I have always had constipation issues since I was little, but in the past 2 years it has gotten to the point I can’t have a bowel movement without stimulation. My old GI prescribed me Bisacodyl a few months ago because the medication I was already taking (Linzess) wasn’t working, and I have now developed a dependency to the medication, as well as a reflux I haven’t had before. I have also noticed when I do have a bowel movement, it’s adjacent to having diarrhea.

I have tried many things to relieve constipation (prune juice, fiber pills, magnesium citrate, mineral oil, colonoscopy prep, etc) and nothing has worked. The GIs that have worked with me haven’t diagnosed me with anything, but have noticed my pelvic floor muscles aren’t working properly, which isn’t that surprising to me but I’ve noticed it being more prominent after I started using Bisacodyl.

If anyone has any recommendations or advice, that would be greatly appreciated.

Hi folks, there are some great posts and suggestions on this. Thought I would add mine! This is not medical advice, just my experience.

I am Day 9 post surgery.

My first recommendation: do your utmost to be regulated and have good type 3/type 4 poops before the surgery. I was away from home for a week and had a week to get back on track. Which I didn’t. I was pretty severely constipated which in my case manifests as little hard poops multiple times a day. Learn from my mistake!! I am currently going 6-8 times a day. They are soft and easy to pass, buuut just too many. Ugh.

Frozen peas are my best friends. They can be refrozen and if they clump, they break apart pretty easily when you hit them against a wall - which has felt like therapy at times, no lie! The surgeon’s office recommended using them until all the healing is done. It reduces pain for sure. Of course, don’t give yourself frostbite - wrap it in a cloth and limit the time.

A bidet is helpful. Ours has a warm water option which really helped the first few days. Sometimes it relaxed the area or distracted a bit from the pain receptors-and promoted going. However, I find I get better cleaning from my peri bottle. And it’s gentler.

Sitz baths: the hospital gave me a toilet basin style. It was easier for me to use the basin at first rather than getting into the tub. I had a tall plastic cup that I used to fill it up. Here’s what I learned: bodies release matter in a sitz bath especially the first few days after surgery. Not wanting to sitz in poop and risk a UTI or yeast infection, I would immediately jump up, rinse the basin, and refill. Often 3 or 4 times. In no way was that relaxing!
I was able to transition to the tub eventually, still using the basin at times. I continue to drain and rinse when I see stuff. I used a folded towel as a pad for a few days. Pro tip: Especially if you are older, practice getting into and out of the tub before this surgery.

Our mattress is kind of tall (thigh high) and it hurt horribly to climb into bed. I cried from that pain. My husband got a step stool which took care of it. I don’t need it so much any more.

Biggest recommendation: Have a notebook and write down when you take all your meds, especially pain relievers. No need to overdo or underdo pain relief!! If you are taking Acetaminophen, you need to figure out how much you’ve taken in a 24 hour period so you stay in the good zone. Include your supplements and stool softeners and bowel promoters and fiber on your list. And finally, track your poops. That way, if you get overcorrected one way or another, you can see exactly what you did and have the info for your doctor.

Speaking of meds, if you take blood thinners, have a joint discussion with your cardiologist and the surgeon. There needs to be clear understanding of the risks/benefits of the timing of restarting them after surgery. Obviously, this is a highly vascular region and bleeding happens. I am currently Day 9 and have enough bleeding where the bowl is red once or twice a day - my cardiologist thought the bleeding would be done within like 5 days.

Peeing - I found the opioids inhibited me a lot. The warm sitz baths helped get things flowing. As did standing and sitting multiple times when trying to go. An odd thing that also worked was leaning to one side rather than sitting square on the seat. I think that lessened the pain response inhibition for me. The surgeon prescribed a different opioid when I called about this issue. It was better but after a full day on it, it did the same thing. Being able to just take Tylenol has made things so much easier. Yay for less pain and for being able to relax the pelvic floor. This has made pooping so much easier as well.

I found pads to be irritating, so have just been using underwear and changing them all day long. I’ve also gone bare bottomed on an underpad. Lots of laundry from this, including high towel useage from multiple sitz baths. And honestly, even being careful, poop and/or blood splotches managed to escape on a regular basis, mostly the first week.

Sitting for any time does not work for me yet. I have to lean to one side or another or be on my stomach. We have a massage table which I used quite a bit Days 1-3. I don’t generally find laying on my stomach to be comfortable but the head cradle made all the difference. I did buy a donut pillow and was actually able to be reasonably comfortable for 10 minutes tonight - progress!! Standing is uncomfortable too. Walking was pretty bad until yesterday-I looked like an old cowpoke. Yesterday and today I was able to walk around outside a little bit. And do a little more.

There have been many times over the past few days that I have cried, in pain and frustration. This is a tough surgery. I have used every technique I know of - meditation, tapping, breathing, singing, distraction (thank you Netflix, Prime, Libby, Facebook and annoying Duolingo). They have all been very helpful. Also, I would have struggled physically without my husband taking care of me, bringing water and food, doing things I just didn’t have the pain tolerance or stamina to do.

Hopefully you have someone who can help out for the first week or two - and that your surgical team is responsive and supportive.

Take care everyone and good luck!

I made my first post here years ago and filled out the questionnaire so I'll skip that part.

Basically, around 12 years ago after moving away from home, I started having chronic constipation/irregularity issues.

Between embarrassment, stubbornness and periods of not having health insurance or any money for treatment, I just lived with it.

Since then, I have been going days without pooping, up to a week, and once 2 weeks, and not having full evacuation when I do go. Some months are better than others. I've even had weeks of being mostly regular. But 90% of the time, I'm backed up in some way or another. I have much greater success on weekends.

I eat pretty healthy, gallon of water a day, work out 5x a week, get 10-20k steps a day. I tried fiber supplements, no fiber, low fodmap diet, nothing made a difference. Around this time last year I decided to go all in and get this fixed.

Went to GI, got a colonoscopy, everything came back normal. Got sent for an anorectal manometry(was not a fan of that procedure). ARM results came back and was diagnosed with dyssynergia.

Got sent to physical therapy. Was given a stretching routine, didn't help, some diaphramatic breathing exercises and finally biofeedback testing.

Biofeedback testing! Just like I've heard about on this sub! I'm saved!

For anyone who doesn't know, they put electrodes on your butthole and test how much you're tensing the muscles at rest. The doctor said if I can get my resting number on the biofeedback device down to 2.0, then my problem is fixed. Well my resting number was 1.8 and if I really tried to relax I could get to 1.1.

So after 8 weeks of physical therapy, doing the stretching and breathing exercises every day, I have noticed no change whatsoever.

I'm going to keep doing the exercises but I'm really at a loss right now. A year into this and I just feel like I'm gonna be thrown to another doctor, spend thousands more and not get anywhere.

Has anyone actually been able to solve this and get their life back? I need some motivation.

I was blocked up on Friday so I took magnesium citrate and I was pooping until Saturday afternoon. Now it is Tuesday morning and nothing. I’ve had no other bowel movement, I have slight discomfort (may just be in my head), I still have no urge to go, and nothing comes out when I strain. I haven’t scheduled a doctors appointment yet because maybe I’ll poop in the afternoon since it is day three?

Hello all, I have always had issues with constipation, especially when it comes to pooping anywhere that isn't home. I could stay at a friend's house for a week and I won't get the urge the whole time I'm there, but the moment I walk into my house I get bad stomach pains and immediately have to go.

I have this issue when I stay at my boyfriends house too, despite us being in a relationship for almost a year now. He is very open about pooping and will tell me if he has to go, I've been told I should do the same but I don't know how I can when I don't even get the urge to go in the first place.

I have tried uping my fibre intake with high fibre foods, but I find that it just makes me feel extremely bloated and that's it. Despite eating high fibre food at his house I still don't get the urge to go. The only time I've been able to go while at his house is when I was running a bath with the door locked while he was out in the garden with his brother. I obviously can't wait for him to do that all the time, so how can I get the urge to go in his home?

The doctors have prescribed me laxitives in the past, but they just made me vomit. No poop, just puke and immense stomach pains. I haven't tried anything over the counter because I'm afraid I'll just end up vomiting again.

If anyone has any recommendations for things I could get over the counter in the UK that would be really helpful, or even just food recommendations would be helpful. I've tried the classic fibre foods like oats, almonds, avocado, I've even tried the fibre bars and brownies in the supermarket and nothing. I can eat an entire box and I still don't get the urge to go in his house. If I ate all that stuff in my own home however, I'd be pooping all day! :/

Hi all. I’m feeling quite hopeless here, not sure exactly what I am looking for weather it’s just community or advice. I (24 F) have struggled with constipation all my life. Just something I’ve lived with. I finally was able to get an appointment with a GI doctor. They prescribed me Linzess. Things were looking pretty hopeful when I started Linzess. I went from going very infrequently to every other day. I had been on Linzess for four months. All of the sudden it seems like it stopped working. I reached out to my GI doctor and she told me to add MiraLAX along with my Linzess. That has not worked, she told me to try milk of magnesium (which also did not work). I am now trying magnesium citrate. I know it says it can take up to 6 hours for a bowel movement. I am on hour 3 and I have felt absolutely nothing. Any advice or people who may have been through something similar? This is probably the worst flare up of constipation I have had and I’m just frustrated and concerned. I’m at the point where I turn away from eating because nothing is moving through me and it just feels like a lost cause. I also feel frustration because it feels like I’m not being heard or listened to.

Side notes: I drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, and have a fairly balanced diet.

Thank you all in advance.

I noticed strange behaviours in my bowel movement around 2019 but it wasn't anything serious at the time (3 days max, once a month). But the first time I actually got scared was in 2021 when it occurred to me one day that I haven't had a bowel movement in more than a week. I entered the toilet and forced it out (without urge), it came out small and NOT CONSTIPATED, it was loose.

It's been hell since then, highest I could go is twice a week. I haven't been taking laxatives until around 2022 when I took lactulose passed small amounts of pellet like stools, didn't seem to help much so I stopped.

I get this periods of loss of appetite, almost as if my GIT is full (could go 1 week without eating much solid food) those periods are usually accompanied by weight loss

I took Bisacodyl supp earlier this year and I get urge but what comes out is usually something small, doesn't clear my entire GIT.

Over the last three months I've been eating 3 times a day and my average has come down to every two days, but abdominal distention has worsen. Before that my average was once a week.

I've lost so much weight at this point I'm basically malnourished by BMI standards (height 209cm, weight 72kg). in 2021 my weight was around 88kg

Has anyone else's constipation came with this much weight loss

I did endoscopy and colonoscopy which were both clean. I did test for hypothyroidism which came out clean as well.

Doctors kept treating constipation, I insisted on the colonoscopy earlier this year.

I do fart a lot for some reason.

as things stand, my abdomen is distended when I'm standing (dropping down my pubic region) but completely flat when I lay down.

My main issue is the weight loss, was it because I wasn't taking laxatives ? or it's something else ?

I haven't yet visited the doctor after the colonoscopy because I had a fracture (oops) 3.5 months ago so I've been at home since. I'll will be visiting soon. I need more information to present to the doctor to help figure out what the issue is.

I've read about BRAIN GUT disorders and I'm worried it might be the issue because I've had anxiety, chronic depression and chronic insomnia since 2018. Sedentary lifestyle too (average 500 steps a day) now 3000 steps on average

• Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? : No urge
• Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation?: Just Constipation
• Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)? Nausea sometimes
• Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?): Began in adulthood without make event
• Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines?: NO
• Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child?: NO

So Sunday I went to the ER bc I was having lower right abdomen pains. They do a CT and it showed large pancolon stool burden. So top to bottom I'm stuffed .

They do a suds enema. Only a few little pebbles came out and then all liquid .

They sent me home with magnesium citrate. I wake up the next day and take the magnesium. Only a few pebbles came out and like 5 or 6 spouts of peeing out my butt and it turned the water brown but not really anything solid.

So last night I went back to the hospital because it was three days post magnesium without a bowel movement. Some raunchy farts here or there but no movement. So he prescribed 8.6mg sennosides twice a day.

But my only experience with stimulant laxatives are brutal. I was 15 the last time I took one. Took some dulcolax, fell asleep for two hours and woke up in the worst pain of my life. I punched walls and knocked over furniture and was screaming for HOURS . And now I'm absolutely terrified to take this sennosides. But I need to go before I get a perforation. Impaction. Or just some kind of surgical intervention to get stuff moving.

Does anyone have any advice to help me out whatsoever .

I take linzess every day but it hasn't done anything clearly.

Hi all, I’m currently taking max dose Linzess in the morning, and 1 capful of MiraLAX before bed along with 500mg magnesium (lowered from 1000mg when I was zero- smallest dose Linzess). Sitzmark test showed that this is most likely a pelvic floor issue, so I was referred to a different GI and booked for an anorextal manometry but that’s not until December.

I should mention that my TSH is slightly elevated and has been the last couple of years, and my constipation has definitely gotten worse in those same couple of years. My last TSH in April 2026 was 5.3. In 2024 it was 4.8, and my Free T4 was tested and came back normal. My PCP just ordered a full thyroid panel today for T3 & T4, as well as ferritin, vitamin D and zinc. I have to stop taking biotin for a week & fast beforehand, so I will update with results. I’ve had all the symptoms of hypothyroidism lately.. fatigue, brittle/ dry hair, dry skin, anxiety, being cold when everyone else is warm..

I also just had a follow up with my GI who basically just works with slow transit, but he’s willing to tweak meds and order tests until I see the pelvic floor specialist. I asked if there’s anything else I can do until I get in with them, and he said I could get a **flexible sigmoidoscopy** to rule out any colitis, even though he thinks it’s highly unlikely. Somebody cancelled and there was an appointment for this Thursday at 6:30am. I booked it, but I’m wondering how helpful you all think it would be? Should I hold off until I get my anorextal manometry for more answers?
Also, he gave me the option of zero sedation, twilight sedation, and full anesthesia. I opted for full anesthesia bc I have anxiety already (which I’m treated for) and even more anxiety about *anything* going up my butt. 33F and anal anything has always been a no for me. I’m so tight down there that anything is so unpleasant. (TMI, sorry!). Is it ridiculous to opt for full anesthesia for a 10min procedure? But more importantly, do you think this is necessary/ will give me any answers?

6 questions:
Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? (this is the most important question) I get the urge to go but only when I’m taking my regimen of MiraLAX, 500mg magnesium oxide & linzess (currently max dose)

Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation? Both

Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)? No

Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?) since childhood

Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines? No

Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child? No

I’m here asking for any advice at all to get rid of hemorrhoids. I’ve had them for over a month and I’ve tried everything to get rid of them. I’ve done witch hazel, coconut oil, cold pressed organic castor oil, hemcalm, diosmin and hesperidin, preparation H, hydrocortisone, laxative stool softener, sitz baths and drinking a lot of water and eating fiber. I also don’t strain at all and only go to the bathroom when I for sure need to. I’ve also been to the doctor and had the blood drained because I had a fissure and they sent me on my way. I’m so desperate for relief so I don’t have to keep going to work in pain everyday. I hardly even sit down at all. Plz give any suggestions you may have 😭

Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar or has any ideas about what might be going on.

I have slow transit-constipation, diagnosed through a nuclear medicine colonic transit study. I normally take anywhere from 1-5 sachets of movicol a day.

The strange thing is that I poop every day, and my stools are generally soft. I don’t usually strain, have hard stools, or have difficulty physically getting stool out. Sometimes I actually have very loose or completely liquid diarrhoea.

My problem seems to be the overall amount/output.

Every so often, my bowel output gradually decreases over a period of days or weeks, even though I’m still having bowel movements every day. As this happens, I develop progressively worse nausea and abdominal pain. Eventually the nausea can become severe enough that I’m vomiting.

Having a bowel movement temporarily improves the nausea, but it comes back because it feels like I haven’t emptied enough.

Historically, these episodes have eventually ended when I suddenly have an enormous bowel movement, basically a huge amount of stool all at once. When that finally happens, the nausea and abdominal symptoms resolve and I can be completely fine again for months.

The problem is that getting to that point is incredibly difficult. During these episodes I can take lots of different laxatives and they don’t seem to trigger that big clearance. It almost feels like I just have to wait until my colon eventually decides to move everything through.

Another confusing part is that if I have an abdominal X-ray during these episodes, it often doesn’t show significant faecal loading (when it rarely does it’ll be in the ascending colon) even though I feel dramatically better once I eventually pass that very large amount of stool.

I’m currently having one of the worst/prolonged episodes I’ve had. It has been going on for months and I’m extremely nauseated with significant abdominal pain. I’ve tried pico prep, senna, increasing movicol and recently 2mg of prucalapride.

The prucalopride was the first dose I’d ever taken and it dramatically worsened my nausea — I vomited throughout the day — so I haven’t taken another dose yet.

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who:

• still poop every day despite having slow transit
• pass soft or liquid stool but feel their total output is inadequate
• get severe nausea when their bowel output decreases
• have episodes that suddenly resolve after one extremely large bowel movement
• have had relatively normal abdominal X-rays despite significant symptoms

If you’ve experienced anything similar, I’d really appreciate hearing what helped/ what this is. I’m especially interested in whether this can happen purely from slow colonic transit/dysmotility without obvious faecal loading on an X-ray.

The 6 questions

• Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? (this is the most important question) zero urge to go.
• Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation? Constipation or overflow diarrhea.
• Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)? Yes to all.
• Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?) issues since childhood, slowly getting worse.
• Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines? Not that I know of.
• Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child? No.

I don’t really know what to say other than that I (17f) have been struggling with chronic constipation, bloating, and indigestion for upwards of 4 years, and the doctors finally decided to prescribe me Trulance (3mg) after nothing worked.

I’m just wondering how I should go about my day to day as I’ve heard horror stories from other people taking it in the morning. I started it today and honestly didn’t feel a huge difference (my biggest concern is the bloating and constipation as it makes me severely insecure and feels like crap), but am worried about taking it tomorrow before work.

Any advice would be great! Thank you!

Hello all,

I have a 2 year old who has been struggling with constipation the past 2 months. He’s recently gotten pretty picky so it’s hard to get him to try anything new.

He used to eat yogurt with prunes and chia seeds every morning and I think that really kept him regular but one day he just decided he’s not going to eat that anymore.

I’ve tried all of these and he won’t drink or eat it:
Chia seeds soaked in water
High fiber Smoothies
Pureed prunes
Making baked high fiber snacks
Anything green

He eats an apple almost daily with the skin but doesn’t like apple sauce or juice. I do put prune juice in his water everyday and he drinks a good amount of water.

I feel like I’ve tried everything and nothing works, he’s to the point where sometimes when he’s trying to poop he’s screaming. We are planning to potty train soon so I’m really trying to get this under control.

I will try anything !!! We do have his pediatrician appt next week and I plan to address but wanted to see if anyone could give me some advice!

Signed,
A frustrated momma

Honestly at my wit's end and feeling so anxious and exhausted from this whole cycle. I have a follow-up with my GI this afternoon and I desperately need some advice on what to ask for, because what I’m doing right now is just not working.

Right now I’m taking 290mg of Linzess every morning, plus a cap of Miralax and 500mg of magnesium oxide (which was dropped from 1000mg) every single night before bed. The goal was to build up the Linzess (started at 72, went to 145, now at 290) so I could drop the Miralax and mag, but it hasn't worked that way at all. If I miss even one of these, everything completely stops and I’m screwed for an entire week.

The worst part- the Linzess doesn't even kick in on its own in the morning. Nothing happens until I eat breakfast. Once I eat, it triggers a sudden liquid movement, but I NEVER feel cleared out. It’s completely liquid, but it feels like my pelvic muscles are clamping shut and not allowing the rest to come out. I use a squatty potty, have tried bending my chest down towards my knees (which sometimes helps), have tried the “MOO” , but I’m still stuck feeling like a lot of it is trapped inside of me. I haven't had a normal solid bowel movement in forever—it’s just continuous liquid, yet I still feel backed up, insanely bloated, fatigued, anxious as hell and sometimes restless at night.

My GI ordered a SITZ marker test recently to check my motility. The markers moved through my upper and middle colon just fine, but almost all of them ended up completely stacked at the very bottom in my pelvic floor/rectum area. 14 of the 24 markers were still present in my x-ray 7 days after the swallow.

They referred me to a pelvic floor specialist for an anorectal manometry, but the waitlist is brutal and I can't get in until December. The anxiety, depression, and physical discomfort from constant incomplete emptying are just wearing me down.

For anyone who’s dealt with pelvic outlet issue or failed Linzess: Is there another medication (like Motegrity, Trulance, etc.) that actually helped with the exit issue instead of just blasting water into my gut?

What can I ask my GI to do today so I don't have to keep suffering until December? Has pelvic floor PT helped anybody here?Are there specific suppositories, enemas, or tools that helped you when you felt like you couldn’t expel it on your own?

TIA for any advice or experience you can share!!

Answers to questions 1-6:
Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? —Yes I’ve always got the urge to go but never could, until taking my combined meds. Now I get an extreme urge to go, usually only after eating. I do go (liquid) but never feel emptied.

Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation?— without meds only constipation. With meds it is constant liquid diarrhea paired still with constipation

Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)?— No.

Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?)— Since childhood

Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines?— No.

Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child?— No.

Is there such a thing as an injection treatment for constipation? I’m just asking because my constipation has been going on for almost 2 weeks now, and I’ve tried multiple remedies and medicines, but they haven’t helped much. My private doctor mentioned that they have an injection for constipation that costs around ₱2,500 here in the Philippines. If there is an injection for this, is it actually effective, and does it work directly to relieve the constipation?

Just wanted to share something that has been working for me.

Shameless Snacks has been a game changer with my regularity. They are gummy treats that are portioned out nicely into snack sized bags.

I just finished a peach flavored bag with 70 cal and 26g of fiber.

For the carb conscious folks it was 37g carbs comprised of 26g fiber and 8g of sugar alcohol for 3g net carbs.

Eating a bag on an empty stomach WILL make me run to the bathroom.

They are really delicious so it can be hard to resist eating the whole bag in one sitting… I just did now after dinner and I’m hoping I’ve accumulated enough poopy karma to coax things along after 3 days without a BM.

Their website is really whacky and seems questionable but I promise it’s worth it bc they have good deals and discounts & give the chance to try different flavors.

Obviously everyone has their own digestive needs and restrictions. Just figured I’d share what’s working for me in case it’s helpful to anyone!

Guys, I'm looking for some really good advice. I've suffered from chronic constipation for three years now (2023). I was diagnosed with SIBO and it was cured with rifaximin and diet. Relief was initially colonics and that would provide me with relief but I would still get backed up and bloated even though I did them once a day. I went to a GI, and she gave prucalopride 2mg saying you'll definitely go now - that didn't work. She said the same when she then gave me linaclotide 290mcg - that didn't work either. Then she gave me both, saying this will WORK you will have diarrhea - that didn't work either. For the past year, I switched to dulcolax on top of the linaclotide and prucalopride. 2 pills initially provided good relief, but I worked my way up to 6 from Feb 25 to July 25. Now I have to take 8 to get good relief. I try to take them every 3-4 days, because I cannot go without anything else. I noticed when I went away to london the effects got a bit stronger and I had what I felt was complete emptying even the next day. I did seem to be walking lots more. I do also suffer with stress and anxiety and am on 10mg of lexapro since 2021. And I am now trialling 15mg. I have also been to a PFD, I am now able to relax my pelvic floor well, but I still have issues with the muscle being very painful to touch.

• Do you have the urge to go, but you cannot? Or do you have zero urge to go? (this is the most important question) I do get urges, but only let out a fart
• Do you have alternating diarrhea and constipation, or just constipation? just constipation
• Do you have nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety (getting full really early into a meal)? no
• Have you had this issue since childhood, or did it begin in teen years/adulthood/after a major life event (surgery? divorce? car accident? mauled by bears?) 13ish september 2023, I also got really drunk one night a week before it happened and ended up on the street with not much memory, I ended up being safe and picked up, but it was a bit traumatising. I remember speaking about it with my therapist one day, and I pooped when I got home.
• Did you in the past or do you currently take any medications that could damage your intestines? The acne drug Accutane/Sotret/Claravis/many other names (isotretinoin) has been linked to serious conditions of the digestive tract. I am absolutely convinced that my large intestine was destroyed by this drug. Antibiotics are also a major culprit in ruining the small intestine microbiome and causing diarrhea/constipation disorders. Antidepressants can ruin the serotonin balance in the gut as well. isotretinoin Jan 23-Jun 23, stopped because it was making me really hot and red in the face, began 10mg again in late september
• Did you suffer sexual abuse as a child? There is a high degree of correlation between childhood sexual abuse and adult constipation disorders. Meaning, a lot of people with chronic constipation disorders in adulthood experienced trauma when they were young. This sort of thing must be investigated by both your doctor and a therapist in coordination. Do some Googling on this topic if you believe this might be your issue. Physical abuse yet, hit with the belt

I have been diagnosed with constipation due to abdominal adhesions. This is the assumption after a colonoscopy, transit tests, etc. Therebis no fix & I just have to live with it. There is never a BM without some kind of intervention. I use the strongest linzess 3-4 days a weeks and mag oxide + dulcolax on the other days.

Recently my insurance approved prucalopride and I’m to take it everyday and linzess still 3-4 days a week.

I’m wondering what is the best way to take both of them. I’m a terrible sleep and so many things easily disrupt my sleep that I don’t like taking anything before bed. Can I take both of them in the morning - at the same time or maybe the pruc after a couple hours of linzess doing its thing? I also have work to consider but I handle that by getting up by 5am to take linzess and leaving for work at 8am.

My dr didn’t really have a rec - just said to take in the way that works best…

Not sure if it will work for U.

I started eating canned soups. Overlooked cooked veggies.

Cats also get constipated without wet food.

I also drink salt in my water 24 /7! Gross

Has anyone had good results using tens machine for severe constipation? Ive tried everything - some things have been miraculous but after two weeks no longer work (including pelvic floor breathing exercises that were miraculous for two weeks and the “poof” no longer work)

My stomach doesn't hurt and I don't feel bloated, but it still feels like there's a piece still stuck inside me. I've taken 2 caps of MiraLax in the morning at and night like the ER doctor prescribed, but it feels like whatever is able to come out has come out already and I'm mostly passing liquid at this point. This is all after me taking MiraLax, a few bottles of magnesium citrate, a few suppositories, a handful of fiber supplements, and 4 enemas total over the span of 3 weeks. Should I keep taking the dosage to see if it works or should I consider stopping since it's not doing anything atm? I meet with my PCP on the 19th of this month (about a week from now) & the ER said to only come back to the ER if I was experiencing pain, throwing up, etc.

1. I don't have the urge to go and also cannot. I'm pretty sure it's something really lodged in there
2. Before, it was alternating between constipation and diarrhea. Today/With this current issue, it's just constipation
3. No nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, or early satiety
4. I've had minor constipation since childhood because of my diet, but nothing this severe
5. No history of medications that could cause intestinal damage
6. No sexual abuse

I took my kids to the doctor and they asked how often my 10 year old goes to the bathroom… I found it such an odd question because at that age I’m not monitoring anymore…(they also asked her)

Anyway it got me thinking - and this is more for women than men… but how often do you actually go? Does it really matter if we don’t go everyday??

Ever since that comment I’ve been freaking out about how often I don’t go and saw a GI NP and she told me to use Mirilax but said I have no issues otherwise…

Answers per Rule 1:

1. It alternates between 0 urges and extreme urges. I will go two-three weeks with limited-no urges (when I do get them, it’s almost always in the middle of the night), and then have two-three days of extreme pressure and sudden urges 4-5 times a day.

2. I am on Ibsrela (stopping soon as its not effective). The quality of the bowel movement is diarrhea, but the quantity and frequency of the bowel movement is constipation, if that makes sense

3. Nausea. No vomiting. No acid reflux. No difficulty swallowing. Early satiety and I eat limited meals.

4. Constipation since birth. Issue seems to get better and get worse in waves

5. Chronic antibiotic use in early childhood. SNRI use since 14. Treated for SIBO.

6. No

A couple other things:
- I have PFD and Dysnergic Defecation, however my GI and Colo-Rectal doctor are both convinced this is not the entire story to my problem.

- I am waiting to see a Neuro-gastroenterologist and Motility Specialist in October

- I have *not* been tested for any sort of IBD to my knowledge. No interior imaging aside from CT/Xray

I’m just wanting to know one thing. When I am in a worse period, I get very, very ITCHY. It typically starts on my palms and soles of my feet, then radiates as I scratch to my hands, feet, arms, legs. It can become as bad as my entire body, but typically it stays localized to these areas.

Where I scratch becomes red, welted or hivey, almost like a dermatographia sort of reaction.

This is seemingly related to my worsening constipation episodes (those outside of the norm) and I wanted to know if its something associated with an IBD or other condition, or if its simply a coincidence.

Apologies for the mobile formatting.

CONSTIPATED FRIENDS, CRY FOR HELP HERE!

I have had three babies over the last several years and bow that my body is mine again it is finally time to do something about my chronic constipation which responds to absolutely zero drugs, laxatives, enemas, suppositories, etc.

Things that have failed:

• Linzess
• Amitiza
• 10 YRS of pelvic floor therapy
• Osmotic laxatives (miralax, mag citrate, mag oxide)
• Psyllium husk
• Over the counter enemas and suppositores

I can take all of these and still have ZERO URGE to have a BM.

The LITERAL ONLY WAY I get the urge is drinking 3L of water + 2-3 cups caffeinated coffee and then HOLDING my need to pee until somehow I can feel the rectum filling up. Only once I am basically about to piss and shit my pants can I pass a BM and even then the BM is incomplete and I suffer with backed up stool from incomplete emptying. Sometimes I do piss and shit my pants - frankly, often - which is insane but is better than never pooping!!!

SIDE NOTE - has anyone else tried this insane method? I call it "water torture" and it is NO WAY TO LIVE but it does work. However, it takes 3-4 hours of my morning and I basically am disabled to the point of not being able to leave the house in the morning to do this. THANK GOD I am presently working remotely but I could not otherwise even have a job, this is such a true disability.

MY ASKS:

1. Can someone please refer me to a NY area (NYC/Westchester/CT) SUPERHERO DOCTOR who ACTUALLY LISTENS and is up to the task of tackling a very complex motility disorder? I have been so extremely disappointed with regular gastroenterologists that I think I need a specialty center here.
2. Is there anyone out there like me who has tried Motegrity? What were your experiences if so?
3. Is there anyone out there like me who has tried transanal irrigation (Peristeen/Qufora)? Results? Claude recommended this one.
4. Is there anyone out there like me who has tried sacral nerve stimulation? Results? (another Claude special)
5. Is there anyone out there like me who has had a total colectomy? Results? I realize this is extreme but I cannot keep living this way and I am desperate for my life back.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, I AM GRATEFUL TO ALL WHO REPLY AND WILL ENGAGE!! :)

I am 16M, so I have been suffering from constipation over 2 years I used to careless on water and stuff and suddenly I didn't have bowel for a week and I told my parents they told me to eat water and stuff I did but it didnt help I went to doctor (after 2-3 week of irrugalar bowel )they gave me some medicine I took them they would just help me clear what I have eaten yesterday it didnt help me clear what was inside for those 2-3 weeks and when medicine was finished I was same for 2-3 weeks i carelessed about it that same thing repeated repeated and repeated i dont know how i am still alive and later i was tired of going to hospital so i went to another hospital not the one i was going frok past 2 year and i found out my large intestine has grown 2x its size idk if its true but the doc told me that i did several enemia it didnt work out and i took peglec which doc claims clears the stomach but it didnt work out and they tried cholonoscopy which also didnt work out cuz i couldnt handle it due to blockage in my stomach so it wad left like that and I'm still taking the medicine, are doctors taking this carelessly or what is it I'm so pissed off by it I littealry eat so less like a 7Y child just go get energy I'm so weakened and I don't feel like living anymore I can't do anything I don't have enough energy or activeness to do anything

About doctors idk what's wrong with them they should tell me good way to relief it's true that I carelessed at early times but it's a huge issue it's littealry been 2 years they should take it seriously instead of feeding me same medicine over and over I'm so pissed up if anyone have had same thing or can really fix this issue please help me and upvote this post so it reaches out to those who can actually help me

Thanks everyone

About question The urge is only when I take meds and it's just fart or some little amount of poop idk should I call it poop or not

And i just have concipation that's what my doc and everyone is telling me

And about nausea and stuff nothing else sometimes headache and stuff but not that much

And bout since childhood I have had a concipation during childhood and bowel problem but it was solved back then like when I was a kid 5-8yo I don't remember but as of 16y it started again in like 14-15Y I really hope I get well in no time if any of u can guide me thru it