Constipation on new med

[Alphakiwi]

Ive been on verapamil for a week now. 40 ml 3x per day. Im one of those who dont tolerate drugs well. Now im getting constipated I looked up side effects and sure thats one of the first mentioned. Has anyone got a cure for this please. Instant and on going.

[Tommyboy21]

Laxido if you get them.

[Autumn_Leaves]

Start with increasing your fibre intake by adding 1/2 tablespoon ground flaxseed to each meal, accompanied by a glass of at least 200ml water. This can be increased up to 1 tablespoon at each meal, but no more than this. Give it time, and ALWAYS with water.

Alternatively you can mix approximately 4g psyllium husk (not powder) with at least 250ml water Fybogel is essentially psyllium husk but with added flavours and artificial sweeteners that I prefer to avoid, but that’s a personal preference and I wouldn’t rule it out if people find it more convenient.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Approximately 2 litres per day, which can include tea, fruit and herbal teas, coffee, milk, plant milks but not alcohol.

Considering live and/or fermented foods to your diet if you don’t do so already - yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi but go easy on the kombucha.

If these measures don’t help, you could try macrogol or lactose, available over the counter or on prescription These are not absorbed like drugs, they work by pulling water into the colon which should help move things along.

You may be in this for the long haul so it’s best if you can find something that works and that is sustainable. Your daily fibre intake should be at least 30g per day anyway so you may need to tweak your diet a bit if you’re not meeting this target.

[Hidden]

I am on 80 verapamil TDS. the constipation is a nuisance. I take senna, or dulcolax when it’s too bad ,drink lots of water with a high fibre diet. But my home made lentil and pepper soup does the trick. Good luck

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi

The best.

Kiwifruit on your oats in morning.

or

COLOFAC 135mg first thing with big glass of water and wait for an hour.

Can have before each of your 3 meals but it works before breakfast.

I cant go one day without being regular.

This is a natural way.

Otherwise it's a glycerine suppository.

NOT an ENEMA. NO NO.

Keep off cheese! Lots of water.

cheri JOY 73 (NZ)

[Frances123]

Definitely agree with the kiwi. For some reason I started eating one every day yonks ago and then realised it was having a great effect in the bowel department! Didn’t start eating them for that reason but soon noticed the effect.

[Roto]

well known side effect .. bowl of bran flakes for breakfast should help

[Leggylady]

I have used linseed for many years. It is brilliant. Take 2/3 tablespoons of the seed daily in juice or yoghurt or whatever suits you.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Leggylady]

Just for information purposes — linseed and flaxseed are the same. Always grind them or buy the already ground versions. If you consume the whole seeds they will pass straight through.

Also, the ground version is a good source of omega-3. The human digestive system can’t break down the hard outer surface of the whole flaxseed/linseed so you won’t get the benefits of it if it’s whole seeds. I grind my own and they benefit from a light toasting beforehand, certainly from a flavour perspective, but grinding the seeds straight from the packet is OK. It works out much cheaper than buying the ground version, but not everyone has a grinder.

[Leggylady in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

I’ve always taken them as I was directed over twenty years ago - for the relief of constipation. I can’t confirm that they would have the same effect ground, as whole seeds certainly do.

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Leggylady]

I suppose they would still have a “roughage” effect.

[Ppiman]

A natural cure I have found after trying all and sundry over the years is Sunsweet Prune Juice. It seems to be a unique juice that contains extra natural sugars that cure constipation. At present, it's only available from Tesco's, although Morrison's sometimes have it. The Benefit brand prune juice works also, but far less effectively. The cheaper supermarket own brand juices don't work at all.

I have a glass of that each morning, along with a bowl of six or so organic Bulgarian prunes, which my wife gently stews in water and Sunsweet juice. I get the prunes from Amazon. They are simply wonderful but it is the juice that does the trick.

If that fails, as it can now and then, I find magnesium salts never do. The easiest way to take these is Andrew's Liver Salts or Milk of Magnesia. Again, these are a safe and utterly consistent cure but not something I would want to take regularly.

Steve

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Ppiman]

I used to buy the dried prunes from H&B. They were delicious, tasted like toffees. But I couldn’t trust myself around them, and the potential to consume all that concentrated sugar wasn’t a good idea so I don’t have them in the house. 😱

[Ppiman in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

I did read on the Sunsweet website once that most of the sugar in prunes (called sorbitol) isn't absorbed which is why they have their laxative effect. So ... you can eat way without fear! The ones we get are from a company called Bulgarian Nuts which used to sell direct but now are through Amazon are the best we've found, more like plums in a way and sun dried without any chemical softeners so they do need gently stewing to soften them.

Steve

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Ppiman]

On checking my FODMAP app I see that prunes are high in both fructans and sorbitol, either or both of which can be problematic for some people with IBS symptoms so it’s definitely going to be a case of “what works for some…” etc. Plums also contain sorbitol and fructans but obviously at a lower concentration than prunes. As with all these remedies, it’s about finding what works for the individual and sometimes it’s a combination of things. I’m always wary of dried fruit though. It’s something that I prefer to use very sparingly. I do like a nice rich fruit cake though, now and again. Especially at Christmas 🎄

[Ppiman in reply to Autumn_Leaves]

That’s interesting. I seem able to eat prunes freely but too much of the Sunsweet prune juice and I do get IBS symptoms.

Steve

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Ppiman]

You probably have a tolerable limit for either or both of the FODMAPs and become symptomatic if you exceed it. I am guessing though and it’s a bit of a rigmarole to work it out. Sometimes it’s a case of some low-level discomfort being a fair price to pay for the benefits.

[Auriculaire]

Dried figs and apricots are good as well as prunes. The brown dried apricots are nicer and less sweet than the orange ones Ginger works well too. You can use root ginger in cooking or make tea with it. Crystallized ginger lumps are delicious but there is the sugar to consider so they need to be limited.

[Alphakiwi]

Thanks so much to everyone for all these so helpfull replies from a desperate 80 yr old. I will be seeing my GP on thursday to see if there is another med that i can take instead that doesnt cause this debillitating effect. I must say that Verapamil does seem to work on my brand of arrythmia though.Colin

[belindalore in reply to Alphakiwi]

Maybe try some of the remedies others have advised. Peaches are also a good natural laxative. Then maybe you won't have to switch meds. ☺

[Autumn_Leaves in reply to Alphakiwi]

Very good the meds are working for your AF etc.

[Vanna-C]

The best cure for me are the effervescent vit c tablets. One every morning with breakfast is usually all I need, but occasionally a second one later in the day if the problem persists

[Madscientist16]

Polyethylene glycol. Ask your chemist/pharmacist. It can be bought over the counter. It is a powder that you mix with a beverage or apple sauce or pudding. Pretty fast acting but with no cramps. I was taking a half dose morning and night to stay regular. After a few weeks on the meds, my body adjusted naturally, but definitely up the fiber and water intake in your diet.