Does anyone have chronic constipation?

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/

Can you advise what brand of black licorice you purchase on Amazon? Would like to give it a try.

Thanks, Rashida; I found some licorice root extracts on Amazon and ordered some; I'll try to post if it helped or not.

This makes sense. They know that not only will fiber not work but will add to constipation if not enough water is consumed. And I saw here on this site that it is thought that some people's bodies just do not process the water they drink correctly, that too much goes into the bladder only, not enough into the intestinal tract. (I think this is my case.)

@h8bigbiz i have heard it is excellent for the stomach, but I can’t stand the taste! I gag on licorice - even the candy variety! That and peppermint in any form just won’t go down my throat! 😀

Lol, I can't stand the taste of licorice either but am going to try it. It's interesting what you said about peppermint: I love it but am allergic to it, gives me mouth and tongue sores.

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

h8bigbiz -- Regarding too much water being diverted to the bladder, do you find this the case with milk, soups, hot cereals, smoothies and other meals can that be made liquidy? Does their water divert quickly too?

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!