Chronic constipation ruining my life

[Puel]

Had CC for years. I’ve had all the blood tests, had the camera up the bum - no reason ever found. If I take movicol I end up looking 9 months pregnant and passing small amounts of diarrhoea. I’ve upped fibre - this causes bloating and no result. Drink shit loads of water - no difference. The only thing that works is bisocodyl which I have to take once a week just to make sure I have at least one poo a week - however you’re not supposed to take it regularly so I worry I’m doing even more damage to myself. I’m so fed up. Dr isn’t interested, says all tests are clear.

Anyone else had CC with no cause??

Lots of cooked carrots, salad, pulses, lentils, porridge, figs, prunes, fresh pineapple, lots of fluids. Not too much meat. You have to really work hard to include as many of these foods in your diet every day. You may need to continue with a stimulant laxative, but you should be able to gradually reduce the dose. Allow time to eat breakfast and have a couple of mugs of coffee or tea every morning, then go to the loo in peace if you can.

To be fair I have an underactive thyroid and it feels like it’s underachieving me being skinny.

I was diagnosed with slow transit constipation about 30 years ago and unfortunately i'm now looking at surgical intervention as my bowel is slowly becoming paralysed despite taking everything that's been thrown at me.

Are you under Gastroenterology at hospital? Might be worth asking your GP for a referral.

My daily regime is 8 to 10 sachets of laxido, bisacodyl and lecicarbon suppositories, Anal irrigation system and now picolax once a week.

I thought the picolax would be the magic bullet but it might work the next day and only with mediocre results.

2 litres of prune juice will work but I can't then leave the house for 3 days. It's all or nothing with me.

I feel for you, it's pretty bloody miserable.

Have you seen the colorectal team? They had a constipation clinic when I was under their care for other bowel problems.

Really strong coffee in the morning. Proper ground coffee, not instant. It's the only thing that makes me go!

Olive oil.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qfXymRn1EJ0

One strong caffeinated coffee once in a while clears me out, I usually drink decaffeinated coffee.

I've had this due to slow transit, only thing that works for me is seeded brown toast every morning.. If I don't eat that I don't go.
Flaxseeds did work at one point, the odd coffee.. Lactose definitely stops everything up so I can't have too much dairy.

Try liquid paraffin and senokot. Glycerin suppositories if that’s not enough. Constipation needs treating promptly and aggressively. Going once a week isn’t ok.

Colorectal were brilliant with me. They did alsorts of tests to check my back passage and for me it was from child birth.

I was loving the underachieving thyroid. Poor thing.

I've been advised to take Laxido by gastro which does help. Up to four a day which I get on prescription. And soluable fibre. I can't tolerate much fibre at all now. I'm having a SIBO test next. There is some thinking that it can be about the vagus nerve - something about the links between the brain and the gut. There is help with this via the NHS now. Gluten makes mine worse, I know but I test negative for celiacs. It's very difficult to find how to improve it.

Magnesium and also porridge oats for soluble fibre

Squatty potty, prunes, magnesium and a metric shit tonne of water help me.

I suffered from chronic constipation all my childhood and well into my adult years. No changes to my diet made any difference and increasing fibre/taking bulking medicines like fybogel made it worse as there was more to get stuck if you see what I mean! I would go about once a week and sometimes not for a couple of weeks. The medication that worked for me was Laxido. It works differently to some others because it draws water into the bowel to soften the stool rather than adding bulk. I started on one sachet a day every day and was able to reduce after a while to half a sachet a day. I took half a sachet a day for a couple of years and then dropped down to half a sachet every other day, and now I don't take or need anything.

Oh, and just to add that drinking more water didn't help at all either. I tried it for months and all that would happen was I was constantly running to the toilet with a full bladder but no impact on the constipation.

Things that work for me:

Magnesium citrate
Kiwis - these really do help
Fermented foods regularly
Massage - small clockwise motions starting bottom right then moving up and around the belly button and down to the left. Also helps move wind.
Coffee.
Making time to go in the morning. Seems weird but if you’re rushed your body won’t do it.

Things that I've seen help clients over the years (as a therapist)
Linseed and chia seeds soaked in water
Reducing significantly dairy (best to try absolutely cut out for 6 weeks and see if it helps can be a complete game changer).
Lots of fruit especially plums, Kiwis, prunes, figs, peaches and fibre.
Water water water and Juice.
Acupuncture
Daily stomach massages (do on yourself) lots on the website to teach you.
Exercise. Move move move.
Eat less shit.

YES YES YES.

It literally makes all the difference. We're talking day and night OP. To the point where I've also got a travel one for when I'm on holiday. It is life changing.

Are you taking any medication? Statins or blood pressure tablets? That might not be helping. I take chelated magnesium every night which helps. Also was advised to take linseed every morning with breakfast. That really helped me.

I have this one, I think it looks quite nice - well nice for what it is! 😅

Definitely use a squatty potty and have 3 kiwi fruit for breakfast every day. Constipation can be caused by gallstones so if you are getting any other symptoms maybe check that out too.

op I’d be bunged too if I didn’t eat any fruit! Peaches, plums, nectarines, kiwis. Couple of those a day help keep me on top of it.

I have had chronic constipation for numerous years and like you @Puel the only thing that reliably helped is Bisacodyl , nothing else worked for me including all the usual remedies like prune juice , prunes , magnesium , using a stool to raise my feet etc . I’ve recently tried Kayam tablets which are basically senna ( which has never worked for me before) with some other stuff and they are brilliant , so brilliant that I am now just taking half a pill as I find one works too well .

Very European approach, but have you tried a glycerol suppository? They’re cheap & incredibly effective!