Problem with Chronic constipation

Posted by bb03 @bb03, Feb 1, 2021

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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Profile picture for shelleyW @shelleyw

Shaylyn4, yes my GI said it was ok to use lots of miralax. I MUST use the large doses of miralax, whether it's good/right/wrong/terrible. A little clarification on this: I don't think it's totally good to take these doses forever. My GI quit taking my calls or emails, after I had a partial small bowel obstruction, via ambulance and ER& ICU...3 months after he disregarded 2 X-rays/radiologists recommendations that a partial obstruction was most likely forming. I don't have any other options, at this point. I must keep my poop between easy slush and diarrhea, since I have no ability to get it out normally. After I have my parathyroid, 3 1/2 of 4 glands, I'm praying SO HARD that in time my CIC will get better. HPTH and elevated calcium levels wreak havoc on the smooth muscles of the body, ie the muscles needed by the intestinal system to move the poop out.
Back to you, you wrote that 500mg of magnesium carbonate ended you in the hospital with the horrific nasal gastric tube(I have had it once too, OMG, never again can I take this ). Just so I understand the details. Cuz I take 4-6 tablets of 500mg magnesium carbonate, most days. It helps CIC and sleep, both just a bit. I guess it would be accurate to say that "this problem is the shits💩" Shelley

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Shelley,
When is your surgery?

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Profile picture for helen1000 @helen1000

I understand Carol. I hope I can help you. I am using Seed DS 01 probiotics for my sensitive gut. And this is the only brand which does not cause stomach discomfort for me even in an empty stomach. It also contain more strains of good bacteria and proved to get into colon. I hope it works for you, but I believe everyone is different.

Re exercise Do you have a gym nearby? Or maybe buy a treadmill at home?

Stress level is hard to control I totally agree. Exercise really helps me.

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I will look for Seed DS 01. I’m really sensitive to a ridiculous range of things, including the Align my gastro office highly recommended. Something must work, so I look forward to this! We have a community gym, but it’s such a big neighborhood, it’s always packed. I don’t really want to invest $1000+ on a good treadmill when it’s only 3 months out of the year I can’t walk. I also have treadmill use at my manual therapy office where I go twice a week for my back. Maybe if I ask, they will give me daily use while I’m a patient there. I’m a mess! Everything fell apart when my bp went south on me and ascending aortic aneurysm was found. Suddenly, I’m a delicate flower😂 thanks again for all the compelling information!

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Profile picture for carolinlv @carolinlv

I will look for Seed DS 01. I’m really sensitive to a ridiculous range of things, including the Align my gastro office highly recommended. Something must work, so I look forward to this! We have a community gym, but it’s such a big neighborhood, it’s always packed. I don’t really want to invest $1000+ on a good treadmill when it’s only 3 months out of the year I can’t walk. I also have treadmill use at my manual therapy office where I go twice a week for my back. Maybe if I ask, they will give me daily use while I’m a patient there. I’m a mess! Everything fell apart when my bp went south on me and ascending aortic aneurysm was found. Suddenly, I’m a delicate flower😂 thanks again for all the compelling information!

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No problem Carol, I understand. Did you do food sensitivity test? Or use Monash university fodmapping to see what food to avoid?
When we age, our digestive system also get older so we need to be really careful about the food. I have no issue any more since avoiding all milk products and wheat product. And I usually have a one time gas daily, and it is completely gone after i try Seed Ds01 probiotics. I hope you same good luck! 🙂

Below is much cheaper ( $200- $300 range ) but not as good as treadmill but it works if it rains or it is hot. And it reduces you stress as you do not need to compete with other users. I know you will recover soon! 🙂 knowledge is power and we have a lot of technology. It just takes a little bit patience, research and time to work it out. People in these groups are highly supportive and super knowledgeable!

Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical Peddler, Portable Foot & Leg Pedal Exerciser for Home or Work w Optional Magnetic, Electric Motorized, Connected or in Pink

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Profile picture for misssuezq @misssuezq

Shelley,
When is your surgery?

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Misssuezq, 8/7...unless I jump off a bridge first (jk), A lot of my issues are flaring big time all at once 24/7. OMG, I hope it relieves or at least tamps down the intensity of my buckets of issues that can be related to it. Hey, thanx for asking about this. It felt like a big hug when I read it. Truly, I am way down the dark rabbit hole, useless and negative . So many 🥰

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Profile picture for helen1000 @helen1000

No problem Carol, I understand. Did you do food sensitivity test? Or use Monash university fodmapping to see what food to avoid?
When we age, our digestive system also get older so we need to be really careful about the food. I have no issue any more since avoiding all milk products and wheat product. And I usually have a one time gas daily, and it is completely gone after i try Seed Ds01 probiotics. I hope you same good luck! 🙂

Below is much cheaper ( $200- $300 range ) but not as good as treadmill but it works if it rains or it is hot. And it reduces you stress as you do not need to compete with other users. I know you will recover soon! 🙂 knowledge is power and we have a lot of technology. It just takes a little bit patience, research and time to work it out. People in these groups are highly supportive and super knowledgeable!

Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical Peddler, Portable Foot & Leg Pedal Exerciser for Home or Work w Optional Magnetic, Electric Motorized, Connected or in Pink

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Helen1000,
Which Seed DS1 are you using? Is this the same thing that is being advertised on TV now? I was going to look into it. Your advice would be greatly welcomed. Shelley

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Profile picture for shelleyW @shelleyw

Helen1000,
Which Seed DS1 are you using? Is this the same thing that is being advertised on TV now? I was going to look into it. Your advice would be greatly welcomed. Shelley

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No problem Shelley , we all get strength and comfort from each other. I wish you a smooth surgery.

You can google from Amazon, it is green package : Seed DS01 synbiotic. It contains a full range of probiotics.
I hope it works for you.:)

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Profile picture for carolinlv @carolinlv

Shelley, I finally found your original post and realize my recent post with hopes of you "feeling better nowadays" seems unlikely. I truly hope there is a doctor somewhere that can help you. I am miserable but at no level that you must be feeling. Why is it so hard to get help for this problem? A good gastroenterologist seems impossible to find. They are readily available for endoscopies and colonoscopies but once those are done, I feel like they block my calls😭 I'm at my wits I'm just waiting for basic help. You must be ready to kill someone!😢❤️

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Carolinlv, we are not supposed to use the words, in these forums, that I would use to express my feelings about our entire medical profession. I am in the process of changing all my drs, since I turned 65 and live outside of Kaiser Permanentes area. I'm been with Kaiser my whole adult life. Some good providers, a tiny few great ones and a ton of $&#* ones that don't even belong in medicine and a couple that, if I had the energy and money I would take action against them. My new PCP actually told me that less and less people are going into the medical field because they can't make the big bucks anymore. WOW, where does that leave us? Thanx for taking time to find my other posts. I have parathyroid surgery early next month. Talk about putting all your eggs into one basket... I NEED this surgery to be an overwhelmingly successful and productive surgery for several of my problems, including CIC...cuz it is my last shot at getting relief.
You said you are miserable too. Is it mainly CIC or is this just one problem that you have? Shelley

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Profile picture for shelleyW @shelleyw

Carolinlv, we are not supposed to use the words, in these forums, that I would use to express my feelings about our entire medical profession. I am in the process of changing all my drs, since I turned 65 and live outside of Kaiser Permanentes area. I'm been with Kaiser my whole adult life. Some good providers, a tiny few great ones and a ton of $&#* ones that don't even belong in medicine and a couple that, if I had the energy and money I would take action against them. My new PCP actually told me that less and less people are going into the medical field because they can't make the big bucks anymore. WOW, where does that leave us? Thanx for taking time to find my other posts. I have parathyroid surgery early next month. Talk about putting all your eggs into one basket... I NEED this surgery to be an overwhelmingly successful and productive surgery for several of my problems, including CIC...cuz it is my last shot at getting relief.
You said you are miserable too. Is it mainly CIC or is this just one problem that you have? Shelley

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I have an ascending aortic aneurysm that keeps me in check for a lot of activities. High blood pressure, like almost everyone else in my age bracket, peripheral neuropathy, my second rotator cuff surgery coming up if I can ever get rid of my stomach problems, a really bad back that makes me look like the far left ape on the Darwin chart and a pittance of other nonsense that keeps me in a different doctor’s office 2 to 3 times a week. I am currently waiting on bloodwork to see if an autoimmune disorder or diabetes show up. My youngest daughter is 37 and has a very severe auto immune disorder she developed when her six-year-old son was born. She is in misery a good amount of her days. I’m guessing autoimmune will be a likely culprit in my results-better at 72 and 37 though. Another waiting game. I have been lucky enough to find a good cardiologist, thoracic surgeon, and thank the Lord for my GP! That man steps in when everybody else fails me, and, as you, that list is really long! I always thought doctors were in it for the money, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious nowadays. I will be praying that surgery is the miracle that it needs to be! I haven’t always been a religious woman, but I’m getting there! It’s the only hope I have anymore! It’s OK to put all your eggs in one basket! Hopefully, this is the last basket you’ll need to fill!

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Profile picture for shaylyn4 @shaylyn4

Hi Shelley. I have the opposite issue of you. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking Synthoid since my early 30’s. I have actually taken Citrate of Magnesium and that is a fast response but because of my EPI and Gastroparesis my GI is against that. I keep hearing about GI docs.that seem heartless or just don’t care because people have so many problems. I have a young GI now after the one I had for 40 years retired and he is open to whatever I think will help as long as it doesn’t affect me in other ways. I have really big problems having a colonoscopy so he did a much easier prep for a sigmoidoscopy which I tolerated and showed I had thickening of my bowel. He watches me carefully since Creon ( for my EPI ) can cause thickening of the bowel and obstruction ( which like you I had ) I now also have a new PCP internist who specializes in gerontology so he understands all the old age problems we have. I can call my GI in the morning and he will get back to me the same day even if he calls from home which he does frequently.
A support group is nice. You can talk to people with same problems and they don’t thick all you’re doing is complaining, etc.

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Shaylyn4,
I must have said it wrong... I have hyperPARATHYROID. Why the brilliant 👎🏼 drs couldn't think of a better name is plain ignorance. The one and only one thing that the thyroid glands and the parathyroid glands have in common, is they are in the same place in our necks. Like you I have hypothyroidism, it has been left untreated for many years, cuz the dr. said, " just because you are tired and have weight problems (I weighed 145@ that time) doesn't mean you have low thyroid. All women want to blame their thyroid for their weight gain and tiredness. They need to exercise more and eat less." I swear a Dr. said that to me years ago. Now my thyroid is so screwed up that I'm not reacting to 2 different medications the "right way ". If you are willing, I would love for you to tell me about: EPI, problem with colonoscopy, do you have a redundant flexure, thickening of your bowel wall, how did it get found and how does it affect your pooping process. Also, how did you get to a gerontologist? What all does this type of dr. focus on. No rush, older age and health issues can dictate just about everything in our lives. Shelley

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Profile picture for helen1000 @helen1000

No problem Carol, I understand. Did you do food sensitivity test? Or use Monash university fodmapping to see what food to avoid?
When we age, our digestive system also get older so we need to be really careful about the food. I have no issue any more since avoiding all milk products and wheat product. And I usually have a one time gas daily, and it is completely gone after i try Seed Ds01 probiotics. I hope you same good luck! 🙂

Below is much cheaper ( $200- $300 range ) but not as good as treadmill but it works if it rains or it is hot. And it reduces you stress as you do not need to compete with other users. I know you will recover soon! 🙂 knowledge is power and we have a lot of technology. It just takes a little bit patience, research and time to work it out. People in these groups are highly supportive and super knowledgeable!

Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical Peddler, Portable Foot & Leg Pedal Exerciser for Home or Work w Optional Magnetic, Electric Motorized, Connected or in Pink

Jump to this post

Thank you again, Helen. I have never done a food mapping test, but it’s probably another one of your great suggestions. My stomach never gave me this much grief until I had a UTI about four years ago which was treated with a far stronger antibiotic than was necessary. I ended up with Cdiff and I feel like my belly has never truly recovered. I’ve always had a lot of allergies, but I now have problems in all areas of digestion. My Gastro did a few tests for both celiac and gluten. No problems with either of those. I have not eaten dairy for many years. The discomfort that started to give me made me give it up without a test… I just knew better than to keep eating it. I will definitely look into all of your suggestions! Thank you so much for taking the time to help!

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