Help with constipation

missmary083

New member
I've been using MiraLAX once a day and still pretty blocked and hard stools, is anybody else using something different I'm only going like once or twice a week. I'm so bloated and uncomfortable. I need some other methods thanks
 

Aboveallislove

Super Moderator
I'd check with the doctor to see if you can do more Miralax. When I was pregnant and had a horrible time, I did an enima and later learned that was NOT a good idea...so also check with your OB.
 
W

windex125

Guest
I suffer with constipation as well, Mirlax was working too well for me on a daily basis so I went to every other day. But on rare occasions something will happen and all of a sudden no BM's I then will take 2 Duclax and I have relief within 7-8 hours. If I am feeling pressure on my rectum and hv not had a what I call a good BM I will use a emina which relieves that pressure immediately. Good Luck/Pat
 

Gammaw

Super Moderator
How long have you been using Miralax once a day? It can take a week or more for it to really kick in and I've had the doc prescribed it more than once a day too. But ask first. In addition, once it gets you going, don't quit. Its usually a good idea to keep taking it for a couple of weeks even though youre feeling better. And if you regularly have trouble then you probably want to take if on a regular basis. Again though, ask your doc. They will also want to assess how long it's been since you had regular stools in part to determine how blocked up you might be. Sometimes it takes extreme measures and can be dangerous if you've been blocked up awhile. So until you talk with your doc again, make sure you're drinking lots and lots of fluids, which can help immensely.
 

MichaelL

New member
I take a dose of Miralax in the morning and a dose and a half in the evening. I also take 45 ml of mineral oil. I've tried to drop this level of dosage and I end up constipated. I would talk to your doctor to get their opinion on increasing your Miralax.
 

hellen

New member
I've been using MiraLAX once a day and still pretty blocked and hard stools, is anybody else using something different I'm only going like once or twice a week. I'm so bloated and uncomfortable. I need some other methods thanks

To get rid of constipation, you need to drink more water and eat many fruiits and vegetables which contain high content of fiber. For example, raisins is a great natural treatment for constipation.
 

mom2two

New member
Another thing, make sure you're avoiding foods that tend to constipate like bananas, rice, lots of low fiber carbs.
 

LittleLab4CF

Super Moderator
A couple years back there was a lot of discussion on this CF topic, someone even coined "poopologists". I learned that any normal person can make changes that permanently ends constipation, but as soon as I feel like I have reached the perfect combination of diet, medication and lifestyle, it stops working. So it seems.

Everyone touched on a cause and cure. Water with a dose of electrolytes is important enough to make it routine. I wonder about our thirst response, the 50 years I was undiagnosed I was chronically dehydrated. I get my electrolytes drinking a combination of coconut water and Gatorade. The more water, the better.

My first move toward ending hard constipation was a significant increase in my enzymes. I now am close to the correct amount of enzymes for food, over doing enzymes usually results in a hard stool. Unfortunately I didn't keep increasing my enzymes once I ended the chronic hard constipation and dealt with DIOS for a few years. Too little has its price.

I have Parkinson's disease and take narcotics for chronic pain. I am aware that this discussion is under the Pregnancy heading and if a pregnancy is part of the equation, my interfering conditions are rumored to be similar. I take a few supplements and a stimulant laxative to make sure I have a regular gut. We need calcium and magnesium because of CF and I get electrolytes in the bargain by taking about half of any recommendations on the bottle of a high dose calcium/magnesium citrate. I take a product "Mag-O", the scientist in me says that it should not be any more effective but it works.

Understanding MiraLax is important because it's not well explained IMO. Lactulase and PEG or MiraLax are bulking laxatives. When mixed with food in the digestive process the result is most often a pliant stool. PEG for laxatives is a big molecule PEG 5000 has five thousand times the size and weight of a PEG formula for thickening cough syrup. Its ability to absorb water makes a heavy stool. The stimulation of the gut begins with the weight and volume sensed by food and fecal material.

If stools are hard and dense, don't forget about IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome by its nature grabs and squeezes the water out of a formerly pliant stool. Each spasm squeezes feces against the bowel wall making it adhere and stay in place.

I would suggest looking into a low FODMAP diet to limit inherent gas and the unwanted feeding of less than helpful bugs, the opposite of Probiotics. I take a daily probiotic but a problem exists according to recommended reading "The Gut". Unless you feed the probiotic bacteria, they won't thrive. Taking a daily probiotic is about half effective.

Good luck and Good Habits.

LL
 
Top