cazza, have you tried a mostly liquid diet to ameliorate your symptoms?

Hello Carol and others,
Best of luck, I have great empathy for you, the uncertainty is stressful. Good luck with your REGULARITY!!!

Disclaimer: This is only my experience going natural. I have used organic, integrative, functional, holistic Naturopathic doctor's advice along with my MD’s since the early 1980's. There is science in alternatives too.
I work closely with my ND, he said the Migrating Motor Complex and Osmotic Gradient are important. He bet I would find what worked for me. Goal: how to keep a longer than normal pipe consistently moist…. My ND also said attention would be needed from now on.

Before my ND's encouragement to find my own solution, I tried laxatives = not consistent + side effects like bloating, etc. All say for occasional use. They disrupt the system if taken continuously. I liked a co-redundant colon person said: “It’s physical” so regular constipation suggestions may not work. For me oatmeal and psyllium husks constipate so it is possible that laxatives you take may work opposite the way intended?? Don’t give up. It took me 4 months to feel I could depend on being regular. It is worth going natural. It has been over a year since then that I have been blissfully regular + have a back up of coffee and occasional Smooth Move when needed. Note: volume is twice as much each morning than before my regularity work over.

Dec 2023 doc did non sedated colonoscopy. I watched on TV. I had had a baby years ago (natural and could stand pain) so it was no big deal. Most people in world don't get put out. Very interesting and allowed scope to get through because I relaxed. He showed me the redundancy. No wonder I had been constipation on and off starting in my teens. I’m now in my early 70’s.

Start with keeping a record of your BM's. You probably have a chart of the way they look and which is best, that + our motility is slower. Because of the colon loops my husband and I thought about consistent moisture. For me I take magnesium, potassium and salt at night (I run low blood pressure so be careful if yours is high) Record, appearance, time, what foods you ate, amount, ease or not, stress state, water for the day, food, etc for a close look for your exact body. I would observe especially what I did on the great REGULARITY days and see if I could repeat it. Taking the warm water and ground seed goop in the morning and the supplements in the middle of the night was the key that brought consistency to my REGULARITY.

Throw sugar out along with processed and refined foods. Look up foods and drinks that constipate and give them up, at least as a test. OptiMag and K2+ Potassium are great supps. I take them when I go to bed and once in the night (important to keep colon moisture consistent). I include prunes/prune juice, winter squash, sweet potatoes, rhubarb etc in my diet. I eat cups of steamed vegetables each day. I grind 2T chia, 1 T sesame seeds and 2 T flax seeds, then soak in prune juice overnight. I add a T or two of carob now since it can help regularity. Take all in the morning. Drink lot of water starting with a quart of hot water in the morning - boy scouts. I drink warmed up diluted chicken broth at times too. It is soothing to my stomach. Have heard kiwi's are good but haven't tried them. Coffee and Smooth Move are my back ups. I don't like coffee and never have drunk it much but it usually works for me in a pinch. Thankfully I only need coffee a few times a month. I depend on this for daily REGULARITY first "chore" each morning. I am an early riser and when off the farm I don't want to wonder if I will have REGULARITY.

Check out helpful research of biological processes that take place in our gut:
- Migrating Motor complex which is the electroactivity in the GI tract during meals and fasting times between.
- Osmotic gradient. If too much water is pulled into the colon, diarrhea results. If not enough water is pulled into the colon constipation results. Balance of minerals is important. Magnesium, potassium and sodium brings water into the colon. I have found balancing these help prevent constipation. I have to watch my calcium supplement intake because it tends to encourage constipation. Calcium carbonate seems to be the most constipating. I depend on blood work from time to time to make sure my minerals are balanced.

Oh and letting stress go is important too - I know how scary it can be. Golly it seems there is no hope for relief but it is worth looking at diet and trying lifestyle changes that can help. Good luck, @farmersmith