Constipation Question

[Pernie]

I think possibly the ic diet is giving me constipation. I have only had that happen maybe once or twice in my entire life. In fact I always had the opposite problem frequently, one time I had it for a whole month. But that's not really the point.

So what the heck do I do about it? I can't eat fruit or prunes and I have been constipated now several times in the last 2 months. I am very nervous about taking laxatives because I have a long commute to work and I've heard they can just go off all of a sudden. Any ideas or advice? :bonk:

[dg2901]

Have you tried Colace? Its an OTC stool softener that works quite well. There is also Peri-Colace that has a mild laxative in it; you might want to start with Peri-Colace until youre back to normal then take the Colace as directed--its safe to take daily.

Another suggestion might be to try Senakot--its supposedly all natural, however if youre food sensitive you might want to double check the contents before using.

Other than that, since you say you cant eat prunes I cant think of anything natural to try....Is there anything in your diet, either the IC diet or your pre-IC diet that helps keep you regular? If so, you could resort to that until youre back on schedule.

Take care
diana

[liz25]

I have a big problem with constipation because of my meds and IBS. I have to drink tons of water and eat alot of fiber. I would try maybe a fiber supplement and if that doesn't work I reccommend Senekot also. Mine gets so bad sometimes I have to drink magnesium citrate:( but I would not suggest u doing that unless directed by your doctor. God luck!

[rosesitty]

Pernie - I'd try and eat more fiber and drink more water. You can take Senekot and Colace. That should help you.

[ICNDonna]

Next time you have an appointment with your doctor, ask about what you can take to avoid constipation. My doctor suggested Colace (not the laxative one) and I took it for a long time. I rarely have a problem any more. I do make sure I get plenty of fiber in my diet. Pears and blueberries are my life saver.

Donna

[Kara Isabel]

Celery is a good "natural" way to get things moving as well. Milk of Magnesia w/ a spoon of mineral oil is another thing you may try.

I ended up buying the WHOLE AISLE of constipation products! LOL, but nothing was working so I had my doctor prescribe me Miralax, which works great.....but that was the only option I had left.

[sandi303]

If you're able to tolerate Magnesium - take 2 a day. It will help with the constipation & to keep you regular.

[Dojakitty]

I have just started the Benefiber powder and it really works!! You can just mix it in with water and you can't even taste it. I have some in the morning and some when i get off work. I find it to be very helpful!! Some of the fiber and laxatives can really give you a belly ache and can cause severe cramping. Hope this helps!!

[kadi]

I take 1 Colace with 2 meals a day. That works better than anything else. Also reducing sugar & fat in my diet helps too. And making sure I get out and walk, being sedentary makes it worse.

Good luck, this problem is a real pain! (in the you-know-where!)

[ICNDonna]

I noticed mineral oil was suggested; I just wanted to alert you to the fact that the "oils" (mineral oil and castor oil) should only be taken occasionally --- it's best to talk with your doctor first. One of my aunts became very ill from taking a small dose of mineral oil daily --- her doctor said that the mineral oil kept her body from absorbing some very necessary nutrients --- she was suffering from severe malnutrition.

Donna

[VickiB]

I battle constipation too. I added oat bran to my diet, and increased water which helped quite a bit. Sometimes that just wasn't enough. So I finally asked my doctor if taking a stool softener would be wise. He said to try it, and now when things really slow down that's my remedy.

One thing I have noticed is that the more Prelief, Tums, etc, I use, the worse my constipation issues are. I'm not sure if this is typical for others, but if you're taking a lot of calcium based acid reducers this may be happening to you as well.

Vicki

[Pernie]

Thanks for all the advice.