Chronic constipation

[maryb]

Anyone here suffer badly and found something that works?.
Its driving me mad. I eat salad and vegetables every day, protein in the form of chicken, turkey or fish, rice and sometimes potatoes, water and de-caff coffee, basically that's it. No junk food, sugar, sweets, drinks or fast food.
I used to take 2 x senna max at night an go the next day but I can take them 3 nights running now and nothing, I tried the horrible fibre drinks from the doc, I just gag on them and you have to take more if one doesn't work. I know its really bad for me to be like this, really need some help guys.

 

[caledonia]

Take magnesium - any form but magnesium oxide, which is not very well absorbed. I take about 2500mg per day.

This will also help with restless legs, muscle cramps, anxiety and heart palps.

ps. congratulations on the great diet!

 

[Jenny]

Hi Maryb

I've been on Culturelle (probiotic) for a week or so and my constipation is better. Could be coincidence though as it comes and goes anyway.

Jenny

 

[Xander]

Constipation – How about treating SIBO (Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth)? http://www.medicinenet.com/small_intestinal_bacterial_overgrowth/page6.htm#tocj

In Europe, I think only Kenny DeMeirleir does that, though.

The first antibiotic from the link above is used in the treatment protocol of Prof. Mark Pimentel, Los Angeles, too. http://www.anewibssolution.com/index.htm

 

[Victoria]

Psyllium husks on my (gluten free) rice cereal works perfectly for me. Need to ensure you drink plenty of fluid though. They swell on contact with liquid. I had IBS (bowel & stomach) pain for many years, but a Tablespoon of psyllium ensures good, formed soft stools (without the harsh fibre of many other foods & remedies which may be too hard on our delicate digestive & eliminative organs).

And since I use codiene based prescription analgesics from time to time, psyllium has been much better than any other remedy - drug or alternative - in counteracting any constipating effects of the codiene. (Codeine is the only thing that works for severe pain for me. But since I stopped work 6 mnths ago, my pain levels have been reduced dramatically. I rarely use it now).

If you have IBS, it's difficult to find the correct balance of soluable fibre in your diet. Everyone is different in their fibre needs & everyone has different remedies they prefer.

I have tried senna, but find it too harsh.

Plenty of filtered water is essential too. At least 6-8 large glasses a day (depending on your body needs) - some people need far more water.

Tea, coffee, soft drinks, cordials DO NOT count as water. Coffee can be very constipating or give you diarrhoea. It's one of those odd things that can have both effects. It can cause irritation to the bowel walls & cause diarrhoea. Or constrict the tissues in the bowel walls & cause constipation.

 

[lancelot]

You sound like you're eating well. Supplementing with psyllium husks or even better with garden of life super seed beyond fiber is even better. Get enough water and probiotic foods such as kefir, miso, kombucha, saurkraut, and other fermented/pickled foods daily can help tremendously. Also look at the meds you are taking. Are you taking any narcotics which can really cause constipation?

 

[maryb]

Hi Maryb

I've been on Culturelle (probiotic) for a week or so and my constipation is better. Could be coincidence though as it comes and goes :Retro smile:anyway.
Jenny

Thanks Jenny I have tried probiotics in the past but not this one, I will check it out.
Xander - I may be going to see Prof De Merlier so he will hopefully be able to help me with this.
Victoria - I could try Psyllium husks, do they become thick on absorbing water, I just wonder if thats whats in the fibre drinks the doc prescribed though which make me gag?
Caledonia - I think you may be right about the Magnesium I go on and off injections as they make me so sore but I think it is better when I am on them so I probably should take the oral ones daily - great diet Its so hard and I get so fed up but tell myself when I'm better I'm going to eat everything!!
Lancelot - I can't tolerate any pickled foods but have tried Kefir, some in my fridge in coconut water, not doing very well with it though, may have to try another medium. I will look at the product you suggest (garden of life super seed beyond fiber) anything is worth a try.
Thanks all for your helpfull replies, I'll let you know when I go

 

[maryb]

Another thing you could do, which would be interesting, eat some junk food (burger with beef, lots of salad and sauce) and tell us if it gets better.

Are you trying to kill me? All in the name of science? erm... NO.
Don't know about the prunes, haven't had them for so long, people like me with massive food intolerances I guess just stick to the safe foods, its so restricted on my diet but honestly its better than having those terrible reactions.it makes sense about the potassium though, have increased my magnesium today, maybe try a potassium supplement as well. thanks for the laugh.

 

[Victoria]

MaryB,

Psyllium husks are God's gift to problem bowels (in my opinion).

Having a great diet with plenty of high fibre fruits & vegetables does not always work (I 've discovered).

Psyllium husks look like small dried, thin flakes & eventually swell on contact with liquid. My gluten free rice cereal also has psyllium as an ingredient.

They are cheap to buy.

After following my favourite Paleo diet for several months, I went through a period of irregular bowel habits, so I've have gone back to this breakfast cereal with an additional tablespoon of psyllium husks on top.

Doesn't really have any taste, although I have several things in my breakfast bowl which ARE tasty, so no matter that the husks have no taste.

If you eat it straight after putting your milk (or other liquid like the rice milk I use) onto it, it would swell in your stomach & so on (as it moves through the digestive tract).

If you put the liquid on the night before (as I used to do when working, to save time), the next morning it would have absorbed all the liquid & you may even need to add more liquid in the morning if it's too thick in texture, or gluggy.

Now I'm not working, I prepare it when I make my first herbal tea of the day, go & answer all my emails, & then go back to eat the bowl full 30-60 minutes later.

You would need to eat something with it (for taste, texture & enjoyment).

5 days a week I have:

a scoop of Rice Flakes cereal (with psyllium as an ingredient)

1 tablespoon of psyllium husks

1 tablespoon of freshly ground flaxseeds (for the omega 3 - must be freshly ground as the stomach can't break down the hard outer shell of a flaxseed)

1 tablespoon of freshly ground organic pumpkin seeds (for the selenium & zinc) - if I don't chew pumpking seeds thoroughly, they can cause bowel pain later that day/night, so I've starting grinding them into a powder (for my breakfast cereal).

1 organic bananana (for the potassium - I went through a period of daily heart arrythmia, so I have gone back to a banana each morning & 2-3 avocadoes per week. Avocadoes have double the amount of potassium, as bananas do).

5-6 organic walnuts loosely chopped up (for the omega 3)

and rice milk to cover generously.
​

Works really well every morning. Since I have glasses of water with my supplements around this time & a cup of chamomile tea before & after breakfast, you can see that I keep up the liquid intake around this time too.

And on a funny note, one morning I was really cold & decided to dump the bowlful into a saucepan & heat it up. Wow, it turned into rubbery sludge. The heat really made the husks swell & turn into something like rubbery, stringey, sticky cheese strands. It was very funny to look at & very different to eat. It actually showed me how the swollen psyllium husks would bind all the foods in your bowels & make them pass easily through.

So my hint is: DON'T HEAT THE PSYLLIUM HUSKS & LIQUID - eat them cold.

And, as I said, they are really cheap (in my health food shop).

You can also get constipated if you don't have enough fat in your diet. I stick to olive oil & avocadoes for healthy fats, although there would be a bit of fat veined in the steak I buy.

Soluable fibre, good healthy fats, & plenty of fresh filtered water are helpful for constipation, a healthy heart & a load of other health problems.

 

[August59]

If you are able to do this it may help, but there was a lady on television the other day demonstrating this for an additional way of fighting constipation. She used a few "yoga" exercises or moves (it was only 3 or 4 moves) that somehow directly mobilized the large intestines in it's normal sequence to get things on the move. I'm sure you could goggle it and find it.

 

[Jennifer J]

Hi Maryb

I've been on Culturelle (probiotic) for a week or so and my constipation is better. Could be coincidence though as it comes and goes anyway.

Jenny

Hi, @Jenny. I know this is from years ago, curious if you know or remember did the probiotic keep helping you with your constipation? Thanks. Jennifer

 

[Hope4]

I will second the recommendation for more magnesium, and add a recommendation to eat more fat. Butter, tallow, avocado, olive oil on the salad, wilted spinach with bacon drippings, butter, cream. Mmmm, more butter.

 

[Judee]

Mycopryl helps a lot with constipation with the added benefit of being an anti-candida supplement.

It is palm oil based, I believe the company told us some years ago when we called them to ask because we have a coconut allergy.

If you have an allergy to either you might want to call them and ask before buying though. Also keep in mind that palm and coconut are in the same family so you could have a cross reaction but thankfully we never have.

 

[perchance dreamer]

I soak in a magnesium bath most nights, a combination of epsom salts and magnesium chloride. This bath is very good for my lower digestive tract.