chronic constipation

[bearfriend52]

I have had issus with ibs c for 10 years.Iwork 20 hrs a week as a cashier, sometimes my stomach is so bloated cant zip my jeans up.The last year has been so bad with the syndromeconstipation I don't want to go to work,travel sometims I just cant think about anything except my discomfort.Have been to gi doctor twive this year,their answer is miralax 3 times a day prunce juice and lots of water, does this help?sometimes I can go almost with ease, but other times 3 days without bm, I am so unconfortable and miserable my family does not understand how bad I feel ,just want to know if other peoplehave the same symptons I do, sometimes I just feel so alone with this problem.Thank you for your time.Any response will be appreciated.

[Kariss]

Hi Bearfriend. Just the fact that you are on this site shows that you are not alone. I am so sorry that that you are in so much discomfort and have sufferered for so long without proper support. I haven't really got any miracle cure answers, just some suggestions really .

As the bloating comes on bad at work, could it be made worse by sitting down for long periods, or perhaps the time of day, for instance is it worse after lunch? Perhaps you could try keeping a food diary so you can see if any particular foods make it worse. Would it be possible to walk about more whilst at work, if not perhaps add in some walking to or from work. I always find gentle exercise relieves boated tummy. Also could you wear elastic waist jeans as I find tight clothes make the discomfort worse. I know they're not particularly fashionable but if you wear a long top or shirt untucked you don't even see the elastic!

For the constipation, if you can take it, I recommend liquorice. The proper dried root or powder made into a tea (1/2 teaspoonful infused in hot water) works wonders and even liquorice sweets can help. But go easy as too much can have the opposite effect!

IBS is such a hard thing to live with (I have had it since I was a child), and there doesn't seem to be any one cure. What suits one person is often no good for another, but you are not alone. I hope some of these things are useful.

Best wishes, K

[EmilyH5888]

Liver flush. Your digestion has stopped working. Do you have a history of antibiotic use?

[janeeng in reply to EmilyH5888]

Never detox the liver when you are constipated!

[2412]

Hi

I have had this since I was a child too .I remember my mum handing me a book and I'd head off to the loo .

I can totally sympathise in how you feel .I have exactly the same symptoms as you . It's a nightmare .The bloating is horrendous and so painful and uncomfortable .I suffer from really bad constipation all the time and take laxatives I get from doctor that help most days .I can be absolulty desperate to go and by the time I get to loo just can't go .I don't get it !! I eat a healthy diet keep active as sitting around does make bloating worse .I Drink loads of water as advised but I'm still constpipated all the time .You are right It is all you think about all day as you always feel the need to go but can't .As you say no one gets how it is being like this .I would love not to take laxatives but it's the only thing that works .I have asked to be tested for food intolerances .If we didn't need to eat I think I'd give up food if I thought it would help .

I have found if I eat certain foods it can make things worse .I can't eat macaroni cheese .Within minutes of eating mac and cheese I could feel my tum expanding and it would make me sick and the bloating and stomach cramps would last for days .I had fish and chips four days ago .I'm still suffering .Fatty food doesn't agree with me either .Fruit like rasps and apples can trigger bloating too .

Being like this makes you feel tired and under the weather all the time .

Your clothes fit in the morning and by lunch time my tum is huge .Its awful if I'm going out at night because things that fitted in morning won't even tie up and look awful .

😃🌺🌻

[patientj]

As others have said, you're not alone. You'll always find a friendly ear on here.

By my understanding, constipation is caused by one of two things:

1) not enough bulk or water in the stool so that there's nothing/not enough to pass

2) for some reason, the gut isn't functioning correctly so it isn't pushing to faeces along

Add to that the bloating and things can become really unpleasant.

If taking laxatives, eating more soluble fibre, and drinking sufficient water isn't helping to move things along, it may be something more to do with the functioning of the gut. The underlying mechanisms for how the gut moves food along isn't fully understood. Equally, and we understand even less about the biochemical pathways that might influence this based on the contents of the gut. There is some evidence that people with constipation have a different microbe profile to those with diarrhoea, but it can't be said that the bacteria are the cause of the problem. It's also worth noting that mood can also have a strong effect, and constipation is often associated with depression.

However, there is one other dietary intervention you might like to try: the low FODMAP diet. It's recommended you do this with the aid of a qualified dietician, but it is basically an elimination diet where you remove a range of foods that contain carbohydrates that your body can't digest but the bacteria in your gut can. The idea being that the bacteria digest the food producing gas and other metabolites that affect how the gut operates. After 6-8 weeks on the elimination phase, you slowly start to reintroduce the foods to see which ones cause you discomfort and which ones you can eat without problems or in moderation. It's been shown to be beneficial in over 2/3 of patients.

[bearfriend52 in reply to patientj]

thank you for the advice

[marchmadness]

I suffered similarly for 9 years. Tried everything - Miralax, colonics, magnesium, prune juice, aloe Vera juice, laxative pills, high fiber diets, drinking 3 litres of water per day, acupuncture, flax seeds, probiotics. Many worked initially but I got adjusted to them by 1 to 6 months and went back to being constipated. And yes, it's horrible - I really feel your pain.

Finally after 5 1/2 years, I stumbled upon a specific type of magnesium called Mag07. I found it on Amazon and it had good reviews, so I tried it. It worked. It's the only thing I've found that worked consistently, for three years. I had tried any other kinds of magnesium, Mag07 is the only one that worked for me really well and for so long. I took 5 capsules per night for 2 weeks and then backed off to 3 per night as maintenance. Only reason I stopped is because I got a horrible stomach virus this year (and stopped taking the Mag07) and when it finally ended, my IBS-C had changed into IBS-D. So I don't need Mag07 anymore. But highly recommend it.

I also recommend cutting out dairy and gluten (especially wheat). There are so many other options these days, and gluten and dairy are just generally inflammatory and unhealthy, in addition to being constipating. The exception is yogurt, but try to get organic and unflavored (plain). Taking probiotics is also really helpful. Male sure it's got at least 5 billion organisms per capsule. And in addition to probiotics, there's something related to them (a healthy yeast) called sacchar...boulardi. I forget the exact name but just search on Amazon and you'll find it. And yes drink tons of water, 3 litres per day, (take Mag07 with a glass of water at bedtime), exercise and eat loads of vegetables. Steamed kale and broccoli are great. Sauerkraut is super healthy for the colon. Cabbage is too, but sauerkraut is extra good because it's fermented and has natural probiotics. Steel cut oats or rolled oats (not instant) are also soothing to the gut. Suffering from constipation for so long really made me change my life, but it's all so good for you anyway, almost a blessing in disguise (almost....almost.) Hope this helps, sending love your way.

[Pat1]

I totally agree with marchmadness. I too had tried everything and then started using Mag07. There two similar products called Oxypowder and Colosan. They are the best thing ever. They are magnesium based so no cramps and bloating and I used to suffer badly with bloating. I follow the fodmap diet, but it doesn't help constipation only the bloating sometimes. If you have such bad constipation diet alone doesn't help. I am a healthy eater, lots of green veg and smoothies and fruit, go to the gym regularly, but that alone doesn't help. I have had tests that show a gut disorder where, slow gut motility, which you may have too. Have you been referred to a consultant? I was and things became clearer. The consultant also suggested magnesium based products are the best long term to take. By the way I also tried expensively prescription medication, but even though it worked, I did not want to take it long term. The medication I was on was Prucalopride and Linaclotide. Look it up, it is the latest med for constipation you might be able to get it on nhs but I couldn't as I went private. You can get the mag07 and others I mentioned on Amazon or a company called the Finchley clinic. You can call them and they give you advice. Here is the link. thefinchleyclinic.com/shop/...

Or look on Amazon

[bearfriend52 in reply to Pat1]

thank you for all the help, greatly appreciated

[Neil119]

Try eating Kippers & macerel lunch / breakfast to lubricate your insides . It helps me pass wind & pellets - I THINK

[medcal73]

daer bearfriends52 i also have ibs.for last 20yrs. very painfull at times on loo for a good half hr. nearly passing out had all the colonoscpies flexies and so but havnt been given anything so i tried imodium and others as i also have bad days where i have to run for loo whoops accident nothing seems to work so i now watch what i eat no cure also have diverticolosis to go with ibs.look 8 months preg. so uncomfortable ibs. also brought up contents of bowel not pleasent at all.as yet no answers to these probs. sorry cant help but i know how painfull this can be .