PD and constipation

[Shelly999]

Anybody have good solution

[MBAnderson]

Psyllium fiber and flaxseed oil

[Shelly999 in reply to MBAnderson]

Thanks Where do you buy this and how much do you take

[MBAnderson in reply to Shelly999]

There is a wide variety of brands sold in most drugstores and health food stores and lots of choices online. I've bought a lot of brands and have done done a lot of experimenting.

Unless you buy sugar-free, psyllium fiber from, for example, Walgreens, it is 75% sugar by weight. We all know aspartame is bad for you, but if you take three, 12 g servings per day, that would be 24 g of sugar and IMHO that much sugar would be seriously destructive.

What I've settled on is a mixture of 50% whole husk psyllium and 50% sugar-free, "Clear Fiber" from Walgreens. I mix the two together because taking whole host psyllium by itself becomes pretty gross after a few days. The Clear Fiber stuff dissolves completely and water.

I forget where I buy the whole husk stuff, but the name is JIVA Organics, whole host psyllium (Isabgol) and I got it online.

You should start out gradually with this stuff. I was taking 2 teaspoons in 6 ounces of water three times a day. I take it shortly after eating. Also, I was taking one table spoons of flaxseed oil twice a day.

Lastly, I was taking two tablets of Docusat stool softener (by prescription) twice a day.

My constipation was a problem, but for the past several months I've been a do-it-yourself Nilotinib/Tasigna user and it seems to finally be kicking in. My constipation has substantially diminished. I haven't taken either product for weeks. Thank God. It was every bit as awful as the tremor.

It takes a lot of trial and error. Everybody ends up with a different formula. Depends on how severe the problem is.

[MBAnderson in reply to MBAnderson]

PS. Adding a swallow of prune juice and a teaspoon of magnesium to this concoction once a day, usually in your last dose because it may also help with sleep, provides a little benefit too.

[MBAnderson in reply to MBAnderson]

PSS. A few months ago, Becky answered the same question with, "Taco Bell." Ha.

[MBAnderson in reply to MBAnderson]

PSSS. I forgot one very important ingredient. Walking. All other things being equal, walking an hour day should make a noticeable difference after a week or 10 days.

[laglag]

This sounds to easy to be true, but for about 3 months I've had good luck with a bowl of Cheerios and about a 1/2 cup or so of blueberries and I use Coconut/Almond milk, and then during the day I eat about 2 to 3 handfuls of mixed nuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, with raisins, dried cranberries and white yogurt chips. I'm not sure which one is helping, it could be a combination but I'm not going to stop any of those things, because it's working.

[ddmagee1]

Prunes and Metamucil & Dried Cherries

[MBAnderson in reply to ddmagee1]

I'm sure this is a good regime too. Walgreens sells a lot of brands under their own name. The Walgreens brand of Metamucil is "equate." Same stuff, only cheaper. Again, unless you read the label, Metamucil is 75% sugar by weight.

[park_bear]

PD dries out the GI tract from one end to the other. Docusate sodium, also known as Colace, replaces the lost moisture. The maximum daily dose is 250 mg. I have taken more than that without ill effect at times.

Another thing I have found helpful is to place a footstool by the toilet. I put my feet up on that which makes for more natural position closer to squatting.

[Enidah]

Lots and lots of water and exercise and at least two heaping tablespoons of ground flaxseed each morning with fruit grains nuts and yogurt. And lots of vegetables and fruit during the day and I haven't eaten meat in over 15 years. I seldom have had a problem with constipation. Oh, and very important, a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

[tid1]

I take 250 mg of Magnesium Citrate every night before bed. It is a natural laxative and muscle relaxant. The bottle says you can take 2 pills, but one is usually enough for me. I am taking this for dystonia muscle cramps but the laxative effect is an added benefit. Magnesium Citrate is absorbed better than some other forms of magnesium. I buy it at the grocery store.

[shelly9]

Thanks for all your replies.

[Bretray]

I've been trying a teaspoon on mannitol in the morning in coffee before trying it on my mom. I don't have PD but it does seem to make me pretty regular.

[maungwin56]

Coconut oil helps me. Two to three table spoons with breakfast make my bowel move just after one hour.

[JohnPepper]

I have posted this many times before. I have been able to mainly overcome my continual constipation problem in the following manner:

I have noticed that I no longer get the message to defecate. Not that I don't need to defecate, my body no longer tells me when.

I also have noticed that the sphincter in my rectum does not open/relax when I try to defecate.

Bearing these two facts in mind, I have tried to regularly sit on the toilet every day at the same time and after putting a small amount of Vaseline on the rectum I manually hold a wad of toilet paper over the rectum and press up with two fingers, while pressing down with my core muscles. I find that the sphincter opens and I am able to defecate on most occasions.

This may sound rather messy, but it isn't. Some people have been quite crude with their criticism of what I do, but if you will excuse the pun, "It Works"-

[andrehypnotic in reply to JohnPepper]

Shall give it a shot!!

[JohnPepper in reply to andrehypnotic]

Be patient! Every time my constipation gets out of hand, which it appears to do three or four times a year, probably because circumstances have prevented me maintaining my regular visit to the loo, I have to take a good dose of opening medication and then I return immediately to the daily routine.

[bcowart]

Yes. Since I started the ketogenic diet, I haven’t had constipation. Amazing. The diet has a lot of oil in it. Instead of getting your energy from carbohydrates, it comes from fats and oils. And I don’t put on weight, either. Before going ketogenic, every day or every other day I had gotten used to having terrible constipation. Now I do not. Prior to the dietary change, I used a lot of Flent’s enemas, Miralax and coffee enemas. Hope that helps.

[SilentEchoes]

Chia and/or a couple cups of coffee! You need to add fiber and bulk to your diet. Chia is a super food that absorbs liquid. Coffee stimulates the bowels to move.

If you're seriously bound up you'll need John Peppers method, or fleet enema.

It's important to get enough magnesium and it does help. Love the feedback on ketogenic diet and want to do this myself. If you don't eat meat you need to take care to supplement b12.

Prevention is key. Good luck.

[jackedmonston]

Tried many of the things above with no luck, but Miralax (generic available) has worked very effectively

[M_rosew]

Constipation can be kept at bay with high fibre diet and water. eg. high fibre cereals, wholemeal bread, vegetables (leave potato skins on), salad, fresh fruit, dried fruit (sultanas, prunes etc). Drink a lot of water, with meals and when taking tablets.

[Islandhappy]

Lots of water and 6 prunes before bed every night