My stool softeners and miralax aren't working, how come?

Posted by pb0o7 @pb0o7, Mar 21, 2023

I've been struggling with stomach issues for a long time now and it runs in my family. I went to the hospital recently and had to have a GI clean out through an NG tube. When I was discharged from the hospital they told me to take one stool softener at night and one stool softener in the morning and one capful of miralax each day. But it stopped working. I'm in a crazy amount of pain. I had a CT scan done when I was in the hospital, it showed I had stool stuck almost half way through my colon. But before my stay in the hospital, I had been to many other hospitals. No one could find anything, until I had that CT scan. iv had both scopes done, but the doctor didn't see anything wrong. I have no clue if it has something to do with it but I have really bad hashimoto. I have no idea what to do now. Please help me with what I should do next. Please and thank you.

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Profile picture for johungate3 @johungate3

I’ve found figs help me. We were buying fresh figs and I found that two a day helped with eliminating, an unexpected benefit. Now, I’m buying dried figs since fresh are not available. They seem to help, too. Prunes don’t do much for me.

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Thank you! I will try figs, and see if that helps! Your experience is helpful, with my decision-making, because I’m trying to get the right combos that would help me!!

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drink more water, lots more water....add electrolyte powder, magnesium and potassium, if you have hashimoto's vitamin D3, and you might want to add a good multivitamin, including the B complex, particularly folic acid and B12

also I found that things like miralax and stool softener, should be used occasionally, not all the time, once I stopped using them, things got a lot better

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Polyethylene is a bi-product of fossil fuel OIL. The front label on my Miramax container states as one ingredient "polyethylene", I don't quiet understand why that is an ingredient?

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Profile picture for avamaeve @avamaeve

I've suffered from chronic constipation ever since my menstrual cycle stopped around age 50, and I'm now approaching 58. A few years ago, the laxatives stopped working so I decided to go the functional medicine route to try to find the route cause. They ran all kinds of tests. They started me about with an elimination diet for about 4 weeks, and then progressed to a complete elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocal (AIP) diet. In addition, I had to avoid foods that caused specific inflammation to me (like eggs). They also prescribed several different supplements. It was hard because I had to fixed practically every meal at home and I was working full time. It definitely helped my digestion issues, and I felt wonderful. I was allowed to gradually add back in foods that I loved (dairy, nuts, eggs, peanut butter, beans, wheat/grains, coffee, etc). If I noticed a reaction, then that would indicate that I need to avoid it. Unfortunately, I didn't notice any bad reactions as I was adding the foods back at that time. Now, I'm back where I was. So, I'm currently eliminating certain things to see if my digestion improves, adding additional things as I go alone. I would like to go back to the functional medicine provider that I previously used, however, it costs thousands of dollars out of pocket.

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I have Low Thyroid and taking Levothyroxine for almost 30 years now. I had most of the classic symptoms, especially constipation. I discovered that I need to take the Levo very early in the morning, more than an hour before I actually get out of bed. Of course, on an empty stomach and only with water. Also, be sure that you are storing the Levo away from heat and light and moisture. Best to keep it in the original RX bottle. My go-to breakfast is 1 minute Oatmeal with whole chia seeds, ground flax seeds, added fiber cereal (Bob’s Red Mill) and a small amount of nuts, honey, and milk.
Start with 1/2 serving of the oats, 1 teaspoon of the fiber/ flax/ chia. Add 1/3 cup of water. Microwave for 1 minute. Then add the honey & nuts. (Honey is more healthy if not microwaved.) Add a splash of milk and a dab of butter to your taste. I also change it up by adding Vanilla Extract or some other flavoring on occasion, and changing the nuts to suit my mood. The amounts of the additions can be customized for your needs and tastes at any time. Chia seeds absorb lots of moisture in your gut, so they help keep the waste matter soft. (Drink lots of water to help it do that) Also note: ground Flax seeds should be stored in the fridge. By doing this, I went from a BM every 3 to 4 days, to EVERY MORNING! I hope this helps you, too!

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You could also try kiwis.Those are helping me. I put them in my morning smoothie, skin and all.

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I have increased my water consumption to 64 oz. per day. Additionally, I eat a lot of veggies and fruit; also gradually increased my fiber intake. I have had 6 inches of my colon removed and found this very, very helpful. Also, I try to walk as much as possible each day.

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Profile picture for dustycat52 @dustycat52

You could also try kiwis.Those are helping me. I put them in my morning smoothie, skin and all.

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I just eat the fruit of one kiwi daily, at night. More effective than the chemicals for me and there is research on kiwis and stubborn constipation.

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Try Miralax and fiber powder mixed together. Shredded wheat and bran is good along with brussel sprouts.

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Profile picture for sanok1957 @sanok1957

I have Low Thyroid and taking Levothyroxine for almost 30 years now. I had most of the classic symptoms, especially constipation. I discovered that I need to take the Levo very early in the morning, more than an hour before I actually get out of bed. Of course, on an empty stomach and only with water. Also, be sure that you are storing the Levo away from heat and light and moisture. Best to keep it in the original RX bottle. My go-to breakfast is 1 minute Oatmeal with whole chia seeds, ground flax seeds, added fiber cereal (Bob’s Red Mill) and a small amount of nuts, honey, and milk.
Start with 1/2 serving of the oats, 1 teaspoon of the fiber/ flax/ chia. Add 1/3 cup of water. Microwave for 1 minute. Then add the honey & nuts. (Honey is more healthy if not microwaved.) Add a splash of milk and a dab of butter to your taste. I also change it up by adding Vanilla Extract or some other flavoring on occasion, and changing the nuts to suit my mood. The amounts of the additions can be customized for your needs and tastes at any time. Chia seeds absorb lots of moisture in your gut, so they help keep the waste matter soft. (Drink lots of water to help it do that) Also note: ground Flax seeds should be stored in the fridge. By doing this, I went from a BM every 3 to 4 days, to EVERY MORNING! I hope this helps you, too!

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Thanks for the helpful ideas.

I have heard that like flax seed, chia seed should be ground and both stored in the freezer to reduce oxidation.

I use the full 2T suggested dose of CALM in the evening, perhaps because my elongated colon creates an extra challenge.

I need to drink more water.

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Profile picture for dragonfly123 @dragonfly123

drink more water, lots more water....add electrolyte powder, magnesium and potassium, if you have hashimoto's vitamin D3, and you might want to add a good multivitamin, including the B complex, particularly folic acid and B12

also I found that things like miralax and stool softener, should be used occasionally, not all the time, once I stopped using them, things got a lot better

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Stay away from B complex if you have neuropathy. I found that a good probiotics has helped. I also take lactulose.

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