Sluggish bowels after giving up smoking?

[Chocolate4me]

Hi, my OH had a private colonoscopy the other day as we thought he had something wrong with his bowels. Ever since he gave up smoking 2 years ago, he seems to have developed sluggish bowels. Doesn't seem to meet the criteria for constipation as he does go once a day, but he says he used to go twice a day, no effort, after most meals but now it's once a day and is more of an effort. He gets a cycle of about 10 days where it all flares up and he gets a pain on his hip in the same place, and bloating, he thinks water retention round his waist too.
He has tried more fibre, laxido, eats really healthily 90% of the week, but he's struggling with this and says he will just smoke again as the nicotine will help.
Has anyone got any tips on any miracle foods to help him go? He feels like it's worse after red meat, and he did try prunes and extra veg etc. But nothing has helped.
He is soo moody over it too, he thinks about it daily and gets frustrated by it, and he seems to have also developed quite bad hayfever too, plus he is having issues with veins on his leg that he has to wear a compression sock for. And then with the colonscopy they said his blood pressure is high, so he's at the end of his tether with it all.... And his tether is quite short at the best of times!!!

Meant to say the colonoscopy showed perfectly healthy bowels, not a single thing wrong

Magnesium supplements will sort most of his problems - will decrease bowel transit time and make things effortless. Magnesium citrate -300mg before going to bed should do.

This is common cigarettes are a laxative he needs to add a lot of fiber to regulate his bowel.

Thank you..
Will try the magnesium.
He was taking lots of fibre sachets which didn't help and the stomach specialist said it can actually make it worse, the bloating I think

He is going once a day, that's not 'sluggish' really. 3 times per week is sluggish but normal for some people.
One or two pears at breakfast may help.

Yeah I said to him that maybe just once a day is his new normal, and he eats less than he did 2 years ago so less to come out.
But he says its like he hasn't finished when he goes, for the last 2 days he hasn't been at all but in said that's probably the effects of the colonscopy. He said he got the urge to go but mildly, but nothing happened.
Don't know, but it really bothers him, he'll withdraw and is moody, really snappy if it's during his peak of the 10 day cycle where he gets this pain on his hip. Sometimes he gets a burning lower back pain that goes along with it. Says he feels really uncomfortable with the bloating etc.
I know smoking can make the bowel walls less responsive as it relies on the laxative effect of smoking, so it's more sluggish and harder to move it all along.

Try prune juice

I swear by granola with an activia yogurt every day.
Also exercise helps. Runners always need a good poop most physical exercise will shift the bowel into action. Is he eating well
Keeping hydrated? Ducolax bring rehydration to his bowel from the water in his body just be sure you buy the correct bottle.
One is for o regulation the other to release constipation.

He has an actimel yoghurt and one of the probiotic drinks every day, he has porridge for breakfast and a coffee, lunch will be either wholemeal sandwich with cheese and cucumber or ham, although he swapped to ryvita as wondered if bread didn't help but don't think it's that, a bag of crisps, carrot sticks, few grapes. An apple as a snack and a cereal bar, then dinner has always been meat, potato and carrots, Brocolli and peas or sweetcorn. He would then have a yoghurt with granola, when he was increasing fi re he would have berries in it too. So he can't get much healthier tbh, he takes an omega capsule each day but stopped his multi vitamin incase that was causing an issue. He was taking a fibre sachet too, plus then laxido, made sure he was drinking tons of water... So feels like he was doing everything right.
The consultant said to do a stomach scan too but all the obvious things would have been spotted by the colonscopy.
Will give the ducolux a try thanks

Will give the ducolux a try thanks A small bit a day even half the recommended dose.
My two DC had very lazy bowels there was no obvious reason.
I used ducolux for a year now they're both great.
I use it once a week now.

It can make you feel rotten if you don't feel as if you've 'been' properly so I can relate to his irritability...would he get any relief from using nicotine gum?

I did suggest nicotine patches or even vaping instead of going back to smoking but he seems to think that wouldn't work the same as smoking! He hasn't run off to smoke yet though so hopefully he will avoid that.
He's going to start by introducing normal fruit and food again as he got very selective thinking it was a certain food, and stopping the laxido has stopped so much bloating. Then we'll try the ducolux if he struggles again. He doesn't cope very well with things that are out of his control so this on top is very challenging.

Sorry to dredge up an old post but hoping the OP might see this and give an update as I'm having similar problems. I have been struggling with my bowels for 7 months now and just like your husband I go everyday but it's like I'm never cleared out. I also gave up smoking one year ago however at the beginning I was substituting with nicotine vaping. I do still vape now but it's been zero nicotine oil as I thought it'll help break the addiction but I'm wondering if THIS is what's changed my bowels habits. I've also given up caffeine due to acid reflux so that's two bowel stimulates I've removed. I'm trying fybogel with some success but not solving things. Would love to hear what happened with your DH