Could it be ...

Hi Anita

I hear your distress. It is so frustrating wanting to tell your body to have a poo, instead of the body telling us it wants a poo. And you know it is not like fishing, ie you can't just come back and catch one tomorrow if you can't catch one today. You know it it *all still in there when it should be out*!

My bowels are a bit like that, sometimes seizing up for no apparent reason. It is not until the offending thing has passed that my body tells me it is OK to have a poo now, and I poo repeatedly for two days. There is no rhyme or reason to it. I may or may not ever realise what the impediment was. I think worry, either conscious or unconscious, has a lot to do with it.

It is not insufficient veges.
It is not insufficient water.
You could try green apples or under-ripe stonefruit. What, this time of year?? (which have pectin which absorbs water and softens stool).
You could try bran of some sort, but don't overdo it. Bran stimulates the intestines to move stuff along. It also absorbs water to soften stool.
Prunes are another one.
So are a couple of oranges. I think this one is to do with excess vitamin C causing diahorrea. The fibre in oranges helps too.

In the absence of being able to actually make anything work you might be better to just chill out and let it happen of its own accord. Do I remember you saying you were pre-menstrual? That is one surefire way to constipate me. It passes when the period starts, without fail, so I just have to wait, and I now trust my body to get over it so I don't get so het up about it. I think this one is kind of the body imitating being pregnant (which is another time women often get constipated. Could be something to do with the body trying to relax smooth muscle to allow the foetus more room in utero). If you think about it having a period is like a little labour/birth.

Not taking any iron supplements, are you. They often constipate you.

Good luck with this Anita. I wish I could be more help.

Cheers

Louise

Hi,

Some more suggestions for keeping regular. I always have a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon squeezed in first thing on a morning before I do anything else. That seems to be really good at waking that part of my system up and getting it going and stopping it from being sluggish. Peppermint tea, later in the day is another good one that seems to help.

Soup xxx

try to not worry so much...

I find when things are not 'moving' as they should if you sit on toilet and twistttttttttt to the right (more bowel etc is on the right side apparently thats why they go in on left when doing keyhole surgery - more space left) Anyways twistttttt right and breathe out slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwly... Always works for me :-)

Try not to stress so much and your insides will not be so tense...

Oh and don't overdo the water - You can get sick from drinking toooooooo much water as it leeches all the salts out of your system or something (Saw that on TV last night - poor guy got real sick)

Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key!
http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/img/maddy544x150Banner.jpg

maybe.
baby's up and calling, but I'll try to email you later. we had some interesting breakthrough's with my dd's chronic yeast infections/constipation recently.

Anita:
Sue's suggestion to 'twist to the right' has been one of the most useful things that I have learned on this forum. I do this every morning and, believe me, it has helped me to not push and to stay regular more than you know! I thank Sue EVERY morning (sorry Sue that I think of you at that time of day!!!) :-)

Please also try taking some Colace. It is a stool softener amd has also been very helpful in keeping me regular. I got back from vacation recently and, even though I always have been constipated when away from home, the combination of the stool softener and 'twisting to the right" kept me going every morning!!

Love, Goldfinch

I tend to find these things out cos I am a self tester lolllllll - And I only know about the more internal organs to the right because I asked my Dr why they always do keyhole on the left side (He told me to get the camera in is easier as there is more room to your left - This made sense to me as twisting right means you could compress things internally a lil more and thats peolly why it doesn't work when you twist left) lol

I also noticed if you are for about 30secs holding your breath then give a slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww breathe out - That helps - I have no idea why but I was looking for something one day and found this twist thing just worked (There is a cupboard up and to my right above the toilet lollllllll) I noticed kinda looking up helps also.

I also found a weird thing to help you pee if you have a cystocele the other day (lol)

If you are one of those people who have trouble initiating peeing...

Sit well back on the toilet - - so your butt is tounching the back...

Push a bit more bakwards and it lifts you a tiny bit off the seat and back a teeny bit more

I have no idea on earth how or why this works - But I know it does lol (The breath out slowwwwww thing works well with peeing initiation also)

Maybe I am a secret scientist - lollllll
Sue

Look into the eyes - They hold the key!
http://www.bringmadeleinehome.com/img/maddy544x150Banner.jpg

Hi Anita

Just a thought. I wonder if it is something that you (and your daughter) are eating, rather than not eating, that is binding you (both)up?

And another. Maybe an enema will just get things started.

And another. Sometimes more oil in the diet will help, even temporarily, to get things moving.

L

I've struggled with constipation forever! I hate regular laxatives because of the cramps, and they make my constipation worse in the long run, so I avoid them. I see a nutritionist, and she recommended that I take Miralax daily. Since I started taking it I have been able to empty my bowels almost everyday. Miralax saturates the intestines with water, it's not a stimulant laxative, and it's safe to take daily.

Also I found that a swig of over the counter Mylanta works a miracle overnight, and I go like a pro in the morning.

The twisting trick also does help, I tried it today.

nicole

I know how this is so frustrating. The one thing that you DON'T need is constipation with more pressure down there. One of many things that really caught my interest is the article in 'Tips' on the squatting position and the theory that so many of our modern day problems many be due to the western toilet. I was especially interested since I have a son with IBS and it is one of the conditions discussed as well as prolapse. I had had alot of experience with those toilets in my travels in earlier years. I figured that it was worth a try now. It helps to be flexible. It is amazingly efficient. Just wait till you are ready and get into the position. The pressure of the knees on the abdomen do all the work. It is so fast and complete and so clean and there is no pushing. (My sister also convinced me to use some daily bran with psyllium which I am sure also helps) The article is excellent and gives way more information. Hopefully this helps!
theodora

I hate that feeling. But, the thing I usually do is...just stop. I get up, walk around, get my bowelsmoving then I sit again or maybe just wait until I have the urge.
You might not really have to go, but you have some pressure like you have to. Even if you go once a week, that doesnt mean youre constpated, it's just how your body works.