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Improve constipation

Messages
99
Hi guys,

I don't really have digestive issues. Bloating is pretty rare, no gas at all, no pain (expect with a few foods - including Salmon! [need to re-check this one]), etc.

However, I can't go to the toilet on a daily basis. I may go there for 5 days in a row, but eventually I get constipated for one or two days.

This is my next priority and I have a good idea of what to test, but I'd like to hear some ideas.

PS: I am currently using a tablespoon of flaxseeds in the middle of the morning and the middle of the afternoon. I've jacked up the dosage (to 3/4 tablespoons) and the frequency (to 4 times a day) but it doesn't work.

PS2: I just did a gut healing protocol, including L-glutamine and probiotics. More of this won't help, presumably.

Thanks
 

Timaca

Senior Member
Messages
792
Hi researcher~
I'm assuming you have upped your fiber intake via whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes) and have also increased your water intake....

If you take calcium supplements (or even dairy products)...those can be constipating for some people....

Maybe switching around your probiotic from time to time might help (if you are still taking probiotics and if you tolerate them....)

Hope you find something that helps!!
 
Messages
99
Hi researcher~
I'm assuming you have upped your fiber intake via whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes) and have also increased your water intake....

If you take calcium supplements (or even dairy products)...those can be constipating for some people....

Maybe switching around your probiotic from time to time might help (if you are still taking probiotics and if you tolerate them....)

Hope you find something that helps!!
Hi Timaca,

Thanks a lot for your message.

Yes, I tried those (including upping broccoli, because I already have tons of veggies - mostly lettuce tho - in my diet). I don't do grains though, I want to be gluten free.

No calcium or dairy (except for butter every now and then).

I just finished the probiotic. I will ask my naturopath on whether he wants me to go on a second round (I am actually following him 100%, until he quits - only then I take over). If not, I will pick specific strains and go with those for a second round.

Thanks
All the best
 

Eastman

Senior Member
Messages
526
... I may go there for 5 days in a row, but eventually I get constipated for one or two days.

That's not too bad. The Rome III criteria for functional constipation specifies fewer than three defecations per week, although the presence of other symptoms also matter.

Magnesium citrate is what I use to improve bowel movement.
 
Messages
99
That's not too bad. The Rome III criteria for functional constipation specifies fewer than three defecations per week, although the presence of other symptoms also matter.

Magnesium citrate is what I use to improve bowel movement.

In my opinion, that may be OK for someone healthy, but that is exponentially worse for someone with CFS or any degenerative/chronic condition.

I want to defecate every day, at the same time. This is a huge priority for me.

Will definitely look into Mg citrate.

Any other suggestions are welcome!
 

caledonia

Senior Member
Symptom of magnesium deficiency.

Other symptoms can be muscle cramps or twitches, insomnia or unrefreshing sleep, anxiety or not able to feel relaxed, etc.

Mag is also a cofactor in the methylation cycle which regulates over 40 important functions in the body.

If you don't tolerate mag citrate, you can try other forms such as mag malate, mag taurate, mag glycinate (which is what I take). Anything but mag oxide, which doesn't absorb well.

If you need a lot, you may need to dose up to 4 times a day, which is what I do.
 

raghav

Senior Member
Messages
809
Location
India
Try making Indian chappathis and take it with brown sugar (Jaggery). Also add dates (3 to 5 dates). Do this regularly and within a few days your bm should regularize.
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
Messages
5,288
Location
Canada
I am currently using a tablespoon of flaxseeds in the middle of the morning and the middle of the afternoon. I've jacked up the dosage (to 3/4 tablespoons) and the frequency (to 4 times a day) but it doesn't work.

Flax seeds are useful but you need to grind them and soak them, otherwise they tend to pull water from your body and can make it even more difficult to be regular.

If you take calcium supplements (or even dairy products)...those can be constipating for some people....

That's the way it works for me. I think as a person with ME that I'm already low in magnesium but the yogurt and kefir that I eat throw off my magnesium balance even more. I rely on magnesium citrate (the kind that completely dissolves in hot water) in order to be regular.

Magnesium draws water into the bowels to soften stool. It takes some experimentation to find out what dose works well for each individual. The usual guideline is to increase the dose until a person is close to having diarhea, or at least very soft stool, then lower the dose a little.
 
Messages
99
Symptom of magnesium deficiency.

Other symptoms can be muscle cramps or twitches, insomnia or unrefreshing sleep, anxiety or not able to feel relaxed, etc.

Mag is also a cofactor in the methylation cycle which regulates over 40 important functions in the body.

If you don't tolerate mag citrate, you can try other forms such as mag malate, mag taurate, mag glycinate (which is what I take). Anything but mag oxide, which doesn't absorb well.

If you need a lot, you may need to dose up to 4 times a day, which is what I do.

Jesus, I've been taking massive doses of Mg (70 drops of ionic magnesium - chloride mg - on empty stomach + 1g of Mg Malate + 200mg Mg byglycinate before bed). How can I know for sure I am deficient? Is serum testing reliable on this?

I don't have insomnia at all (I sleep like a baby for 12h in a row, everyday if I allowed my body to), but I do have unrefreshing sleep. I don't have anxiety, but I can't seem to relax, if that makes sense. I'd call it an "underlying, invisible anxiety"
 
Messages
99
Try making Indian chappathis and take it with brown sugar (Jaggery). Also add dates (3 to 5 dates). Do this regularly and within a few days your bm should regularize.

Thanks a lot for this comment, but sadly, this is advice I can't really follow.

1. can't do sugar or high GI foods like dates. Those are a no-no in my strategy. 2. I can't do gluten.

When I say I "can't" is not I get worse, its simply 2 things that I removed from my diet 100%.
 
Messages
99
Flax seeds are useful but you need to grind them and soak them, otherwise they tend to pull water from your body and can make it even more difficult to be regular.



That's the way it works for me. I think as a person with ME that I'm already low in magnesium but the yogurt and kefir that I eat throw off my magnesium balance even more. I rely on magnesium citrate (the kind that completely dissolves in hot water) in order to be regular.

Magnesium draws water into the bowels to soften stool. It takes some experimentation to find out what dose works well for each individual. The usual guideline is to increase the dose until a person is close to having diarhea, or at least very soft stool, then lower the dose a little.

To my knowledge, if you don't eat the seeds right after you grind them, they will oxidize. How much time do them take to soak? Or do you soak them BEFORE grinding them / do you grind them with the water?

I will try the magnesium citrate. How much and when do you take it, just to use as a reference?

Thanks
 

ebethc

Senior Member
Messages
1,901
In my opinion, that may be OK for someone healthy, but that is exponentially worse for someone with CFS or any degenerative/chronic condition.

I want to defecate every day, at the same time. This is a huge priority for me.

Will definitely look into Mg citrate.

Any other suggestions are welcome!

Mg Citrate is helpful for me (same problem!)... Also, l plantarum (jarrow ideal bowel) and b infantis (Align) ... these 3 things are my go-to
 
Messages
99
Thanks y'all, I will do some tests and see what happens.

BTW, I have been defecating lots of mucus and my stool is green - anyone with that problem? What could that be?

Thanks
 

caledonia

Senior Member
Jesus, I've been taking massive doses of Mg (70 drops of ionic magnesium - chloride mg - on empty stomach + 1g of Mg Malate + 200mg Mg byglycinate before bed). How can I know for sure I am deficient? Is serum testing reliable on this?

I don't have insomnia at all (I sleep like a baby for 12h in a row, everyday if I allowed my body to), but I do have unrefreshing sleep. I don't have anxiety, but I can't seem to relax, if that makes sense. I'd call it an "underlying, invisible anxiety"

How many mg of magnesium in the ionic mag dose? Are the numbers you quoted for all the mags the elemental amount of mag?

Serum test reliable? Sort of. What matters is what gets into the cells. My test showed "normal" but on the low end of normal. It wasn't optimal which is 6 or 7 (whatever the units are). I was deficient.

You could be having muscle twitches in your sleep causing "periodic limb movement disorder", waking you up many times an hour. Or at least that is one of my symptoms. You may not realize it because you never fully wake up. I had a sleep study which showed it. Didn't have a clue until the sleep study. Now I can recognize symptoms, such as my lower back on the side that my foot twitches gets sore, and I don't feel like I've slept well.

Google the green stool with mucus thing. It could be lots of things. Diet, IBS, etc.

Do you get any heart palpitations (skipping heart beats?) That's another symptom I forgot.
 
Messages
99
I have googled the green stool + mucus extensively, but no answer. Mucus can be a sign of detox, since I have this very clean diet, but I don't know.

No. Occasionally I had heart beat accelerations or I would feel my heart, but that is gone now.
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
Messages
5,288
Location
Canada
To my knowledge, if you don't eat the seeds right after you grind them, they will oxidize. How much time do them take to soak? Or do you soak them BEFORE grinding them / do you grind them with the water?

They do start to oxidize right away so I just grind the flax seed (which I keep in the fridge) and soak the ground flax for a few minutes. It's underwater so not exposed to air/oxidation. The amount of water it requires takes some testing so you can see how much the flax soak up within a certain period of time. You can try 1 Tablespoon of ground flax to 1/3 cup of water to start. Warm or hot water absorbs more quickly. You can also use tea instead of hot water if you want to add some flavor.

I will try the magnesium citrate. How much and when do you take it, just to use as a reference?

The kind I take is 350mg per two level teaspoons. I use 1 level teaspoon and one heaping teaspoon so I'm probably taking around 450-550 mg of ionic magnesium citrate before bed.
 

jason30

Senior Member
Messages
513
Location
Europe
Ox Bile improves my constipation a lot! Good change it's lack of bile?
Someone else said that ox bile kicks in SIBO.