I live on a plant based diet except for salmon once a week. Magnesium Oxide will help, 1000mg in over the counter versions containing it, but I just took the vitamins. I eat oatmeal with 4 prunes and a TB of ground flax for breakfast. My smoothie mid morning is Fage fat=free yogurt, 1 TB ground flax, 1 TB almonds, 2 Dried figs, and 1/2 c almond milk. My lunch is a Dr. praeger black bean burger on a WASA cracker with avocado and salsa. My afternoon snack is homemade gluten free pumpkin/chocolate chip muffins with ground flax in them. My dinner is an all raw veggie salad. No bread or flour products except for the muffins I make and the WASA crackers. So gluten free plant base diet. I take 2 docusate sodium after dinner and 2 Senokot before bed. My colon became non-functional after 3 occurrences of Ovarian Cancer, 4 abdominal surgeries, and all the chemo.

So, solving constipation is an individual journey. I would say, start with the plant diet and Magnesium Oxide - 250 mg and increase until it works, up to 1000 mg. Famotidine can cause constipation, so it will take experimentation. My situation is very different because of all the surgeries and adhesions and neuropathy and a tortuous colon have resulted in no "natural" stimulation for bowel movements. I am 73 and gastroenterologists have said to take whatever works. There just isn't one answer for chronic constipation. Even the Linzess advertised on TV does not phase me.

Try Magnesium Oxide. It is in several of the "laxative" types of products. I get it at Walmart as a vitamin. Try it in 250 mg increments up to 1000mg.

I suffered from constipation after completing chemo and radiation, sometimes going more than two weeks without a bowel movement. I started taking a spoonful of Metamucil (fiber) daily and am now regular. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Good luck!

Interesting. I’ll have to try that!

Has anyone hear of "gush and push" (see link below)? It involves taking Miralax and Dulcolax (bisacodyl). I've been doing this. I take Miralax before bed and get up at midnight to take Dulcolax.

Almost everything I've read says regular use of bisacodyl (stimulant) is discouraged and it can make the intestines "lazy" and cause dependency. But I've never seen a legit study confirming this. The article also suggests it's ok to take up to six 5mg bisacodyl tablets, twice the recommended dose. Any thoughts? It works for me, but maybe I shouldn't be doing this????? Thanks all.
https://ufhealth.org/sites/default/files/media/palliative-care/2018-palliative-care-constipation-management.pdf

I had a consultation with a health specialist (A certified Physician's Assistant trained at Stanford). She recommended 2 tablespoons of psyllium itself and not the capsules and that has made a difference. I use it in the morning with 3 or 4 prunes in my oatmeal. Also, I had 4 (weekly) sessions of acupuncture. In addition if I am expecting to have some difficulty (surgery this week with two doses of codeine for pain) I will take one capsule of Triphala (made from 3 types of fruit). After more than 8 years of chronic constipation, I no longer have that problem.

Also, I do take probiotics at certain times when I feel that they are needed. I drink one bottle of kombucha per day. These two things focus on the bacterial health of the colon. I have also been advised to take Kimchi (fermented) which has not been pasteurized but have not found a supply.

Hi Gastrochic,

Have you tried mineral oil at bedtime? And there is a study showing that olive oil works as well (which is likely the better option, as it is a food). Experiment with the dose.