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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carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @misssuezq "The prune juice I’m finding is $10 for about 20 ounces kind of expensive. Hope it..." + (show)

That is very expensive! I buy a giant Sunsweet bottle for $5.47 at Walmart. Are you looking at organic maybe?

carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @heyjoe415 "I haven't tried it but will certainly, umm, give it a go. Pun intended. Thank you!!!!!" + (show)

I hope it works for you! Be careful on your first dose. I drank that whole 7 1/2 ounce canned because it just didn’t seem like that much…MISTAKE😳

shelleyW | @shelleyw | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @shaylyn4 "Thanks ShelleyW. I also take 500 mg of magnesium but no carbonate ( it blocks me..." + (show)

Shaylyn4, yes my GI said it was ok to use lots of miralax. I MUST use the large doses of miralax, whether it's good/right/wrong/terrible. A little clarification on this: I don't think it's totally good to take these doses forever. My GI quit taking my calls or emails, after I had a partial small bowel obstruction, via ambulance and ER& ICU...3 months after he disregarded 2 X-rays/radiologists recommendations that a partial obstruction was most likely forming. I don't have any other options, at this point. I must keep my poop between easy slush and diarrhea, since I have no ability to get it out normally. After I have my parathyroid, 3 1/2 of 4 glands, I'm praying SO HARD that in time my CIC will get better. HPTH and elevated calcium levels wreak havoc on the smooth muscles of the body, ie the muscles needed by the intestinal system to move the poop out.
Back to you, you wrote that 500mg of magnesium carbonate ended you in the hospital with the horrific nasal gastric tube(I have had it once too, OMG, never again can I take this ). Just so I understand the details. Cuz I take 4-6 tablets of 500mg magnesium carbonate, most days. It helps CIC and sleep, both just a bit. I guess it would be accurate to say that "this problem is the shits💩" Shelley

carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @shaylyn4 "Hi I have had chronic constipation since I was a toddler. By the time I was..." + (show)

I also have ended up in the ER with the rib pain. I was told the same thing. The doctors never seem very helpful in this area. They diagnose it and send you on your way telling you to eat more fiber and drink more water. Like we don’t already know that??! Could you do an enema? There are several times I’ve thought of it (and I’m sure I’ll end up doing it soon). My husband has had to do them after pain meds from surgery. I have seen him get instant relief.🤷‍♀️ It sounds like you need to find something soon. I sure hope you do.❤️

shaylyn4 | @shaylyn4 | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @shelleyw "Shayln4, for me I use 2-3 capfuls of miralax , 1-3x day and 5 Metamucil gummies..." + (show)

Thanks ShelleyW. I also take 500 mg of magnesium but no carbonate ( it blocks me up - I ended up in the hospital with the tube down your nose and into the stomach ) Don’t want that again. Did your GI tell you to take that much Miralax?

shaylyn4 | @shaylyn4 | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @busylady "Metamucil (even though I drink plenty of water) makes me so gassy that I feel like..." + (show)

Hi I have had chronic constipation since I was a toddler. By the time I was 7 years old my mom was giving me mineral oil and enemas about once/week.By the time I was 35 I had tried every softener and laxative OTC. I got scared and went to see a gastroenterologist. I had tried dried fruits like prunes and apricots and then prune juice. Not only didn’t they work but the cramping was awful to the point of nausea. He tried me on Linzees which I was allergic to. Then Miralax - 2-3 scoops twice/day. Now I need to add ducolax about twice/ mo. Any suggestions?

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @carolinlv "Yes, I’m not sure why prune juice helped so much more than just prunes. Maybe has..." + (show)

Thanks so much! Certainly worth a try.

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @carolinlv "I don’t know if you’ve already tried prune juice but it was, for some reason, my..." + (show)

I haven't tried it but will certainly, umm, give it a go. Pun intended. Thank you!!!!!

h8bigbiz | @h8bigbiz | Jul 23, 2024

In reply to @razelrosey "For the past year or so my rib cage area is like really painful the other..." + (show)

I seem to have the opposite going on: actual prunes help—only a little but better than nothing I guess—whereas prune *juice* doesn’t help at all. (I’ve heard that it could be because the skin of prunes holds moisture in till they arrive in my dry intestinal tract and help whereas all or almost of the moisture in the juice goes into my bladder; they say some people are born that way, their body just doesn’t process correctly any or much of any liquid they drink so we have to struggle through life with these dry intestinal tracts.)