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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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I have had a CT of the abdomen when I had a gallbladder attack out of the blue and never another occurrence. I learned from that scan that my GI everything was OK, including my gallbladder. I have had GI issues with constipation all my adult life which I attribute to living with less than optimal relationships and a sort of nervous disposition that I try not to show or act on. Not only that, now I live in a teeny tiny apartment with my husband. It's sort of like having a child at the bathroom door. Anyway, I figure this is my body and I don't abuse it. It's a wonder I am still standing really at age 69. I have lost 2 grown children, 2 husbands, my house burned down so all my belongings went with it, fortunately I had remarried and had a place I was living already, that burned condo home I had (I had to sell my home I had with my late husband #2) was a place to stay when I went to visit my mother after my father died. I have pretty much recovered from the fire, my husbands' death (maybe not husband #2 so much), I can live without all that stuff but I don't think I will never get past the death of those sons, age 32 and 40 at the age of their deaths. I don't get a break from it. I think every experience lives on within us. In my lifetime, I have moved 25 times - Dad in the Navy, I married as a pregnant teen age 18 so have always had a child. I do thankfully still have my first child, a girl. My life has left me very high strung. My gyn doc told me once when he started me on the old Perdiem, "You will probably have to take this the rest of your life because of your nature."..........well, seems he was right, I have just made adjustments to the regimen.
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1 ReactionI watched a Dr. Gregor video, nutritionfacts.org which gave information about prunes. I always thought they were gross but the studies show this: 12 prunes daily, not 8, not 4 or 10 or like that. But 12. So I bought the Trader Joes non-sorbate ones and the others that have sorbitol in them since TJs has both and I eat 6 of each throughout the day. It is a lot of prunes. The first batch I bought were not the non-sorbate ones and I pooped all day long. I also take 1.5 caps of Miralax in 20 oz of water which I mix up in the morning and leave on my dresser or desk and 2 Colace morning and eve (but the generic which is way cheap on Amazon), a 20 oz glass of water in the morning upon arising with my meds, eat a near vegan diet except for a few candies. NOW finally my gut works. That is what it takes for me. Do I write all that down when I go to the doc. NO. I did the FODMAP and all the other notions of dietary changes but until I did the prune thing, nothing helped. I sure hope this helps someone. I feel good and that is all that matters to me. At 69 years old, I need all the help I can get.
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3 ReactionsMy dr recently told me to try a tbsp of mineral or olive oil at bedtime. I thought it would be awful but the mineral oil actually wasn’t bad and it really did help.
Thanks, I’ll give it a try
Natural Peppermint oil and/ or IBS Gard helps with cramping and gas. Most Stimulant laxatives give me cramping. . Best to you, I hope you find relief.
After 5 days on laxatives of different kinds, I’m now having diarrhea and severe cramping and gas so I’ve cut out food except yoghurt. As long as I sleep I don’t have pain . When I get up it all starts over again.the pain is draining. Stomach massage, heating pad helps. Thinking of getting an enema bag , never done that. I had an eating disorder in my teens , wonder if that is how this all started?
I appreciate your responses. I feel less alone. Thank you.
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2 ReactionsYour doctor doesn’t know that different people respond differently to an infection.
Whenever I get sick with either SIBO or sinusitis I get fibromyalgia symptoms. I also feel like I’m falling into a dark hole.
Hope you’ll feel better in a few hours!
I just got home from seeing my GI. He ordered a round of Flagyl for me. He continues to tell me SIBO does not cause bone pains, muscle tenderness, weakness and fatigue. Do any of you experience this before a flare of diarrhea secondary to right hemicolectomy with removal of the ileocecal valve? He asked me if I had any autoimmune diseases. I said Hashimotos but my thyroid labs were checked recently and are normal.
Thankfully, I see my GI in 2 hours and can start this morning. We leave for vacation in 3 days!