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??

Kiwifruit every day.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10226473/

Try:

Homemade lentil and veg soup. I use onion, carrot, sweet potato, celery, cabbage, cauliflower and courgette. 2 handfuls lentils. Chicken stock. Blend to serve.

Homemade apple sauce : literally apples and water. Peel and core apples before cooking.

What is your diet generally like?

If I eat high fibre foods ie brown rice, high fibre cereals, brown bread, I get stopped up, as there is too much bulk.

Pumpkin, fresh peaches and plums, lots of lettuce...basically fruits and veg with high water content help me move. Eating a small amount of biscuits or chocolate is enough to stop me pooing for a day.

This.

Currently doing an Ayurveda "holiday" and one of the things recommended, apart from ensuring that your fibre intake is adaquate, is a mug of hot water with lime or lemon juice sipped first thing. I understand this is supposed to relax the intestines, if that makes sense.
I also take organic Triphala capsules, which are effective.

I only suffer from constipation on occasion but the squatty potty has never made any difference to me. Im always surprised to see it mentioned. The only thing that would help me would be laxido.

My DD has been diagnosed with CC and takes sodium picosulphate along with her movicol and that changed things hugely. The movicol/laxido alone was doing little.

Good point, it's important to have enough fat in your diet for proper bowel movements

Exercise. Walking and slow jogging.

My thyroid is definitely an underachiever!

The thing that helps me is a mixture of veg plus fats e.g home made sweet potato wedges cooked in plenty of olive oil, or celeriac fries. Roasted cauliflower or brocolli with olive oil or butter.

I try and avoid processed meats like chorizo / salami / charcuterie as I find they really back me up.

A bowl of porridge a day is good too,

Definitely increase your fruit.

snack on nuts and sultanas

Hi OP, you need to be referred to a specialist bowel motility clinic. Your GP may be able to do directly or it may be via Gastroenterology.

They can do investigations such as bowel transit time (you swallow capsules and they take an xray a few days later to see how far they have moved), anorectal physiology (to see how the pelvic floor works) and defecating proctogram (to see how rectum empties). You may also need a colonoscopy or CT scan.

Good luck

I saw something on instagram from a doctor who said that there are two types of people with constipation - one lot need more fibre to ease the constipation, and the other lot can’t tolerate as much fibre and increasing fibre causes their constipation. He said try increasing fibre and see which camp you fall into.

One of the things that’s really helped me is Inulin Fibre. I use it in syrup form and add a couple of spoonfuls to cereal/toast/porridge/yogurt etc. It’s a prebiotic which means it feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut rather than introducing another strain, which may or may not survive the journey through the digestive tract. If I don’t have inulin on a daily basis, I end up constipated.

your bowel is meant to be a passage way - if it’s been stretched due to constipation it’s become a waiting room and your muscles are weak.
the only way to allow it to reposition itself as a passage way is to keep it clear so it can shrink back down.
if you are up for it I would suggest you try colon irrigation. But look for a professional - someone who does it full time / some nurses retrain in it.

Do you move enough? A good run, brisk walk and some yoga moves every day can help keep things moving.

Long walks and running usually result in my soiling myself so I guess that’s what I’d recommend. I had a friend who swore by sparkling water and a walk.

Fybogel everyday and no bread! I took lots of foods out and gradually added foods back in to work out which ones made it worse.

Are you on a keto/very low carb diet?

What does a typical day of food look like?

Yes my daughter has chronic constipation. This helps her alot, kefir yoghurt with a teaspoon of califig, 2 senna tablets, apple, pineapple (doles pots) and mineral water with a high level of magnesium. We use buxon but the best is evian and pan pallegrino. All these combined really help her to go every day.

A consultant once told me, he said he challenges anyone to have constipation whilst drinking prune juice regularly as part of their diet.
It’s vile. But I’ve incorporated it by doing a 50:50 mix with Apple juice.

See your doctor.
My daughter has this and the only thing that worked is prucalopride.

Maybe drink apple juice. I once drank a litre of it on a hot day as I was working for royal mail driving around....when I got home I had a serious arse explosion

So a typical day for me:

breakfast - porridge oats with honey and two cups of coffee

lunch - peanut butter sandwhich with a packet of crisps (I know!)

dinner - meat and veg (broccoli, carrots, sprouts etc)

300g magnesium citrate
one ferrous fumerate (every other day)

Tons of sparkling water

One glass of Prune juice

Yes add fruit and the odd bit of sugar to tea or choc bar. The sweetness seems to shift things

I eat far too much chocolate as it is 😂