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Constipation

Texnoble

Texnoble

Member
Ok...someone already took the topic if Diarrhea, so i want to discuss the opposite. This has been a terrible problem for me since my operation 11 weeks ago. I used to be able to set my clocks by my bowel movements because I used to be so regular.
Miralax does nothing. I tried Metamucil once. Big mistake! That type of fiber expands in your stomach and intestines. Hurt like heck and didn't work. Milk of Magnesia does work, but it is explosive and lasts all day. Enemas and suppositories nothing.
I drink the water and have a great mix of veggies- kale, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, zucchini. I don't eat fruit because of the sugar. When I do it is a half banana. Does the protein cause this? My doctor recommended taking my water up to 90 ounces and using Miralax. My question is: does anyone else have this issue? And, what do you use for fiber? Thanks!
 
Texnoble said:
Ok...someone already took the topic if Diarrhea, so i want to discuss the opposite.
My question is: does anyone else have this issue? And, what do you use for fiber? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Believe it or not Tex, I never had constipation in my entire life until after bariatric surgery. Then that backed-up stool was owing to the surgery and the opiates I was taking for pain. And it was like trying to pass a loaf of bread. I had been advised about constipation by my nutritionist but I didn't take it in because I didn't know what she was talking about. Anyway I took her advice and I haven't been constipated since until right now from this barium problem. First of all I would like to say on the laxative side, try Senna. It's the active ingredient in many laxatives like Senokot but I think you can buy it straight in its natural form.

My nutritionist's advice was more offense than defense. Don't let yourself get constipated in the first place. And the way she advised taking care of that was to take stool softeners, right off the shelf at the pharmacy, and mineral oil, oh my God yuck.

You know you know how laxatives work right? They actually draw the water out of your body into your intestines to soften your stool. So there's a lot of bad stuff happening right there to your system including getting waterlogged and also being parched at the same time, not to mention the bulge of gas. If you use stool softeners and mineral oil they don't mix with water so much but they do work I can swear by them.

I hope you'll try this technique and it works for you. You have been so helpful to me.
 
Over the last 5 years I have had both constipation, lack of bowel movement for weeks on end and diarrhea. For about 2 years I only had a bowel movement once every 10-16 days. My doc said keep an eye on it as it can cause diverticulitis over time but nothing to be immediately scared about since I was only consuming 500 calories a day. After that period I got extremely constipated and hurt and I hated it. It was terrible. I added reduced fat wheat thins and triscuts to my diet and they had kept me regular without any other alternatives. I eat 5 of one or the other every day and I get my fiber that way. Good luck to you and I hop you find something fast, I know that pain!
 
Tex, I hope that you find you solution for this I have not had surgery so I do not know of the problem yet. I just hope that you get some relief from it soon.
 
NicoleY said:
Over the last 5 years I have had both constipation, lack of bowel movement for weeks on end and diarrhea. For about 2 years I only had a bowel movement once every 10-16 days. My doc said keep an eye on it as it can cause diverticulitis over time but nothing to be immediately scared about since I was only consuming 500 calories a day. After that period I got extremely constipated and hurt and I hated it. It was terrible. I added reduced fat wheat thins and triscuts to my diet and they had kept me regular without any other alternatives. I eat 5 of one or the other every day and I get my fiber that way. Good luck to you and I hop you find something fast, I know that pain!
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Is anyone staying regular with fruit and vegetables. If so, which ones
 
Tex, I think you know I don't. But I did think of something. Ripe-to-bursting bing cherries always led to an epidemic of diarrhea. If you wash 'em down with a glass of milk, mo'betta.

Your situation is unique. Have you seen a gastroenterologist? It really might be something worth looking into. I have never heard of such an odd pattern as the one that you laid out for us. And I have been reading lately about the Digestive waste system. Most articles said, with no ambiguity, that you should have at least one bowel movement everyday.
 
Texnoble said:
Ok...someone already took the topic if Diarrhea, so i want to discuss the opposite. This has been a terrible problem for me since my operation 11 weeks ago. I used to be able to set my clocks by my bowel movements because I used to be so regular.
Miralax does nothing. I tried Metamucil once. Big mistake! That type of fiber expands in your stomach and intestines. Hurt like heck and didn't work. Milk of Magnesia does work, but it is explosive and lasts all day. Enemas and suppositories nothing.
I drink the water and have a great mix of veggies- kale, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, zucchini. I don't eat fruit because of the sugar. When I do it is a half banana. Does the protein cause this? My doctor recommended taking my water up to 90 ounces and using Miralax. My question is: does anyone else have this issue? And, what do you use for fiber? Thanks!
Click to expand...
My Dr put me on linzess and it is helping me other that I now have my bowel movements in the middle of the night instead of the day
 
Tinawolfe13 said:
My Dr put me on linzess and it is helping me other that I now have my bowel movements in the middle of the night instead of the day
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How are you doing now, Tina?

I have suggested in my posts that people take laxatives after surgery, but what I meant to say was take stool softeners. You can take these without any restrictions & if you drink enough water, your bowels will work as smoothly as silk. It's so awful to have pain on elimination (or is it evacuation?). No one should suffer with it. But it's not safe to take most laxatives, though a fiber laxative is fine. The stool softener doesn't help with movement, but it does help ease the process.

I hope Tina & all you others who haven't posted for a while are doing well. Please update us & let us know if we can help in any way.
 
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I also never had any constipation until about 3-4 months post op. Also could set my clock every morning to the movement. I tak docolace 2x a day. My bums are now random. Between loose and semi soft. Or I can go up two to three days without. Drinking lots of water seems to help.
 
Texnoble said:
Ok...someone already took the topic if Diarrhea, so i want to discuss the opposite. This has been a terrible problem for me since my operation 11 weeks ago. I used to be able to set my clocks by my bowel movements because I used to be so regular.
Miralax does nothing. I tried Metamucil once. Big mistake! That type of fiber expands in your stomach and intestines. Hurt like heck and didn't work. Milk of Magnesia does work, but it is explosive and lasts all day. Enemas and suppositories nothing.
I drink the water and have a great mix of veggies- kale, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, zucchini. I don't eat fruit because of the sugar. When I do it is a half banana. Does the protein cause this? My doctor recommended taking my water up to 90 ounces and using Miralax. My question is: does anyone else have this issue? And, what do you use for fiber? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Texnoble, Mirilax takes a few days to work and you have to take it everyday. It isn't something to take once to take care of the constipation. I think your Doctor means every day. I hope this is helpful.
 
NicoleY said:
Over the last 5 years I have had both constipation, lack of bowel movement for weeks on end and diarrhea. For about 2 years I only had a bowel movement once every 10-16 days. My doc said keep an eye on it as it can cause diverticulitis over time but nothing to be immediately scared about since I was only consuming 500 calories a day. After that period I got extremely constipated and hurt and I hated it. It was terrible. I added reduced fat wheat thins and triscuts to my diet and they had kept me regular without any other alternatives. I eat 5 of one or the other every day and I get my fiber that way. Good luck to you and I hop you find something fast, I know that pain!
Click to expand...
Nicole, The crackers sound way more tasty than mineral oil or another pill. Thanks for your advice.
 
Did any of you have the gastric bypass? I was told 90% of patients have diarrhea from dumping syndrome? I am pre-surgery so im interested in the elimination effects.
 
I had gastric bypass on 4/30 and I suffer with dumping even from the most innocent sounding carbs, like blueberries and strawberries. One day I had a terrible time after a Starbucks which was supposed to be a decaf skinny vanilla latte (fat free milk and sugar free syrup), but obviously wasn’t! I find it more comfortable to avoid carbs, especially on work days!
 
Pink Julie said:
I had gastric bypass on 4/30 and I suffer with dumping even from the most innocent sounding carbs, like blueberries and strawberries. One day I had a terrible time after a Starbucks which was supposed to be a decaf skinny vanilla latte (fat free milk and sugar free syrup), but obviously wasn’t! I find it more comfortable to avoid carbs, especially on work days!
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Pink, do you have dumping with the protein shakes? Or just carbs?
 
When I was trying keto, there was something called bulletproof coffee. It had butter and MCT oil in it. The MCT oil(medium chain triglyceride oil) is tasteless. If you put it in your coffee in the morning you will be in the bathroom very shortly afterward. It works, but it does have calories. I wouldn’t do the butter, just the MCT oil. Do an internet search on it if you’re interested. It works.
 
Everyone's experience is unique, but I want to suggest a trial of burdock root for constipation. I never heard anything about it in the past, though there are health-food & herbal medicine sites that claim it can cure almost anything. My experience is first hand & brand new. I bought a big box of it at my favorite Japanese food store a while back & drank it a few times, as hot tea. A few days ago I decided to make a concentrated batch to have over ice. I like the funky/mushroom/grain flavor of it & it was SO hot here.

The day after I drank a bunch of it... well, how do I say it. It was like I'd done a cleanse (I think, never did one). I was in the bathroom several times, very productively. I wasn't having constipation, but apparently one of burdock root's properties is to stimulate the bowel.

Nuff said. Try it if you want to.
 
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