Now I know.
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Default Dec 17, 2018 at 10:22 PM
  #19
Oh my, all this fiber talk is making me want to run to bathroom. Fiber is a binder for sure, but not in the same way rice is. Fiber will allow for one healthy poo after another, while your body does the work. Water weighs down your movement, and when you're ready, one quick clean movement is the goal. Of course, if all you eat is fiber (you'd be surprised how many foods contain fiber), you may never be able to move. The best way to utilize fiber is by adding it to a healthy and consistent diet of proteins, starches, fruits and vegetables
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Default Dec 18, 2018 at 10:33 AM
  #20
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Originally Posted by StreetcarBlanche View Post
I LOVE reading medical journal studies and articles and reports from doctors who aren't afraid to call out their colleagues as liars. And they are liars, doctors who give out bad advice without even considering their patient's health and well-being.
Me too. Thank god for the internet. I shutter when I think how on my own I was prior to the internet. Now I can go directly to studies and research the issue on my own.
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