Problem with Chronic constipation

I have horrible CIC, 17 years, just getting worse. Tried it all. Is your baking soda treatment like the heavy salt water, you jug it down. The salt water treatment did nothing except make me very nauseous.

I guess you could say it was like salt water. It doesn't taste good at all but it works and is natural. I hope it helps. I'll say a prayer for you.
PML

I was very constipated during oral chemo, so I was given a prescription for lactolose. I took it along with Senna-s for stool softener. Only once did I resort to magnesium citrate and it caused explosive diarrhea, but it certainly cleaned out my colon.

I don't know what's going on with my digestion ,I have been chronically constipated since December so it's been 4 months. I am always gassy and the smell has been very foul so I've been scared and embarrassed to be around people lately because of how bad it smells, when I've tried to poop only gas comes out most of the time, sometimes my stomach feels stiff and I start to feel lethargic. And I've tried almost everything digestive drinks like meta Mucil, eating more fiber i live an active lifestyle and I drink plenty of fluids and water. I recently had an appointment with my pediatrician about this she made me do colon cleansing for a day . And take Miralax for a minimum of 3 weeks. My stools were watery during the cleansing but after a couple days it feels like my stool is going back to being hard and stubborn. I still don't poop completely sometimes and I'm still gassy but it's not smelly like it was before. She said I can stop taking Miralax when i feel like my stools are going back to normal after a few days or weeks and it's been a week or two and a few days. I know I still need to wait one more week but my follow-up appointment is next Wednesday. The Miralax seems like a temporary fix, I feel like it'' never go away the worst part is I cant figure out what the cause is. I don't think it's IBS because I heard IBS involves bloody stools and stomach cramps I don't have bloody stools and I don't think I get stomach cramps . It just feels like have some other serious digestive problem or something I don't really know. I don't want to be constipated for the rest of my life I feel miserable, my pediatrician said if the Miralax doesn't work as intended I may have to see a gastroenterologists.Has anyone or is anyone dealing with chronic constipation ?,does it or did it ever go away ? and has anyone been experiencing the same symptoms as me ?.Do you have any recommendations on how they treat their constipation ?

I have horrible CIC, 17 years, just getting worse. Tried it all. Is your baking soda treatment like the heavy salt water, you jug it down. The salt water treatment did nothing except make me very nauseous.

I can recommend a home remedy for constipation that my mom always gave me. I'm 78 and still use it. It's natural but may be a little harsh. It's a teaspoon or more, if needed, of baking soda (the kind you cook with – Arm and Hammer) dissolved in a glass of water. Drink the whole glass. You may want to squeeze a little lemon juice in it to make it taste better. It tastes awful, but it works. Stay near the bathroom. It works fairly fast. By the way, this also helps get rid of gas and bloating. After it works, try and drink a lot of water to keep from being dehydrated.

Eating certain foods also helps such as prunes, fruit, nuts etc. But you probably already know that.
I hope this helps you.
PML

Hi Shelley w,

Hey you may find the book, "The Way out, A revolutionary scientific proven approach to healing chronic pain." It was great to help look at the real pain and gave some good workout ideas. My husband who also has mishaps and I read it together and then I did calligraphy cards to post the positive approaches.

With a couple malformed legs from a 1972 messing up about 12 years ago, being constipated most of my life from a redundant colon with some serious disease issues recently, I hear you loud and clear. Breathe deeply, throw your shoulders back and take the challenge to be able to find the best solution for you regarding your whole body. We each have one day at a time and like my psych nurse friend says, don't bother trouble.

Good luck, @farmersmith

For the past year or so my rib cage area is like really painful the other day I had a small backache that radiated around to the front and I went to ER and they discovered which I have had problems before that I had backed up constipation so I have been taking MiraLAX Fiber supplement magnesium citrate stool softener, and I still have not evacuated like I should have a gastrologist a new one in a month. I hope I don’t explode before the month is over. Any suggestions out there?

I agree with you... but I think my body and mind are sooo pissed at me for putting them through 2 recreational accidents 19 years ago, that they are not willing to help me heal anymore. One very terrific PT told me that our brain's #1 task is to keep our body alive and as safe from harm as possible. I promise my brain, every day in meditation that I promise to keep me safe....but I don't think my brain believes me. It just keeps punishing me with new problems.

Anna17XOX,

You need a stimulant laxative for getting rid of your plug of hard stool. Colace is just a stool softener. Call your doctor and tell him/her that Colace isn't working and you need a stimulant to clear out (and then you can try Colace again, if you want; perhaps a larger number of pills).

Once you clear out, try a kiwi at night, after dinner, if you haven't yet. For some reason, it is a natural stimulant and works better for me than what I can find at the pharmacy.

And see what May Clinic, Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins have to say about stemming constipation. They are top research/medical centers and put a lot of good information online.

It will be a process of trial and error.

If you want to experiment with foods, try dropping breads and gluten-containing items. Or cow-milk products. Bring a safe lunch to school or work. Don't go hungry to parties/events and just taste the items that don't work for you. Really, the first bite is the best one and one bite may not trigger constipation.

I don't think you want to go down the path of expensive dietary enzymes just yet; you likely do not need to.

If you don't want to contact your doctor about a stimulant laxative, try something from Walgreens or CVS.

You likely have a sturdy gut and can handle any stimulant out there. I have a sensitive gut and I go with Colace 2 in 1 (stool softener and stimulant). With a plug, I take the max dose - 4 tablets.

It is just one big experiment. You have to see what will work for you. I am confident you will discover your path.

Good luck,and I am here for you as needed.