Hi Folks
I’m sure this has been done many times before but am feeling too tired to search.
Basically, have any of you ppms folk suffered badly with constipation and what did/do you do about it? Has it ever impacted on your bladder as well?
After my nightmare in hospital, I’m keen to avoid the situation again! Would really appreciate advice from people in the same boat as me.
Cheers
CP
Hi CP,
I’ve tried a multitude of things that didn’t work but about a month ago I started eating mini shredded wheat (not shreddies). I have it with yoghurt and blueberries. It really does seem to have helped me. Give it a try, you never know.
Oonagh
Xxx
I suffered a bout of constipation a little while ago and since changing my breakfast to Bran Flakes with 2 or 3 dried figs and a few dried apricots (cut the fruit into small pieces) covered in Almond milk I’ve been fairly regular. It may help.
Paul
Hi CP
i am in just the same position at the moment,looking for answers,i have always had bran flakes and prunes,and prune juice for breakfast,which always kept me regular…not any more though… i have tried linseeds which most people swear by…and they did nothing…i am trying all sorts at the moment,running out of ideas fast…i am going to try a cup of warm boiled water 1st thing on a morning… thats helped me in the past…b****y bowels,its no fun at all…
J x
I had constipation so severe (10 days !) that GP sent me to A & E for an x-ray. She thought it might have been a twisted intestine . Fortunately not!
Anyway, I’d been taking one Movicol powder per day, loads of fibre, fruit etc. Even so, I still got ‘impacted’.
Doctor advised 6 Movicols over 6 hours. Success!
I now take 2 Movicols daily, and that mainly does the trick. (Switched to Laxido - similar to Movicol but less wind!).
If ‘bunged up’ I use Microlet which is an easy to use suppository, maybe twice per month.
Constipation has troubled me for 40 years (I’m 60 now! and I’ve probably tried everything but have now been largely ‘settled’ since getting the Movicol (or Laxido) dose correct.
My GP assured me that Movicol type laxatives won’t cause a lazy bowel. I can be okay for a few days without medication, but constipation always catches me out in the end!
As bizarre as this sounds, I was told that eating too much fibre in your diet can make you constipated.
Lots of people I know swear by drinking a glass of warm water first thing when you wake up, might be worth a try, according to them it “wakes” your bowels up.
Hope you get some relief soon.
Pam x
CP I do similar to Johnh but use a Microlet every day the bladder thing gets uncomfortable and full bowel for me equals bladder not working. I have a super pubic catheter and it even affects the flow of that. Keep a check on your bladder because one time I ended up with septicaemia having not gone fore ages.
Don
I do find the linseeds ever so good.
You can buy them on Amazon or in Holland and Barratt. Buy golden or brown linseeds.
The easiest way to do it is get a coffee grinder. Grind a tablespoon of linseeds every morning and eat in cereal or yoghurt.
Drink plenty of liquid as well… actually whatever you decide to do for the constipation drink plenty of liquid. Most constipation is caused by the poo being very dry in the large intestine and not even getting down to the bowel… which is why when you’re constipated the pain is often of right hand side… just under hip… the bowel is on left hand side and it won’t move along as it’s too dry.
It has quite a journey to make… up to just under your belly button and then down left hand side into the bowel. You can try massaging your tummy starting on right hand side below hip and up across tummy and down left hand side. The bowel nurse at hospital explained all this to me. Massaging can actually soften the poo to move it along.
If you try linseeds, keep them in the fridge. It’s the oil in them that make you go to the loo and the oil can dry out quite easily. You can also buy capsules with the oil in (sometimes called flax seed oil) but they are too big for me to swallow.
It’s a problem loads of us have with MS so you’re certainly not alone with it.
Hope this helps,
Pat xx