Constipation

[Chipchopper]

How to get though it and how to avoid it reoccurring?

TIA..

[pixie374]

Movicol? Plenty of fruits and liquids (prunes and dates), and activity.

[Cloverjo]

My dad swears by rocket leaves.

[ummmm]

Are you on any medication?

[NellieMay]

The gastric surgeon who performed my recent op told me to eat plenty of pears. After years of problems due to one if the meds I take, that solved it! Nothing else had helped whether food or drug wise.

[Chipchopper]

Yes, I'm on meds but stopped taking them for now.
Thanks

[AuntPollyGrey]

Glycerine suppositories for immediate help, then old fashioned prunes or prune juice.

[anneasquith]

Lactulose isn’t gentle and effective. Store it in the fridge. It tastes better cold .

[ummmm]

I take lactulose. It came with my medication so I don't actually know which one causes constipation/trapped wind. I stopped taking all my meds for a few days and just continued with the lactulose and that did the trick.

[melv16]

I've been on strong painkillers this year for about 3mths. Lactalose sorted out the problem.

[Buenchico]

Start here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/constipation/

In the short term, pop down to your local newsagent, convenience store or supermarket and seek out a pack of sugar free mints that contains sorbitol. e.g.:
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/gb/groceries/trebor-mighties-sugar-free-mints-126g
Stuff yourself full of those and don't venture too far from a loo ;-)

[Old_Geezer]

Which end do you stuff ?

Anyway, it's not so much how to get through it, but how to get it through !

There are many laxatives at the pharmacist's, do none of them have an effect ?

As for reoccurance, you could look at your diet, get roughage/fibre: but some folk are regularly plagued by it, regardless.

[retrocop]

I was whacking back gallons of Lactulose before they actually diagnosed a massive tumour in my colon. Didn't help much.Sigmoid cancer of the colon doesn't get better with Lactulose but a heavy dose of homemade Chicken Phall certainly clears the drains. Lol.
Not that I am suggesting you have something more sinister of course.
Good Luck.It aint fun is it?

[Tilly2]

I used to like those chocolate laxatives, when I was a child. Can you still buy them?

I don't suffer from constipation, having irritable bowel syndrome but if I did, as I did in the recent past, I'd use Lactulose.

[Mamyalynne]

The chocolate squares were Ex-Lax.

[retrocop]

Avatar Image Tilly2
//I used to like those chocolate laxatives, when I was a child. Can you still buy them?//

That reminds me of an episode when I was a young teenage Police Cadet. There was a Scots lad called Angus Ghillies who always wanted to mooch cigarettes off us in the dormitory at night.
One night he lit up a fag in bed and I asked him if he could spare one. I often gave him one of my Players No6. He refused so I got a pack of Ex-Lax out my locker and rustled the silver wrapping very loudly. He was in the bed opposite me and it was lights out .
"Wha yoose got there ma friend?"asked the fat piggy Angus.
I replied, "Just a load of expensive Swiss chocolate that was sent to me from relations abroad"
"Gis us a bit and I'll give ye a smoke." he said.
I threw the whole pack ( unwrapped) across to his bed and felt a cigarette landing on my top blanket in return.
He chomped into the 'Swiss Chocolate' and I enjoyed my smoke.
The next day there was about 300 cadets on the parade square lined up in house order ready for inspection by the Commandant.
I had the greatest satisfaction in watching Piggy Ghillies breaking ranks and diving for the nearest ablutions. He later became a Police Officer in the CID and was arrested for rape in a East End Division.
I was happy to oblige his greed with Ex-Lax.

[Mamyalynne]

It happens Retro :-)

https://metro.co.uk/2019/08/02/writer-shares-hilarious-story-husband-eating-entire-bar-laxative-chocolate-10507231/

[douglas9401]

Have I stumbled into the letters page of Take A Break?

[anneasquith]

Lol @ Douglas. You have the agony aunt column still to look forward to .

[jno]

the one time I had it, I sent an emissary to the chemist. He said no medicine would work quickly (which is what I needed) but I should drink lots of fluid. That worked in a couple of hours.

[Buenchico]

>>> He said no medicine would work quickly

He obviously hadn't tried those sugar-free mints I mentioned. I bought a pack at a local newsagent's store and consumed the lot straight away. It was a 5-minute walk home but I didn't make it without 'experiencing an accident' ;-)