I've suffered from chronic constipation ever since my menstrual cycle stopped around age 50, and I'm now approaching 58. A few years ago, the laxatives stopped working so I decided to go the functional medicine route to try to find the route cause. They ran all kinds of tests. They started me about with an elimination diet for about 4 weeks, and then progressed to a complete elimination diet called the Autoimmune Protocal (AIP) diet. In addition, I had to avoid foods that caused specific inflammation to me (like eggs). They also prescribed several different supplements. It was hard because I had to fixed practically every meal at home and I was working full time. It definitely helped my digestion issues, and I felt wonderful. I was allowed to gradually add back in foods that I loved (dairy, nuts, eggs, peanut butter, beans, wheat/grains, coffee, etc). If I noticed a reaction, then that would indicate that I need to avoid it. Unfortunately, I didn't notice any bad reactions as I was adding the foods back at that time. Now, I'm back where I was. So, I'm currently eliminating certain things to see if my digestion improves, adding additional things as I go alone. I would like to go back to the functional medicine provider that I previously used, however, it costs thousands of dollars out of pocket.

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