ok this is kinda gross & personal (about severe constipation)

ok ever since I started dieting, I am having serious bathroom issues. basically I cant go. I want to but I cant. I have tried womens laxatives & correctol...still nada. Gross sorry. So I called my Doctor and he is outta town for 2 weeks. I really dont feel comfortable talking to a stranger doctor about this. I have been eating lotsa of stuff to help go but still nuttin! So I went to the drug store and found this 2 week natural laxative. It sounds like it will help me and doesnt sound harmful yet I am not sure if I should do this or not. You have to take like 12 pills a day and it supposed to have you regulated in 2 weeks. Anyone here feel my pain or what? Am i the only one here who cant go potty or what?

If you are not exaggerating and have not gone to the bathroom in a month you may be building up something worse than constipation, it would be an intestinal obstruction.  If your stomach aches, that does not sound like regular constipation.

In that case anything going into your system though the upper end is just adding pressure to the blockage.  Laxatives could even be dangerous.  Talk to a physician.  If you do not feel comfortable speaking to a stranger about these issues try an enema.  It does not feel nice but after it works its a bliss!

After you get rid of whatever you get rid of, make sure your diet includes fiber, 64 oz of water, fruit and vegetables and add moderate activity.  That should work.  I can give you some pointers with Nutritional Supplements that will help you with your dieting objectives and your constipation issues.

are you taking a multi vitamin? In my experience, too much calcium and iron makes me constipated....cause I get enough from my diet, I don't need to take any more.

If things don't get moving by monday, go to your doc's office even if you have to see a different doc.  The poster abouve is right, it could be a sign of something more serious, like an obstruction.

As others have said, the more fiber you eat, the more water you have to drink.  I know it seems like you are drinking a lot, but you might want to bump it up a little while you are having this trouble.  A different kind of fiber might also be helpful, think fruit instead of grain.  Whole grains keep you regular, but they may not help unstop you if you eat too much.  I also make sure I eat some yogurt from time to time to keep all the happy critters in my intestine.

I think it is great that everyone wants to help here. The majority of the suggestions target softening your stool that you are producing now  The problem is that softening the stool you are producing now is not going to help. If you have not purged in a month, then the stool that is existing is now considered a blockage and wont be softened by medications. As fun as it sounds, what you need is an enema. They are easily purchased from your neighborhood Walgreens or other pharmacy. The enema is easy to use and will definately help your situation for now. It is probably still a good idea to see a doctor, but this will surely loosen your stool and allow you to free up some room and hopefully clear any blockage to return you back to normal operation.

Good Luck

i've gone 7 weeks withing going before.  the night i got sick of it i took 6 doses of a fiber drink, 4 stimulate laxitives, 3 doses of milk of magneisa, and drank nearly a gallon of water.  the next morning i had the most severe cramps, but i still couldn't go.  i then ate a huge bowl of bran cereal.  i could barely make it to the bathroom. 

also, if you have a Mr. Goodcents sub sandwhich shop nearby go by and get a turkey sandwhich.  trust me, you'll go!

Well thanks everyone. Thats alot of suggestions! I took those meds I told you about in my first post and so far I got nothing! I may have to try an enema :( dont wanna but I better since I dont work the next 2 days. I will call the doc monday.

I have not seen this mentioned; it is almost a sure thing, that consuming beer will make you go.  A six pack is about $4; sit at home and drink them.  Before the fourth can, you will be loosening up.  I am not sure if it is the alcohol or what,  but you will go #2 several times, and even more the morning.  But please do not become a habitual drunk...you seem very nice!

for all you lucky people who read this post and gave me ideas of how to stop this bathroom issue, I am happy to inform you that things seem to be working out! I can now say this isnt a problem anymore. Thanks everyone. Now I just hope everyone can forget all about this most embarassing post!

Vitamin C works well. So does prune juice. Dieter's tea is fairly effective, however, you should be careful with that stuff.

In my 20's my doctor, after a series of morning x-rays to track some metal pellets i swallowed, said my lower intestine isnt working. He offered to remove 3/4 of my lower gi and reconnect it then I'l lhave better movements. Well.....as u can imagine, i grabbed my purse and ran as fast as i could.

Here's what I changed 10 years ago and my poorly functioning GI is still intact and working daily. :-)

1. Get the dairy out. Cow's milk is for baby cows. We had ours already from OUR moms.

2. Cheese out. Would seem obvious to some but i didn't realize cheese is concentrated milk.

3. Hydrate! (stopping soda helped alot) Try to drink 1 liter for every 50 lbs of body weight.

4. Throw away everything that is in a box or a can. IT's just not good food! Good food is fresh and vibrant and needs no re-hydrating lol. Real food has plenty of fiber too!

Exercise. Exercise. Exercise. Drinking your daily intake of water, eating the right foods and exercising will get those bowels moving.

I love calorie-count.  I just read through this whole post and maybe it's my sick sense of humor, but I loved it.  I've suffered with this problem several times in the past, but since dieting it's really gotten better.  Hopefully you're body will adjust alright to all these changes your making and you'll stay regular from here on out!  

ask the pharmarcy person for the over the counter stuff that is mixed with gingerale for when you get colon test if will clear you right up. It will work in about an hr. It also comes in flavors too I think.

try taking FiberCon pills ( you only need 2 a day)...or consider psyllium husk powder. Either one should definitley get you going.

Dear kcnae3,

I know how embarrased you are to talk about it (although you shouldn't be). I am also on a diet and also suffering from the same thing.

In your last post you told everyone you were fine/releived/ and it was not a problem anymore.

Well, for you it is not, congratulations! But for me it still is. So PLEASE respond to my message and tell me what made you go.

THANK YOU!!!

I had the same problem, after a month of trying to get fit? and I recently found out in my annual physical, that I have hypo-thyroid. Constipation is one of the symptoms. If you have never had this severe a constipation problem in your life before, then I would say you better get your thyroid checked with your doctor. So many things started to make sense for me when I was diagnosed, Constipation being one of them.

I've had a problem with constipation all my life. I finally tried the yogurt Activa. Suppose to be good for that. I found that it does help me go everyday. The 1st day I had severe pains but after that it's been uphill from there.

I definitely feel your pain. I have chronic constipation - I have never "gone" on my own. Ever.

So here are a few tricks that once worked for me: (everything stops working after the first or second time you try)

Beets

magnesium citrate pills

(Calcium causes this problem, so eliminate that for a coupla days?)

Minimize fiber in your diet

dehydrate yourself on purpose for a morning until you go (I know it sounds strange - but it works!) don't drnk water, and drink tea when you wake up to dehydrate faster, if you wish.

laxatives NEVER work

natural laxatives RARELY work and cause LOTS and LOTS of pain - my recommendation is to return that kit you bought.

Hope this helps! Good luck! And don't be disappointed when going is more painful than not - sometimes I choose to not visit a doctor just b/c I can't take the pain of "going." Although I suppose going once every coupla months is prob the cause :)

mrivadeneira, could you post some suggestions? I am willing to try ANYTHING to make this work. I have tried milk of magnesia, all kinds of laxatives, prunes, raisins, apples, adding lots of fiber, eliminating all fiber, moderate amounts of fiber, drinking 12 glasses of water a day, drinking two glasses of water a day, drinking 10 glasses of water a day, all kinds of juice, all kinds of supplements, cascara segrada (natural stimulant), coffee, tea, caffeine supplements - all to NO avail!

Enemas don't even work for me anymore :(

the only thing that works now are colonics and they are SOOOO painful - and expensive! And I haven't gone in a coupla months...

Flax seed, and prune juice. In fact, i am drinking prune juice right now, and i have flax seeds in my salad. And a fat free Activia yogurt afterwards. I WILL have a bm tonight!