i have had chronic constipation every now and then for the last couple of years. But a couple of months it has gotten so severe!! i have changed my diet to fiber eg. high bran, apples, pears etc, drink plenty of fluids, prune juice, burdock, wholemeal foods...cut completely down on junk food. but nothing makes me have the urge to go....i spend hours in the toilet, 4 times a night...and nothing.

i take a strong laxative when i really need to but its so painful....i have also developed internal piles. There has been a few occasions where i take a laxative and develop diarrehea. i only have a bowel movement every 3-4 days, maybe up to a week but i never feel completely empty after a movement. im constantly bloated (discomfort too) plus i give out gas. im too scared to touch food now and im always constantly stressed and moody. tell me is this a sign of Irritable bowel syndrome??? my dad has had IBS - constipation type. Info will be appreciated thanx

Unfortunately, laxatives are not the best way to have a bowel movement if you are constipated and because of the way that they work, they will give you very severe stomach cramps.

An alternative is to use glycerine suppositories instead. These will stimulate the bowel from underneath and without the pain.

I would suggest that you start Metamucil. This is a water soluble fiber supplement and is just as good for diarrhea as for constipation. Ensure you take it with plenty of water though and it is safe to be taken twice daily.

Also, start taking Acidophilus caps or eating live yogurt. This will help rebalance your good gut bacteria and should help with your bloating and gas pains. You should start to notice a difference after a few days.

You should also start taking a Magnesium supplement. This is very good for constipation and you may be low on this if you are constipated.

Try this and good luck, but do stay away from the laxatives.

thanx for the info supersarah http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif. i rarely take laxatives, i take them when i REALLY need to. My doc is going to refer me to the hospital to get proper examination. ive heard about metamucil and acidophilus but i dont want to take them just now....ill take them as a last resort.

my doc prescribed me fybogel and bisacodyl. i took 2 bisacodyl tablets 2 nights ago and i still havent had a bowel movement - its just too painful. I am surprised as bisacodyl is a very strong laxative.

im have been grumpy all week http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

Can I ask why you want to leave Metamucil and Acidophilus as a last resort? These are both natural products and one is a fiber supplement that will help your bowels and movements and get you back to normal quicker and Acidophilus will also help correct the balance of your gut bacteria and can also help your stomach to be better.

Why are you using a strong laxative when you could be using glycerine suppositories instead? These will help stimulate the bowel from below without the bad belly cramps that laxatives produce.

I have to say that I don't quite understand your logic with this. The Metamucil and Acidophilus should become part of your routine to get your bowels working and to keep them working. They are not a last resort whereas laxatives most certainly are in my book anyway!! Metamucil is not a laxative but a water soluble fiber supplement - both natural products.

tell me something? If i take metamucil, will my bowels depend on this product for the rest of my life??

I was on flaxseed for 3 months and i had a bowel movement daily. plus i expelled solid (painfree) stools. but as soon as i came off flaxseed my constipation returned...

Can metamucil, acidophilus, glycerine suppositories prescribed by ur doc...or is it available in a herbal shop. ive have had chronic constipation for 3 yrs and i have never heard of these products before.

thanx for the info

Hi black_eyes,

I too primarily suffer from chronic constipation (due to IBS-C), but I have found that I've had to stay away from high bran, apples, pears, prune juice and bananas. I've also had to stay away from most calcium containing foods to help control my constipation.

I hope this helps you some what.

Cheers, Raju.

wow!! 6th-sense i was told to drink prune juice, eat more apples and pears (as they are an excellent form of laxative) and eat high bran. Ive always been told to stay away from bananas and to cut down on red meat and dairy products. but i need calcium for healthy bones and stuff...

now im really confused http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/dizzy.gif

eating more fiber has not work for me. Ive heard that eating fiber is not the solution for most people.

i think i have sluggish bowels - insufficient peristalsis

In answer to your question, no, you should not become addicted to Metamucil. I think Metamucil is the same as Fybogel in the UK and is a water soluble fiber supplement. It can be just as helpful in cases of constipation and diarrhea.

As for Acidophilus caps and glycerine supps, you can get these from any pharmacy or health food store OTC. Acidophilus is the same as eating live yogurt and contains lactobacillus and bifidus. These are the friendly bacteria that live in the gut naturally. If you rebalance these, then it should help any stomach pains, gas, bloating and constipation.

I would suggest prune juice and plenty of fruit and veg. An all round healthy diet, but also remember to drink plenty of fluids to help flush things through your system. At least 2 to 3 litres daily is recommended. You body consists of at least 70 per cent water, so you need to drink a good amount for things such as your guts and kidneys to function well.

Raju is correct in that too much Calcium can make constipation worse. Magnesium supplements can help constipation though, so it might be worth looking into this.

thanx again supersarah. i take fybogel regularly plus i drink prune juice and eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day....but for some really weird reason it doesnt help.

You sound a lot like me...and equate natural fiber therapy has helped my body form a soft, bulky stool...but i still need to use glicerine suppositories to go.
I use one every day. I feel better if i go everyday.
I never get the urge to go on my own...I have waited 4 days and still none. Good luck to you.
P.S. I started taking a probiotic 'Advanced multi-billion dophilus' 2wks ago and it has not helped my gas situation.
My gas causes me to sleep in the spare bedroom everynight. Someone...anyone...help!

Many of the problems are due to dysbiosis of the gut bacteria. This means that the normal, natural and friendly bacteria, including the most well known bifidus and acidophilus species are not functioning well. Instead of symbiosis with this bacteria there is overgrowth of some other sort of bacteria that rottens the food instead of proper digestion and causes lots of gas, diahrrea and constipation. When prolonged over years, this state leads to food intolerances, like lactose-intolerance and celiac-like symptoms.

Key to get help to this problem is exactly what Sarah said: Add more water-soluable fiber to lubricate your bovels and to carry out extra gas and residue. When you change your eating habits to contain more vegetables and seeds, you can use less added fiber since vegetables and seeds are naturally rich in fiber. Then the key number two is to stop feeding the harmful bacteria with carbohydrates. Key number three is to avoid milk and dairy products, since many people have developed allergies or intolerances for cow milk. For this reason it's better to take lactobacillus+bifidus bacteria in form of capsule instead of joghurt.

Key two means no sugar, grain or dairy products. No fruits, no berries, no alcohol, no vinegar. Avoid any foods containig mold or other type of fungi: olives, peanuts, large amounts of cashews, soy sauce. In the beginning it's also good to avoid all starch containing foods including potatoes. Eat a lot of vegetables, the types not causing trouble. Cooked ones are easier to digest. Meat is ok, if not causing trouble.

Stop binge eating, all snacks, sweetened juices, fuit juices including orange juice, lemonades, coffee. Eat only at breakfast/lunch/dinner. No snacks between. Drink a lot of water or herbal tea.

This helped me a lot, but it has been hard to stop munchies, but you learn by mistakes and getting sick. If you can stay with the diet, you can start adding food, one item / group per week and following your body reactions. Later on if you succeed you can add gluten-free whole-grain products. Then you can try oats. Later on barley and rye. Wheat is worst of the grains. Try avoiding it also in the future.

[This message has been edited by Streamer (edited 11-26-2002).]

I am a 40 year old female. I had lower and upper right abdominal pain for over 2 years, accompanied by some constipation, excessive bloating, extreme gas, worsened by exercise. Undiagnosed after several doctors and tests. I figured out on my own that the major problem was eating beef...so I stay away from it. It has made a big difference and my quality of life is much better now. If you eat beef you may want to try giving it up and see what happens. Good luck!