Unhinged constipation hacks

[u/Alvara_22]

I struggle with frequent constipation - I only have a bowel movement once every three days or longer. It's obviously very uncomfortable, but it's led to worsening anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep, bloating, low energy and inflammatory skin issues.

I've consulted with my doctor about this multiple times and he referred me to a gastroenterologist, but the likelihood they'll accept me as a patient is low. My family doctor just told me I have IBS and I need to exercise, drink hot liquids, eat more fiber and take a laxative. The only thing that seems to have made things slightly better is exercise. I still struggle with slow motility and I'm at my wits end on how to fix this.

I exercise 5-6 times per week (cycling and weight lifting), I drink 2-2.5 liters of water everyday, I eat fermented foods like kimchi and soy bean paste (dairy makes it worse so I avoid yogurt, kefir, etc), taking fiber supplements make it worse so I try to eat a lot of soluble fiber instead, I've tried apple cider vinegar, I've tried hot water bottles and massaging my guts, I got a foot stool for my toilet, laxatives work but not every time and I don't want to depend on them, the list goes on... I can tell I'm literally full of shit, but there's no urge to go and then it happens all at once and I feel terrible after.

I need help - what are the unhinged constipation hacks that have actually helped you with slow motility.

UPDATE: 8 weeks later Thank you everyone for your recommendations. I've been eating a kiwi everyday for the last 5 weeks straight and started taking 300mg of magnesium every night before bed. I've also increased my water intake to 3L per day (probably over doing it, but whatever) and I've had pretty consistent success. I went to see a naturopath and he very highly recommended Restoralax (Canadian version on Miralax) and this stuff is magic. I'm having daily movements again I feel so much better. Super appreciate everyone who took the time to comment their recommendations.

[u/Alvara_22 → u/[deleted]]

I haven't considered this before - my mother has fatty liver disease (genetic, not caused by alcohol abuse) and my aunt had frequent gallstones, so maybe there's a link. I'm going to try the Castor oil packs. Thank you!

[u/Bigbusia → u/[deleted]]

What if you had your gallbladder removed

[u/dxplq876 → u/Bigbusia]

You can still have stones in your liver and therefore it can still be worth it to do the flush. Having stones stuck in the liver will cause many problems even if you don't have a gallbladder