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Does anyone have chronic constipation?

Posted by anna17X0X @anna17xox, Apr 11 5:30pm

I don't know what's going on with my digestion ,I have been chronically constipated since December so it's been 4 months. I am always gassy and the smell has been very foul so I've been scared and embarrassed to be around people lately because of how bad it smells, when I've tried to poop only gas comes out most of the time, sometimes my stomach feels stiff and I start to feel lethargic. And I've tried almost everything digestive drinks like meta Mucil, eating more fiber i live an active lifestyle and I drink plenty of fluids and water. I recently had an appointment with my pediatrician about this she made me do colon cleansing for a day . And take Miralax for a minimum of 3 weeks. My stools were watery during the cleansing but after a couple days it feels like my stool is going back to being hard and stubborn. I still don't poop completely sometimes and I'm still gassy but it's not smelly like it was before. She said I can stop taking Miralax when i feel like my stools are going back to normal after a few days or weeks and it's been a week or two and a few days. I know I still need to wait one more week but my follow-up appointment is next Wednesday. The Miralax seems like a temporary fix, I feel like it'' never go away the worst part is I cant figure out what the cause is. I don't think it's IBS because I heard IBS involves bloody stools and stomach cramps I don't have bloody stools and I don't think I get stomach cramps . It just feels like have some other serious digestive problem or something I don't really know. I don't want to be constipated for the rest of my life I feel miserable, my pediatrician said if the Miralax doesn't work as intended I may have to see a gastroenterologists.

Has anyone or is anyone dealing with chronic constipation ?,does it or did it ever go away ? and has anyone been experiencing the same symptoms as me ?.Do you have any recommendations on how they treat their constipation ?

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anna17X0X | @anna17xox | Apr 19 5:46pm
In reply to @researchmaven "I don't have bloody stools or pain and I have IBS-C. If I don't eat right,..." + (show)
@researchmaven

I don't have bloody stools or pain and I have IBS-C. If I don't eat right, my stool is hard and it passes in dribs and drabs (or not). all day long.

Food and anxiety are my triggers.

Regarding food intolerances, read up on food intolerances and how to do a DIY test for what may bother you (if it is food).

DIY test(s) that you could try are 1. eliminate garlic and onion, big IBS offenders, which are also in many processed foods. 2. eliminate sugar, honey, agave, etc. and instead try pure stevia or pure maple syrup, but with a light hand. 3. Drop all fruit but kiwi (an amazing laxative) and papaya (ditto for some). 4. Drop meat and egg yolks and stick with egg whites and fish. 5. Eat cooked vegetables and not raw. 6. Try Lactose-free milk.

Do it all together or in stages. If you find any relief, then your situation may be caused by a food intolerance.

I could go into more details if you think you have food intolerances.

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Hello,do you know if peanut butter is a constipation trigger ?

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2 replies
anna17X0X | @anna17xox | Apr 19 5:56pm
In reply to @hikeema123 "Hello my name is Hikeemah and I also suffer from chronic constipation for years now. Be..." + (show)
@hikeema123

Hello my name is Hikeemah and I also suffer from chronic constipation for years now. Be me pushing so much I have prolapse rectum. To solve your issue and what I do it's a medication called Senna it helps a lot. You can ask your gastrointolgist or primary doctor for the prescription. It works pretty good for me but everyone body system is different. Again Senna and you can get this over the counter. Don't push please don't push!! I know you feel miserable not able to move your bowels the way you used to trust me in know you pain and mental health because of this issue. I wish you well. Please update me when or if you try it out. May God give you complete healing in all areas of your life. God bless you.

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Hello, thank you so much for your kind words I and I also wish you healing and wellness with your constipation journey. I wanted to know how many times a day you take this medication and if you take it from a specific brand ?

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hikeema123 | @hikeema123 | Apr 19 8:54pm

Hello it's a generic brand but you can get the product over the counter. Ask you GI or primary doctor if the can give a prescription you take to pharmacy. Prayfully it's free but it's also inexpensive. I wish you the best. I take 20 mg in the morning and a night. May the Lord be with you all ways .

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1 reply
anna17X0X | @anna17xox | Apr 19 10:04pm
In reply to @hikeema123 "Hello it's a generic brand but you can get the product over the counter. Ask you..." + (show)
@hikeema123

Hello it's a generic brand but you can get the product over the counter. Ask you GI or primary doctor if the can give a prescription you take to pharmacy. Prayfully it's free but it's also inexpensive. I wish you the best. I take 20 mg in the morning and a night. May the Lord be with you all ways .

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Thank you ,I'll try it out if my stools aren't back to normal after the Colace treatment.

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researchmaven | @researchmaven | Apr 20 6:50am
In reply to @anna17xox "Hello,do you know if peanut butter is a constipation trigger ?" + (show)
@anna17xox

Hello,do you know if peanut butter is a constipation trigger ?

Jump to this post

I don't know if peanut butter is a constipating food from direct experience. Healthline says for most, no, but if you are intolerant of it, yes, it could cause constipation. As far as IBS goes, Monash says it is not a trigger in a 2 Tablespoon serving size.

I would suggest foregoing peanut butter for a week and see what happens. If you see improvement, also consider the food item you put the peanut butter on.

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1 reply
gamaryanne | @gamaryanne | Apr 20 7:04am

You might also ask for them to look at your liver and pancreas enzymes. The root cause may be not enough bile salts or other being produced to break down food as productively as should be.
Perhaps that is the definition of SIBO or gastroparesis-I am going to ask ! Hope you find the answer and post!

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heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Apr 20 7:27am

The "I" in CIC is idiopathic, meaning the cause of the constipation is unknown. Every one is different so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. I do take Miralax every night and that seems to help along with a stimulant laxative. (I should not be taking the laxative as often as I do but there seems no other good option - so don't do what I'm doing, or talk w/ your Dr first.) That said, there is no regularity to this. I'm told it's part of getting old (I'm 69y/o and very fit). I'm kinda tired of being told various ailments are part of getting old. I don't buy that, well, not for everything.

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anna17X0X | @anna17xox | Apr 20 7:17pm
In reply to @researchmaven "I don't know if peanut butter is a constipating food from direct experience. Healthline says for..." + (show)
@researchmaven

I don't know if peanut butter is a constipating food from direct experience. Healthline says for most, no, but if you are intolerant of it, yes, it could cause constipation. As far as IBS goes, Monash says it is not a trigger in a 2 Tablespoon serving size.

I would suggest foregoing peanut butter for a week and see what happens. If you see improvement, also consider the food item you put the peanut butter on.

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I asked because I regularly eat a lot of peanut butter and usually have it with fruits like apples,banana's oatmeal,wheat bread etc.But even before I started having chronic constipation i still ate peanut butter like I normally do and never had any digestive issues.So maybe it's not a direct cause ,i'm currently foregoing peanut butter like you suggeste so i'll see how it goes.

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1 reply
jp9 | @jp9 | Apr 20 10:59pm
In reply to @anna17xox "I don't think I have a food intolerance, but I also don't experience pain or bloody..." + (show)
@anna17xox

I don't think I have a food intolerance, but I also don't experience pain or bloody stools , maybe I'll give it a try, thanks for suggesting.

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Your suggestions are vety good. I follow most of them.

Also should be checked for pelvic floor dysfunction and chronic constipation.

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jp9 | @jp9 | Apr 20 11:04pm
In reply to @tally9004 "Has pelvic floor therapy ever been recommended and has anyone tried it. I have tried every..." + (show)
@tally9004

Has pelvic floor therapy ever been recommended and has anyone tried it. I have tried every type of laxative and they work for awhile but then just quit working. I have curtailed activities because of the severe bloating. It is very frustrating. It is hard to discuss with family because the attitude seems to be I am not eating properly. I have seen a gastroenterologist but nothing seems to work for very long.

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I am right where you are. There is an excellent site through fb called Reversing Chronic Constipation. I do not like Reversing as part of the name. It is a huge group and it helped me to know om certainly not alone.

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