Problem with Chronic constipation
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.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.
I am with you. Absolutely none of the "popular " Rx's for constipation work correctly for me. Only can barely handle 1 colace/day. Not cutting it. Certainly not with gastroparesis!
I’m down to once a week now moving bowel with help from Dulcolax. Needless to say that’s not good plus the nausea that goes with carrying that “mess” around for days
I was recommended to look into functional practitioners and some products for digestive health. I am looking into it.
Dulcolax suppositories work really well and within 20 minutes, though faster for me. My G.I. doctor said they are better than Fleets, though more expensive. He sees nothing wrong with using suppositories. Also, try eating 1 or 2 kiwis a day and take magnesium. I take 425mg. a day. Also, drink prune juice 2x day and prunes 2 x day. But with all that, still rely on my Dulcolax.
Thank you for your input. I do take magnesium daily have for awhile. I have the prunes too but not juice. I will try the kiwis also sounds better than harsh laxatives.
For what it's worth, I've suffered from constipation most of my life and all evidence points to Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Constipation. After seeing a gastroenterologist, I have used both Metamucil and Fleet glycerin suppositories for some years now at age 79 currently. Half the time I have daily success, but sometimes only after two days and always very firm stools (no diarrhea). This remedy may not be recommended by doctors, but it's worth a try for the more typical IBS constipation cases in my opinion after trying many other remedies. My colonoscopies have been negative. One note is that the intestinal tract seems to be closely linked to the brain and emotions etc in some individuals.
@bobweb, my take is slippery elm inner bark powder will do for a larger section of colon what your suppositories do for the end of it. Check it out by Googling.
Hi there, I too have had stomach issues. This Jan. I had a high grade bowel obstruction n had to have surgery. The same surgeon did couple other surgeries on me in the past yrs. A sigmoid and a Subtotal Colectomy. Nope I don’t have a bag. He did take out a LOT of dead colon. Since this Jan. I’ve been n the hosp w 2 other bowel obstructions. I swear I’ve passed food that I ate 2 weeks ago. I too toot stinky n it’s bad. I get that embarrassment feeling as well. After I eat a few bites n it could be couple crackers I get a pain at my center chest. Sometimes it can be over on either side of ribs. The Gastro Dr says since I don’t have an I.C Calve anymore I’m more acceptable to having more blockages. He says to take the Senicot tablets so I’ve been taking 2 every other day. It’s helping a lot better than the Metamucil. I used to pour that n my drinks but it gave me cramps. I’m having a test this week where they put the nasal tube down to your stomach, called Esophageal manometry. Not looking forward to having the tube back n my nose to stomach 😔. I have regurgitation I’m hoping this test can pay off n solve my issues w my bowels/colon. I told the Dr about how I’ve been passing so much gas n that I’m passing foods that I ate 2 weeks prior. Looks like I’m gonna be taking baby steps for awhile. Ya know I used to take the Senicot years ago n it didn’t work as well as it is now. Even the Metamucil started to be a problem for me. Guess I’m sticking with the tablets for a good while. I feel like I’m passing gas about 2-3 times every 5 min. - calculate that.. my family says I’m malnourished. I’ve lost 170 pds on my own, walking n cutting out carbs. I’m 64, with some health issues but they don’t mess with other illnesses. I’ve been struggling with this new Colon issue of being gassy for the last 6 months. I’m just hoping this next test will resolve I’m just tired of hiding. I wanna get out n do things again. I told the Dr it’s like something crawled up in me n died. I get what a lot of you r struggling with. But like I said try diff stool softeners, eat slower n smaller bites. Hope there’s something here that helps with ideas. Happy Holidays Friends ⛄️🎄God Bless 🙏
What happens if your body doesn't function the way it should to produce a bowel movement. It has been weeks and weeks since I have had one. How long can you go without a "normal" bm. Is my system just not working.
How long can you live if your body doesn't process food so it becomes waste
I have to give myself an enema every other day, or I won't have a bowel movement. Anyone else have to do this?