Constipation

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian

Member
Location
Kingston, Ontario
Now I see the Flatulence post I don’t feel so silly posting this.

As I age I notice I am more constipated. Anyone else?

I drink over 64 ounces of water daily and eat lots of fibre.

The past year seems to be the worst, I assume combined with being less active than usual, my constipation has become a daily concern. My doc has me on stool softeners and I have started using glycerin as needed (also recommended by the doc) which seems to be nearly every day lately. They work wonders. I’ve succumbed to buying the glycerin at Costco, in big packs!
 

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian said:
Now I see the Flatulence post I don’t feel so silly posting this.

As I age I notice I am more constipated. Anyone else?

I drink over 64 ounces of water daily and eat lots of fibre.

The past year seems to be the worst, I assume combined with being less active than usual, my constipation has become a daily concern. My doc has me on stool softeners and I have started using glycerin as needed (also recommended by the doc) which seems to be nearly every day lately. They work wonders. I’ve succumbed to buying the glycerin at Costco, in big packs!
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It is a bit weird talking about this kind of stuff in general, but folks are doing it with no shyness about it, so I guess it is the thing to do here. Fart jokes are always funny, so much so that even when people don't want to laugh, they will. I have heard some religious folks comment that farts are one of God's ways of showing a sense of humor. The other bodily functions seem to usually be discussed a bit more reservedly and are rarely the object of humor.

So, my recommendation is Senna. You can buy the tablets anywhere and it is cheap. Also, it is very gentle so you won't be caught in embarrassing situations in which you NEED to get to the bathroom (loo for those so inclined) or else. Three tablets with a glass of water before you go to bed will result in success sometime the next morning. I use it only occasionally on an as-needed basis. Your situation might be different. Talk to your doctor about it.

Dr. tbeltrans has spoken. That will be $1500 please. :rolleyes:

Tony
 
My inner workings are definitely not what they used to be, and dear husband speaks of the same, but were good overall.

Pure 100% prune juice works wonders, and I find regular daily exercise helps things along as well.
 

BlissfullyUnawareCanadian said:
I drink over 64 ounces of water daily and eat lots of fibre.

The past year seems to be the worst, I assume combined with being less active than usual, my constipation has become a daily concern.
Click to expand...
Fiber and sufficient water is a plus, if you could increase physical activity it would be a big benefit to your overall health. Water+fiber+activity doesn't always work, to remedy constipation. If you have no issues with high potency supplements, 1000MG vitamin C works for me, which I discovered by accident.
 
BlissfullyUnawareCanadian said:
Now I see the Flatulence post I don’t feel so silly posting this.

As I age I notice I am more constipated. Anyone else?

I drink over 64 ounces of water daily and eat lots of fibre.

The past year seems to be the worst, I assume combined with being less active than usual, my constipation has become a daily concern. My doc has me on stool softeners and I have started using glycerin as needed (also recommended by the doc) which seems to be nearly every day lately. They work wonders. I’ve succumbed to buying the glycerin at Costco, in big packs!
Click to expand...
I inquired on the free telephone health line in Ontario about constipation.

The recommendation I received is to use a lot of oil on salads and cooking.

That' makes sense. Seniors take a lot of pills. I think that has a lot do with constipation and running to the toilet.

For me it's two beer a day instead of water.
 
I've found that raw green, leafy vegetables like Romaine & Spinach are very important - every day, along with other raw fruits & vegetables. They are more important than drinking water because they carry water into the colon along with soluble fiber. "Raw" is the key word. Cooking removes the water content. Cooked vegetables do taste better, so a combination of cooked and raw is fine. Most people don't want to eat much raw vegetables.

It's not as simple as "Get more fiber." There are two kinds of fiber - Soluble & Insoluble. Insoluble fiber is coarse & does not change consistency as it's digested - like unprocessed grains. Soluble fiber becomes soft & gel-like as it is digested - like fruits, vegetables, beans. Soluble fiber is better for constipation. That's why some people use psyllium - it's a soluble fiber that becomes sort of like a gel when you mix it in liquid. If you don't like to eat much salad, psyllium would be a good idea. But I find it unpleasant to drink, so I make sure to have a salad with beans every day.

Our nervous system tells us when we need to go. It wears out along with everything else. Personally, that causes me to not always feel when I gotta go. That results in delays. The longer the "stuff" stays in the colon, the more water is extracted from it (That's one of the colon's jobs) & the harder it gets. The harder it gets, the less "smoothly" it moves. I have a habit of "Getting things done" & delaying going. That's always a bad idea. 😊

Of course, exercise is important. Movement speeds up everything - including movement. :)
 
Oatmeal, winter squash and broccoli usually loosen up things for me, but have to be 2 to 3 times larger than normal portions. I can't eat bananas - they cause me to slow way down. Too bad - they are otherwise a handy bundle of nutrition.
 

A nun sat outside a bar in Ireland...​

Sipping from a bottle of whiskey, and quite inebriated, when the local Gard walks past.

"Sister Mary", he asks "what in God's name are you doing?!"

"Not to worry, sergeant. I'm trying to *hic* cure the Mother Superior's constipation."

"And how is you being in this state going to help the Mother Superior with her constipation exactly?!"

"Cos when she sees me like this", Sister Mary replied, "she'll be shi$%#@ a brick!"

Edit:

With the spread of Coronavirus, many around the world appear to be developing Constipation:​

Doctors say it is not a symptom of the disease, but rather an effect of the panic being incited by the disease. One doctor even proclaimed, "People seem to be Scared Sh$#less!"

Penguins.jpg

Enjoy...

Tony
 
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Most days I have no problems, but if I skip a day, I take a tablespoon of Milk of Magnesia, around bedtime....and by early the next day, the "problem" is resolved.
 
Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a merry go round of constipation or diarrhea, one thing it does, it removes any societal barriers about
discussing bowel problems.
I freely discuss bowel problems, but find others shy away.

Bowel problems are a source of humor-i think there humorous.
It is not a drawing room topic, but those afflicted do need to discuss their problem to find how others deal with the problem.

Constipation teaches you to have at least one good book in the bathroom, but it does not teach you patience.

I fart, fart, fart, but there mere body notifications that you need to go potty, go to bathroom-nothing.
The cycle continues...
It is exasperation without end. Grrrr

Thank OP, we'll learn how others deal with this problem....
 
Murrmurr said:
It's dates instead of prunes for me. A few dates a few times throughout the day. I have a cup of hot tea in the morning and it's go time after a few sips. It's like the dates are the powder and the tea is the trigger. 🤣
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I can just hear the conversation now:

Do you date?

Yes, I like to keep things moving.

Yikes! The English languages is a funny thing sometimes.

Tony
 
Everybody is different. My doctor says it is not necessary that you have movements everyday. I can have a banana and a glass of water and it seems to do it for me. I remember my mother thought you HAD to have a BM everyday. I try to eat a lot of salads everyday along with brocolli (sic) and other veggies. No problems here.
 

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