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Discuss weight-loss injections and treatments, including personal experiences. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any treatments.

Original poster

Constipation....help!!

49 replies

Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 12:01

I'm on MJ and as soon as I went from 2.5 mg to 5 mg I became constipated. Without being too graphic, the issue is not about retaining water in my bowel. I'm drinking loads and also taking Movicol so I am loose but still almost no bowel movements. I obviously need a motility stimulant and will be straight off to the pharmacy tomorrow when it re-opens. If anyone else has had this problem and resolved it please tell! Do you take something like bisacodyl regularly? Have you found anything other than gut stimulants that helps?

OP posts:
Only2daystogo · 26/12/2025 12:05

Sounds like overflow.

Flax seeds work for me.

InfoSecInTheCity · 26/12/2025 12:10

What does your whole diet look like? Are you eating enough food to have regular bowels? Are you eating enough fibre to facilitate it?

I took psyllium husk 2 capsules a day before my main meal and with lots of water, just to give a bit of a fibre boost alongside plenty of green veg and water.

ChristmasLightsLover · 26/12/2025 12:18

Yup. Been there! Ella’s Kitchen prune sachets have helped, as have things like movicol. Yakult helped for a while too.

Once you have had a good clear out you’ll be able to get more on track. Vaseline and Sudocrem are useful to have to hand too.

Hope you can get a handle on it soon. It’s so painful and you don’t need to suffer. Big non MN hug.

AxolotlEars · 26/12/2025 12:32

When did you last have your bowels open?

DBatteryBand · 26/12/2025 15:38

I took too much Dulcolax earlier this week.

I am still not ready to talk about it! 😱

Mostly things have ticked along cheerfully, as long as I have yoghurt and berries for breakfast, drink lots of water and eat plenty of salad and veg. I also take a psyllium husk capsule every day.

Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:03

Only2daystogo · 26/12/2025 12:05

Sounds like overflow.

Flax seeds work for me.

Yes, I'm keeping up the Movicol in case it is overflow. I have flax seeds. Do you have to soak them or grind them? I've heard some people say that if they pass through you whole they are not doing anything.

OP posts:
Only2daystogo · 26/12/2025 16:07

Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:03

Yes, I'm keeping up the Movicol in case it is overflow. I have flax seeds. Do you have to soak them or grind them? I've heard some people say that if they pass through you whole they are not doing anything.

Show quote history

I just put them on Greek yoghurt.

Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:16

InfoSecInTheCity · 26/12/2025 12:10

What does your whole diet look like? Are you eating enough food to have regular bowels? Are you eating enough fibre to facilitate it?

I took psyllium husk 2 capsules a day before my main meal and with lots of water, just to give a bit of a fibre boost alongside plenty of green veg and water.

A typical day on MJ is 1 large/2 small slices of wholemeal toast with butter and marmalade, a home made smoothie with a raw egg, some Greek yogurt, milk and two handfuls of frozen berries plus a small portion of a home cooked meal in the evening. This will have at least 2 of your 5 day in it. Movicol with water and tropical fruit juice at bed time and perhaps half a hot cross bun or more toast with butter at bed time if my tummy starts rumbling. I've been trying to eat healthily (and stay hydrated) and lost 9lbs in 4 weeks on the minimum dose. Nothing this week since I upped it and the constipation started but that's not surprising if I'm bunged up.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:22

AxolotlEars · 26/12/2025 12:32

When did you last have your bowels open?

A proper movement 6 days ago followed by a few 'pellets" two days later and two days after that a very small amount of diarrhoea which may be overflow. Sorry for the detail but not sure how to answer otherwise. Maybe I have to up the Movicol a lot more to get a clear out. 😟

OP posts:
Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:26

DBatteryBand · 26/12/2025 15:38

I took too much Dulcolax earlier this week.

I am still not ready to talk about it! 😱

Mostly things have ticked along cheerfully, as long as I have yoghurt and berries for breakfast, drink lots of water and eat plenty of salad and veg. I also take a psyllium husk capsule every day.

I think Dulcolax is Bisacodyl, isn't it? Dulcoease is a softener and much more gentle but I'm past that point! I'm ready to risk the Dulcolax as I'm getting so uncomfortable.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:27

Think I'm going to skip my next jab, due tonight, until I'm sorted. It seems madness to compound the problem.

OP posts:
Kipperandarthur · 26/12/2025 16:53

You need to take a much higher dose of Movicol to get the proper clear out.

lovealongbath · 26/12/2025 18:02

I second flaxseed , spoonful in my yogurt daily, keeps everything moving!

morbidcuriosity · 26/12/2025 18:32

Movical is like laxido, same type of thing. You have have up to 8 packets a day I think.. when I struggle I have about 4 a day for couple days and it works.. take more movical,
Double check the amounts but I'm.pretty sure I'm right.

OneThirdLess · 26/12/2025 18:40

Your diet sounds pretty good. This is probably advice for maintaining healthy bowels rather than fixing the immediate issue, but and get as much fibre in your diet as possible - aim for 30g (or more) daily. This will keep things moving. I'm prone to constipation and need loads or everything slows down.

Too much sugar can bung me up - I'm not sure why, maybe it's the water retention? But it's Christmas so the worst time for that.

I have a berry smoothie in the morning with milled flaxseed, hemp & chia in it. With Greek yoghurt and/or protein powder and you're well on your way to hitting protein goals as well. I use these:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/295653714

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/307159262

I also add a few grams of inulin & psyllium powder if I need some extra help (I have the 'bulk' brand, bought from Amazon).

Try and include beans or lentils in another meal to get more fibre in, if you can tolerate them.

Moving helps my bowels move - try a brisk walk in the morning, even if just 5-10 mins, as soon as you can after getting up.

Wegovy · 26/12/2025 18:52

Constipation has been a major problem for me: I have gut problems anyway and constipation meant it took me 8 months to be moved up to the full dose of Wegovy by the NHS tier 3 weight management clinic.

Most people don’t need as much as this but it’s Laxido (15ml twice a day) that’s had the best effect. This has been added to a daily gut biotic such as Bio-Kult, 30g bran flakes, 10g psyllium husk powder and kefir. All of this was suggested by NHS clinics, either weight management or gastro. I also walk for 5 - 30 minutes a day, when I can (mobility issues).

Flax seeds and linseeds didn’t have much effect for me.

Deadringer · 26/12/2025 19:01

I have had quite bad constipation since i started MJ in march, but about 4 months ago i started taking magnesium for muscle cramps and haven't had an issue since! I go most days now but best of all its nice and easy to go, no straining, pain or pellets, its amazing.

Original poster
Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 20:48

Kipperandarthur · 26/12/2025 16:53

You need to take a much higher dose of Movicol to get the proper clear out.

Yes, I've never needed to before but I'll have 6 sachets today and if no result keep going tomorrow up to 8 sachets.

OP posts:
ThirdStorm · 26/12/2025 20:52

psyllium husk capsules changed my bowel movements for the better. I take 2 a day with my other vitamins www.amazon.co.uk/Psyllium-Capsules-Plantago-Supplement-Non-GMO/dp/B08D6FLZGK

curious79 · 26/12/2025 20:54

When I was briefly on Mounjaro (c4 wks) I barely did a no2, and I put that down to the decreased bowel activity. I always felt like there was food sitting in my stomach. Of course Mj is known to cause gastroparesis in many and that can be a permanent side effect.

SilenceInside · 26/12/2025 21:10

Gastroparesis is a very rare side effect, it isn't something that happens to many people at all. And it isn't at all the same thing as constipation, gastroparesis is your stomach being slow to empty and constipation isn't a symptom of it.

dms1 · 26/12/2025 21:13

I feel sorry for you. My a’se hated me when I was on MJ & in the end I discontinued it. I hope you’re able to keep going.

AxolotlEars · 26/12/2025 21:19

Frillysweetpea · 26/12/2025 16:22

A proper movement 6 days ago followed by a few 'pellets" two days later and two days after that a very small amount of diarrhoea which may be overflow. Sorry for the detail but not sure how to answer otherwise. Maybe I have to up the Movicol a lot more to get a clear out. 😟

Show quote history

When I went up a dose I went to having my bowels open every 6/7 days. That's my new rhythm! I haven't, however, had any diarrhea. Who prescribed the movicol?

VWT7 · 26/12/2025 21:20

The thing that reliably works for me is drinking at least 2 good big glugs of olive oil - drunk neat.
It coated my bowel wall to ease bowel transit - worked reliably within something like 18 hours.

AllTheChaos · 26/12/2025 21:23

Some really good suggestions on here, am going to try all of them as this has been an ongoing issue for a while now!