HAVING MAJOR ISSUES WITH CONSTIPATION... HELP!!!! - IBS Network

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HAVING MAJOR ISSUES WITH CONSTIPATION... HELP!!!!

shees profile image
9 Replies

I suffer very badly with constipation and bloating. I have a consist feeling of been block up and needed to go to the loo.. but I cant. is there anything anyone can recommend to help me unblock my bowels???

I am getting sick of not been able to go to the loo. I have been taking movical powder dissolved in water which did used to work but I have found the symptoms are getting worse and very uncomfortable and embarrassing...

any help would be greatly appreciated..

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shees profile image
shees
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Therapist1 profile image
Therapist1

CONSTIPATION ADVICE

Constipation is a very common problem in our society today and the toxic load on the body can cause many symptoms including - headache, lethargy, bloating, abdominal pain, depression, bad breath, skin problems including acne and eczema, weight gain and increase in clothes size. If left untreated it can lead to much more serious illness! Occassionally it is necessary to hospitalise the patient for up to 5 days to clear many pounds of waste (up to 20lbs in serious cases) from the colon. This is addressed on the NHS by prescribing irritating laxatives which can make the bowel dependant and in severe cases administering enemas 2-3 times daily and giving bowel clearing solutions such as Picolax/ Clean Prep etc. Colonic Irrigation is not available on the NHS but I believe this is being looked at.

There are many different causes of constipation and the most common ones are listed below:

Dehydration

Diet low in Fibre (Fruit and vegetables, pulses etc)

Lack of Exercise

Diet high in sugar, salt and saturated fat

High Wheat intake (cakes, bread, pasta etc)

High Dairy intake including hard cheeses

Fast Foods/ Convenience Meals

Caffine and Alcohol

Heriditary Factors

Medications

Recreational Drug Use

A bowel in good working order can make a huge difference to health and wellbeing on a daily basis and ideally your bowel should be moving at least once a day - the amount of food that you consume should be released in roughly the same quantities, otherwise it is clogging up in the bowel and over the years becomes hard and compacted onto the bowel wall, a toxic, acidic load which you are carrying around with you!!

Listed below are some measures to help get the bowel back in good working order and you back to good health!

Start by increasing the amount of plain water/ herbal teas to 2 litres daily

Decrease, with a view to cutting out tea coffee and fizzy drinks

Reduce Alcohol intake

Increase dietery fibre in the form of fruit, veg, beans, chick peas, lentils etc

Reduce with a view to cutting out wheat products, bread, pasta, cakes etc

Reduce dairy intake

Increase exercise

Avoid red meat

Chew food well before swallowing to aid digestion

Manage stress levels

Massage your abdomen morning and evening for a couple of minutes to release waste and wind and help relieve abdominal tension

Helpful Tips and Advice

It is best to drink filtered or bottled water. For variety add some Thorncroft Detox Cordial available from health food shops

Digestif Herbal tea and also Fennel, Chamomile, Liquorice and Peppermint Teas are great for digestion

If drinking alcohol have a glass of water in between alcoholic drinks and take milk thistle before and after drinking.

Take vegetables in all different forms eg raw, stir fry, soups, in stews, grilled etc

Any beans, lentils, chick peas etc are great sources of dietary fibre

Eat fresh fruit on an empty stomach and don't eat anything for an hour after

Excellent exercise is fast walking, trampolining, hula hoop, fit ball etc.

Supplements and Natural Remedies

Soak 2 heaped dessertspoons of linseeds in water overnight. Stir and drink in the morning

Pro Biotics

Psyllium Husks

Aloe Vera Gel

Slippery Elm with fennel

Co Ton (cascara compound)

Dr Stuart's Lax plus tea

Take Omega oils/linseed oil/starflower oil/ hemp oil

Black Strap Molasses

Sandy247 profile image
Sandy247

Having suffered from severe constipation due to the amount of morphine I take, I know how ill it can make you.

I also found that worrying about it seemed to make it worse.

The following now works for me -

- drinking 2 litres of clear liquid [no alcohol] everyday,and

- eating dried apricots everyday.

- I don't drink caffeine

- I don't eat dairy products

- I don't eat red meat

- I try to do some exercise each day

- I drink fennel tea

- I take Acidopphillus [pro-biotic] after my main meal.

At one point, I was so distressed with the pain that I was reduced to manual evacuation of the bowel. This meant investing in latex gloves [the type used in hospitals] and lubricating gel. It sounds disgusting but I can promise you that it works and my GP was happy for me to do this.

I hope this helps you. Sx

Huston profile image
Huston

To add to all the above I do pelvic floor exercises and am going to take up Pilates to strengthen abdominal core muscle groups .this as a result of a gastro consultant thinking that as well as IBS I am experiencing a mild form of obstructive defacation syndrome . probably as a result of poor pelvic floor muscle tone and co ordination .

Jenjenny profile image
Jenjenny

Hiya I suffer the same problem of not feeling like I've completely emptied my bowels, and I've started eating 3 sticks of pure liquorice a day and it's realy helped me empty my bowels.. Hope this helps love as it a awful feeling when you are bloated all the time xx

saabx30 profile image
saabx30

Hi constipation is uncomfortable and depressing.

My way of dealing with it is water but I drink it hot with lemon honey and ginger it's lovely and get things moving in the morning with the help of Latulose 15ml x2 day.

Excercise dose get things moving as well along with smaller meals.....best not to overload your system

Caffeine seems to irritate as well so I don't bother with that.

Hope that helps

Gardener profile image
Gardener

Hi, can you tell me what type of exercises strengthen the abdominal core muscles? I too suffer with obstructive defecation as a result of IBS. Apart from pelvic floor exercises the only suggestion from the colorectal specialist nurse was to use a balloon expulsion device, which looked so primitive and horrific. She upset me greatly because I wouldn't use it and dismissed me with 'you are wasting my time'! If I take anything like liquorice

Gardener profile image
Gardener

cont......! or added fibre my spasm and bloating is even worse. Such a distressing and difficult problem to live with - and you can't explain to others which is isolating.

cassie17 profile image
cassie17

what helps me greatly with constipation is taking magnesium citrate tablets i take solgar brand(but you dont have to use this brand i have just found it is best for me) between 1 and 3 a night you need to adjust the amount to find the dose that work for you but they also work perfect for friends i have told about them,you need to make sure they are the citrate ones.

kath_80 profile image
kath_80

Hi, I suffer with severe constipation and just been told to drink 8 movicol/Laxido sachets a night for 3 days as I have had an x ray showing a blockage. Before I was impacted and they tried this and Piccolax and nothing would help, so they ended up tube feeding me 8 litres of Klean prep in 2 days. That worked. Honestly don't want to get into that situation again, so drinking Movicol - chocolate tonight - Yum! Much better than Laxido. Good Luck

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