Hi @chicken

Again, I have to agree with @lasirvent, Lactulose is a great way to increase intestinal motility. I was given it many years ago after a laparotomy which basically caused my intestines to shut down completely. It took a while to get going again but the Lactulose worked.

I stopped using Lactulose in favour of a more natural remedy, so I started eating liquorice daily. I didn't eat too much and it is important to let you know that eating a lot of liquorice daily can reduce your potassium levels which in turn can cause high blood pressure. It is always best to discuss with your primary practitioner as a lot of liquorice can interact with certain meds like warfarin.

However, the benefits of eating liquorice for digestive problems and other conditions can be great, it is thought to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties too. Just make sure that if you buy liquorice sweets, they actually contain liquorice plant extract, as many sweet sold as liquorice don't have any liquorice in them at all. You can get deglycyrrhizinated liquorice as over the counter supplements, this stops the possibility of those side effects as the cause, (glycyrrhizic acid) is extracted. But I'm a liquorice sweet fan and enjoy the yummy taste of the sweets! Look up the benefits of deglycyrrhizinated liquorice if you are wanting an over the counter remedy.

Mark