Since my diagnosis of lupus 12 years ago, it has become blatantly apparent that my bowel is affected by the disease. I have spoken to my doctor, rheumy and several other medics and all they want to know is that if I take laxatives, am I able to go to the loo. The answer is yes but I am finding that I have to take more and more laxatives for there to be any affect. Does anyone have any hints as to how I can make life a little better, does aloe Vera work? Are there any questions that I should be asking?
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Chablis
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Lots of fruit and plenty of fluid. Constipation is horrid and can make you feel really quite poorly. Try fruit smoothies if you are not keen on chomping your way through pounds of fruit, but avoid using milk as a base as that is binding. I am a vegetarian and never get constipated, there has got to be a link there...lol...good luck!
Hi, funny you should mention porridge! My daughter is also a veggie and she has had problems with constipation over the years, she recently said she had a bad bout and put it down to the porridge! Despite all the info telling you that it is good for bowels etc I think it is a very individual thing. She has started eating Shreddies, and says problem solved! Worth a try!
I have this problem too. It makes me very miserable!! If I eat more fruit I end up with thrush!! So just a vicious circle. I am interested in the aloe vera thing, read a few different posts lately mentioning it for different things. Anyone here that could recommend it and where do you buy it from? Never seen it in shops. Xxx
I suffer with this problem, have used laxatives for years. I now take a colon cleanse supplement and a product called Elimenex, I have had no problems since. A herbalist recommended these and plenty of dietary fibre. When eating porridge put in a table spoon of oatbran before eating dont cook the oatbran, hope this helps, I haven't had a laxative in a month!! Xx
Hi Chablis, I've become prone to ibs type symptoms as my lupus gets worse. I can go from one extreme to the other! Normally I can manage it by being careful with my diet, but it's the meds that really kick it off for me, & I end up in so much pain I can't eat.
Blimey, thank you so much to you all, will look at getting the colon cleanse and add the oatbran after cooking to see if it has an affect. Been putting the oatbran in with the porridge at the beginning!
No wonder we lose weight with this as I am the same as roobarb, get to the point where eating becomes painful
I take methotrexate and prednisilone but years ago I found that the prednisilone helped. I think it is probably more disease related and sadly my rheumy is not that bothered. I think he thinks it is just something that I have to live with, which I can understand as we all have issues, but there is no harm in trying self help methods, but next time I go I will try again to flag it up and see what happens
Hi there since I turned vegetarian I have found I'm not constipated, with lupus our body is already struggling to cope and digesting meat is not easy I eat fish, eggs, vegetables and have alot more energy maybe you could try, I did it for three months first, then I tried meat again and straight away found myself constipated, nowit's been a year my health has improved and my meds have been decreased. Hope this helps.
I heard eating licorish (Sorry for the spelling) has a laxative effect. My mum was a home remedy person rather than pills and potions when I was younger, She gave me licorish when I was younger and a bit bunged up. Also Robinson's barley if I had a water infection. Sometimes the natural remedies are a lot kinder to your already suffering body than pumping yourself full of more pills
I have had issues with my bowl for years due to lupus and have been diagnosed with irritable bowl syndrome. I suffer with constant constipation, which is made worse by my blood pressure tablets and I have to take laxatives regularly for relief. It doesn't matter how much veg or fruit I eat or how much water I drink, it really doesn't make much difference. I do find eating porridge more constipating and have to limit how much I eat. I cannot eat a lot of wholemeal wheat as this irrates my bowl even further, although it does help with the constipation. When I speak to my doctor about my constipation he just encourages me to take laxatives. I use something called smooth move, which gives more natural relief without the griping. Also a word of caution, I have taken aloe vera juice in the past and found it made my lupus worse because it works on the immune system as an immune booster. I am very sensitive and anything that works as an immune booster, no matter how slight increases my lupus symptoms, even taking vitamin C, if I take it for more than a week. So please be careful and monitor your reaction when taking herbal remedies or trying new diets.
I find the aloe vera and any supplement that boosts immune system so true,i had awfull reactions to supplements ,i now take nothing ,mayvbe the occasional childrens multivit,it seems that all i can tolerate?
I've had terrible constipation since October last year, it's so bad I don't really fart anymore. I was always very regular before that. I have been drinking more water and eating more fruit and veg. I also have been more careful with what I eat and i've been trying to eat healthily. I've tried to avoid taking laxatives so that I can sort it out in a more 'natural' way.
My friend mentioned linseed/flaxseed and this has been the only thing that helps. I got it from Holland and Barrett and it's best to get the milled version. I still have problems going to the toilet but at least I am going once a day.
hey corrosion...thanks for the LOL... :- ) it is good to be able to find some humour in our suffering. do you actually miss farting ? ha ha ....i think i would miss it.
Well I'm almost exclusively vegetarian - and still constipated. You can, contrary to much advice, actually eat too MUCH fibre. Also, I find porridge helps - but then I make it with water, not milk, perhaps topped off with some yoghurt and other goodies.
This is what works for me: a couple of dessertspoons of sauerkraut every evening, a glass of prune juice every morning. Occasional 1 or 2 senna tablets at night if getting stuck. A suppository once in a blue moon to clear a blockage. Bisocodyl in dire need.
I was TOTALLY constipated for over two years. i.e. I could not have a natural movement, ever. I saw two different eminent professors of gastroenterology who were both bloody useless. My naturopathic doctor sorted me out. One of the problems was intestinal flora imbalance - I had zero good bugs! Corrected with natural antibiotics and probiotics. Her name is Dr Franziska Meuschel and she practices at BioLab in London. Highly recommended.
Thank you, I cannot go naturally and it takes lots of laxatives to make anything move so to speak. I have an extra 4lbs of weight at the moment due to the fact that my tummy is so bloated. I think visiting a naturopath would be an excellent idea so I am going to do that as it is clear from the answers above that we are all different.
I would check Aloe Vera before taking it as I am sure someone has mentioned on here before that it boosts your immune system, so i would have thought could make your Lupus symptoms worse.
I too now suffer with IBS, and yet again the docs and gastro have been useless. It more the pain i can't cope with.
I have found cutting out wheat has helped a bit, but increasing fruit and veg and fluid intake has made no change at all.
I have this problem and use laxido sachets prescribed by the GP - they are specifically for long term constipation and safe to use on a regular basis. It's a powder that you mix with water and drink. Taste isn't great but really effective when used regularly and preferable to constipation.
Since my lupus really flared over 12months ago,i have been constipated ,with all my other symptoms also i suspected thyroid disorder ????who knows??strangley i have an overactive bladder ?but underactive bowel?according to doc ,irritable bowel and irritable bladder go hand in hand?however my bowel is far from irritataed its just not working full stop .
Try a good quality pro-biotic every day. This assists the normal bowel flora and thereby supports the function of the digestive system. Take a look at probiotic supplements in Autoimmune disease on google.
Try a good quality pro-biotic every day. This assists the normal bowel flora and thereby supports the function of the digestive system. Take a look at probiotic supplements in Autoimmune disease on google.
I read the cautions of taking pro-biotics in lupus ,as they can cause exacerbations of symptoms??????i have a leaky gut and know from experience that probios caused me problems ,the so called freindly bacteria leaks through the gut wall and causes an immune response ,i suppose if you have a healthy gut all will be fine?
It wasn't until I got homoeopathic treatment for 'leaky gut' and IBS (..plus various other symptoms!!) that my digestive system started to improve - after many years of misery. I now take a probiotic tablet 30 minutes before breakfast and enjoy a small portion of sauerkraut with my dinner every day. I start the day with a pint (or more) of warm water (cold doesn't do the trick!) and have some pre-soaked prunes and raisins with my morning porridge ..made on water. I also have a small glass of vegetable juice - whilst the porridge is cooking. I no longer swell up after every meal or snack and am getting rather used to good habits ..at least some. Hope your constipation will be 'but a memory' very soon. xxx
Blimey is there really so many of us got this problem. No one seems to believe the illness is to blame. I have SS as well as SLE AND Fibromyalga. I think the SS has something to do with it your bowl can become just as dry as anywhere else. Unless I took laxitives I would never go, I eat very healthy and rarely have meat. I paid privately to see someone I was completely desperate I was given Magnesium Hydroxide mixture. It works very well and was told there was no problem taking it long term. It's been 2 yrs. it is horrible to take but I couldn't do without it. I just wish doctors would take us serious. I was even told it was normal for a woman of my age (56) because of the menopause. I have always been this way but thy don't listen. It can actually run your life. Wishing everyone writing on this page good luck you are not alone. X
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Please can anyone answer Any one take this please 
It never rains but it pours !
Newly diagnosed - Struggling for answers
My bowel is giving up! Is this common with lupus patients? 
