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Problem with Chronic constipation
I have a history of hypothyroidism, severe endometriosis/treatment was a hysterectomy 17 years ago.I also have a hx of IBS. My thyroid hormone levels are stable. I eat like a rabbit(I poop like one too, LOL!!!!!!). I eat a large amount of fiber and drink almost every hour(nonalcholic).ONly prescription drugs I take are armour thyroid and my estrogen/prosterone troche. I make a coconut bread and I add psyllium husks,flax seed and chia seed to it. I eat it practically every am. I also eat a spinach salad for lunch daily with nuts and yogurt and eat a lean meat and veggie and more coconut bread at night. I do one cheat meal with a cheat dessert once per week. I am relatively active for my age of 60. I've been to a gastroenterologist and we have tried Linzess which didn't help at all. I take miralax, and a Super Cleanse tab one per day which has herbs to soften the stool and to stimulate the bowel and It barely works. I am at a loss. I have not tried Montegrity yet. I don't know if it will be helpful and the side effects scare me. I had a CT of my abdomen and it was ok, no obstructions. The gastroenterologist that I go to practically accused me of abusing laxatives. I would be impacted if I didnt use the miralax and the Super Cleanse. Diet/water and activity do not help. I had diarrhea from my late teens to the age of 36 when my intestines out of the blue just shut down completely. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was put on Synthroid but the constipation didn't go away. So if there is any gastroenterologist out there that can help me, please let me know.I feel defeated and worry about my health.
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H8bigbiz,
You have likely tried the A-Z of managing your sodium intolerance, including knowing that "not adding salt" to restaurant/industry-made food is an insufficient management tool given all the salt in such. I do not think Intoleran has anything for salt.
I tried three Intoleran products one-by-one, in turn - Starchway, Fructase and Fibratase. With each additional enzyme product added, another gut issue quickly resolved. I was exploring Intoleran as my restrictive diet alone stopped working.
I subsequently tried the Quatrase Forte and Starchway together and that worked too.
I need to try Quatrase Forte alone to see if it alone works for me also. That would be a money saver!
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1 ReactionAnna17XOX,
You need a stimulant laxative for getting rid of your plug of hard stool. Colace is just a stool softener. Call your doctor and tell him/her that Colace isn't working and you need a stimulant to clear out (and then you can try Colace again, if you want; perhaps a larger number of pills).
Once you clear out, try a kiwi at night, after dinner, if you haven't yet. For some reason, it is a natural stimulant and works better for me than what I can find at the pharmacy.
And see what May Clinic, Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins have to say about stemming constipation. They are top research/medical centers and put a lot of good information online.
It will be a process of trial and error.
If you want to experiment with foods, try dropping breads and gluten-containing items. Or cow-milk products. Bring a safe lunch to school or work. Don't go hungry to parties/events and just taste the items that don't work for you. Really, the first bite is the best one and one bite may not trigger constipation.
I don't think you want to go down the path of expensive dietary enzymes just yet; you likely do not need to.
If you don't want to contact your doctor about a stimulant laxative, try something from Walgreens or CVS.
You likely have a sturdy gut and can handle any stimulant out there. I have a sensitive gut and I go with Colace 2 in 1 (stool softener and stimulant). With a plug, I take the max dose - 4 tablets.
It is just one big experiment. You have to see what will work for you. I am confident you will discover your path.
Good luck,and I am here for you as needed.
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4 ReactionsAnna17XOX, I forgot to answer your question on food intolerances. Yes, I have myriad food intolerances 🙂
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1 ReactionYou're right about the sodium intolerance; that's why I practically never eat restaurant or industry-made food anymore. And I did hear back from Intoleran; they told me they don't make anything for salt intolerance and said they didn't have anything that could help me, sigh. So I'm not sure if I want to try any of their products or not since they're pretty expensive and they sounded skeptical about helping me at all.
I can’t reduce salt, because the last 3 sodium blood tests were a little low.
I think my constipation is trying to return. I have returned to Miralax, but I’m not mushy! More natural now and complete. That’s a good sign, right?
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1 ReactionGood 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 believe.
Hope you don't have a redundant colon but you may check it out? Here are some ideas about constipation but we all have our own biological individuality. 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. Coffee and Smooth Move are my back ups. I don't like coffee but it usually works. Good luck, @farmersmith
Anna17xox, I am guessing that you are 17, by your name and reference to pediatrician. Farmer smith and others have given you great advice. I am 65, with formal diagnosis of CIC 17 yrs ago. I am older, with many medical issues that can lead/cause chronic constipation. I could write a book about my own 💩💩💩 experiences. You mentioned maybe blood, you really need to rule this out, now, and for certain. I don't know if you being young can rely on the box test, Cologuard.
Your pediatrician is right about taking this to the next level and see a GI. However, most, specialists are likely not willing to really get all the answers for you. So, if you go to a GI, ask lots of people for advice on choosing a GI. I was with my GI for 18 years, he was terrific at first, diagnosing me with lifelong celiac disease, since I was and still am asymptomatic, he was very proud of himself for the diagnosis that shocked everyone. But 17 years of trying to find the cause of my CIC, my body has responded to nothing for any long period of time. He literally dumped me after 2 x-rays showed I was probably forming a partial small bowel blockage, he disagreed then he had me have a CT scan, that proved him right, no blockage forming(I had stopped eating almost all solids and drank high grade meal replacement shakes and even more water than the large amounts I drink always)... but showed I had a redundant splenic flexure(this is 99.9% congenital and often causes no problems, but it is causing me problems and pain)). 3 months later I was in the ER with a partial small bowel blockage. We all define 💩 differently. I would stop the Metamucil/fiber and use the miralax or drop back to a stool softener, depending on what your CIC is like. I am retired, so I have the luxury of putting my body into full on diarrhea for days to see just what comes out. This may not be an option for you. Also, you can have almost normal poop or diarrhea flow over fecal impactions. Ask your pediatrician for an abdominal x-ray, standing and laying down. This will show if, where, and how much, you have fecal matter retention. I came up with this idea when my GI just kept hitting dead ends with my treatment. I have them every few months, for 10 yrs..only 2x in 10 yrs I had normal amount.(except for during a colonoscopy there is always some fecal matter in the colon). So, every other time I had moderate to severe fecal load, in @ least 2 of the 3 parts of the colon, usually all 3 parts. In my humble opinion, you are WAY too young for this CIC. Two last words: If you are straining, something is wrong; if you are having forceful/explosive gas and poop, something is wrong. I truly hope you can find a great dr. You deserve to feel good and live life without this.
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4 ReactionsThank you, i'll request a abdominal x-ray in my next appointment,when you say blockage and fecal impaction forming do you mean that if i get the x-ray scan it will show stool that's sitting in my colon or intestine ?
5/2/24, So I passed a decent Stool this morning for some reason, and I didn't strain a whole lot but was still a bit gassy throughout the day, but I didn't smell any foul or strong odor .Tonight I did strain and only a small drop of stool came out, I'm starting to feel a bit skeptical about taking Colace now, one day it works and the next it doesn't.
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3 ReactionsBased on what I have read, and I’m no expert, Colace is a stool softener, not a stimulant laxative. So, it only helps you along.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/19551-docusate-solution-suspension-or-syrup
This is why I know it’s my own body making me go with Miralax. It pulls water to help me go. Stimulate laxatives on the other hand cause contractions in the bowel that actually cause your bowel to move. I get why my doctors don’t recommend these and I avoid them. Mine say Miralax is fine. Still…..I don’t want to rely on it forever.
I sure hope you get some answers and relief. Digestive issues are so bothersome. I only recently encountered problems. Can’t imagine having them at a young age.
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3 Reactions