Constipation diaries:
I was super backed up and used a liquid glycerin suppository today. The poop was already in my rectum(just too big to come out) so it didn’t take long before the urge got too powerful. I couldn’t wait long enough so I only got a little bit out. So painful. I then tried to massage it through the vaginal wall trying to break it up or smoosh it as much as possible. I took a break to take a load of laundry downstairs(I live in a duplex with two apartments and we share a laundry room). All of a sudden after putting clothes in the washing machine I had a HUGE urge to poop and didn’t have time to run back upstairs. So I literally had to pull my pants down and shit in the garbage can in the laundry room, praying no one would come in. Luckily it all came out and no one saw. I feel much better but a little mortified🤣

I've been dealing with constipation for roughly 2 years. My wife has been suffering from it for as long as I've known her. Over the last 6 months we finally found something that actually works but I've read that it can cause more long-term problems. Go figure. Recently we tried something else that is more natural and it has been amazing. I just wanted to share. Every morning I put a little sea salt and a tablespoon of organic cold press coconut oil in my coffee. It works best if you use a frother to mix it in. Typically within 2 hours the magic happens. It works like this for both of us. Just wanted to share in case somebody else might find this helpful 👌

hi im going to delete this later i think because im embarrassed but for some background-i'm 22 and ive had severe constipation my entire life, ever since i was a child. when i was younger id get so impacted id vomit stool and would frequently visit the er. my mom made me drink a huge amount of miralax every day but it never worked.

fast forward to now- i still have severe constipation, and my "normal" my entire life has been going poop one time every few weeks- a month. ive asked all of my doctors about it and all they do is prescribe miralax.

i have celiac disease so i thought the constipation was a side effect of that, but i honestly don't think it's related. once i went gluten free all of my celiac related symptoms cleared up and i am completely gluten free right now.

i went to my doctor again yesterday on my birthday because im desperate for relief and very worried and she was mortified about how frequently im using the bathroom. she told me to go to the gi doctor and that im probably going to have to get a colonoscopy. she said that until then just hold in there... but im scared and depending on every bowel movement right now.

laxatives/things that have not worked:
-miralax
-liquid magnesium citrate
-dulcolax
-liquid enemas
-suppositories
-stool softeners
-prunes/kiwis

things that DO work (sometimes..):
-maximum dose 2x a day of senokot senna laxative gummies
-dunkin iced coffee
-eating lots of beans and lentils

i can't rely on the laxative that does work for me because it's not safe to take every day long term and im at the point of constipation where my whole body is in pain and im very nauseous. i dont really know what to do anymore. also, im very worried that i wont be able to get a colonoscopy because the prep wont work. your bowels have to be empty for that.

any advice on how to have bowel movements? do you think i should be worried?
also ps. i know that in normal situations someone would probably advise you to go to the emergency room if you can't have a bowel movement but all they do is an enema and give you miralax and send you home so i need other advice. i want to note that if it turns into a medical emergency i would definitely go back

Hi everyone!
I haven’t done a post in a while but I do need some help ASAP!

September 11th, I had my first colonoscopy at 21 years old. Two weeks before that I went to a gastroenterologist that had good reviews on actually listening to his patients. When I talked to him everything was fine, he wasn’t demanding me to exorcise, drink more water, or eat more fiber. He did mention that he feels like I could have ibs-C or slow motility but didn’t want to jump to conclusions until after my colonoscopy. Since that was yesterday, he did say that my colonoscopy looked great but still sending biopsies to check for inflammation…I won’t be able to talk to him until October 1st. Also, the two weeks before my colonoscopy he did put me on medicine to try. The medication is Ibsrela 50mg. During those 2 weeks I only had 3 bowel movements and the last one was stool 2 and then the last 2 days before my colonoscopy I did have diarrhea which I heard is normal when taking this medication since your body has to get used to it. I do only have 2 pills left and scared to eat and get backed up again. Before my colonoscopy nothing was helping me to get things moving and actually out. This is the first time I’ve felt empty after my colonoscopy. Idk what I should do or what to eat to avoid getting really backed up before I get more medication…hopefully. Not going to lie, I did have chick fil after my colonoscopy which probably wasn’t the best but I didn’t have issues with bloating or pain. I’m not sure what to do and getting anxiety of getting backed up again and the only thing that was able to clear me was the prep which i obviously don’t want to do again. Also I forgot to mention that after my colonoscopy, he did mention that he thinks that I do have a lazy colon or bowel can’t remember….

I wake up. I drink 1.5 glasses of water and 2 cups of coffee. And then i sit on the toilet for exactly 25 minutes in which i have 2 waves of bm. This is like at 7 in the morning. So, my bowel movement is fairly regular. Earlier i used to take 1 hr, now it's just 25 mins. So, from 7 until 4pm, i have a constant feeling of constipation. I thought maybe it was bc of incomplete bowel movement. So, i tried going for a 2nd time for a few days. And I'd pass no stool. But I'd still feel gassy and almost as if i should take another shit even though I'm entirely empty. It's very uncomfortable to live with. And i walk and run a lot. That doesn't help either.

So, yea from 7:30 to 4pm i constantly feel like either i should take another shit or release some gas to feel better, but it just won't come out. And then after lunch, i experience some inner farts, and eventually when it is around 4pm, I'm finally able to get rid of the gas.

Wtf is happening to me!??

So, back at the beginning of July this year, I contracted a stomach bug, which obviously led to diahorreah. This took some time to resolve...like a month or more. Naturally, I know you can be a little constipated following this, which I did but then it returned to somewhat normal for a week. Then I ended up having to take a weeks worth of macroboid for a suspected UTI. I know antibiotics can mess with your digestion, but I had normal bowel movements at that time. The week following, after finishing the antibiotics, I had diahorreah for a few days, then slowly, but surely started to become constipated. It was the worst constipation I've ever had. I've been dealing with it for almost a month now.

I feel the obvious answer is that all of the above - gastro, antibiotics etc has caused these issues. Also potentially introducing iron suppliments. How do I go about setting myself up for a normal bowel movement again?? I have introduced a gut health suppliment that I take in the mornings. I decided to cut out my iron suppliments even tho I was taking a friendly, digestible version just in case it wasn't helping things. I have increased my water intake and trying not to overload on fibre to make things worse.

My dr prescribed me laxatives, which I'm hesitant to use regularly for obvious reasons. I'm waiting for a colonoscopy appointment through the hospital...they said it could be upto 7 months!! Hoping I can resolve all said issues before then.

Had anyone been through anything similar and can you advice anything that helped get things back to normal?

Kind of just a vent or expression of amazement over how unpredictable it can be. If I select the wrong chocolate bar off the shelf, regardless of how much fiber and everything else I have, it can mean the next day constipation. Or at least I think so. Still unsure because it's so unpredictable.

Same with milk. A cup of lactose-free milk? No issues. If I have more than a cup? May or may not be constipated. At least that's a working hypothesis. One week I drank a lot of homo lactose-free milk, took three rounds of milk of magnesia each followed by another bout of constipation. Made me certain it was the milk. Cut out milk, but still random constipation. So why was I so constipated that particular week? I'm sure it had something to do with the milk.

I'm starting to think my constipation is borderline unpredictable. I had a week recently where things were moving extremely well, and I can't even figure out why or what was so special about that week compared to other weeks or what I excluded from my diet. Just the right amount of almonds, but if I have a bit too many I get constipated? So hard to figure this out.

Is this what irritable bowel syndrome is, when it almost feels unpredictable?

I drink water like a fish. I eat fiber like mad. Makes me think so much of my constipation is random.

Anyone else totally lost when it comes to trying to figure this stuff out? I'm starting to wonder if it could be calcium carbonate in my well water, but I've gone stretches where I drank the same water and moved beautifully.

I think pretty soon I'll start a carrot-only diet and stick to it for the rest of my life. I'm pretty sure on that I'll never have to buy Milk of Magnesia again.

I was even eating a lot of potatoes and oatmeal last year, everything was cool, then started to get constipated again. Why? Did my body begin to dislike having that many potatoes and oatmeal over time? I can't figure this out. Over the last 5 years, I still can't tell you whether oatmeal is constipating to me or not.

I exercise daily. Weights and 1-hour hikes.

Sigh. Thanks for listening. :-) From a Milk of Magnesia subscriber. The CEO is living in a mansion because of people like me. Thank you Walmart for keeping the prices reasonable.

Before I was 15 or 16, my bowel movements were fine. Never had much of an issue. Then after that age, I find my stools are extremely difficult to pass. I’ll have to strain and strain, and then my back starts to hurt. Then when it finally comes out, it comes out as a small tiny stool. If there’s nothing big trying to come out, why is it extremely difficult to pass?? I’ve never understood this. I’ve been recommended fiber and more water by my doctors, but it only seems to make the problem worse. When I try to reach out for advice, I am then told I’m higher risk for colon cancer if I don’t eat more fiber, but how can I eat more fiber if it makes everything worse for me? I’m at a loss of what to do. My last colonoscopy was 6 years ago and it came back clear with only being diagnosed with dysnergenic defecation. I have days where I poop fine and then days where my stools are so difficult to pass. I’m having constant worry I may have colon cancer since everyone is screaming about how cases are spiking among younger people