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Severe Constipation


juliegee

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I know that many of us suffer from constipation. Mine just started this June, but it seems to be getting worse and worse. Fiber seems to bloat me, rather than help. I walk 20-25 miles a week and drink tons of water, to no avail. I need 400mg of colace and zelnorm twice a day to get any result. WHY do so many of us suffer from constipation? And, what helps for you?

Julie

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I'm not a doctor, but my understanding is that the ANS regulates various aspects of digestion, such as the release of stomach acid and the coordination of the muscles all the way down the digestive tract. I think the latter is what commonly causes constipation, but again, I'm not a doctor. (And most of what I know I learned on this site :( )

When I'm constipated, fiber in the afternoon makes me bloated, but fiber before breakfast seems to help things work more smoothly. I think it's a matter of getting the fiber in before I get backed up, so to speak.

And I've never heard of anybody using coffee as a laxative, but I've certainly heard of people avoiding coffee for that reason. :(

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Coffee does in fact help with constipation, esp. on an empty or near empty stomach. Caffeine stimulates digestion. Hence some cultures traditions of coffee at the end of meals...?

Now that I can tolerate caffeine again I've started drinking one cup first thing in the morning and it starts my day of much better. And it helps with the aforementioned condition.

Also, I've gone low carb (can't tolerate anything heavy like pasta or bread, and NO sugar!!) and the addition of sugar alcohols as found in low carb ice cream in the like helps too. I guess in "regular" people it can cause diarrhea, but since I started on the far other end of the spectrum it evens me out nicely.

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diet mountain dew does wonders. i assume all the caffiene. also a dr frind recommended eating at least one orange a day. all the white fiber things is great. i do before bed. also a side effect of sugaerless gum is laxative. i can't chew it anymore because of unpredictability.

my neighbor who has been going thru chemo said nothing at all helped except canned prunes boiled on stove and eaten hot the dried prunes didn't help. when your desperate you'll try anthing.

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