constipation?

Sorry to put it so bluntly...
I have an important event tomorrow- really need to look good.
I am just so constipated!!
I am extremely bloated and I have my period.
Any ideas? How can I flush all this stuff out--fast??

Since you said that you are constipated, I'll help you with that problem: milk of magnesia works and it is safe compared to a lot of other things out there it works anywhere from 30mins to 6 hours after taking it and it doesn't cause cramping at all, my vet even recomended it for my 20lb puppy so it is safe. This should not be a regular occurance.

 Maybe try to increase your water intake, limit your salt intake and hopefully the bloat will go down a bit. And remember that any weight that you may lose due to your.... umm.... problem, will probably be gained back because it is only waste and not actual fat loss. 

Also if you increased your fiber recently, you could possibly have a blockage or something like that. It does happen if you go from no fiber to a lot in a short amount of time. If you are low in fiber currently, try to increase your intake of fiber slowly. It should help. 

also you may become constipated because you are not eating enough fat, so try to eat 20% of fat every day calorie wise.

yep up your fiber and water.  should help ya out.  I used to get 'stuck' when I wasnt eating enough fiber.

drink prune juice, its really very effective. tried it myself. :)

I find increasing my water usually helps, and keeping the dairy foods (especially cheese) low for the next day or two, helps.  Also, for some reason, eating bananas tends to help some when they are...uhm.... not regular.  Prune juice (as aliajean stated) has always been a standby as long as I have been around (I remember my mom giving it to me as a kid - tasted "ugh" but did the trick!) and also, for more extreme cases (like you haven't had a movement in 4 or more days) try a little bit of mineral oil.  Another safe item that is OTC (over-the-counter) is senekot.  My son (*) has used it under the watchful eye of his doctor, and it is quite safe, and natural.  Typically though, constipation happens due to lack of sufficient water in your system (barring any medical conditions or medication), so increasing the water tends to do the trick.


(*) My oldest son was diagnosed at the age of 4.5 yrs with encopresis.  One of the methods they used to "clean him out" was high/adult doses of both senekot and milk of magnesia.  Though I would NEVER recommend those level of doses to the average person, I can state as a mother of someone who used them with a doctor's supervision, those 2 OTC medications are safe when used as directed.  Also, if the condition persists or does not lighten up after a couple of days and with using some treatment, contact your doctor.

I deal w/IBS so I'm constantly either blocked up or the opposite :)

My trick for constipation is a really big cup of strong coffee. Also, those fiber pills are pretty good, but they can take awhile to go into effect. Since your event is tomorrow, I would try the coffee first. May I suggest Starbucks?

A gentle laxative would be the last resort. The very, very last. They've always made me feel like hell while they were doing their thing, however they are effective. Just be careful with your body.

thanks everyone! im gonna try some of these now.

Use caution with the laxative.....once it starts doesnt stop and you dont want the other problem for your event.

(By use caution I mean dont use them)

ive used correctol, and it hurts my stomach and usually makes me go, but not alot, so it may be safe to use

My daughter and I have started using Miralax.  It used to be prescription only, but now you can buy it OTC.  I drink plenty of water and fiber, but still have the same problem.  We take it once a day, mixed with water or juice and it is great.  Very gentle, no stomach cramps or sudden urges to go. 

you dont take fiber pills or mixes when you are consitpated.

it can make it worse if the problem is from dehydration.

natural things that work:
white grapes
orange juice
tomato soup with broccoli
hydration
ginger tea
water and coffee
aloe juice
a spoon of olive oil
spinach
active yogurt cultures
kimshi -fermented korean cabbage thingHOT HOT HOT and yum