Constipation....help!!

[Frillysweetpea]

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?

My GP - I was already on a maintenance dose of one sachet a day.

Plenty of water and walking is helpful too.

A glass of fresh orange (with bits) every morning helps me.
Often constipation is caused by something you're eating rather than something you need to eat more of though.

For a quick fix, Glycerin suppositories are really good. I know some people can be a bit uncomfortable using them but when I am really struggling to go I will use them and they are fab.

Lots of good suggestions here, OP.

I’m home for a couple of days now. I’m going to up the movicol as eating differently over recent days has resulted in ‘undesirable outcomes’!

2 kiwi fruits a day. Really worked for me

Have your coffee with full cream, no sweetener in the morning. Best remedy for me so far

the first time I got really constipated on Mounjaro, movicol worked for me but took a day or two. It got to the point where I was just so uncomfortable! Then I really tried to prioritise fibre from then on.
the second time was months later but movicol did nothing - I was taking it for 5 days and seeing no results! Someone recommended Asda constipation relief tablets (£2, green box) and I took two and waited eight hours and they sorted me right out!

This is a useful thread. Its only been very mild for me, but needless to say, over Christmas, it's becoming a problem. I am, weirdly, not uncomfortable yet, but am concerned. I see a smoothie with flaxseed and some dried fruit in my near future tomorrow am!

Pop two Dulcolax tablets at night but make sure you have no plans for the following day 😉

A few dried apricots a day sort me out!
Need to remember to eat them though!

Urgh I feel your pain, this is my only mj side effect. Six months in and I eat prunes and dried apricots daily, usually have a kiwi, take fibre gummies, but I don't drink enough water (it makes me feel a bit weird) so it's my own fault. I live on coffee and walk every day (usually- I'm in hospital at the moment). Nothing helps!

I've resorted here to lactulose nightly and Senna (the combo is doing nothing much) but I'm going to ask to double the Senna tomorrow. I tried movicol and gagged throughout, how do people drink it? It's like gloop?

Are you in hospital due to constipation or some other reason? Your bowel condition sounds worrying. Dulcoease is a tablet that has the same main ingredients of Movicol - take it with water and it retains the fluid in your gut. Not to be confused with Dulcolax which stimulates gut muscle. What does your GP advise?

Update: I have had 22 sachets of Movicol over 3 days and have been getting results but it's not over yet! Think it might be safe to leave the house today for a meet up as long as a loo is nearby. I walked the dog for an hour yesterday but delayed re-starting the Movicol until afterwards. It is quite restrictive doing a clear out so will be doing my best to avoid it in future. Am switching to porridge for breakfast and will be taking smaller quantities of Movicol very regularly!

Flaxseeds were helping at first but now, as i am approaching GW and i really need to limit my food intake take, my bowel movements are too few and i get constipated.
when im desperate i take two senna tablets.
i find that oranges and pears in the evening are helpful. As is coffee in the morning.
ive never tried psylum husk but some people seem to have good results with it.

Fybogel daily for me worked perfectly

Gogi berries work well for me. A handful on my morning breakfast

I'm in hospital for something unrelated! But sitting around for months hasn't helped at all and things are grinding to a halt. Any tips on how to take the movicol? They've changed it to 2 Senna at night now.

Inulin is really the only thing that’s working for me at the moment, you can add it to a drink, take it in water or put it in yogurt. Start off with 5 grams and slowly build up, it’s an insoluble fibre made from chicory root. I take 10 - 15grams daily and don’t have any problems since I started taking it, don’t take it if you suffer from IBS type symptoms as it may make them worse. I bought 1kg bag for £9 so cost is about £3 per month. It’s also a prebiotic so helps with digestion 👏🏻👏🏻

Hope everyone has settled tummies after the festive feasting and dealing with their gut issues. It has taken me about 12 days and Movicol at 6-8 sachets a day for 6 days plus 4 days combined with Dulcolax and Fybogel to properly sort myself out. Jab day today so I'm feeling a bit of trepidation that it might start up again. I'm going to keep up some Movicol and Fybogel every day starting with 2 sachets of each and see how I go - wish me luck!

glad it’s got better for you! It’s probably worth looking at some ways to increase fibre through food as well, chia seeds and inulin are useful to have (and cheaper than movicol too!) especially if you can incorporate daily.

Good to hear you're better OP. I'd recommend walking as much as possible going forwards

Since The Terrible Blockade and subsequent Great Dulcolax Disaster, normal service has been resumed through making sure I have berries at breakfast and eating a few dried apricots and a handful of raisins every morning. I am continuing to take psyllium husk and drink plenty of water. As PP mentioned, walking may also be helping. Sympathies to those who are struggling with this.

I would really recommend a fibre mix every day as a supplement - psyllum husk, illeum or PHGG all excellent.