Constipation all week every week - so fed up

[Marthame]

I don't understand why I'm constipated every single week without fail.

This has been going on for at least 5 years now if not longer.

By mid week my tummy is so swollen and bloated I look 6 months pregnant! I'm very windy and get terrible pains if I don't pass wind.

I can't wear any of my 'normal' clothes as the waistband is way too tight. The only time I manage to go to the loo is on a Saturday morning if I've had a couple of glasses of wine on a Friday night!

Can anyone help me please? I'm at the end of my tether.

This is what I eat daily typically;

2 litres of water & 1 cup of redbush tea.

For breakfast I have shredded wheat with semi milk and 2 tablespoons of milled flaxseed.

Mid morning - sugar free yoghurt

Lunch- ham salad sandwich on Wholemeal granary.

Dinner- chicken with lots of veg and no potatoes.

Please tell me where I'm going wrong?

Try adding potatoes to your meal and eating fruit, sounds like you need more fibre.

Prunes are your friend.

Try even more water and more fruit and veg in the day

Sweetcorn

Prune juice is great for keeping you regular. It's got a bed rep for tasting bad, but it doesn't-just fruity. A really small glass with a cube of ice every morning and see how you go?

Have you had any tests?

Maybe try stopping the bread and have soups, salads etc for lunch.

I'll try prune juice although I try to steer clear of fruit as it affects my teeth!
No potatoes as they are full of starch and I don't eat many carbs.

I've not had any tests as my gp just told me to try cutting things out and see how I go! 😕

Try taking magnesium, it’s very good for constipation.

Also, be careful with sugar free stuff, artificial sweeteners are terrible for the digestive system.

Kefir and a Poo Potty. Mum (97) and DH (‘the first good s%$t I’ve had in 18 months’) swear by kefir - chuckling goat online or Sainsbury’s have a slightly more accessible version. Poo Potty - there was a thread on here, or check out YouTube.

A physio said a pear and a glass of warm water every morning. I know someone else who says 2 pears every day works perfectly for her. Do you take an exercise like walking?
In what way does fruit affect your teeth? If you eat the pears straight after breakfast or have it chopped onto the shredded wheat even, instead of the flax seed it might be more enjoyable (unless you like the taste of the flax seed but it doesn't seem to be contributing anything to your digestion).

I don't know but I am the same as you. Apples do help me, i should just eat more of them.

It might be worth alternating the shredded wheat with something like All Bran or Kelloggs bran/crunch cereal (can't remember what it's called). If that doesn't help swap over to All Bran for a few days in a row. Maybe also swap your morning snack for fruit, kiwi and grapes again would help me, but any fruit will add nutrition and fibre. When my daughter had her braces she was told to drink a little water after fruit to reduce acid damage.

What about exercise? Are you walking a lot? Or maybe some yoga exercises for digestion?

Sounds like you are trying hard with your diet, poor you must be very tough.

I do take 2 walks a day (with the dog) also do plenty of stretches as part of my normal routine.

I tried having lots of fruit last year daily so much so it made my teeth extremely sensitive and didn't make a difference with my digestion :(

I know it sounds odd but I wonder if it's anything to do with anal glands as my tummy gets so big after a few days but nothing wants to come out.

Sorry for too much information!

You could try movicol from the chemist? Good luck .

I used to suffer with constipation but now I have branflakes with about 4/5 prunes on top for breakfast and that seems to have sorted it out .

A colorectal surgeon I saw last year told me not to use fybogel/ movicol type things as he said your bowels quickly becaome immune to them .

Lactulose. It’s gentle relief.

Fibre Smart tablets;
linseeds (lots of fibre!)

Capsules, not tablets!

Try cutting the bread? I use lactulose syrup sometimes and it tastes nice which helps!

I found taking a combination prebiotic/probiotic with a banana to feed the good bacteria works well.

Every time I have gone low carb I have become constipated I agree that starchy by foods can help.

You have a wheat heavy diet which can actually constipate you.

Massively increase your fluids and cut down on wheat. Another common culprit is actually dairy.

Have you tried eliminating dairy products? My dd is intolerant to milk, specifically (we think) uncooked milk. Been allergy tested etc. nothing comes up, but since I weaned her she's been terribly constipated, really bloated, writhing and gassy. It's taken us a few years to suss it all out but it's defo milk doing it (seems ok with v. Small amounts of yogurt and cheese etc).

We sometimes get lax and let her have a little bit of milk or too much icecream etc. (holidays!) And the symptoms always return within a couple of weeks. Most people react with diarrhoea if intolerant to milk but constipation is also a known symptom. Maybe try avoiding it for at least a few weeks?