Constipation

[sayerville]

Just one word but so much pain, it's the bane of my life.
Sometimes the pain wants to make me pass out when I go. I often pass blood but given the pain it's understandable I would have torn something. I'm hypothyroid so it's a side effect despite medication and yes you name it I will have tried it at some point.
Sometimes I worry I may cause a hemorrhage or something with all the effort or that I'll have a proplapse later on.
So anyone else like this or have any tips I have yet to try other than the usual?

Glycerine suppositories are really good, for when you really really need to go

2 teaspoons flaxseeds +two teaspoons linsseds in a glass of water or juice every morning. It was recommended by a nutritionist and works.

OP, have you had investigations done for inflammatory bowel disease. Any rectal bleeding should be investigated for IBD or cancer. Take this from someone with the condition. Please consult your GP.

No I haven't, I'm scared of the procedures, I have a hospital anxiety

I hear you - I am sure I will die of a heart attack whilst on the loo!

I take laxidose and lactulose daily to keep things soft and moving and rarely suffer as much as I did my first 40 odd years. If I take too many codeine I can go back to struggling to go, severe pain and bleeding from piles and fissures which is not a nice place so I try very hard not to let it get like that but its a constant struggle (and not something I feel I can share with people irl).

You need to see a doctor and find what works for you

allypally I have tried Lactulose years ago and also those gel things if that's what you mean, they are vile, it's a supreme effort to keep up a routine like that so you are doing well.
I have tried smoothies with chia, turmeric, fruit, honey etc but sometimes nothing works.
But yet yesterday I ate as normal and I have been fine, despite hardly drinking anything yesterday.
I just hope the long term effects on my body don't come back and bite me later. It scares me.
I have constantly told my GP as I am hypothyroid and it goes hand in hand (slow metabolism) she just said drink lots of orange juice with bits, fruit and veg and gave me the sachets of gel stuff. I doubt they'd even prescribe those now lol!
Also if I get the urge and ignore it (I daren't go at work) then boy do I pay for it, it's so much more painful. Like you I have no one to talk to about this, not the kind of thing you discuss

Have you tried movicol?

Movicol is now called Laxidose here. I hated the gel things too but I think you can still get them. Keep hydrated as that does help. I never used to go at work either (or indeed anywhere outside of the house) but I do now which makes me feel a bit more normal. The drugs/aids are a lot better now than when I was little which was a huge problem - I'm sure I didn't ever "go" at school but then I only went once a fortnight so not hard to do lol.

One consultant did say to use the suppositories every day but on the rare occasion I need one I hate it so much I'd rather be dead than take them daily. I have slow metabolism too. Oddly I dont' find a lot of fibre and fruit and veg is too helpful - eating crap makes me go more. Holidays are a nightmare of seesawing back and forward between total blockage and total seepage/explosions. Still working on holidays!

Movicol or Laxido is what you need. It is a perfectly safe long term medication. Friends have taken it daily for 10 years. I took it myself everyday I have been pregnant as I have slow digestive transit when pregnant. It is a saviour. I took half a sachet a day, my friend takes 2 a day. You need to find the balance that works for you, but once you find it it's easy.

You can buy it over the counter if you want to try it before going to gp.

As well as movicol, try and develop a daily habit at the same time. If you have a habit of ignoring a need to go, eg at work, your rectum loses sensitivity and becomes less efficient. It can be fixed, though.

Get up at least an hour before you leave the house. Soon after getting up, have a warm drink to wake up your gut. Use a glycerin suppository ( wet it and poke it up as far as your finger can reach) After 10-20 minutes you will feel an urge to go. Sit on the loo for 10 minutes, no need to strain. Don't worry if not much comes out. Repeat every day until your bowel becomes reliable.

I’m also hypothyroid and suffer badly from constipation. Not much works for me but suppositories are good and lactilose sometimes does the job. I was recommended slimatee at Holland and Barrett. It works. Maybe give that a try?

I have similar issues and also hypothyroid. Heading to see a nutrinalist in a few weeks and spoke to her at lengh on the phone yesterday. She spoke about a probiotic called Symprove, said she highly reccomends it and a friend was also reccomended it by her GP for IBS.

I have the same problem as a side effect of a drug. I had never in my life been constipated before and I'm 60. Not sure how it works but it suppresses the urge to go.
I tried everything. Increased fluid, lots of fibre, a glass of prune juice every morning (which makes me heave) mountains of fruit and veg but nothing worked. My GP prescribed lactulose to take every day. It's truly disgusting and does the job, but only in addition to all the other dietary stuff.
If it's causing you pain then you need a stool softening laxative such as lactulose rather than a fibre / bulking one and drink more liquid than you ever have.

Thanks all, with the movicol, what do you do to make it more palatable?
About to go on holiday for a week, last time it wasn't very good but hey ho!

I make it up with as little water as possible, just enough to make it dissolve. (About one mouthful for half a sachet I find). I down it and then follow it quickly by a large glass of squash or some tasty drink. Just make sure you drink plenty in the hour around taking it. You need plenty of water with Movicol to make it work properly. But you don't need to make a huge quantity of disgusting drink! A little disgusting with a lot of nice!

I take Laxidol two sachets daily and use glycerin suppositories every day I need to go. I have done this for five years and it’s bliss.

I just drink it down quickly and think about the blessed relief it gives me. It’s not really that bad and you do get used to it.

I’m a chronic sufferer. Nothing really helps - or helps for long. I take Laxido daily and it’s been life changing.

Oh goodness. I’ve been like this for decades. Sometimes I find it hard to deep breathe with what’s backed up in my gut.

What’s hyperthyroidism?how do you know if you have it?

It’s ruined my life in many ways. I relied on lactulose but it’s pushed my sugar levels up.

I use colosan and it does help but I need to be indoors.

I find that lentils help but I’d have to do such a restrictive diet that’s increadibly hard to maintain.

It’s like have no bowel tone with very slow digestive track.

I live in permanent fear of constipation, I used to have a really regular system and then radio and chemo together did for it.

I had head and neck cancer and can no longer eat properly, so I can't follow through on what I am about to reccomend.

Popcorn made fresh is the best roughage in my opinion, with some butter and salt.

Now I find myself constantly on did I or didn't I poo watch.....

These days I struggle to swallow (hence three stone weight loss) so I take my heart medication in a shake with almond milk and a banana and every few days I throw in either two senna tablets or three Movicol.

I take movicol due to constipation from opiates. I agree the taste is vile. I mix it with a large glass of lemon and lime squash - the acidity counteracts the salty taste. I add a teaspoon of fresh lime juice from a bottle and a 1/4 teaspoon of ascorbic acid (vitamin c) powder. The vit c improves the taste and will help your bowel as well. Good luck. Plenty of fibre also helps - if I have porridge I add ground flaxseeds.

Is the movicol like gel that expands when you add liquid, also never tried suppositories, are there long term effects of this or and I thinking of senna which maybe does. I'm thinking this may be the way forward, I need a new routine hard as it is (pardon the pun) to keep to it but better this than the other damage I'm surely doing.

Movicol and Laxido are still softeners.

The gel that expands is probably Fybogel. It’s hideous stuff and doesn’t work for me at all.

Stool, not still. DYAC.