1. < Digestive Health

Problem with Chronic constipation

Posted by bb03 @bb03, Feb 1, 2021

I have a history of hypothyroidism, severe endometriosis/treatment was a hysterectomy 17 years ago.I also have a hx of IBS. My thyroid hormone levels are stable. I eat like a rabbit(I poop like one too, LOL!!!!!!). I eat a large amount of fiber and drink almost every hour(nonalcholic).ONly prescription drugs I take are armour thyroid and my estrogen/prosterone troche. I make a coconut bread and I add psyllium husks,flax seed and chia seed to it. I eat it practically every am. I also eat a spinach salad for lunch daily with nuts and yogurt and eat a lean meat and veggie and more coconut bread at night. I do one cheat meal with a cheat dessert once per week. I am relatively active for my age of 60. I've been to a gastroenterologist and we have tried Linzess which didn't help at all. I take miralax, and a Super Cleanse tab one per day which has herbs to soften the stool and to stimulate the bowel and It barely works. I am at a loss. I have not tried Montegrity yet. I don't know if it will be helpful and the side effects scare me. I had a CT of my abdomen and it was ok, no obstructions. The gastroenterologist that I go to practically accused me of abusing laxatives. I would be impacted if I didnt use the miralax and the Super Cleanse. Diet/water and activity do not help. I had diarrhea from my late teens to the age of 36 when my intestines out of the blue just shut down completely. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was put on Synthroid but the constipation didn't go away. So if there is any gastroenterologist out there that can help me, please let me know.I feel defeated and worry about my health.

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tadueo | @tadueo | Sep 19, 2023

Thanks for the info.
Exercise is tough when you're 90.
I eat one Dove Bar a day as a treat. My mom says it's OK.

tadueo

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tam1964 | @tam1964 | Sep 19, 2023

I used to have constipation until I started drinking organic Smooth Move Tea by traditional medicinals. I sip like 1/2 cup before bed as needed and you are ready to go in am.

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2 replies
tadueo | @tadueo | Sep 19, 2023

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it.

tadueo

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bb03 | @bb03 | Feb 8 8:05am
In reply to @lucky786 "My name is lucky. I am 22 years old.I am suffering from constipation from last 6..." + (show)
@lucky786

My name is lucky. I am 22 years old.I am suffering from constipation from last 6 years.I have consulted with many doctors but nobody could fix it.And now a day my situation is that i cant do motion without any suspension syrup or tablet.When i go to do motion it feel like i have stone in my stomach and my anus is close.I want to know whats tyoe of problem i have? Thank you.

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Get a gastroenterologist, get a Sitz study, Colonoscopy, X-ray and maybe a CT. Get labs, especially make sure your thyroid level is normal, find someone that looks at your t3 and t4, not just your TSH! I after 30 years have a good thyroid Dr and even though my thyroid levels are for the first time stable in 30 years my colonic inertia has not improved. Make sure your eating clean, no fast food and drinking plenty water and moving. Some people talk of Pelvic floor therapy and massage but that’s for people who have mild not severe constipation like some of us. It is also an easy income for some to make money off of desperate people. Sometimes there are no explanations if all test negative and your diet and fluids are pristine and your moving etc. If that is the case and you don’t have any medical or mechanical problems then they call what you have IBS-C. Meaning the Drs just can’t figure out “why” you have constipation and if that is the case and you have tried all over the counter med suggestions then the Dr can justify prescribing Linzess and there are a few others. If your insurance doesn’t cover ( it’s expensive)there are programs to enroll in. Read reviews and blogs and see what people who take it do to make it work. A Dr who never had constipation has no idea that some of us do everything right and still can’t go. I do have scar tissue in my gut that greatly decreases motility.I have managed to keep myself from having a totally blocked colon but it takes lots of work. I am 63 and I pray that God gives me the wisdom to manage my constipation as I get older. It’s hard now so I just don’t see me being able to stay on top of it as an 80 plus year old one day, but I have faith that God will provide for me as I rely on him for all things. I guess the anti God people will block me for voicing my love for God. Well, their bad! No man is a mountain, I know I’m not. Life can be tough and I’m thankful I have someone to rely on and not just myself. Don’t be afraid to seek help. Your health is important. How you take care of yourself now when you are young will effect you years to come.

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1 reply
oliveoyl123 | @oliveoyl123 | Feb 8 8:28am
In reply to @tam1964 "I used to have constipation until I started drinking organic Smooth Move Tea by traditional medicinals...." + (show)
@tam1964

I used to have constipation until I started drinking organic Smooth Move Tea by traditional medicinals. I sip like 1/2 cup before bed as needed and you are ready to go in am.

Jump to this post

Doesn't do a thing for me, neither does most other products others swear by. Sigh.

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tadueo | @tadueo | Feb 8 7:41pm
In reply to @tam1964 "I used to have constipation until I started drinking organic Smooth Move Tea by traditional medicinals...." + (show)
@tam1964

I used to have constipation until I started drinking organic Smooth Move Tea by traditional medicinals. I sip like 1/2 cup before bed as needed and you are ready to go in am.

Jump to this post

Thanks for the tip!

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Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Feb 10 6:27pm
In reply to @bb03 "Get a gastroenterologist, get a Sitz study, Colonoscopy, X-ray and maybe a CT. Get labs, especially..." + (show)
@bb03

Get a gastroenterologist, get a Sitz study, Colonoscopy, X-ray and maybe a CT. Get labs, especially make sure your thyroid level is normal, find someone that looks at your t3 and t4, not just your TSH! I after 30 years have a good thyroid Dr and even though my thyroid levels are for the first time stable in 30 years my colonic inertia has not improved. Make sure your eating clean, no fast food and drinking plenty water and moving. Some people talk of Pelvic floor therapy and massage but that’s for people who have mild not severe constipation like some of us. It is also an easy income for some to make money off of desperate people. Sometimes there are no explanations if all test negative and your diet and fluids are pristine and your moving etc. If that is the case and you don’t have any medical or mechanical problems then they call what you have IBS-C. Meaning the Drs just can’t figure out “why” you have constipation and if that is the case and you have tried all over the counter med suggestions then the Dr can justify prescribing Linzess and there are a few others. If your insurance doesn’t cover ( it’s expensive)there are programs to enroll in. Read reviews and blogs and see what people who take it do to make it work. A Dr who never had constipation has no idea that some of us do everything right and still can’t go. I do have scar tissue in my gut that greatly decreases motility.I have managed to keep myself from having a totally blocked colon but it takes lots of work. I am 63 and I pray that God gives me the wisdom to manage my constipation as I get older. It’s hard now so I just don’t see me being able to stay on top of it as an 80 plus year old one day, but I have faith that God will provide for me as I rely on him for all things. I guess the anti God people will block me for voicing my love for God. Well, their bad! No man is a mountain, I know I’m not. Life can be tough and I’m thankful I have someone to rely on and not just myself. Don’t be afraid to seek help. Your health is important. How you take care of yourself now when you are young will effect you years to come.

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@bb03 I don't usually participate in this group, but there can be a couple of other issues I can think of that can contribute to constipation.

Most of us sit too much , and that contributes to tight hip flexor muscles which tends to pull the side of the pelvis forward. I know my pelvis can easily go out of alignment for this reason, and this causes some constriction of the GI tract in the abdomen and can contribute to constipation. There are also mesentaries that suspend the GI tract in the abdomen, and these can get tight or moved around. My physcial therapist has done myofascial release on me that stretch the cob web type fascia that permeates everywhere in the body and this has loosened up the transit through the GI tract. There can be a physical reason in addition to any dietary reason for constipation.

Another reason can be a spine issue. Trouble voiding the bladder and moving the bowels may be a sign of spinal stenosis or compression of nerves involved with the function. When a patient has spinal cord compression in the neck, symptoms can progress to incontinence, but the early warning signs are difficulty in performing the functions. I am a spine patient and have experienced problems emptying my bladder because of compression of the spinal cord. I had spine surgery that freed the spinal cord and this does not happen anymore. I'm not suggesting jumping into thinking there is a spine problem because someone has constipation, but if there are other spine related symptoms being questioned, constipation may tag along on that list.

Jennifer

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tadueo | @tadueo | Apr 12 9:21am
In reply to @artscaping "Good afternoon @bb03. I have now spent 3 years trying to get the equipment working when..." + (show)
@artscaping

Good afternoon @bb03. I have now spent 3 years trying to get the equipment working when it's supposed to. It is once again my major problem. I am going through some testing that requires adjustments in what goes in my stomach. Control of my bladder and colon is not on the docket for a couple more weeks. Once we get everything else sorted out....I will be able to select treatments that will learn how to keep those functions somewhere close to normal. We do pelvic floor work in my yoga class. Amazing how that helps. What else helps.......walking at least 2 miles a day. Not eating after 7:00 pm seems to help. I will consult with my MFR therapist to see if she can add more of the pelvic floor work.

Here is the other problem........we have 3 old toilets and one septic tank out here in the boondocks. So.....we have to have blankets on the drain pipes and be very careful in the winter. We cannot have a garbage disposal without finding a place for a second septic tank.

My worst day ever was when I had managed to clog up all 3 toilets. So......I am also trying to research those options. I have made these body clearing issues part of my cognitive routines. Just call me "struggles".

I know you mentioned Miralax and a couple of others that work for you. Is it better to just do stool softeners at bedtime? Do you stick to the same routine every day? Thanks for your post and I look forward to and am grateful for some back and forth here.

May you be content and at ease.
Chris

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I'm 91 years old and have fought my lower GI for the last 3 years. One change that has made a big positive difference in my GI performance is taking my cap of Miralax first thing on getting up in the morning. That timing gives your stomach all night to digest what's in it making Miralax's job easier.

tadueo

REPLY
jp9 | @jp9 | Apr 21 1:15am
In reply to @hopeful33250 "Hello @bb03 and welcome to Mayo Connect. Your post is a very familiar one to many..." + (show)
@hopeful33250

Hello @bb03 and welcome to Mayo Connect. Your post is a very familiar one to many of us who deal with chronic constipation on a regular basis. It sounds as if you are doing a lot of good things to deal with this problem. I have had three surgeries of the upper digestive tract and understand some of what you are experiencing.

Are you familiar with Pelvic Floor Therapy? This is a specific type of physical therapist who specializes in treating problems of incontinence, constipation and other elimination issues. A good pelvic floor therapist can offer suggestions on breathing techniques, the specific way of doing abdominal massage, and consumption of food, liquids, and other techniques.

You might feel that you've tried it all before, but I encourage you to ask for a referral and just see if it helps. Do you think it is worth a try?

Jump to this post

I have chronic constipation with pelvic floor dysfunction and currently seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist. I have also learned what you have described.

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