To ask for your constipation remedies!

[TheNightmareNeighbourNextDoor]

Sorry if TMI but I am getting desperate!

So for about 3 weeks I have been "constipated" - I am getting the urge to go about 3 times a day but when I do its very hard like pellets and I have to strain although I do try not to strain.

I have changed nothing in my diet in the past 3 weeks, if anything I have been trying to alleviate it by improving my diet but still nothing helps!

I eat plenty of fruit and veg, I eat wholemeal bread, rice, pasta, drink about 5 pints of water a day, I am active and go running a few times a week. I don't drink or smoke, my only vices are chocolate on the weekend and 2 cups of coffee in the morning. I am not over or underweight and im in my late 30's.

I have tried fybrogel sachets, prunes, more water, flaxseed, glycerin suppositories and all it does is make me want to go to the toilet but still everything is hard.

I can't get a doctors appointment for another 3 weeks so I am trying to work out what could be the problem in the meantime.

Medically I am fine other than I have been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and I am now on medication for the past 2 weeks - I was actually hoping that was the cause of my constipation as I was already having the hard stool a week before I started the medication, but I have seen no improvements 2 weeks into the medication.

I would rather not have to resort to laxatives as I don't think that will fix the underlying problem. Any suggestions anyone?

If I was as unhappy as you OP I might be tempted to go back on my ‘never again’ for cocaine from some 15 years ago.
I can guarantee that it works. I believe in the trade it’s called the ‘turkey trots’ 😂😂😂

Loads of fibre can be counterproductive as you have the bulk there but it's too hard. More water, I find tinned pears (and the juice) helps and lactulose
I take a lot of codeine which has the same constipation effect!

@PotsOfJoy oh yes! so I've heard

Weetabix and orange juice works for me

I recently had this problem and I took dulcolax and that sorted me out good and proper. Since then I've incorporated a few prunes (and custard ) into my diet most days and I've been as regular as clockwork.

I gave up smoking many moons ago and took up eating tangerine, satsumas. Nothing gets your digestive system into action than 4 of those bad boys every day. One memorable occasion I drove around an entire suburb looking for somewhere to go and ended up knocking on the door of my former landlady to use the loo.

Laxido

Vigorous exercise, star jumps etc.. I see you are doing that

Hot water bottle on tummy

Massage tummy, clockwise I can feel wher mine gets blocked up and gently rubbing there starts it moving (sorry)

Feet up high when you sit on the loo

If you are feeling very uncomfortable, back off the fibre and avoid fatty foods, stick to a bland beige diet...just to prevent volume building up

Really backed up, then extra laxido and avoid eating for a while, and then stick with the bland beige chicken and mashed peeled potato diet to let things recover ( although that might be less relevant if it’s thyroid related, but if it’s bad you will want to try everyth8ng that is safe just in case)

Dulco Ease (docusate) capsules. They soften stools rather than stimulate the bowel so work better of stool hardness is the problem.

@SnowyAlpsandPeaks if you're needing to "splint" (stick finger in your vagina in order to have a bowel movement) it sounds like you may have a prolapse (rectocele). Worth a google.

My dh swears by 2 cans of Guinness To get things moving again 👍🏻.
Personally I prefer a couple of sachets of laxido with a lot of water. It’s an osmotic- it draws water into the bowel and softens the hard stuff. Don’t take too much though!

I used to suffer with constipation a lot. I agree to lay off the extra fibre. That can actually be counterproductive when you've got hard stools. Try oily foods, lactulose which is a stool softener and oranges. Also canderel!
My constipation is rarely a problem anymore - not sure why but I do avoid certain foods which are triggers for me - eggs, rice, spinach, chicken and white bread!

@SophieGiroux No everything’s fine and been checked.

It was suggested to me by my GP. She said just pushing slightly towards the back wall, can ‘squeeze’ the hard mass out because it changes shape, rather than trying to keep straining which can lead to further damage.

My constipation comes from taking morphine. So I can eat as my fibre, fresh fruit etc as possible but if I’ve had a bad week with pain and taken a lot of morphine, I will get constipated. Thankfully not half as much as I used too!

A couple of mugs of strong fresh coffee works for me too.

Prune baby food pouches

Prune juice is amazing & I don’t agree that it tastes horrendous! I also find I go well the day after I've eaten red meat. Califig is pretty good too.

Bisacodyl is the best laxative I've ever had. I was born with bowel problems.

Without resorting to laxatives, bulking up on water and neat fruit juices Can help.

Chocolate or other sugar based foods works for me. A family sized bar in the evening, all sorted in the morning!

Had this a long time. I’ve tried a gazillion different things in the past.

Extra fruit, prune juice, oranges, grapes, apricot - nope
Extra fibre - disaster
Fybogel - nope
Castor oil - nope
Suppositories - ok for final clear out but doesn’t solve it
Lactulose - disgusting and just makes me fart, no other discernible effect
Almost stop eating for two weeks - effective, but miserable

Laxido - Amazing. Now use it every day and avoid too much bread/cereal... sorted. It has changed my life!

I've had major issues with this for the past few years. Like you nothing changed and I went from going regular as clockwork daily to being seriously constipated. I tried everything like you.

I tried fybrogel but that didn't really work for me. Ime, dulcolax was my only help. Senekot didn't work, the powders the doctor's give didn't work and made me gag. It was awful. I'd take them every four to five days as I just wouldn't feel the urge to go otherwise.

This went on for ages. Then I got pregnant and it was instantly better, then since having ds it'd taken me 11 months to not have to use laxatives.

My advice would be use something like senokot which is less harsh than dulcolax just to stop that fretting then see how things go. I was also dead against laxatives but they were all that worked. Pick a day when you have a freeish morning as they can give you cramps.

I actually went to a physio after having DS it was so bad and she advised me to take laxatives every day then every other day then half a dose every other day to get my bowels working again. But my issue was my body just needed time to recover after having DS.

Sorry for the ramble it's just been a massive issue and worry in my life for a few years now and I know how horrid it is feeling all bloated and back ache and worrying.

Good luck I feel for you!

A whole bunch of grapes, a carton of fresh orange juice and prunes will make you shit through the eye of a needle

Andrews salts have been the only thing to help me

Sounds awful OP. Are you able to pass wind? Ignore if TMI.If not I'd get to the GP for advice tbh. If you're adamant no laxative (movacol etc suggested here are really good usually) then I second dulcoease tablets and LOTS of water (they need it to work effectively). They're not as fast as the laxative but should work in a few days.

Google 'squatty potty' for effective toilet positioning (I saw a physio for this sort issue, don't ask )

Otherwise gentle exercise, liquid diet if poss until this is over, no bulking foods ,warm baths, magnesium salts. After 3 weeks I'd go in the bloody bath if I had to OP it must be maddening. I'd consider getting back to the GP asap if none of this helps in a few days.

Laxido is good - mild laxative sachets. Because they're not very strong you can adjust how many you take based on the severity of your symptoms. You could get them prescribed from a nurse practitioner or walk in centre (actually i think you don't need a prescription but not sure).

I know you said no laxatives but it's better than straining and ending up with piles!

Drink a bottle of Appletiser, always works for me!

I was reading a study about how people who drink sparkling water have fewer issues in this department.