1. < Digestive Health

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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Kay Strand | @kaystrand | May 15 10:02am
In reply to @heyjoe415 "Yeah same approach here Kay. If my diet weren't so rich in fiber and fruit, and..." + (show)
@heyjoe415

Yeah same approach here Kay. If my diet weren't so rich in fiber and fruit, and if I didn't take a cap of miralax every day, I'd be in trouble. And even with all of those things, I still need to take dulcolax now and then.

I've also noticed that the vast majority of people on here are in their late 60s, 70s and 80s. Getting old is not for sissies.

Joe

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Good name! Hendrix fan?

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1 reply
h8bigbiz | @h8bigbiz | May 15 11:17am
In reply to @reillyg1013 "Thank you Joe, but 12 days is not a record for me. Unfortunately , fiber makes..." + (show)
@reillyg1013

Thank you Joe, but 12 days is not a record for me. Unfortunately , fiber makes things worse, so I actively avoid them. I hope you give the Australian licorice a try, much more natural way to relieve symptoms, provided your blood pressure is normal.

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Does it have to be *Australian* licorice? And does it have to be licorice candy or would a tea be okay? Also, what percentage of real licorice should the product contain? Thanks for any info.

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1 reply
heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | May 15 1:37pm
In reply to @kaystrand "Good name! Hendrix fan?" + (show)
@kaystrand

Good name! Hendrix fan?

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Indeed. Loved the 60s. Hendrix was special.

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celia16 | @celia16 | May 15 1:56pm

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.

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h8bigbiz | @h8bigbiz | May 15 2:26pm

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

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reillyg1013 | @reillyg1013 | May 15 4:02pm
In reply to @h8bigbiz "Does it have to be *Australian* licorice? And does it have to be licorice candy or..." + (show)
@h8bigbiz

Does it have to be *Australian* licorice? And does it have to be licorice candy or would a tea be okay? Also, what percentage of real licorice should the product contain? Thanks for any info.

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Not sure Joe about the tea, may work. As far as the licorice goes, regular twizzlers or licorice , doesn’t seem to work as well as the Australian - this one is very strong- shaped in short logs. I can’t say I know the percentage because I take it out of bag and put into an airtight jar whenever I purchase. One other person on Connect commented awhile ago that she has found it on Amazon. I tried Swedish black licorice, which also works, so give it a try. I’d love to know if you have any luck with the tea.
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3 replies
shelleyW | @shelleyw | May 15 6:30pm
In reply to @celia16 "I had to return to taking 1 cap of Miralax a day in order to go..." + (show)
@celia16

I had to return to taking 1 cap of Miralax a day in order to go at all. I had improved for a couple of weeks. And, that’s on top of my healthy diet of veggies, whole grains, beets, sweet potatoes, healthy fats, beans, fiber packed, plenty of water, daily cardio exercise, magnesium supplement, etc. My day is centered around promoting digestion,

Anyway, I also tried the Linzess I was prescribed. I took it 3 days with no effects. i went the same as I normally do with Miralax. How long to see a change? I had to stop, because I wasn’t sure when it would kick in and I had appointments in my office with clients and was on the road,…couldn’t risk potential BM incident during that time. I can’t just stay by a toilet for weeks waiting for results. I thought I’d get results the same day, but nothing. Some people report major diarrhea. Huh? Lol.

I’m doing ok with BM taking the one cap of Miralax. Maybe, I should just be content with that and stop searching for a way to be normal again. Hmmm…..I’m so tired of dealing with this.

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I concur with "being tired of dealing with CIC". So many people, especially doctors, really don't comprehend how all awful and all consuming CIC is. I have learned that all of the meds like Amitiza, Linzess, Trulance definitely do not work rapidly. I have had them all, barely any improvement, if any, since I have to stay on miralax. It takes 1-2 weeks to get any affects. I also learned that these meds most often can't handle CIC on their own; miralax, etc are very commonly needed too. Unfortunately we all probably have differing causes for CIC. For example: I don't increase fiber, unless it's followed with huge increases in fluid and miralax. I'm 65, with too many other factors that are contributing to my CIC. I am kind of on a warning track: if anyone has treatment resistant CIC, get your calcium, vitamin D and PTH tested. Hyperparathyroidism/elevated calcium can be a MAJOR contributor for CIC. Also it wreaks havoc on our smooth muscles..colon contractions...intestinal slow motility also. Check it out. I know it is not the answer for everyone, my GI and Endocrinologist of 17 years, neither ever mentioned this to me, until I asked a question about my pancreas and my endocrinologist suggested my calcium levels had been trending upward...bad for the body. But she still said to wait and see. My 2nd opinion and 3rd opinion, was way different. Best of luck to you.

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1 reply
h8bigbiz | @h8bigbiz | May 15 9:46pm
In reply to @reillyg1013 "Not sure Joe about the tea, may work. As far as the licorice goes, regular twizzlers..." + (show)
@reillyg1013

Not sure Joe about the tea, may work. As far as the licorice goes, regular twizzlers or licorice , doesn’t seem to work as well as the Australian - this one is very strong- shaped in short logs. I can’t say I know the percentage because I take it out of bag and put into an airtight jar whenever I purchase. One other person on Connect commented awhile ago that she has found it on Amazon. I tried Swedish black licorice, which also works, so give it a try. I’d love to know if you have any luck with the tea.

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Thanks so much for the info. I did find some on Amazon as you suggested; I'm thinking of trying the licorice root drops, they seem to be even more concentrated.

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celia16 | @celia16 | May 16 5:20am
In reply to @shelleyw "I concur with "being tired of dealing with CIC". So many people, especially doctors, really don't..." + (show)
@shelleyw

I concur with "being tired of dealing with CIC". So many people, especially doctors, really don't comprehend how all awful and all consuming CIC is. I have learned that all of the meds like Amitiza, Linzess, Trulance definitely do not work rapidly. I have had them all, barely any improvement, if any, since I have to stay on miralax. It takes 1-2 weeks to get any affects. I also learned that these meds most often can't handle CIC on their own; miralax, etc are very commonly needed too. Unfortunately we all probably have differing causes for CIC. For example: I don't increase fiber, unless it's followed with huge increases in fluid and miralax. I'm 65, with too many other factors that are contributing to my CIC. I am kind of on a warning track: if anyone has treatment resistant CIC, get your calcium, vitamin D and PTH tested. Hyperparathyroidism/elevated calcium can be a MAJOR contributor for CIC. Also it wreaks havoc on our smooth muscles..colon contractions...intestinal slow motility also. Check it out. I know it is not the answer for everyone, my GI and Endocrinologist of 17 years, neither ever mentioned this to me, until I asked a question about my pancreas and my endocrinologist suggested my calcium levels had been trending upward...bad for the body. But she still said to wait and see. My 2nd opinion and 3rd opinion, was way different. Best of luck to you.

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I have never heard this about calcium. Interesting. It’s worth checking. ……………………..ok. I just checked my lab results and my calcium was normal. Oh well.

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1 reply
rashida | @rashida | May 16 5:44am
In reply to @reillyg1013 "Not sure Joe about the tea, may work. As far as the licorice goes, regular twizzlers..." + (show)
@reillyg1013

Not sure Joe about the tea, may work. As far as the licorice goes, regular twizzlers or licorice , doesn’t seem to work as well as the Australian - this one is very strong- shaped in short logs. I can’t say I know the percentage because I take it out of bag and put into an airtight jar whenever I purchase. One other person on Connect commented awhile ago that she has found it on Amazon. I tried Swedish black licorice, which also works, so give it a try. I’d love to know if you have any luck with the tea.

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@h8bigbiz regular Twizzlers is not pure licorice - it has some licorice content, but in essence it it candy (or a “sweet” if you are British). The “Australian licorice” that @reillyg1013 is referring to is, I believe, the pure licorice which is medicinal. You may be able to find pure licorice in health food stores.

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