Natural Constipation aid?

[Daftsocks]

Hi

My dp suffers from difficult to pass stools and piles. He's been advised to take something like fibrogel but can't as he can't have aspartame. Any suggestions of alternatives? Anyone used Psyllium tablets?

Tia

Prunes, dried apricots, tomatoes, sprouts, porridge and lots of liquid. And lots of exercise ie walking.

Prune juice

Also I often use colax colon cleanse (aloe one from health shop) works really well but I don't know how long it is advisable to use it for, I got a bit reliant on it t one point.

Yes psyllium husks are really helpful. Does he already have loads of veg and fruit?

I've tried everything (including Fibogel) and nothing beats Movicol (sometimes known as Laxido). It's not natural - you need a prescription - but I've checked the ingredients and there's no aspartame. I'd get him to go back to his GP.

Liquorice, sticks from the health food shop steeped in water for the healthy option, pontefract cakes if he needs the sugar to get it down!

Prune juice, kiwi fruit, strawberries, warm light liquids

You can buy movicol at the chemist - not cheap though.

2 kiwi fruit a day will shift anything.

1 a day keeps you going nicely

otherwise, golden linseed can be good

Another vote for Movicol, followed by lots of fruit and veg and unprocessed food.

Real ale gets everything moving.

There is also - and I know it sounds a bit "woo" , but it really isn't - deep core visualisation. You visualise your gut, miles of it pulsing and rippling and moving the "waste" along.. concious visualisation causing subconscious action or something

You can buy psyllium powder (also called isphagula husk) on the internet much more cheaply than Fibogel and mix it with juice. A slightly heaped teaspoon is about equivalent to one sachet, iirc.

Actually, fybogel is not good unless you do not have fibre in your diet - it dries out and helps bung you up. Same for bran etc.

You need soluble fibre from oats, fruit and veg. and regularly eg every breakfast.

Dried figs.

Bran sprinkled on soup.

Prunes.

I had a very brief period of constipation despite being vegetarian, thought it was something more serious ,was prescribed movicol and it shifted everything. No probs since.
Strong coffee helps too.

Looking at his whole diet should help. Reducing low fibre things like white rice/pasta/bread and replacing with higher fibre options could work. Lots and lots of vegetables. Vegetables have lots of water in as well, so help keep things moving.
Some soft fruit can be very helpful for setting things off.
Dried fruit can be great - figs and prunes to set things off, apricots for maintenance. Prune juice is good.
Certain curries can be good for speeding things up.
Another vote for liquorice.
And moving enough. Keep walking.
He needs to monitor his food/drink/activity over a few weeks and see if he can pinpoint the worst culprits for him.

Liquorice.

Papaya

Flaxseed -- I like

www.amazon.co.uk/Linwoods-Milled-Flaxseed-Almonds-Walnuts/dp/B003LRJ5LY

For me it is essential to avoid tea. It has taken me years to realise this.

I've suffered with constipation for years and it's taken a long time to find what works.

I try to eat plenty of veg and drink plenty of water , I avoid wheat most of the time and I take a magnesium tablet and a psyllium capsule every day - it's important to drink a large glass of water with the psyllium capsule though, I think otherwise it expands and can cause blockage.

Sticking with this keeps me regular[smile

I have had constipation for years and have trouble going to the loo if my stools get below 3-4 on the Bristol chart, as I have a diverticule in the bowel, and have had a rectocele repair, so want to avoid damaging it.

It is exaccerbated by slow transit, which is caused by progesterone relaxing the smooth muscle of the intestine. (synthetic progestins do it too). Slow movement through the large intestine means that more water is taken out and stools end up dry and hard.

Tips from a physio with special interest in constipation include: acidophilus capsules, porridge etc (soluble fibre fruit and stuff) for breakfast every morning followed by a hot drink (coffee in particular) and a trip to the loo (using a step, and pelvic floor release - sniff drop flop). The routine will help and you should always go when you feel the 'urge' and not leave it. She also recommended Ortisan cubes which contain some Senna which I did not find helpful as it gave me cramps. She also said to pre-empt known problems with laxitives, eg if I take codeine. Also, plenty veg and water.

TBH, I have tried all of that and it is still an uphill struggle. A hospital dietician friend of a friend swears by kiwi fruit and I found that really did work and is the best thing so far. As well as the fibre, they are supposed to have some enzyme in that helps. The only problem is that now, having eaten them every day for a year, I can't stand them.

Now, I try and follow the physiotherapist's advice, nibble on fruit all day and take movicol as soon as things are not going well, and alternate days during the progestogen part of my hrt.

I hope my experiences will be of help to someone else. I am going to try going without tea as chemenger suggests as I go through loads. It is definitely worth a go.

My sluggish gut is VERY sensitive to progesterone as well DayLillie. Took me a long time to figure it out, but once I did, the hormonal contraception went out of the window forever. I am very reliant on Movicol during the second half of my menstrual cycle, and I've just discovered I'm pregnant, so my intake is going to rapidly increase over the coming months!

Caricol concentrated papaya, in sachets from health food shops. Brilliant stuff, put it in yogurts and ice lollies.

A couple of Ripe Pears the ones that are almost going over & hot water to drink will get you moving. This was recommended by an Italian doctor when I was constipated on a holiday in Italy.

I take 1/2 Tablespoon of regular old molasses before bedtime if I need help and it's never failed me yet and I do have chronic constipation. No cramps either, plus it tastes decent :)