Constipated.

[Tigerlily]

I've been bragging about my 2 second poops for too long....I'm now constipated.

Anything to help me relieve myself later tonight or by tomorrow?

[Tigerlily]

No one wants to help?

[Jane M]

So sorry (I was watching horror movies). Constipation doesn't happen much to me. But maybe eating oatmeal will help? I mean fiber???? Like you probally get a lot of that anyway.

[Wildflower]

I am more on the 2 second side, but I have heard drinking some oil helps. maybe drink a 1/4 cup of olive oil and then a lot of water.

People say coffee or caffeine helps too.

I offered the olive oil one to someone else and she said it helped pretty quickly. I think that is a sure bet. : ) Hope you feel better, is it maybe just because you haven't been eating? when i was anorexic i never had to go, i wasn't constipated, just empty...

[cedarblue]

if you overeat on dried fruits, dates, apricots, cranberries, raisins, anything like that, that normally gets things going again!! a spicy dinner can do the trick too!

[Roxy]

Watch Saw 2 - it will scare the shit out of you!

No really - try eating some fibreous foods such as salad greens and all of the things Cedar suggested. Also - keep up your water intake. Sometimes you can get clogged up if you're not drinking enough water.

[Skajen]

my mum was a continence nurse specialist, for mild, everyday constipation she always suggests a coffee- always works for me, obviously her advice would change for more severe symptoms etc!

maybe drink more water?! x

[tabitha]

Have you got a juicer? Juice up couple of apples, 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots, 1 green pepper and half cucumber. You are supposed to drink it slowly, but it is an acquired taste. I drink that every day. Works for me.

[Tiggerwoo]

Prune juice... prune juice... prune juice!

[harpy]

Prune juice... prune juice... prune juice!

Seconded (or should that be sixth-ed?)

[Tigerlily]

Thanks guys! I did it! I didn't get to see these messages before I did, but last night before bed I have a salad with lots of beans. And this morning I had oatmeal and coffee. I feel so much better now. And imagine, I was like this every day as an omni!

I'll keep these tips handy for future constipation.

[cedarblue]

glad you're free and easy again!

[Tigerlily]

Such a relief. I was bloated all evening.

[Jane M]

Don't u just want to go ahhhhhhh

[Tigerlily]

Ahhhhh.

[Romac]

little late for advice but...
i was constipated once...i used the epsom salt trick where you drink a couple teaspoons of epsom salt in a couple ounces of luke warm water...a few hours later i was making all kinds of obscene noises as i sat on my toilet smiling.

[Tigerlily]

Haha, is that safe to use?

[Romac]

Haha, is that safe to use?

yeah as long as you use pure epsom salt and not the stuff farmers use on their fields...that apparently has a bunch of magnesium in it or something

the epsom salts you get from the drugstore usually have instructions on the side for using it for constipation.

it sure is salty though! gag!

[luvzsunshine]

little late for advice but...
i was constipated once...i used the epsom salt trick where you drink a couple teaspoons of epsom salt in a couple ounces of luke warm water...a few hours later i was making all kinds of obscene noises as i sat on my toilet smiling.

I never knew that trick. I guess you really do learn something new everyday.

[RedWellies]

..a few hours later i was making all kinds of obscene noises as i sat on my toilet smiling.

Thanks for sharing

[sugarmouse]

I m glad you re better Tigerlily...this is one thing that hasnt bothered me since i recovered from my eating disorder thankfully!

it di make me laugh though, when i think my nana used to say to my grandad when he had the problem,

'Alfred i have told you! an orange before 7, and youll go before 11!!lol'

[qwaychou]

My best trick for this is a cleanser drink first thing in the morning. 2Tbls. lemon juice, 1 Tbs maple syrup, and a 1/8 tsp cayennein 8 oz, hot water. Works like a champ!

[Tigerlily]

- constipation (someone had to say it )

Unless you're me! I swear I'm the only vegan suffering from this.

[auntierozzi]

Tigerlily,
Have you tried drinking a bit more water in the morning? When I was working in an old peoples' home all the old people suffered from constipation until a new matron arrived. She insisted that they all drink a glass of water first thing in the morning and 'Bob's your uncle!' The morning shift was less fragrant for us........but that was a detail ofcourse..Hope this is useful for you ;-)

[Tigerlily]

Yes, I drink quite a lot of water. I believe I have IBS but I'm still researching it and seeing the best things for me to do.

[Woodsie]

Unless you're me! I swear I'm the only vegan suffering from this.

Hi Tigerlily ... I used to suffer with constipation and IBS for most of my life really. I have found the vegetarian diet helped (and vegan diet helped even more) but for me it is all about the absence of animal flesh and the inclusion of lots of fruit and vegies that works. I used to eat a lot of fruit and veg before I went vegie but it didn't make much difference, however, as soon as I stopped eating meat things improved dramatically. Since giving up dairy and eggs it has got even better. I always aim for at least 9 serves of fruit and veg per day.... some days I've been up to about 15! It works for me and the IBS episodes don't really occur very often now (except if I eat chick peas at lunchtime at work my stomach blows up like a balloon!) Hope this helps!

[Tigerlily]

Unfortunately, it doesn't help. I'm already vegan and my symptoms in some areas have gotten a bit better but in other areas, it has gotten worse. I do eat a lot of produce.

[Haniska]

Unless you're me! I swear I'm the only vegan suffering from this.

Me too Tigerlily. I consider it my "lady problem" because I had no trouble with it until I was 14.

As a vegan I don't have to worry if this is going to be one of those days that chicken bones are going to freak me out and bring on an attack of guilt and disgust.

[soilman]

One could easily get constipated on a vegan diet.

A vegan diet could easily include lots of "binding" foods like white pasta, and white bread, and not enough fiber foods, like raw leafy greens, and legumes. While brown rice has a bit more fiber than white rice, which has practically none, the amount of fiber in brown rice is really quite small, and brown rice is nearly as good as a binder as white rice. Both are very strong binders and can cause constipation. Brown rice is less constipating — but only by a small amount. And some vegans eat lots of white rice.

[Tigerlily]

I eat a lot of fiber rich foods and I still get constipated. But I've been constipated all of my life, so I think it's an intestinal problem with me.

[steven1222]

I also no longer feel like a hypocrite when I say that animal suffering bothers me.

-I no longer need to worry about saturated cow fats, which is important because high blood cholesterol levels run in my family.
-I no longer need to worry about casein, which is a milk protein that was a problem for my stomach.

One could easily get constipated on a vegan diet.

A vegan diet could easily include lots of "binding" foods like white pasta, and white bread, and not enough fiber foods, like raw leafy greens, and legumes.

I could easily get constipated on a vegan diet, by taking that advice. I eat white pasta every day and it seems to prevent constipation; it does contain some fiber. Similarly, one serving of leafy greens or legumes would leave me constipated for five days. Then again, my intestines are not normal.

[aubergine]

I saw an advert for Senokot (a laxative) Max Strength.

I don't think I'll ever need that.

Besides. If you need that maybe introducing a least some fibre into your diet might be an idea

[steven1222]

I would need strong laxatives if I introduced high-fiber foods into my diet. I have a medical condition that prevents me from eating foods that are high in fiber. When I do, I have poor digestion, abdominal pain, and bloating. Four ounces of white pasta contains four grams of fiber, but only about 20% of my daily energy needs. It is possible to get a reasonable amount of fiber from refined grains, and that type of fiber is easier for the body to excrete.

Back to the subject, I no longer need to worry about not needing drugs to help me excrete fiber.

[howdawg]

I have a medical condition that prevents me from eating foods that are high in fiber.

If you don't mind me asking... Crohns? I'd be very interested to hear some information on Crohns and veganism. The disease seems to run in my family.

[steven1222]

No, I have gastroparesis. High-fiber foods can sit in my stomach for multiple days or be regurgitated to the esophagus.

[howdawg]

ahh I c! Doesn't sound like fun