Constipation suggestions

[Harley1020]

Anyone have any suggestions for chronic constipation? Have tried numerous things without success. Thinking of trying Dulcolex and would be grateful for any opinions on this medication. Oh, and also Linaclotide which can only be prescribed. Thank you.

[Cortes3]

Try dulcoease its gentle ! also psyllium husk take everyday! plenty of water too.

[Harley1020 in reply to Cortes3]

Many thanks. Will try Dulcolex - how much psyllium husk do you use? Currently have started trying 1 senokot and 150mls prune juice a day but does not seem to be working.

[Limonana]

Magnesium citrate and Movicol/laxido are supposed to be good as they’re stool softeners. Just make sure to drink plenty otherwise they may not work properly.

Apple juice is also supposed to have a mild laxative effect, along with pears due to their high fibre and sorbitol content.

[Limonana]

I take Dulcolax, but whilst it is a good stimulant laxative the effect is not particularly long lasting, unlike stool softeners I believe.

Be careful with strong laxatives as from experience I’ve learnt that taken daily these can actually cause more bowel problems as your bowel gets more dependent on laxatives to work.

Hope this helps 😊

[Pte82]

Harley1020 these links may contain information that may help you. Research it further. Always consult your health care provider before using any supplement.

eonutrition.co.uk/post/when...

eonutrition.co.uk/post/thia...

stuttersense.blogspot.com/2...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Morzine]

I am on movicol / magrocolol which I use on and off….I’d do two sachets,….then another next day if not shifted……ducolax upset me a bit feeling sickly……u don’t really get side effects from movicol.Sue

[Tess359]

Have you tried linseeds? Start with one teaspoon daily for up to 3 days, if that doesn't produce results keep increasing by one teaspoon every 3 days up to a maximum of 2 tablespoons. You need to drink plenty of fluid with them, at least 150ml for every tablespoon. You can sprinkle them on food. I take two teaspoons in the morning with breakfast and two with my evening meal. That works for me. Don't take anything else while you are taking the linseeds.

[xjrs]

I have IBS-C and I have been prescribed Linaclotide for it and I am also taking Alflorex probiotic which has been scientifically studied for IBS. These in combination have reduced the pain I am in considerably and I have been able to tolerate more foods so that I am able to consume the extra fibre I need to have a BM including oatbran, wheat bran (if tolerated) - I have a combination of the two and make a porridge from it, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed, 9 prunes, 2 tablespoon chia seeds and shredded wheat (or GF version: Nutribrex) for breakfast, plus quinoa, wholewheat bread and whole grain pastas at other meals. These fruits are particularly high fibre and can help with BMs: hard pears, dried apricots, raspberries, oranges (contain a natural laxative) & 2 kiwi. I find that I need to have 1 orange or 2 kiwi a day and then another high fibre fruit later in the day to help with BMs. In some people the Linaclotide also helps a lot with BMs which is its primary purpose.

Any increases in fibre need to be worked up gradually.

There is some good advice about constipation here:

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

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.

Optifibre can help, but you need to work up the amount according to instructions and find a level that doesn't cause 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.

I run 3 times a week and have a walk around after breakfast to try to get things moving.

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

If you really get stuck you can try 800mg+ of Magnesium Oxide. I used to take these for a regular bowel movement when having to be low fibre:

myvitamins.com/vitamins/mag...

I used to start around 800mg at bed time on an empty stomach, then increment by 100mg (1 pill) each night until I got a response the next morning or the morning after. Most of it goes straight to your bowels where it draws in water to bulk out stools. This worked well when I was low fibre, but when I started to introduce fibre it became more unpredictable (either not working well enough or too well), so I had to give it up. I would not recommend using this method on a long term basis, though, and address the constipation with diet instead.

[Pajarorose]

My constipation was caused by Fructan intolerance. I switched from whole grain bread to white bread and eliminated high fructan vegetables. Constipation gone.

[kay-os]

try oxmotics such as mag07 and colosan. No side effects magnesium and oxygen based.4 tablets of Mag07 works for me within hours. It liquidizes any 'poop' by drawing water from inside and flushes it out. Need to stay close to the loo and drink lots of water. Hope this helps. You won't need to take it all the time once it's cleared you out.

[Flyonawall]

Do you have any particular digestive "condition" aside from this?If not look seriously at your diet and liquid intake and levels of activity. Tsp of molasses before bed usually does the trick.Higher fiber intake,plenty of fruit and veg,porridge, muesli...that sort of thing.

[Harley1020 in reply to Flyonawall]

Thank you so much for you reply. I have bile vomiting if my stool builds up for longer than 4 days, feels like a blockage somewhere. Thought if I could get rid of the constipation, it would stop the bile vomiting. Will try your suggestion and see if it works. Thank you

[Tillytrots]

I suffer from chronic constipation and have tried a lot of things but I think I have cracked it by taking one movecol after tea then another at night if I find I don't go the next morning I take a capsule called Digestic revolutionary formula it for IBS and constipation you can get it from Amazon ever since I have been on it it works wonders because I usually have to go to hospital as I get badly impacted but since I have been taking it I have been going comfortabley ever since which is a BIG deal for me , I hope that if you try it you get relief good luck.

[Harley1020 in reply to Tillytrots]

Thank you so much for your reply - will try your method and hope it works. Glad to hear that you resolved your constipation.

[diana1998]

Linaclotide is horrendous. My gastro said 90% of his patients take cracked linseed which sorts them out. Working up to 4tblspoons daily with loads of water. Doesn't work for me. I told him I'm part of his 10% failures 😥

[Orchid99 in reply to diana1998]

like you i too do not respond to fibre, it blocks me up, reason being is because i have diagnosed slow transit colon which means there is something wrong with the waves that propel the waste along. People with IBS C have constipation but a normal colon which is when fibre would be more beneficial. Have you had a transit study/sitz marker test done? this is gold standard for checking how the bowel is working and how i got my diagnosis, i have been told i will need laxatives and other meds for the rest of my life to manage the condition.

[Harley1020 in reply to Orchid99]

hello, thank you for your advice, greatly appreciated. I’m waiting on an appointment with a colorectal consultant, so will ask about the test. I’m currently taking Dulcolax, which appears to be helping with keeping my bowels moving, although I have to vary how much I take to ensure that it works. This varies between 5mls to 15mls. Can you advise if you suffered from bile vomiting if your bowels did not move between 5-7 days? Thank you.