Constipation

[Jlg90]

I’ve had on off constipation/diarrhoea most my life ( I’m late 20’s) and for the past year I’ve suffered from chronic constipation for which I’ve tried movocol, senna, cosmocol, picolax, dulcolax, the list goes on. When going to the doctors they just want to give me more medicine which I’m reluctant to do as nothing works, sometimes I go 4-6 weeks without going to toilet taking loads of laxatives in the process. Can anyone provide me with a private doctor or specialist I can go to because the nhs still won’t see me telling me it’s not severe enough as I’m not bleeding or vomiting.

Thank you

[Kdw1]

I'm the same depending on laxatives. I rang the doctor and they said to give them a chance to work, the pain is unreal especially the bottom of my back and down my legs, I honestly think I have a lazy bowel now because of them.

[Jlg90 in reply to Kdw1]

Same here, long term laxative use ruins the liver, bowels and prevents you from being able to go even with them after a while, I’m even thinking asking for a stoma or stint thing they use to keep it open down there if they’d consider letting me have either

[Kdw1 in reply to Jlg90]

I've never heard of a of getting any of them done I'd consider anything as im sick of getting temporary relief from laxatives then feeling bloated and constipated again it's awful.

[Ioana1982]

Hiya

I had some tests done because I am exactly like you. They diagnosed severely delayed colonic transit. They said it’s quite common in women.

But like you they give you laxatives and they ran out of stuff to try with me. I’m waiting to see them again but god knows when they’ll bother seeing as they can’t be bothered to see many patients now they can use covid as an excuse xxxxx

[Jlg90 in reply to Ioana1982]

The last time I pretty much begged for a scan and the doctor said I’ll look into it and I got put down as urgent but upped the dose instead. I’ve been taking an enema laxative on and off since March now and a nurse through 111 was mortified they kept prescribing it as you aren’t meant to take it longer than 1 week! XX

[xjrs]

Have you had the required tests to rule out anything else - see here:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

What is your fibre intake like? To improve constipation in the short term you can try ground flaxseed on your breakfast, starting at 1 teaspoon and increasing at 1 teaspoon every 2-3 days - you'll need to consume extra water with it.

These foods are also high fibre:

Prunes

2 tablespoon chia seeds (soaked for 10-15 mins in milk or non dairy milk with cereal or water)

Shredded wheat (or GF version: Nutribrex)

Quinoa

Wholewheat bread

Whole grain pastas

Hard pears

Dried apricots

Raspberries

Oranges (contain a natural laxative)

2 kiwi.

I find that I need to have 1 orange a day and then another high fibre fruit later in the day to help with BMs.

I also take 30 drops of ginger extract before bedtime to aid motility. You may need to work up the dose to say 7 drop increments each night.

I have been giving Optifibre a go, which has been helping but I need to be careful with the amount since it gives me gas.

Exercise can help with BMs. The government recommends 150 mins of moderate exercise (e.g. walking as if you are late for an appointment) or 75 of intense exercise (e.g. jogging) per week. I also have a bit of a walk around straight after breakfast to get things moving.

You need to ensure that you are drinking enough fluids (2 litres of fluid per day).

There is some good advice about constipation here:

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

I suffer from IBS-C and have been prescribed Linaclotide for it. I also take Alflorex probiotic which has made me more tolerant to taking in the extra fibre I need for a BM.

[Jlg90 in reply to xjrs]

Thanks for the advice, my fibre intake is okay, I can’t have too much as it bloats me out a lot, fruit being the main offender. In the past when I could actually go my water intake was reduced a lot and I had probably 5-10g of fibre a day, doesn’t make sense lol. I eat avocado a few times a week, ginger, occasionally turmeric, courgettes and a few others so I’m getting healthy food in. My job means I’m on my feet for 8-16 hours a day depending on the hours but 8hours min so my exercise is pretty high. I’ve asked for tests since November last year but they kept delaying it and with COVID my scans got cancelled. I was put down as urgent in august to have scans due to a lot of weight loss and pain from the constipation but I still haven’t heard anything. That’s pretty much why I want to see private doctors now.

[xjrs in reply to Jlg90]

I spent £150 on a private consultation with a gastroenterlogist who also worked for the NHS. When he recommended tests (which were expensive), I asked my GP to transfer me to the NHS. It took some persuading of the NHS booking system to not have to be allocated to a different consultant and not have the initial consultation again, which would involve a wait. I also contacted the consultant's secretary to just get him to refer me for the necessary tests, which he did. The test appointment came through fairly quickly. It's just a case of getting yourself into the system and things then start to happen, which is probably what you are looking to do. Good luck.

[WthrMtsfan712 in reply to Jlg90]

Have you gotten down to the bottom of any of your issues yet and found any relief? Just wondering. Because right now, I am dealing with worsening severe constipation, to where I can't pass stool for days on end and your history with IBS sounds similar to mine. Now I'm not really using laxatives too much and they do help me to go, although when I go it's more similar to diarrhea in nature than anything else, which seems to constipate me for days on end all over again. I do seem to have problems with uterine fibroids, but am wondering if they can really cause the type of constipation I've been dealing with lately.

[Earthflower]

I am very much like you. Addicted to strongest laxatives which stopped working. Went to A n E and told to use a fleet or Kleen enema only to have little effect. As a last resort I went for colonic irrigation. I had a colonic every week for 4 weeks, then one 3 weeks later then one 8 weeks later. Slowly I'm working better and since the last colonic I have been going nearly every day naturally. I am also drinking more water, not drinking alcohol and adding flaxseeds to meals and having a lit of soaked prunes. I mean between 8 to 12 prunes most days. Pleaae don't be afraid of colonic irrigation as it's been very helpful for me however it seems when we have ongoing problems such as slow transit bowl or lazy as I have then regular colonic irrigation is probably reccomend. I intend to have treatment every 6 to 8 weeks. It costs but clinics prices vary. I pay £55 a time. This is not available on NHS unfortunately.

[Jlg90 in reply to Earthflower]

Thank you for the suggestion, I’ve enquired with a local clinic to find out the prices, I’m keen on getting acupuncture too as I’ve read and heard good things. My problem is also blocked digestive tract every now and then, which I’m suffering from now so laxatives don’t seem to work as there’s nothing in the colon. I’ve tried drinking more and eating small meals but nothing helps and I just get more pain and weird blocked feelings in my middle and upper back for some reason, especially after I try eating small meals.

[FullofIt in reply to Earthflower]

Hi Earthflower. Could you provide me with the details for the colonic irrigation please?? Xx