ssshhh! constipation

[pips1]

How on earth do you stop being constipated? I eat loads of fibre, fruit and vegetables and have even tried Fibrogel and high fibre cereals but I still suffer - help! By the way, if I eat prunes I go too much the other way.

[Sachs]

Aww pips! lol!
Have you tried snacking on those dried fruits you can get from health shops / Holland & Barrett? Dried apricots / prunes & allsorts!! xxx

[pips1]

No I haven't Sachs - are they better than fresh fruit then?

[Sachs]

Well the beauty of it is, you can eat them on the go anytime as little or as much as you want wherever you are!

[Panic Button]

Perhaps you are having too much high fibre cereal?

How about keeping on with the prunes, but with half the portion size?

[puddicat]

hi pips, yes dried fruit can help, but if you are having difficulties go on see your doctor, as there are products that he can prescribe, that you wont get in the chemist!!!

[pips1]

Thanks all - very helpful. I have thought it could be tablets I take for another problem that may be the cause so I will speak to my doctor. Off to the health shop now to get some dried fruit.

[mandimoo]

drinking plenty of water should help, but i mean always drinking plenty... cos drinking alot one day probably wont help!

[Eve]

In emergency cases Laculose is very good and very cheap from over the counter in a pharmacy or very strong black coffee.

I use the Fibrosure sachets in drinks as they don't taste of anything, Fibrogel never did much for me.

Keeping mobile can help as well and making sure your food is digested properly eg eating slowly and chewing and if you have any digestive problems peppermint can help eg tea of capsules.

Drink lots of water and keep off refined (white) bread and sugar if possible.

If it's become common then it may be something to get checked out by your GP or at least something they can note in case something else could be causing it. Any major change in bowel habits should be noted especially as people get older.

What medication are you taking? Codine, morphine, some antacids can cause it.

[pips1]

Thank you Jenna for your detailed reply, I do appreciate it. Fibrogel has never worked for me either. The medication I am on is Gabapentin for sciatica, which could be a cause, I'm going to check with my doctor. Having read all your replies I am going to try to drink more water as I do know I don't drink enough - I forget to. Also try the dried fruit.

[shanx]

Have you tried eating soft liquorice? no too much mind .

[joannie10]

yes agree that you have received really good answers there so I dont have any extra advice but just know water and exercise helped for me - at least 8 glasses a day, does not have to be water - have you tried green tea its very good for you. As mentioned before - this needs to become the norm, not just a day here and there. Good luck.

[annie0000]

Not sure if the dried fruits help - I have heard that it can work the other way as they absorb moisture and therefore can make you more constipated.

My OH suffers really badly and relies on tablets most of the time. But he has found pomegranate and blueberry juice helps.

I guess it is just finding something that works for you - I agree that if you find the prunes effective, take them in a smaller dose or try a small amount of prune juice.

p.s he uses dulcolax (bisacodyl) as this is the only thing that he finds guaranteed to work.

[MangoPete]

Hi There have you tried Holy tes,I t contains gentle herbs proven in Germany and other european countires to losen bits stuck in your idigestive tract. It has milk thistle . marshmallow and others. The first couple of days you become lose and then you continue to gently have the mass that has built up in you bowels resleased.
if you want more details please get back to me, My wife and haveused i foralmost a year.
good luck
Petert.

[pips1]

Hi Mango Pete, that sounds good to me, I think herbal recipes can only be good news. I have been told to drink more water by loads of people and I am trying - it is a habit I need to get into. I would be grateful for more info on this product though, thanks