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Problem with Chronic constipation
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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Lucky you, @shaylyn4, having such a good team of doctors! I gather you don’t live in Canada, where there is a dearth of physicians and specialists …?
Thank you! I'm retired, also. Even with Miralax, it takes many tries to get it exactly right and even then, I need to adjust it every now and then. I'll give the prune juice a try.
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2 ReactionsFrom what I read, it seems to have different affects, depending upon how much people drink and how their belly reacts. When I drink the least bit too much, there is some serious gurgling and discomfort going on. That could really disrupt your sleep! Seems safest to figure out the amount that’s good for you, and once you do, how long it takes to react. Some are lucky enough for it to just help with motility. I’m still working on getting to that point every day. Luckily, I am retired so I have the opportunity to play around with quantities and times. Not everyone has that option.
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1 ReactionWould it be advisable to take at night after dinner or before bed? If taken in the a.m., I'd need to be around a bathroom when it works which would mean I would have to plan my whole day around it. That could be difficult.
No problem. I also find a free/easy way to exercise. If you google "pulmonary rehabilitation exercise", you will find many videos with mild exercises so you can exercise at home at any time!!
Sorry for too many messages today. I hope they are not ovewhelming. Stay well and stay cool! 🙂
Thank you again, Helen. I have never done a food mapping test, but it’s probably another one of your great suggestions. My stomach never gave me this much grief until I had a UTI about four years ago which was treated with a far stronger antibiotic than was necessary. I ended up with Cdiff and I feel like my belly has never truly recovered. I’ve always had a lot of allergies, but I now have problems in all areas of digestion. My Gastro did a few tests for both celiac and gluten. No problems with either of those. I have not eaten dairy for many years. The discomfort that started to give me made me give it up without a test… I just knew better than to keep eating it. I will definitely look into all of your suggestions! Thank you so much for taking the time to help!
Shaylyn4,
I must have said it wrong... I have hyperPARATHYROID. Why the brilliant 👎🏼 drs couldn't think of a better name is plain ignorance. The one and only one thing that the thyroid glands and the parathyroid glands have in common, is they are in the same place in our necks. Like you I have hypothyroidism, it has been left untreated for many years, cuz the dr. said, " just because you are tired and have weight problems (I weighed 145@ that time) doesn't mean you have low thyroid. All women want to blame their thyroid for their weight gain and tiredness. They need to exercise more and eat less." I swear a Dr. said that to me years ago. Now my thyroid is so screwed up that I'm not reacting to 2 different medications the "right way ". If you are willing, I would love for you to tell me about: EPI, problem with colonoscopy, do you have a redundant flexure, thickening of your bowel wall, how did it get found and how does it affect your pooping process. Also, how did you get to a gerontologist? What all does this type of dr. focus on. No rush, older age and health issues can dictate just about everything in our lives. Shelley
I have an ascending aortic aneurysm that keeps me in check for a lot of activities. High blood pressure, like almost everyone else in my age bracket, peripheral neuropathy, my second rotator cuff surgery coming up if I can ever get rid of my stomach problems, a really bad back that makes me look like the far left ape on the Darwin chart and a pittance of other nonsense that keeps me in a different doctor’s office 2 to 3 times a week. I am currently waiting on bloodwork to see if an autoimmune disorder or diabetes show up. My youngest daughter is 37 and has a very severe auto immune disorder she developed when her six-year-old son was born. She is in misery a good amount of her days. I’m guessing autoimmune will be a likely culprit in my results-better at 72 and 37 though. Another waiting game. I have been lucky enough to find a good cardiologist, thoracic surgeon, and thank the Lord for my GP! That man steps in when everybody else fails me, and, as you, that list is really long! I always thought doctors were in it for the money, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious nowadays. I will be praying that surgery is the miracle that it needs to be! I haven’t always been a religious woman, but I’m getting there! It’s the only hope I have anymore! It’s OK to put all your eggs in one basket! Hopefully, this is the last basket you’ll need to fill!
Carolinlv, we are not supposed to use the words, in these forums, that I would use to express my feelings about our entire medical profession. I am in the process of changing all my drs, since I turned 65 and live outside of Kaiser Permanentes area. I'm been with Kaiser my whole adult life. Some good providers, a tiny few great ones and a ton of $&#* ones that don't even belong in medicine and a couple that, if I had the energy and money I would take action against them. My new PCP actually told me that less and less people are going into the medical field because they can't make the big bucks anymore. WOW, where does that leave us? Thanx for taking time to find my other posts. I have parathyroid surgery early next month. Talk about putting all your eggs into one basket... I NEED this surgery to be an overwhelmingly successful and productive surgery for several of my problems, including CIC...cuz it is my last shot at getting relief.
You said you are miserable too. Is it mainly CIC or is this just one problem that you have? Shelley
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1 ReactionNo problem Shelley , we all get strength and comfort from each other. I wish you a smooth surgery.
You can google from Amazon, it is green package : Seed DS01 synbiotic. It contains a full range of probiotics.
I hope it works for you.:)