Constipated please help!!! - Bowel Disorders Message Board

lilly25 · 02-23-2009, 06:18 AM

I'm a 25 year old female that suffers from constipation,bloating,gas,gurgling stomach everyday. I have quit smoking a year ago but have now started again only because it's the only thing that helps me go to the bathroom!!! really don't want to start smoking again but am desparate!!! i take laxitives everyday to help me. Have been to see doctors but they never really give me any good advice. My diets really good eat foods that are easy to digest alot of vege's, at least two litres of water a day, inner health plus and pro biotics. Can anyone help me??

kennyboy · 02-23-2009, 06:29 AM

It is theorised that the nicotine in cigarettes affects the smooth muscle inside the colon. This affect may alter gut motility, which is the rate at which waste moves through the colon. Starting smoking again may be a short term fix but isn't really a healthy option for a long-term solution is it. Laxatives at your age are not going to be very harmful but don't get hooked on them otherwise you could do more harm than good over a length of time.

If you read the thread entitled 'Soft stools a must' it might give you some ideas. I notice you don't mention taking much fiber. An increased water consumption isn't going to do you much good without fiber because it's the fiber that soaks up and retains the water in your gut keeping your stools soft. It's an art form you need to develop to get the balance right between water, fiber and oil. I take oat bran fiber as it seems to be better than others I have tried. Also try to eat whole foods rather than processed foods, get your fatty acids intake right between omega 6 and omega 3 and avoid margarine like the plague. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Cheers.

lilly25 · 02-23-2009, 04:01 PM

My fiber intake is really good and a specialist told me to cut down the fibre. I've just started on an organic diet so i'll see how that goes. Thanks for the tip on the omega fats will give that a go. He also told me to go for a colonoscopy but i think that should be the last resort what is your opinion? Thankyou again for your help.

kennyboy · 02-24-2009, 04:31 AM

I wouldn't refuse a colonoscopy because you always want to be certain that there is nothing major wrong in there and up there. If you seem to be doing everything right your physician probably wants to be sure there is no physical abnormality causing your constipation. There are absolutely loads of physical abnormalities associated with the intestines and bowel but most of them are uncommon thank god.

It's not a very pleasant experience from the prep stage to the sedative stage. Some people prefer it without sedation but I wasn't given the option. Next time I might go for it without sedation because it made me really sick last time.

At your age you shouldn't need another colonoscopy for a long time. When you reach 50+ they recommend having one every five years and even more frequently if you have a history of problems in there.

I don't want to contradict your specialist but my understanding is that you should reduce fiber only when you suffer things like diverticulitis and other bowel problems where the fiber could get into the diverticuli and cause infection. I may be wrong here but all the advice I have read says keep up a good fiber intake and the evidence from people in countries who consume a great deal of fiber as part of their natural diet don't have anywhere near the same intestinal problems that we do in the developed countries. As you don't have diverticulitis or are recovering from an operation I don't know where he's coming from. Next time you see him ask him for his reasoning and see if it makes sense and remember that you are always, ALWAYS a physician's experiment. There are no absolute truths with health issues because we are all different constitutionally so what might work for one person is hell for another. If what he says doesn't sound cosher then get another opinion, experiment with it and if it fails to produce the desired result you know what to do. But my guess is that he wants to be sure you are able to pass stools normally before he recommends fiber as it could cause problems if you have a kink or a tortion or something but as you don't seem to be in pain a physical obstruction seems remote. Stay cool, follow the advice until the voice in your head tells you it isn't right.

Organic is good but you are cancelling out the benefits of that extra effort to eat healthily (and the extra expense) because you are messing your body about with nicotine. I don't want to sound like your father (ha ha) but nicotine is such a strong poison that in old gardening books they tell you to soak your old butt ends in a bucket of water to extract the poison and then to spray it on your crops to kill off all the bugs. You are doing the same thing to yourself. You're just a bigger bug that will take a bit longer to kill that's all.

Take care.

jessblue06 · 02-24-2009, 07:08 PM

My doctor suggested magnesium citrate for two days to flush the colon and then follow that with a continuous daily use of Miralax. I was surprised when he said daily use of it but it is safe to use and its a powder you can mix in your drink. I have the same daily bouts with constipation. Sometiomes its 3-4 before a bowel movement along with rectal bleeding. So I understand your bathroom pains!

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilly25

I'm a 25 year old female that suffers from constipation,bloating,gas,gurgling stomach everyday. I have quit smoking a year ago but have now started again only because it's the only thing that helps me go to the bathroom!!! really don't want to start smoking again but am desparate!!! i take laxitives everyday to help me. Have been to see doctors but they never really give me any good advice. My diets really good eat foods that are easy to digest alot of vege's, at least two litres of water a day, inner health plus and pro biotics. Can anyone help me??