Constipation relief

[wildandwindy]

Hello everyone.

I find reading along here very helpful.

I'm after some advice on treating the constipation. I have underactive Hashimoto's and am not quite on the right amount of meds yet.

Thankyou in advance

[shaws Administrator]

I'm sorry you have constipation - not pleasant at all. I hope the link below will help you to get some relief:-

everydayhealth.com/hs/healt...

[Mamapea1]

Magnesium citrate is excellent for constipation, especially when hypo. I recommend you try that first, as most people are deficient anyway. There's also golden linseed, which goes slimy when ingested and aids transit, and also contains omega 3.

[humanbean]

Getting your levels of thyroid hormones at a good level for you will help. Hypothyroidism slows everything down, including the processes the gut uses to move food/waste through the intestines and bowel.

There are things I use to help myself. One mistake I used to make is that I assumed that I just needed to find the right supplement for me and/or the right treatment, and then I'd be sorted. But I now realise that a combination of things in smaller doses can be more helpful than taking a large dose of just one thing.

1) Take a dose of vitamin C every day. Personally, I take 1g per day, but occasionally I will double that if I need help. I think I've seen people saying they take up to 5g of vitamin C, but I've never taken that much myself. What form you take the vitamin C in is up to you, but bear in mind that ascorbic acid is very acidic. Be careful of your teeth, and rinse your mouth out with lots of plain water after taking Vitamin C in any form which keeps it in contact with your mouth for a while e.g. sucking a lozenge or swallowing a liquid could wash the acid around your teeth. Note that acids soften the enamel for a while (it should harden up again given sufficient time), so don't brush your teeth for at least an hour after taking Vitamin C.

2) Take magnesium. Magnesium is good for people with thyroid disease anyway, with or without constipation, and it comes in many supplement forms. The best one for helping with constipation is magnesium citrate. It is best bought as a powder and put into water. [The tablet forms of magnesium citrate are huge and I find them difficult to swallow.] You would need to take enough to supply 250mg - 350mg of magnesium per day. Please note that the body excretes excess magnesium via the kidneys, so it is important to have functioning kidneys before taking magnesium. Someone with severe chronic kidney disease should avoid it unless under they are under the care of a doctor.

3) Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water.

4) If I need to bring out the "big guns" (i.e. commercial laxatives) I use Pico Liquid, but there are many other choices. This link is to a product by Dulcolax but other brands are available. Note that it is only available from pharmacies in the UK. I use this stuff as rarely as possible.

ayp.healthcare/dulcolax-pic...

5) Learn about the different types of laxative and how they work, and experiment with various kinds to see what works for you :

healthhype.com/list-of-laxa...

nhs.uk/conditions/laxatives/

6) Eat vegetables to give you extra fibre, but don't overdo it. Too much fibre is as bad as not enough. You might find this video of interest :

youtu.be/xqUO4P9ADI0(Not working as expected?)

[Mamapea1 in reply to humanbean]

Thank you for posting the very interesting video hb. I agree the huge chalky Mg citrate tablets are impossible to swallow...I use viridian powder, but my daughter has found that BioCare do a capsule form of 300mg Mg citrate, which is a lot easier to swallow, and finds them easier to take when she's on the go. (Excuse slight pun) 😊

[humanbean]

One thing I forgot to mention...

If you block up right near "the end of the road" so to speak, then rather than taking a laxative that has to go through your entire gut to get to the bit where you are blocked up, you could buy Micralax or Micolette micro-enemas. They can be bought in pharmacies without prescription, and usually come in boxes of twelve. They usually cost about a tenner or less, but I could be out-of-date.

The Micralax boxes look like this :

cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...

or this

orders.ashtonshospitalpharm...

and the PIL can be read here :

medicines.org.uk/emc/produc...

The Micolette boxes look like this :

aspmedical.com.au/wp-conten...

and the PIL can be read here :

medicines.org.uk/emc/files/...

Another possibility, also available in pharmacies without prescription is glycerin suppositories.

[CatsofCatford in reply to humanbean]

My husband, a nurse, got me some glycerine suppositories from the chemist to use after becoming severely constipated following chemotherapy. They were marvellous.

[greygoose]

Constipation is something a lot of us get. The best things to help are magnesium citrate and large doses of vit C.

Four things to think about with constipation:

1. Are you getting enough fibre? You need fibre for your transit, BUT you don't want too much fibre because it could affect the absorption of your levo, making you more hypo, and therefore possibly more constipated. It's a matter of finding the right balance.

2. Are you drinking enough water? Your body needs a constant supply of water, and if it's not getting enough, it will suck your poo dry (sorry for that image!) to get the water, leaving you more constipated and unable to 'go'.

3. Do you have low stomach acid? Low stomach acid can be caused by being hypo, but also by low-salt diets and B12 deficiency (also old age, but not much you can do about that). Low stomach acid will cause constipation. So, you need to check your nutrients, and your stomach acid level (bicarb test), and if either are low, you need to raise them.

4. Do you, by any chance, have high levels of calcium? Because that, too, can cause constipation. So, that’s another thing that wants testing.

[thyr01d in reply to greygoose]

As so often GreyGoose this is such a helpful post. I didn't know that a low salt diet could cause low stomach acid and am sure that's my problem because I eat a low salt diet (just out of habit from when children were young - 35 years ago!!) and keep wanting extra salt and trying to resist the urge!

[greygoose in reply to thyr01d]

I'd give in to that urge, if I were you! Salt is not the enemy.

[Shenow]

I take a stool softener every day which definitely helps. Would prefer not to but I haven’t found anything else that works. Magnesium didn’t help me that much despite taking a high dose but I’d try that first. I eat lots of fibre which makes no difference. If you find something different that helps you do let us all know. Hope you find a solution.

[Herman99]

Hi, I am actually part of PMR forum but follw Thyroid as my sister has hashimoto's. Prednisilone is used to treat PMR along with calcium which can cause bowel problems, well it did for me. You need to drink 2 litres of water over a day. Can't be done you may say, well its either make the time or suffer with constipation. Also, 3 heaped tablespoons of cold milled flax seed at breakfast. Be sure to add milk and stir then add your yogurt on top with zero sugar syrup. Great way to start the day. I would start with 2 tablespoons if you are not used to eating flax and build up. Lastly keep your eye on fibre content. If the bulk of the food you eat is bland or white equals bowel issues. Hope this helps and good luck. I will return to my own forum now.... 😀

[JAmanda]

Nothing helped my constipation except nasty dulcolaxwhich caused pain but now my T3 is high in range I’m a lot better.

[Afaghieh]

HI I have been given DOCUSATE caps very gentle.

[Benos123]

Start off by keeping a record of all the things you try and the effects if any, and then you you are well on the way to a solution because you wont be wasting time n effort repeating past mistakes,

With that said, may I suggest what has regularly worked for me over the years, and as follows.

A large glass 250ml of Prune Juice (and warmed up if you like) both in the morning with breakfast and in the evening followed with a 5ml shot of lactulose (stool softener). If that's not succeeding after five days or so, then you replace the evening prune juice with 3 x 7.5ml Sennokot tablets. After about three or four days, you should then be moving well and feeling much better, and that is then the time to start slowly tapering down the Sennokot by half a tablet for a few days at a time, before reducing again. Note at this stage the lactulose stool softener will no longer be required but taken again whenever it's stool softening properties are required.

In this way, you'll find the best balance that suits you and the end goal of no laxatives will also be achievable.

[Cookieka]

Cannot recommend probiotics highly enough along with plenty of water during the day. If you are taking anti inflammatory medication eg ibrprofen I found this have me similar symptoms but it all started and ended with my gut health.

[Tieger]

Inulin works wonders. Bonus being that its a prebiotic so also good for your gut health. It just tastes like sugar water when you mix a small amount into water and can be added to smoothies etc to take every morning. You can build up your dosage as it can make you a bit windy. Worked great for me also post partum because ontop of the constipation I ended up with an anal fissure. All the laxatives I was prescribed were awful on my gut and I found inulin the easiest on my gut and most effective. I also think eating an orange and apple a day helps - just generally getting enough fibre into my diet and enough water.

[CG12345]

Take digestive enzymes with every meal to help break down food. The problem is with slow motility so the more you can give yourself a helping hand the better.

I use magnesium oxide powder and not citrate as I found that worked better for me but the body doesn’t absorb that magnesium, so also good to take a magnesium biglicinate or malate supplement too for magnesium levels.

Any yoga pose which involves twisting is meant to aid in digestion as well as ringing out any other blockages in the body. You can type in yoga for digestion into YouTube or Google and get some help there.

I went in the 12 weeks symprove programme (next gen probiotics) and my digestion was excellent during it but hasn’t stayed as good after finishing it. But can help get you into regular flow whilst making the other dietary/life style changes.

[CG12345]

Also you should aim to get a SIBO test - but ensure they’re testing for methane (which causes constipation) and not hydrogen (which causes diarrhoea).

I spent a year fighting for the test on the NHS, being told over and over I was being hysterical only to have finally been given the test on Friday and it coming back positive.

If it is SIBO you can either treat it through natural antibiotics/with diet or through pharmaceutical antibiotics. There is a strong link between SIBO and hypothyroidism but almost no allopathic doctors know about it or believe it to be important, despite there being evidence that 25% of people with IBS, when tested, have SIBO.

[Liyaelize]

I do vagus stimulation of the stomach area and use no supplements and it works very well for me.

[ayjayelle]

I use psyllium powder and find it effective when needed. Flax gives me very uncomfortable wind. Generally when I’m sufficiently hormone replaced I don’t need additional ‘help’.

[Zosh]

I have Movicol on prescription, it's a laxatives in powder form that you dissolve in water and is safe for long term use. You can also buy it over the counter. Laxido is a cheaper alternative with the same active ingredient (Macrogol) but I personally don't find it as effective. You can adjust the dose depending on your own personal need, I've settled on half a sachet a day which is working perfectly for me.I also take Magnesium Citrate but mainly to help me sleep. Unfortunately the body adjusts to the intake of magnesium which means constipation is likely to return so it's not a good long term option for constipation relief.

Good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for you.

[Catseyes235]

I had begun to think that constipation was just a natural part of my make up and would be like that forever despite the vast amount of fruit and vegetables plus prunes etc. However I asked to see an endo a few months ag and got put in a low dose of T3 with thyroxine and hey ho ...end of constipation. I’d almost forgotten it as just one of the hypo symptoms along with hair falling out (not now) dry skin (no longer) etc. You may not need T3 (I was a poor converter) but probably need to adjust your meds upwards. Good luck.

[VEG71 in reply to Catseyes235]

I there, i sound just like you, can i ask pls, r u in the uk? I have asked for endo referal, so far no luck.

[Catseyes235 in reply to VEG71]

Yes am in the U.K. I saw endo (surprised it took so little time as thought I’d be waiting months) because my TSH was so low and has been for 20 years so most doctors naturally assumed I was overtreated but in fact I was not converting T4 to T3. One thing few people have mentioned about constipation is to avoid too much meat and processed food!

[VEG71 in reply to Catseyes235]

Thank you so much for your reply. Does a low T3 on the blood results confirm if T4 isn't converting to T3? Or can your T3 be ok on the bloods and still have symptoms to have poor conversion? Du mind if I ask what hospital are you under pls? Great you are better now and getting treatment!! (getting prepared for my bloods what ever the may be)

[Catseyes235 in reply to VEG71]

Hello there! I’m under Kingston Hospital for all things ..regular AMD injections but only seen endo once with follow up phone consult. It’s all horribly complicated isn’t it?

My regular doctor must have noted that my TSH was really low but used to do full bloods so because T3 and T4 were well within range I carried on and felt fine on 150 mcg. It was another doctor who said I was overtreated so I dropped to 125 mcg without questioning ...hey what’s happening here? Is my thyroid growing back after RAI? The question why never came up!

So when I was asked to drop it further I seriously questioned it as what I recognise as already hypo symptoms were exacerbated.

Trouble is with extra T3 I get palpitations which I hate and have dropped to half the dosage. It’s okay but I’d rather not have them.

As for results? TSH is still really low and T3 and T4 within normal range!!

So before doctors lower your dose based on TSH alone they should also check T3 and T4 and symptoms.

Hope that helps?!

[VEG71 in reply to Catseyes235]

Thank you!! Very helpful. Sorry for late reply.

[AMunch]

Hi, I know how you feel. I take Movicol sachets everyday, on prescription, one or two if needed. I also eat Oatabix, with dried apricots, and a few walnuts, for breakfast, which has helped too. If I get really bad I use a suppository, available over the counter.

Good luck and hope you find something that helps

[Ryanphilip_9]

Try to eat fiber-rich foods and drink plenty of water and fluids.

[Wired123]

I highly recommend eating beetroot daily, works for me and is high in iron too!

Flax and Psyllium also work well but can have unintended side effects in some people.