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Dealing with constipation.
jll
Veteran
Do you suffer from constipation? How do you deal with it?
0
Comments
Laxatives. Though that method really gives me the shits.
Seriously though - if you don't want to add more fibre to your diet with cereals and grains etc. Try a fibre supplement like Metamucil, Benefiber etc.
Hope that helps.
My daughter has had chronic constipation since she started on solids four years ago so I'm your man!!!
Have you tried Actilax?
http://www.myvmc.com/drugs/actilax/
She also takes drops or a powder that are very, very strong and we use them sparingly.
I can find out what they are if you need any more information?
I'm sorry; I really, truly thought I was going to open this thread and find that you were asking about constipation of the mind. THAT I know something about. This one - can't help you.
I'd stay clear of laxatives as much as possible, because once you begin on them, you intestines can't work again on their own.
A diet rich in vegetables, fruit and whole-flour breads or brown rice and plenty of water should help.
At least three mugs of green tea a day also help move that tract.
Water or other fluids and fruit and veg in diet. Yoga exercise for mild cases. A technique I don't use but recommended by a friends Italian granny, orange peeled and eaten segment by segment no spitting out pith, peel it off (mindfully if Buddhistically constipated) before retiring. Muesli or porridge with raisins for breakfast or beans on toast should keep you regular. Like Dharma, prevention is better than cure . . .
http://www.artofliving.org/yoga/health-and-wellness/yoga-to-relieve-constipation
Be aware that medication, excessive meditation and stress/change can lead to constipation.
**Om Bekanze Bekanze Mahabekanze Radza Samudgate Soha
**
If it's occasional, laxatives work fine. If it's chronic, first of all, consult your doctor... but second of all, drink more water! If you're dehydrated, this is an unfortunate side affect. But if that alone doesn't help, these are the recommendations my doctor told me I could try: 1. stool softeners (Not to be confused with laxatives. Apparently they are gentle enough to every other day/every day) 2. a spoonful of karo syrup in my coffee 3. mineral oil
(Not all at once, mind you. Especially because you can't take mineral oil and stool softeners at the same time...)
For me, I learned that water and stress was the biggest issue. So now, if I'm feeling stressed, I'll take a stool softener since they're pretty harmless. Some people also get relief from adding in a probiotic. It really depends on what's going on with you, but if it's serious/chronic constipation, a doctor is always the best course of action.
If you have not had a medical work-up its a good idea to schedule one.
The majority of people will benefit from increased fibre in their diet but there are a few conditions that increased fibre makes worse.
You might want to rule those conditions out.
Having said that I am aware that America's lack of public health provision which is free at the point of delivery means that it could be costly for citizens of the US.
I begin each day with a bowl of oatmeal and a grapefruit. I add turmeric and black pepper to the oatmeal. I peel the grapefruit but don't remove all the pith. Plus one large cup of plain coffee. The other old farts I know suffer from a laxative habit.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
Thanks for showing constipation, ooops I mean compassion
for my constipation.
Salt-brine pickles (see vegan diet thread) has "cured" any intestinal upsets I ha.
I recently suffered from a 'runny tummy' but have been gaily eating salt-brine preserved pickles all weekend, and I discover my system is perfectly accustomed now. Very finely balanced, and no problem.
I also made some cottage cheese and drinking a small glass of the residual whey is very beneficial too....
If one chooses to go the grapefruit route, check first to see that you aren't taking any medications where grapefruits are contraindicated.
Figuring out the root cause is usually the key to finding the correct solution. Is it happening because of a low fiber diet? not enough fluids? Are you on medication with a side effect of constipation? Are you sedentary?
If it is chronic or happens more than every so often, talk to a doctor. Seriously. My grandma spent several years stuck in a cycle of constipation and diarrhea that she treated with metamucil, laxatives and anti-diarrheals and as a result of her doing that without seeing the doctor, she now has a colostomy. She developed diverticulitis that was not diagnosed or treated. If she had seen the doctor, they could have treated her without the extremely invasive colonoscopy that she had to have to remove a bunch of horribly impacted poop, and then the colostomy bag she has to deal with now. If you are unfamiliar with that, the bottom part of her colon was so damaged by her own self treatment that they had to cut a hole in her intestine and her abdomen and she now wears a plastic bag that sticks to her skin over the hole, and her poop oozes through that hole into a bag that she has to empty multiple times a day. So, yeah, you don't want to treat chronic digestive issues on your own.
For a more natural method how about watching a scary movie? This climbing a radio mast youtube works for me . . . If you are a climber maybe something else will help you shit yourself . . . :hair: . . .
Including many medicines for hypertension..( high blood pressure ).
And some for heart issues.
Yup.
Stool softeners.
Laxatives can create another problem.... Screaming hemorrhoids. .. :rarr: ..
@Vinlyn. I am on no medications where grapefruit is an issue. But thank you for the heads up.
A good amount of any tangy fruit will do the trick.
as will a good quantity of tomatoes.
I find raw plum tomatoes particularly effective....
Exercise helps keep me regular. If I don't run for a few days I end up constipated. If I exercise regularly, I'm fine.
Mirolax is an osmotic laxative that is appropriate for chronic use. Some laxatives are not for chronic use and you can get addicted to them.
Grape tomatoes
Raisins
Prune Juice
Exercise.
I didn't know that - I LOVE tomatoes.
It is really going to depend on how severe this is.
As others have said, speak to your doctor if it's really an issue!
In the case of my daughter, we tried all the soft ones but with no luck.
We had to weigh up a possible "addiction" to strong laxatives against possible permanent damage to her colon.
The laxatives won.....
Include some 'oily' meals in your diet : fat milk , yoghurt, sour pork or beef soup ( search borsch recepies ), salad with olive oil. Also don't forget to drink lots of water and eat some fruits or vegetables.
As for laxatives... I recommend them when diet can't solve the problem. A pill of Bisacodyl will clean the s*it out of ya ' .
My breakfast- 1/3 cup Bran Buds, Greek yogurt, berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.). Doing the trick for many years going- and I do mean going.
http://tasty-yummies.com/2013/03/18/10-benefits-to-drinking-warm-lemon-water-every-morning/