Chronic constipation

Shelley,

Of course! I’m glad I could help. I have a lot of stupid health problems too! 😂

I read all the comments and don’t really know which one to reply to as everyone seems to have chronic constipation and a good suggestion for its relief. I must say I was glad to hear that someone else had a negative experience with Metamucil. My gastroenterologist swears by it and I can say it worked for the first week or two after my colonoscopy cleanse, but it then started to feel like it was actually backing me up more. I would take stool softeners to help and when I was finally able to go, there were mucousy looking chunks in my BM’s. I could only assume that is the fiber and Metamucil?? Has anyone ever experienced this because I would love to know if my assumption is right or not. My gastroenterologist is harder to get in touch with than the president, so I’m kind of on my own in this also. I am afraid to develop a dependence on laxatives and even stool softeners, but it gets so uncomfortable, as you all know. After the weirdness of the stool produced by Metamucil, I stopped taking it. I’m now eating so much fiber every day, I could fall into the “too much” category. I believe that’s over 70 g a day and I think I better start calculating because I am eating a lot! So, I know it’s an old remedy but I decided to try it nonetheless… Prune juice. I read start with 4 ounces but of course I started with the entire 7 1/2 ounce small can the first time. Honestly, it was blissful to go about five hours later with a little rumbling but little stomach pain and and be able to fully empty my bowels. That’s not something I feel often! This has only been for a week, and I have continued to take at least 6 to 7 ounces daily. After the first time, it hasn’t acted quickly, but within a day, I am having the closest to a normal BM I have had in years. I start the day Orowheat gut health bread that has 24 g of fiber in a two slice serving and then oatmeal with berries, walnuts and chopped dates. I can’t seem to keep fruit fresh unless I want to go to the store every day, so I’ve leaned more towards dried fruit, which is helping the bread and oatmeal to do the trick . If anyone has any other suggestions, I would love to hear them. I’m hoping with this concoction I’ve got going. I can keep going for a while! Good luck to everyone out there with whatever relief you are able to find. You would have to deal with this to know how miserable it is, and I’m excited for this group because this is not exactly something you can talk about with your neighbors.☹️

Metamucil (even though I drink plenty of water) makes me so gassy that I feel like I can’t leave my home. Prune juice I have tried, but just 4 oz gives me intestinal cramping, just too uncomfortable. Miralax seems to work but I can’t seem to get on a regular schedule with it. Taking it every third day is not enough and every other day is too much. Also the Miralax doesn’t do much for motility. Is a good stool softener but I really have trouble emptying my bowel.

Thanks BusyLady.

Yeah Miralax doesn't get things moving. I take an Rx called Motegrity and I guess it works, but it's very expensive. It's the only Rx I know of for constipation that deals with motility.

I find I still need Dulcolax (bisacodyl) to get things moving every few days. I know that's not advised but I don't know what else to do. The Miralax helps a lot with keeping things soft and "movable".

Getting old is not for sissies.......

Thank you for your thoughtful reply Carolinlv. I've tried eating prunes without much success. Never thought about prune juice so I'll try that.

And you're right - a person needs to live with CIC to understand how miserable it can be.

I don't think magnesium citrate is a stool softener. I think it's closer to a stimulant laxative. It definitely gets things moving for me, but it's too harsh.

I don’t know if you’ve already tried prune juice but it was, for some reason, my last go to after 10 years of misery. Users made it sound so simple and yet I didn’t try it until recently. I was truly shocked at its efficacy. Like I said, I did a full 7 1/2 ounce can on day one and it was just like taking a laxative. It worked within about five hours and that was it. The next day, I tried the recommended 4 ounces, but it didn’t do much for me. so I do a good 7 ounces a day and it’s really doing the trick. Maybe give it a try?? I resorted to the laxatives far too often so I’m glad I found something that’s healthier and gets results. Good luck!!

Yes, I’m not sure why prune juice helped so much more than just prunes. Maybe has to do with being easier to digest??? I really have no idea, but it has been great for me. I’m only on week 2, but I’ve been so much better since I started. It’s easy to find, good for you, and inexpensive. I’m glad I was able to quit depending on laxatives for help.

The prune juice I’m finding is $10 for about 20 ounces kind of expensive. Hope it does the trick. 😳

I seem to have the opposite going on: actual prunes help—only a little but better than nothing I guess—whereas prune *juice* doesn’t help at all. (I’ve heard that it could be because the skin of prunes holds moisture in till they arrive in my dry intestinal tract and help whereas all or almost of the moisture in the juice goes into my bladder; they say some people are born that way, their body just doesn’t process correctly any or much of any liquid they drink so we have to struggle through life with these dry intestinal tracts.)