Mine started in my late 50’s. Prior to that was extremely regular in every way. I had a bout of diarrhea a few years before that, but it cleared up on it’s on in a couple of months. Go figure.

Mine started at birth. Same with my mother and her mother.

And now for a contrarian take -- it is something to consider and may mean that some fiber doesn't move well through your specific colon or that there is an optimum amount of fiber and if you exceed that, it is counterproductive...Or that there is a subset of constipation sufferers that benefits from a low fiber diet. The lead author did his fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in Florida.

World J Gastroenterol. 2012 Sep 7; 18(33): 4593–4596.
Published online 2012 Sep 7. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i33.4593
PMCID: PMC3435786
PMID: 22969234
Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms

Kok-Sun Ho, Charmaine You Mei Tan, Muhd Ashik Mohd Daud, and Francis Seow-Choen

AIM: To investigate the effect of reducing dietary fiber on patients with idiopathic constipation.

METHODS: Sixty-three cases of idiopathic constipation presenting between May 2008 and May 2010 were enrolled into the study after colonoscopy excluded an organic cause of the constipation. Patients with previous colon surgery or a medical cause of their constipation were excluded. All patients were given an explanation on the role of fiber in the gastrointestinal tract. They were then asked to go on a no fiber diet for 2 wk. Thereafter, they were asked to reduce the amount of dietary fiber intake to a level that they found acceptable. Dietary fiber intake, symptoms of constipation, difficulty in evacuation of stools, anal bleeding, abdominal bloating or abdominal pain were recorded at 1 and 6 mo.

RESULTS: The median age of the patients (16 male, 47 female) was 47 years (range, 20-80 years). At 6 mo, 41 patients remained on a no fiber diet, 16 on a reduced fiber diet, and 6 resumed their high fiber diet for religious or personal reasons. Patients who stopped or reduced dietary fiber had significant improvement in their symptoms while those who continued on a high fiber diet had no change. Of those who stopped fiber completely, the bowel frequency increased from one motion in 3.75 d (± 1.59 d) to one motion in 1.0 d (± 0.0 d) (P < 0.001); those with reduced fiber intake had increased bowel frequency from a mean of one motion per 4.19 d (± 2.09 d) to one motion per 1.9 d (± 1.21 d) on a reduced fiber diet (P < 0.001); those who remained on a high fiber diet continued to have a mean of one motion per 6.83 d (± 1.03 d) before and after consultation. For no fiber, reduced fiber and high fiber groups, respectively, symptoms of bloating were present in 0%, 31.3% and 100% (P < 0.001) and straining to pass stools occurred in 0%, 43.8% and 100% (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: Idiopathic constipation and its associated symptoms can be effectively reduced by stopping or even lowering the intake of dietary fiber.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/

Disclaimer: This is only my experience. I choose going natural. I have used organic, integrative, functional, holistic Naturopathic doctor's advice along with my MD’s since the early 1980's.
Good luck. I have tried laxatives and they are not consistent and have side effects like bloating, etc. And all say for occasional use. They disrupt the system if take continuously. I liked a response from a co-redundant colon person: “It’s physical” so regular constipation suggestions may not work.
Last Dec the doc had me do non sedated colonoscopy. He could get through the colon as I watched on TV. I had had a baby years ago so figured I could stand it - no big deal. Most people in world don't get put out. Very interesting and it helped allow the scope to get through because I relaxed. Look up Osmotic gradients and Migrating motor complex and consider your electrolyte balance. OptiMag and K2+ Potassium are great supps and be sure to include prunes, squash, sweet potatoes, rhubarb etc in your diet. I like to soak ground 2T chia and 2 T flax seeds in prune juice overnight, then take half in the morning and half at night. Throw sugar out, processed and refined foods and drink lot of water starting with a quart of hot water in the morning - boyscouts. Coffee and Smooth Move are my back ups. I don't like coffee but it usually works. Thankfully I only need it a few times a month. Good luck, @farmersmith

Have had it for years. Prescribed lactulose but not that's not working any longer. Probiotics and stool softeners seems to work better.

I have had it off and on my whole life. I am now 73 and it is worse and the stools have really been very dry. I blame some of it on caffein since I love coffee and drink two cups per day and one tea. Can't give it up but I think it dries the stools out and hard to drink enough water to compensate. One thing I do now is eat one apple a day with the skin since that is great fiber and drink a lot of water. What helps is having a regular time as the brain seems to like routines and often will go on schedule at the same time every day if you are relaxed that is and I sort of pace a bit around the room and get in the mood. I love mint tea or hot water even will coax me into a routine. Some of mine is in my head and I tend to want to not wait around to go and am rather rushed and busy. Yes, I am anal retentive. When I was eating a lot of fruits with high water and pulp like watermellon it was a dream and the dryness went away of my stools. Fruits can be excellent. Also, as you know see your doctor right away. There are many stool tests...some easier than others. Good luck!

For me, the Big C seems to be related to food. Please look at the food you eat. Things that don't constipate most people may constipate you. For example, fish may be okay, but chicken breast may not. Rice may not work, even brown rice.

Of course, food may not be the trigger for everyone, and even if it is food, it may be hard to discern which are problematic or it could be too sacrificial or inconvenient to avoid the offending item.

Whatever works is what you should do.

Hi @gamaryanne et. al. Good luck. It took me over three months to make a system that works for me, after a lifetime of issues with constipation. I wish I had known about the redundant colon sooner than December of last year. I feel so so much better being a participant in my own health and that I found a solution that works for me. Again best of luck, I kept records to watch my progress as I made little changes at a time. Admittedly there is a stress "oh my goodness will I be constipated forever!" but that has mostly gone away with successful regularity. Like my Naturopath said, for most people with slow motility or redundant colons we need a plan for regularity we can't just cross our fingers it will go away. @farmersmith

I’ve had chronic constipation due to being on a GLP1 medication. It was horrible. I started taking Mag07 and it seems to help a lot. It’s a brand I bought off Amazon but I believe CVS and Walgreens sell it. Hopefully you can see a specialist to find out what the source of your constipation is because you don’t want to develop a fissure or haemorrhoids. Straining like that can’t be good for you. Hope you feel better soon. I know that struggle and it’s absolutely miserable.

Putting kiwis in my morning smoothies have helped a lot.