Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => All things menopause => Topic started by: menopausalalways on February 20, 2021, 02:59:43 PM
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Hello out there ;D
I am suffering from chronic constipation ???
I am upping my fibre and drinking dam loads of water - but still I cant go for a wonderful poo :-\
I have now got 2 shelves full of David Walliams books above the loo, hoping a good belly laugh will kick me into action......
NOT WORKING
When do all these nasty symptoms begggar orf!!!
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When I've not been for a few days a couple of glasses of red wine never fails. I think it relaxes me and then I'm able to go with no trouble.
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Magnesium Citrate is a good supplement to take but a side effect can be loose motions, it might be beneficial in your case.
Otherwise a large cup of coffee (proper filter etc. not instant) usually does the trick in my case, assuming you haven’t any issues with caffeine. :)
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Hi
A few possible solutions that I can vouch for:
Try a kiwi fruit or two - take the top off and eat with a spoon like a boiled egg!
A strong cup of coffee with some very dark chocolate.
A desertspoon of flaxseeds sprinkled on a yoghurt followed by a large drink of water.
Magnesium citrate - this can be helpful for aching muscles, help with sleep and/or constipation, depending on the amount you take. Can't remember the dosage but various brands available in health food shops.
Good luck!
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Drop the amount of fibre! the body can have too much which slows the digestive system down.
I find that if my bowel is slow and I don't take 1 dose of my regular ADs then I 'go' within 24 hours.
Coffee makes me nauseous. Maybe eat less for 24 hours to allow the bowel to catch up? Sometimes those nerves can be over-loaded with info so that we feel we should 'go' but the body actually doesn't need to. I'm an 'every morning' Girl but sometimes it can be mid afternoon then I miss a day ::)
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Thanks Ladies
Will give 'em all a GO..............
Bout time this Meno Lark beggared orf
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Hello menopausalalways.
I have never had this problem fortunately but a friend of mine suffered terribly. She was referred to a gastroenterologist and was told to take two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily. It is important to grind the seeds otherwise they just pass through without being digested but maybe that would also work?
I wonder if a lot of fibre is only a problem if you suddenly ingest a lot in one go. Perhaps the trick is to work up slowly so that your body and your microbiome has a chance to adapt.
Wishing you well.
K.
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Constipation is a classic symptom of hypothyroidism, which usually shows up around the menopause ...
Might be worth ruling his out (btw, like with hormones, don't take a GPs 'everything is normal' for it, you need your TSH below 1 to be euthryroid, anything above is suss, not that you'll get an NHS GP to agree). I'd find out your last set of blood results. You could look at thyroid supporting nutrients in any case.
Agree re coffee and wine, also probiotics might help, and there are some yoga poses that help too! https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/yoga-for-constipation
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Hi, down load this - The constipation cure by Michelle Lyons - loads of good advice.
https://celebratemuliebrity.com/resources/
Hope it improves soon- I have the same issue and mine is partly due to a tight pelvic floor as the muscles effect how you go!
Pepperminty xx
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Plenty of good advice so far, I can definitely vouch for the hot drink (plenty of mugs quoting "coffee makes you poop") . Also a brisk walk or some yoga can sometimes get things moving...I tend to find that if I sit about too much it can make my whole system feel slow.
I would say be careful with the flaxseeds or you'll be scared to laugh for a while ;D - increase your fibre slowly
One thing that might be worth a try is the "poop button" located 3 finger widths directly below your navel; if you apply firm pressure to it for about a minute it's meant to do the trick!!
All the best x
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I'm also suffering with this! Haven't had a proper bowel movement since early December which is when I started taking Zoely contraceptive pill for my horrific perimenopause symptoms. Blood tests etc have come back fine. I'm sure it's something to do with the hormones and water retention. I'm sticking with the Pill as the positives outweigh the negatives, but I have tried EVERYTHING in terms of diet and nothing works! So annoying... good luck, I hope you see improvement x
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Oral contraceptives have a high level of progestogens, which relaxes smooth muscle which is muscle that you do not consciously control eg bowel. It slows down the speed at which your food travels through the intestine. When it takes longer to get through your colon, more water is reabsorbed making stools harder. This in turn slows down transit further.
Soluble fibre is recommended (ie oats, beans, fruit and veg, stewed fruit eg apples, prunes, apricots - incidentally these are supposed to help with cholesterol too)
Plenty of fluid
feet on a stool, or equivalent
exercise ;D
encouraging an urge at the same time daily ::)
coffee, chewing food well to promote peristalsis, regular mealtimes.
Pre/probiotics etc
Pre-empt constipation by taking laxatives when you know it will happen.
Movicol works well ;)
(I was recommended senna and ortis cubes but they both give me tummy pains.)
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Mum swore by Ortis - it's got figs in :-X
MayB stop most foods for 24 hours, go bland. Give the digestive system a rest?
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I quite like figs, but it is hard to find the fresh ones that are the right level of ripeness. Dried ones are good in worthy cakes, along with dates and seeds.
One thing that works for me is a nice bracing walk at the seaside and stuffing myself with fish and chips :)
Unfortunately you can't do this every day. I don't know what the position is with regards to queueing for the fish shop with covid and all that - haven't been there for ages. :(
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Is it the vinegar on the chips that might be the trigger?
I was thinking of this in the bath last night ::). The doctors don't worry until a person hasn't passed a stool for at least 3 weeks :o
Any improvement this morning?
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Proper chips are higher in fibre than people realise. And it is the bulk, full tummy thing that sets off the stimulus - and exercise.
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........ I love chips ;) and exercise on a fine day and yes, it does help my bowel to relax. When we took my spaniel to the Lakes for long walks, she wouldn't poo as much or as often, I think her body was using up her food/energy supply; even though by mid-week she was waking me in the night because she was hungry.
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Me too ;D
Does your spaniel like chips ;)
We had dachshunds years ago. They liked to eat absolutely everything but had to stick to a proper dog diet and get plenty exercise. They have problems with their backs so it is not good for them to get in the least bit fat and they need to keep their muscles strong.
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Thank you all you wonderful ladies, will try ALL recommendations/suggestions - if only Dr's were this interested in ANY of the Menopause symptoms. They basically just seem to think: GET ON WITH IT!!!
Its the dull ache round the navel which gets me. I'm hoping I will just wake up one day and it will all be over......................
Menopause cant last until you're gasping your last breath can it?????
Apparently the meno affects sitting as well............bleedin horrendous innit! As one Dr said - *its the menopause...shit innit" pity she was a locum
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I think menopause lasts forever 😭
Have you tried massage? It might be worth finding a proper one after lockdown ends.
I date my constipation issues from the first time I was pregnant. It ended in miscarriage but started off everything. For a short while I had the most horrendous constipation I had ever had - used to go to the loo and get stuck half way :o :-\
For me, I think there is a mix of psychological factors resulting in pelvic floor dysfunction, damage to pelvic floor factors (from later), sex hormone factors and probably some thyroid hormone issues that are not bad enough for the GP to do anything within guidelines. I recognise the symptoms from my grandmother.
Regular vit D supplements (expecially Oct-March when the sun is too low to the horizon to get the right wavelengths to make our own*) can help make the most of the thryroxin you do have, and also magnesium which works with it can be low (magnesium citrate has been mentioned above). Also make sure your diet contains Zinc, Boron and K2 (seeds, fermented foods, beans) and B12 if your are vegan.
*when your shadow is shorter than you are, you are making vit D :)
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My dearly departed spaniel ate anything ;D. The night we collected her she pinched a sandwich from a plate on the arm of the sofa, I thought 'we'll have to watch you'. The owner had left it 2 let us in2 the house ::). 1 afternoon in 1991, I was half way through a jam donut, got up to answer the 'phone in the hall, she was asleep. So I thought ;D. By the time I had finished the call, the half had disappeared and the spaniel was back to sleep. Apparently :D.
Veg., raspberries from the canes, bananas at breakfast ..... nothing was taboo.
I hate that feeling of needing to 'go' but nowt happens >:(, worse if we are supposed to be going to an appt.!
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A friend of mine was having trouble ‘going’, tried everything. Someone recommended Syrup of figs, took it and went properly next day.
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Yes it does work, but it has senna in too (like the ortis cubes).
Prune juice works, but it can be a bit explosive.
I did try porridge with ground linseed and prunes every morning to little effect until I grew sick of it.
The only thing that has ever worked for me to date is movicol 2-3 times a week (you need to take it regularly for a while before that to get the system cleared and working). It holds onto water, and keeps things moving enough to stop the drying out effects of slowing down ones transit. On top of that, I have plenty of fruit/veg/beans. I usually dissolve it in orange juice for a bit of extra ooomph and to give my bacteria a fighting chance against it.
Things like yoga and pilates help, as you are using abdominal muscles and breathing exercises, but only if you have got a good level of transit going on.
It is an ongoing battle though. As soon as I drop something, it all grinds to a halt again. It can happen in half a day. So if I go out on a nice warm sunny day and don't drink constantly (which you have to avoid as there are only so many public toilets available), then I need to drink plenty and have movicol. In theory your body copes with this disruption, and mine does this very well - by taking all the extra fluid out of my bowels >:( Big packet of crisps are a no-no tool :'(
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THANK YOU _ MENO SISTERS!!!
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You are VERY WELCOME :lol: :great:
Let us know how you go on [or not ;-) ] but don't alter everything at the same time or you won't know what works/doesn't !
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Hi menopausalalways, if you haven't seen it already, there is a very long thread with loads of tips & empathy called Re:Poo! (started by Juju I think) & lots of lovely ladies have contributed.
Wx
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Hi
I’ve had this most of my life and it’s taken until now for me to suss out that I need a lot of fibre!!! I mean a lot! All-bran for breakfast and mixed vegetables with lunch AND dinner. I’ve been making thick soup for lunch absolutely crammed with root veggies, some lentils and some chic peas. Most of my plate is filled with veggies at dinner time. I’ve noticed if I skip this regime even for one day, the next day I am immediately constipated!!! We are all different and this may not work for some people but I am just so relieved and happy that I’ve found the solution in a relatively normal and healthy way! I’m not bloated anymore as my digestive system seems to be processing well right now. It’s just the rest of me I need to sort out! 😂
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Tnx Zar - another thread or put your symptoms into the search box to see what pops up? make notes ;-)
I love roasted veggies which seem to help the bowel as DH puts olive oil over them. Baked beans give me abdominal pains ........ sprouts
I love :-)))) but again, the abdominal pains and follow through wind :o :-X.
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One quick point- your bowels are stongly effected by stress- it can either stop you going as your pelvic floor tightens - of give you the runs.
PMX
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Try raw kimchi - M and S have some in pots - am sure other places have it but this is where I found and tried it , not for constipation but just because I’d never had it and wanted to try .
Well - it would certainly work for constipation I’m sure as been to loo 3 times each time I’ve had it and no upset tummy either. Clears you out . Worth a try :)
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:o :o :o
:D
I suddenly 'went' last evening, I really wasn't expecting *that* ::) but felt cleared out after.
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A weight of your mind? ;D ;)
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I have an M and S within walking distance so I could get exercise and Kimchi together 8)
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Now you're boasting ;D :na: ...... make sure that you are home B4 you try the kimchi?
Certainly a weight of my mind :lol: I really couldn't believe what had happened: Good Result didn't cover it 8)