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Does anyone have chronic constipation?

Posted by anna17X0X @anna17xox, Apr 11, 2024

I don't know what's going on with my digestion ,I have been chronically constipated since December so it's been 4 months. I am always gassy and the smell has been very foul so I've been scared and embarrassed to be around people lately because of how bad it smells, when I've tried to poop only gas comes out most of the time, sometimes my stomach feels stiff and I start to feel lethargic. And I've tried almost everything digestive drinks like meta Mucil, eating more fiber i live an active lifestyle and I drink plenty of fluids and water. I recently had an appointment with my pediatrician about this she made me do colon cleansing for a day . And take Miralax for a minimum of 3 weeks. My stools were watery during the cleansing but after a couple days it feels like my stool is going back to being hard and stubborn. I still don't poop completely sometimes and I'm still gassy but it's not smelly like it was before. She said I can stop taking Miralax when i feel like my stools are going back to normal after a few days or weeks and it's been a week or two and a few days. I know I still need to wait one more week but my follow-up appointment is next Wednesday. The Miralax seems like a temporary fix, I feel like it'' never go away the worst part is I cant figure out what the cause is. I don't think it's IBS because I heard IBS involves bloody stools and stomach cramps I don't have bloody stools and I don't think I get stomach cramps . It just feels like have some other serious digestive problem or something I don't really know. I don't want to be constipated for the rest of my life I feel miserable, my pediatrician said if the Miralax doesn't work as intended I may have to see a gastroenterologists.

Has anyone or is anyone dealing with chronic constipation ?,does it or did it ever go away ? and has anyone been experiencing the same symptoms as me ?.Do you have any recommendations on how they treat their constipation ?

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rashida | @rashida | Mar 21 12:31pm
In reply to @jcamosy "Thanks for your comments. Yes, I was aware of the laxative problem, but not the enema...." + (show)
@jcamosy

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I was aware of the laxative problem, but not the enema. I'll look into that. (So far, changing my diet hasn't worked.). Fortunately, I could finally get into the Mayo Clinic/Rochester in May for an "abundance" of tests. I'm hoping for some solutions....

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Have you tried Metamucil, or generic psyllium fibre? I take a tablespoonful in a glass of water, followed immediately by another glass of plain water. Metamucil comes in flavours, but is expensive. Generic psyllium fibre can be found in health food stores, but only unflavoured. I prefer unflavoured, anyway.

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1 reply
jcamosy | @jcamosy | Mar 21 1:07pm
In reply to @rashida "Have you tried Metamucil, or generic psyllium fibre? I take a tablespoonful in a glass of..." + (show)
@rashida

Have you tried Metamucil, or generic psyllium fibre? I take a tablespoonful in a glass of water, followed immediately by another glass of plain water. Metamucil comes in flavours, but is expensive. Generic psyllium fibre can be found in health food stores, but only unflavoured. I prefer unflavoured, anyway.

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I have tried them in the past. (This has been going on for 22 months, but who's counting?)
Do you happen to know if the fiber in them is water soluble?

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1 reply
exeter | @exeter | Mar 21 5:43pm
In reply to @jcamosy "I have to give myself an enema every other day, or I won't have a bowel..." + (show)
@jcamosy

I have to give myself an enema every other day, or I won't have a bowel movement. Anyone else have to do this?

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Oh boy. I'm "elderly" and live alone. I'd have too many problems giving myself an enema! I tried it one time. I have IBS M and do take Miralax but not a full cap. The Metamucil, for me, was not helpful. I need to watch fiber intake. Fodmap is not easy, either. Nothing is, currently.

The gastroenterologist gave me a prescription of Linzess and it was horrible. It caused awful diarrhea. I gave it a second chance the next day and it was not different so I stopped taking it.

It's difficult to contact a gastroenterologist. They don't want to give free advice over the phone.

I'm seeing my internist next week and I'm sure she will be helpful.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Mar 21 5:45pm
In reply to @exeter "What happens if your body doesn't function the way it should to produce a bowel movement...." + (show)
@exeter

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

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I can relate to what you describe. All I can say is to try to find answers. I have tried for a couple of years. I’m fortunate that a couple of months ago the constipation subsided and right now I’m doing well. I was able to stop taking Miralax which I had taken for months. Miralax or Milk of Magnesia are the only thing that worked for me, though my doctors discouraged the Milk of Magnesia.

My constipation struck suddenly out of nowhere. When people would suggest eating things like prunes, apples, etc., I appreciated it, but foods did nothing to make me go. My constipation laughed at high fiber foods. My problem was much more than the wrong diet. I tried prescription meds twice that barely worked for about 2 days. I still have one test pending for SIBO. We’ll see what that says.

I’m hoping my condition continues to improve, but it’s uncertain. I do believe that a gastroenterologist will be able to get you going with some type of substance. After not going for a week, my brother went to the ER. They did something that helped, but I don’t know what it was. I think an enema. Good luck. This is a terrible situation to be in,

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2 replies
exeter | @exeter | Mar 21 7:07pm
In reply to @celia16 "I can relate to what you describe. All I can say is to try to find..." + (show)
@celia16

I can relate to what you describe. All I can say is to try to find answers. I have tried for a couple of years. I’m fortunate that a couple of months ago the constipation subsided and right now I’m doing well. I was able to stop taking Miralax which I had taken for months. Miralax or Milk of Magnesia are the only thing that worked for me, though my doctors discouraged the Milk of Magnesia.

My constipation struck suddenly out of nowhere. When people would suggest eating things like prunes, apples, etc., I appreciated it, but foods did nothing to make me go. My constipation laughed at high fiber foods. My problem was much more than the wrong diet. I tried prescription meds twice that barely worked for about 2 days. I still have one test pending for SIBO. We’ll see what that says.

I’m hoping my condition continues to improve, but it’s uncertain. I do believe that a gastroenterologist will be able to get you going with some type of substance. After not going for a week, my brother went to the ER. They did something that helped, but I don’t know what it was. I think an enema. Good luck. This is a terrible situation to be in,

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Thanks. I"m going to ask my internist to recommend a new gastro for me. I don't want to be in a position where I might need surgery.

There are so many bowel diseases/syndromes.

When I read about "stomach" issues, they all seem to be interconnected. And the treatment seems to be the same -- watch what you eat, don't stress (not sure how to manage that), get a good night's sleep (insomniac here).

All I want right now is one "good looking" bm.
Good luck to you, too. I hope you hear good news..

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1 reply
celia16 | @celia16 | Mar 21 8:07pm
In reply to @exeter "Thanks. I"m going to ask my internist to recommend a new gastro for me. I don't..." + (show)
@exeter

Thanks. I"m going to ask my internist to recommend a new gastro for me. I don't want to be in a position where I might need surgery.

There are so many bowel diseases/syndromes.

When I read about "stomach" issues, they all seem to be interconnected. And the treatment seems to be the same -- watch what you eat, don't stress (not sure how to manage that), get a good night's sleep (insomniac here).

All I want right now is one "good looking" bm.
Good luck to you, too. I hope you hear good news..

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At times, I thought a normal BM was impossible, but it happened! Don’t give up hope. Just a few things that I have considered for my own issues…..thyroid, neuropathy (I have type 1 diabetes), B12 deficiency (was diagnosed), autoimmune disorder (was tested…Positive ANA) and anxiety……,I’m much better but really struggled during that period.

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rashida | @rashida | Mar 21 10:04pm
In reply to @jcamosy "I have tried them in the past. (This has been going on for 22 months, but..." + (show)
@jcamosy

I have tried them in the past. (This has been going on for 22 months, but who's counting?)
Do you happen to know if the fiber in them is water soluble?

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@jcamosy no, the fibre in psyllium is not water soluble. If you want fibre that is not gritty, you could try some inulin product, like Benefiber - but if you live in Canada it may be difficult to find.

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silvernblack | @silvernblack | Mar 22 9:15am

I've been constipated for maybe 40 years. Since I'm overall healthy most doctors would just tell me to eat healthy, eat more fiber, take some metamucil, and drink plenty of water. Well it's all meaningless if there's something really wrong so I finally got a doctor to listen to me any prescribed Linzess. I've been taking the 290 for about 8 months now. I don't have to go to work anymore so I don't mind going to the bathroom for a couple of hours in the morning. I've tried different times what I've concluded now is that I wake up and take it at 03:30 so that when I get up a couple of hours later I am processing. The doctor seems to think I have chronic constipation with no known cause, and/or IBS, but whatever it is I am really glad after decades to not be plugged up everyday. I had to look up that "chronic constipation with no known cause" cuz it didn't sound like something real - but I reckon it is. Fascinating. Ask your doctor about Linzess - it's ridiculously expensive so I'm lucky to have good coverage but it's worth asking

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1 reply
lynlewis | @lynlewis | Mar 22 9:48am
In reply to @jeannieflores "A small dosage of murals every morning in coffee helps. Constipation is the pits!!" + (show)
@jeannieflores

A small dosage of murals every morning in coffee helps. Constipation is the pits!!

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Hi can I ask you what is murals please?

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celia16 | @celia16 | Mar 22 9:51am
In reply to @silvernblack "I've been constipated for maybe 40 years. Since I'm overall healthy most doctors would just tell..." + (show)
@silvernblack

I've been constipated for maybe 40 years. Since I'm overall healthy most doctors would just tell me to eat healthy, eat more fiber, take some metamucil, and drink plenty of water. Well it's all meaningless if there's something really wrong so I finally got a doctor to listen to me any prescribed Linzess. I've been taking the 290 for about 8 months now. I don't have to go to work anymore so I don't mind going to the bathroom for a couple of hours in the morning. I've tried different times what I've concluded now is that I wake up and take it at 03:30 so that when I get up a couple of hours later I am processing. The doctor seems to think I have chronic constipation with no known cause, and/or IBS, but whatever it is I am really glad after decades to not be plugged up everyday. I had to look up that "chronic constipation with no known cause" cuz it didn't sound like something real - but I reckon it is. Fascinating. Ask your doctor about Linzess - it's ridiculously expensive so I'm lucky to have good coverage but it's worth asking

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Great it works for you. It only worked for me 2 days then nothing. I’m so glad mine resolved with no particular remedy. I eat high fiber, drink sufficient water, exercise daily and get regular checkups. So…..idk. It could return.

Were you tested for SIBO?

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