Baffled by constipation (could be tmi) sorry 😕

[Losingthewill8]

Hi I'm mid 40's, mother, wife, non stressful job.

I drink approx 2litres of water a day. I eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. I'm not overweight for my height. Prob nine and a half stone, maybe a pound more and 5'4" tall. I am not sedentary.

Here is my problem, I can go 4 days without going to the loo with constipation and it's really getting me down because it just makes me feel bloated and sluggish.

In the main, when I do go it never feels (dear god, this is probably tmi), satisfying/complete, that only happens a few times a year! Otherwise, we're talking rabbit droppings here.

Can someone please help? I could eat a tonne of prunes and literally, no go! Thank you.

The nu u have great reviews! Def on my list!
Thank you.

You'll need a spreadsheet to keep track of it all!

I know!! 😄

Hi op, they are quite expensive but I only take one a day so a pot lasts me 6 months. It's interesting what people are saying about the pelvic floor, mine is definitely much weaker before my period and that's also the only time I ever have any trouble with feeling a bit bunged up now, although no where near as bad as before (when it was all month!)

Can I add something else into the mix? I take magnesium every day. That works too!

Hi! I feel your pain. It could be a slight rectocele. If you ask your gp to be referred to a women's health physio they can help.
Google squatty potty...they help put you in the optimal position for emptying fully.
Try 'supporting' your perineum during a bowel movement. It may help!
Live probiotics (udos choice do some that I use- you keep in the fridge as they are 'live')
Magnesium (natural calm is one brand) do the job if you take at night before bed
Alpine tea (not regularly but can be used every now and then)
Eat a few prunes before bed!
Hope you get some relief!!

What probiotics are you taking. Need decent ones like Biona kefir or make your own.

Also kiwis are great for regular bowel movements.

I had this after suffering other bowels problems. I used to use a glycerin suppository every day to make me go. Dr said there was no problem with this. TMI but you need to wet it with warm water and push it as far as it will go. Hang on as long as you can before going otherwise you won't have a decent clear out! You can buy them off the shelf at supermarkets or Boots/Superdrug. Hope you get sorted. It's miserable. I did eventually get into a better habit of going and I didn't need them any more.

This is incredibly sweet but I boil dried prunes and apricots. Then blend into a puree and a few spoons is more than enough to er get things going. Sorry I know you have probably already tried things like that probably.

Probiotics are being ordered today.

I have dome magnesium somewhere, I'll add that to the mix.

I'll look up Alpine tea, as I haven't heard of that tea.

Kiwis are part of daily fruit, sometimes they help, but only if I have 4 or 5 of them!

With the glycerine, after using, how lng do they take to work?

So many helpful comments. Thank you all so much!

Good luck. Please update with progress...

Glycerin - how long they take to work can depend. Sometimes within ten minutes, sometimes 30. You need to give them time to dissolve. Sometimes they give you a feeling straight away that you need to go, but if you do, you'll basically just poo the suppository out! Hang on if you can. They are unobtrusive because not absorbed etc like a laxative is.

Update
Probiotics have arrived, ill start those tomorrow with breakfast.

Movicol I have stopped taking, as I was 'going' a bit too often/unpredictably.

I have cut out wheat.

Drinking more than 2 litres of water a day.

I have added flax to my diet and upped my fruit and veg intake even more!

Here's hoping!

hi OP
I have this exact problem also and my GP says it is 'lazy bowel'. you can get (senna) Laxatea in holland and Barratt they also do one called Puratea in a red box which is mostly senna but not as aggressive as the yellow box.
I use this sometimes but it is a laxative so not really good even though its natural iyswim.

The exercise I have found most effective to make me go was purely by accident ; Once when I had kayaked for an hour (lots of colon twisting) I got the urge and was quite hilarious urgently needing to get out of my wetsuit.
The second was when I had spent an hour repeatedly squatting and standing while picking up slugs in the garden getting rid of them.

so this leads me to conclude that a lot of tummy exercise not just the gentle massage, is a natural remedy. But you need to do a lot.

Queenofthebucket, I'm picturing you launching your own exercise DVD with these moves...

OP, if your other remedies fail to bring great joy, you could maybe try movicol again. It can take a little perseverance and to get the daily dosage right - you may need just half a sachet, three quarters or a sachet etc.

Sorry missed the question - we get inulin from Amazon - you can add up to anything - drink, yoghurt, I've even eaten straight from the spoon, was chewy and slightly sweet :-)