Slimatee

[IBS-]

Hi, has anyone used Slimatee teabags to help with constipation? I know the ingredients include Senna, and I am trying to avoid using laxatives. However, I am suffering with long term constipation due to slow transit constipation plus a 45% prolapse (rectocele) and I am tired of having to eat prunes every day washed down with lots and lots of green teas etc (on top of a very healthy diet) plus fruit & fibre cubes from Holland & Barrett to maintain some sort of regularity. I am wondering if the amount of Senna in these tea bags would be enough to cause the bowel to come dependent long term? Any advise on this would be really helpful! Many thanks!

[FRreedman]

Have you tried kiwi fruit, it is a lot nicer than prune juice, and I eat two per day, and have about 3 bm per week as opposed to 1 bm every 7-10 days with manual extraction (tmi). Good luck and stay safe.

[IBS- in reply to FRreedman]

Hi Freedman.

Thanks, this is good to know. I have heard they are very good at helping to keep you regular, but not tried before. I will go and buy a load! How long does it take to have an effect?

Many thanks,

[FRreedman in reply to IBS-]

They should start to work within a week. Don't buy too many as they will go off.

[IBS- in reply to FRreedman]

Thank you!

[Eliana5 in reply to FRreedman]

Is Kiwi fruit a natural laxative? Do you slice it? I have only had it once. Prunes make me cramp terribly.

[FRreedman in reply to Eliana5]

Yes it is a natural one. I cut it in half and then use a tea spoon to scoop out the inside fruit. You must wait until the fruit is ripe (just soft to the touch) otherwise it is too hard to scoop out, and very sour to the taste. When ripe it is slightly sweet and juicy.

[Eliana5 in reply to FRreedman]

Thank you..I may give it a try. Although I wonder how expensive it might be. I have no transportation..can only go once a month my case manager takes me. I don't know how long they would stay fresh. Apple juice is also known to be a great laxative.

[FRreedman in reply to Eliana5]

I buy two punnets of 6, (rather firm ones) and keep one punnet in the fridge and one in a fruit bowl. That lasts me just about a week, and I then replenish my stock. If you keep one packet in the fridge it will, happily last till the end of the week, but please remember to take it out of the fridge, as you eat the final two from the fruit bowl.

[IBS- in reply to FRreedman]

Thanks Freesman, I’ve been doing exactly what you recommend!

So far so good and I’m on day 5 now 😊👍

[IBS- in reply to FRreedman]

Hi Freedman,

I wanted to say thank you for suggesting kiwi-fruit for my constipation. I had heart it helps and after your recommendation, I decided to give it a go and so far I have been going daily! Almost as soon as I started eating them, from the very first day! I don’t know if this is just a co-incidence but for the first time in years, I have been having daily evacuations ever since and it’s been over 1 week now! I have not felt so cleared out and stomach so flat in years! I have more energy and running is a pleasure now, before I found it harder and didn’t have as much energy. Thank you again, I’m praying this continues..

[IBS- in reply to FRreedman]

Hi Freedman. We recently talked about how kiwi-fruit helps with your constipation and due to your recommendation I started eating two a day. For the first month it helped me enormously and I was going every single day, and sometimes twice a day! Then suddenly, about 4 weeks later, I had a relapse and became bunged up again. Now I am back to slow transit again, where I have a few days before I go etc. Any idea why this could be? I also feel like kiwi is a little acidic in my esophagous.. does that make any sense to you? Many thanks.

[IBS-]

Freedman - sorry typo!

[FRreedman in reply to IBS-]

I haven't had this problem, myself, but wonder if the fruit is either under-ripe or over-ripe.

The only thing I have ever done since trying the Kiwi fruit is, if I feel not quite right, (but nothing is wrong), I will drink a can of Coca Cola (Only the real thing)with my main meal for one or two days. ( I don't know why or how it works, but only the brand Coca Cola works - I think it may be something to do with the fizz and the secret recipe). BTW have you seen what it does to a twopenny piece (a dirty one) - put the dirty coin in a bowl and then slowly add a small amount of Coca Cola, within seconds it fizzes to glory and the coin comes up sparkling clean. It makes me wonder what it does to you if you drink it regularly, but (I hope) once in a while it won't do much harm. Good luck and stay safe.

NB**** Are you passing wind? If not please do not try the above but contact your GI team as a matter of urgency.

[IBS-]

Hi Freedman,

Good point. Do you find if the kiwi is not ripped enough, or over riped it doesn’t digest / work in the same way?