dandoosha
08-19-2002, 02:45 AM
I am a 24 year old woman and I have almost constant constipation. I am so irregular that I usually go only about 1 every other day. I drink a lot of diet coke and I'm sure some of it has to do with that, but what else could it be.
Sometimes I'm so bloated but yet can't relieve myself.
HELP!
Sometimes I'm so bloated but yet can't relieve myself.
HELP!
Sponsor
Happy_At_Last
08-19-2002, 04:20 AM
Hi,
WATER.... WATER.... WATER.... FIBER.... FIBER.... FIBER
I drink about 64oz of water a day. I try to walk to. That seems to stimulate the bowel. Hope it works!!
------------------
Judy A. Weltin <'}}}><
WATER.... WATER.... WATER.... FIBER.... FIBER.... FIBER
I drink about 64oz of water a day. I try to walk to. That seems to stimulate the bowel. Hope it works!!
------------------
Judy A. Weltin <'}}}><
mlgable
08-20-2002, 10:54 AM
First of all a BM every other day is perfectly fine. There is no set rule that you have to have a BM every day. What is important is the consistency of your stools. Are they soft and formed or are they hard and dry? If you stools are hard and dry then that would be constipation. Constipation refers to the consistency of your stools and not specifically to how often you go. You would be wise to add Metamucil to your daily routine and drink plenty of water with it. Hope this clears things up for you regarding the definition of constipation.
dandoosha
08-21-2002, 01:57 AM
Thanks so much!
I'll try what u said!
D
I'll try what u said!
D
drs
08-21-2002, 01:24 PM
Try adding 200mg of magnessium citrate with a little food, don't ever take more at one time though, this has really helped me, I had hard stools, that would break me open almost everytime it went, I've got it under control now though. But as far as Magnessium goes, you can take one 200mg. in the morning and another at night w/food. It helps relax the bowels. All the other suggestions are good to do daily too. Diana
jmcne
08-27-2002, 11:43 PM
Diet coke or anything with aspartame or nutrasweet is no good for you. Use a safe sweetener like stevia. It is actually good for you, even if you were a diabetic. You can buy it in a health food store as packets or a liquid.
Go to www.hacres.com (http://www.hacres.com) for a description of a healthy diet. This diet has cured people of colon cancer and is certainly a good diet for constipation.
[This message has been edited by jmcne (edited 08-30-2002).]
Go to www.hacres.com (http://www.hacres.com) for a description of a healthy diet. This diet has cured people of colon cancer and is certainly a good diet for constipation.
[This message has been edited by jmcne (edited 08-30-2002).]
ChapsNB00TS
08-28-2002, 11:27 PM
Constipation has everything to do with bowel movement frequency. You should poop between 30 minutes and 1 hour after every meal with the consistancy of soft served ice cream. I recommend you start out with Dr. Schultz' "Intestinal Formula #1", and begin a diet that consists of a main course of a lettuce salad, preferably romaine luttuce, with apple cider vinegar as a dressing. You will without a doubt be regular on this diet, and anything else that ails you will likely disapear too. If you want some meat with your meal, make it a small side dish, and don't eat white bread, eat stone ground wheat bread. It has fiber. White bread turns into paste. Drink as much natural spring water as you can. You'll poop. Remember, if you don't poop after every meal, you're constipated. Hope you try it. I did, and it changed everything about me, including my stress level, and my energy level.
Super Sarah
08-29-2002, 10:26 AM
Unfortunately, you are incorrect in what you say about constipation. Most people do not have a BM after every meal and they are definitely not constipated because of this. Perhaps you should go and look up the correct definition of constipation that is laid down by the guidelines. You are not classed as constipated if you only have a BM every other day. Everyones' systems are different!!
Boogieslady
08-30-2002, 11:40 AM
Hey I understand how you feel and it seems as if your whole world is topsy-turvy when you are constipated. Things that I try that have helped me in the past are:
1. Prune juice (nasty but works) for quick relief but I had to learn to do things consistently so that I wouldn't need to drink prune juice as a quick fix. I knew that I needed to be regular.
2. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (make sure you eat your green veggies and plenty of it. Or atleast as much as you can spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli, etc.)
3. Staying away from rice, pastas, breads and junk foods (they only made things worse for me). I still eat them, just not as much as I used to.
4. Drinking water, water and more water. I used to get so tired of drinking water because I was a soft drink girl, but now I find myself drinking it all the time even when I go out to restaurants because now I don't feel right if I don't drink loads of it. You know that they normally recommend 8-8oz. glasses a day. I know that it sounds like alot but if it will help.... DRINK IT.
5. Learning to be consistent with eating fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. What I used to do is eat or drink just enough of the good stuff to get myself going again and then fall back into the same rut of eating a bunch of mess. I had to learn to be CONSISTENT because being constipated is no joke.
6. Adding fiber supplements if/when necessary. I usually take a fiber supplement daily because it's just that FIBER. It's not a laxative and you shouldn't form a dependency. It just helps to have that extra fiber...it certainly can't hurt.
7. When I do need that extra umph...I usually take a herbal laxative, cascara sagrada and that works as well. It's very, very mild and gets the job done.
8. You may want to try going to a health food store and get something to cleanse yourself. Start from scratch and then keep a monitor of what you put into your system.
9. I also try to keep a daily log of what I eat including snacks because I don't always know what it is that triggers me being constipated. That way I can back track figure out what I ate around the time it started to happen and try to weed whatever it is out of my diet.
10. You may want to try and stay away from those soft drinks but if you find that you can't try to double in water what you drink as far as soft drinks and that may help to balance things out a little. If you drink 8 oz. of a soft drink make yourself drink atleast 16 oz of water. This is just something that I make myself do so that I can keep myself on track.
11. Try to exercise as much as you can because that helps to keep things moving. I used to think that folks just said that, but it really works.
12. Try drinking green tea and you may want to try getting it from one of the asian health stores or somewhere like that because the others that you buy from the regular supermarket is just not the same. Their tea is more potent. But hay, if you can't find any just take that trip to the supermarket.
13. Don't sleep on your vitamins. Take your vitamins DAILY. I take a multivitamin daily and it gives me what I may be missing out on when I haven't eaten enough of the good stuff. But it's not a substitution.
13. Buy apples, prunes, raisins, granola and whatever has helped you in the past and keep them in your home and if you can keep some at work too!
14. Try to find out about everything that's high in fiber and go for it! Just try to even things out. Eat your protein and everything else you need as well.
15. STAY AWAY FROM CHEESE!!!! PLEASE...PLEASE!!!!!
Those are things that have helped me and I hope that they can help you as well because as I said before being constipated can mess up your whole world. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Take care and good luck to you.
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
1. Prune juice (nasty but works) for quick relief but I had to learn to do things consistently so that I wouldn't need to drink prune juice as a quick fix. I knew that I needed to be regular.
2. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (make sure you eat your green veggies and plenty of it. Or atleast as much as you can spinach, kale, lettuce, broccoli, etc.)
3. Staying away from rice, pastas, breads and junk foods (they only made things worse for me). I still eat them, just not as much as I used to.
4. Drinking water, water and more water. I used to get so tired of drinking water because I was a soft drink girl, but now I find myself drinking it all the time even when I go out to restaurants because now I don't feel right if I don't drink loads of it. You know that they normally recommend 8-8oz. glasses a day. I know that it sounds like alot but if it will help.... DRINK IT.
5. Learning to be consistent with eating fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. What I used to do is eat or drink just enough of the good stuff to get myself going again and then fall back into the same rut of eating a bunch of mess. I had to learn to be CONSISTENT because being constipated is no joke.
6. Adding fiber supplements if/when necessary. I usually take a fiber supplement daily because it's just that FIBER. It's not a laxative and you shouldn't form a dependency. It just helps to have that extra fiber...it certainly can't hurt.
7. When I do need that extra umph...I usually take a herbal laxative, cascara sagrada and that works as well. It's very, very mild and gets the job done.
8. You may want to try going to a health food store and get something to cleanse yourself. Start from scratch and then keep a monitor of what you put into your system.
9. I also try to keep a daily log of what I eat including snacks because I don't always know what it is that triggers me being constipated. That way I can back track figure out what I ate around the time it started to happen and try to weed whatever it is out of my diet.
10. You may want to try and stay away from those soft drinks but if you find that you can't try to double in water what you drink as far as soft drinks and that may help to balance things out a little. If you drink 8 oz. of a soft drink make yourself drink atleast 16 oz of water. This is just something that I make myself do so that I can keep myself on track.
11. Try to exercise as much as you can because that helps to keep things moving. I used to think that folks just said that, but it really works.
12. Try drinking green tea and you may want to try getting it from one of the asian health stores or somewhere like that because the others that you buy from the regular supermarket is just not the same. Their tea is more potent. But hay, if you can't find any just take that trip to the supermarket.
13. Don't sleep on your vitamins. Take your vitamins DAILY. I take a multivitamin daily and it gives me what I may be missing out on when I haven't eaten enough of the good stuff. But it's not a substitution.
13. Buy apples, prunes, raisins, granola and whatever has helped you in the past and keep them in your home and if you can keep some at work too!
14. Try to find out about everything that's high in fiber and go for it! Just try to even things out. Eat your protein and everything else you need as well.
15. STAY AWAY FROM CHEESE!!!! PLEASE...PLEASE!!!!!
Those are things that have helped me and I hope that they can help you as well because as I said before being constipated can mess up your whole world. If I think of anything else I'll let you know. Take care and good luck to you.
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
[This message has been edited by Boogieslady (edited 08-30-2002).]
black_eyes
09-14-2002, 05:57 PM
Yeah i aggree with super sarah, everbodys systems are different. Many of us think "constipation" means stools that are not as soft as usual. This isn't quite true. stool consistency changes all the time, depending on what and when we eat, and drink and when, and how often we have bowel movements. "constipation" refers to infrequent or incomplete bowel movements. Some people have 3-4 bowel movements each day, while others have one bowel movement every 3-4 days. Every 3-4 days may be perfectly normal for the latter, but awfully uncomfortable for other people. A constipated individual is one who has fewer or harder bowel movements than usual and who is physically uncomfortable because of it. I usually have one bowel movement 3x a week which is completely normal for me.
Boggielady excellent post
Boggielady excellent post
Harry
09-14-2002, 11:52 PM
According to the Rome Diagnostic Criteria: Constipation
Two or more of:
1. Straining at defecation at least
1/4 of the time.
2. Lumpy and/or hard stools at least 1/4 of the time.
3. Sensation of incomlplete BMs at least 1/4 of the time.
4. Two or fewer BMs in a week.
Pain is not required ---- no loose stools and you don't have the criteria for IBS. And, you're not taking a laxative.
This is what the official Medical People agree ON worldwide!!!
Harry
PS I feel uncomfortable if I don't go daily. But, I take psyllium 2X daily.
[This message has been edited by Harry (edited 09-14-2002).]
Two or more of:
1. Straining at defecation at least
1/4 of the time.
2. Lumpy and/or hard stools at least 1/4 of the time.
3. Sensation of incomlplete BMs at least 1/4 of the time.
4. Two or fewer BMs in a week.
Pain is not required ---- no loose stools and you don't have the criteria for IBS. And, you're not taking a laxative.
This is what the official Medical People agree ON worldwide!!!
Harry
PS I feel uncomfortable if I don't go daily. But, I take psyllium 2X daily.
[This message has been edited by Harry (edited 09-14-2002).]
mlgable
09-15-2002, 02:13 AM
Just one comment on the poster who said to stay away from cheese. The idea that cheese tends to be constipating has been proven to not be true so unless cheese is something that bothers your system there is no reason to stay away from cheese.