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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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My earliest recall was age 5, and the reason I remember is because we were at the shore for 2 weeks and my mom kept giving me castor oil because I hadn’t had a bowel movement the whole time we were there. As far as my stomach, it just gets very hard and bloated, as an adult I have gone as long as 2-3 weeks without a bowel movement- so bad that I get to the point where I can’t urinate because I’m so blocked up. I’m 68 now, so I’m very used to this, but I sympathize with you because of how uncomfortable and embarrassing it can be.
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4 Reactionsdo you remember the exact age you were when you first experienced chronic constipation.And does your stomach also give you a weird feeling sometimes.
I have been dealing with chronic constipation since childhood- unfortunately, for me it never was resolved with fiber supplements or meds. My symptoms are similar to yours- to the point where I stopped going out to dine with groups of friends because I would have to leave the table due to the amount of gas. I was even in the drug trial for Linzess, which worked while taking but didn’t have any lasting effects when you stopped. My go to solution is Australian black licorice- works within a day to relieve the constipation- but again, only a temporary fix. I have done the whole route with gastrointestinal doctor and they just want to give meds- so I prefer the licorice to that. Best of luck, hope your issue resolves.
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3 ReactionsI'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
I would like to invite @tadueo, @tam1964, and @oliveoyl123 to this discussion. They have shared some of their experiences and what they tried for chronic constipation in another discussion titled, "Problem with Chronic Constipation" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/problem-with-chronic-constipation/, and may be able to share some more insights of their experience with you as well.
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6 ReactionsGo see a gastroenterologist. They specialize in GI issues including constipation. I personally have chronic constipation from meds I take for migraines. I also have gastroparesis which is slow motility. They put me on motegrity which helps.
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7 ReactionsInteresting because I belong to a chronic constipation group online. If you want to search in groups on Facebook, the name is Reversing Chronic Constipation. You would be surprised how large this group is with new members every day.
First of all, Miralax does not work for me. I've been dealing with this a long time but has increased to the point that I and other members have found something could help a long or short time and then stop helping and trying.
That happened to me
with Milk of Magnesia.
I had very short success with Miralax. Then short success with Ducolax.
I have had a script for Linzess that did not work. as well as Amitra (spelling).
I will be back yet tonight to assist more important info.
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8 ReactionsI 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 ?
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9 Reactions@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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2 ReactionsThanks for the tip!