Constipation - Bane of my Life!

Posted , 9 users are following.

Hiya All

I know that there's lots of others on this wonderful site who discuss anything from head-to-toe, and anything in between.  Think I'm the worse culprit!

But can I just ask:  aside from the ladies diagnosed with IBS pre-Peri:  Has anyone found that things are even more sluggish than normal?

Hate to say it, but my WHOLE persona changes if I'm constipated: it takes over my every waking hour, fretting about how long I haven't been; how hard its going to be (like giving birth sometimes, believe me!); should I take a laxative etc etc??

Have upped my water intake, and have been peeing for Britain!  Have always loved a wide variety of veg, not so keen on fruit (hate juices) as I'm more a 'savoury' than 'sweet' gal.  Xmas saw the true emergence of my relatively controlled sweetie craving, so will avoid sweets/biccies etc as I wonder if there's even a connection here- OD-ing on sugar??

Have to admit to resorting to a mild laxative now and then, and since a bout of unusual, and unwanted 'looseness' from 1 Jan (which tied in with Xmas Period Pt 2 urghh!) I've gone full circle. Its got to the stage now where I've really struggled for 5 days. Now on the stool softeners!! Have never had piles, but know enough about them to worry about internal ones as opposed to the external.  After 'giving birth' earlier this week, it felt like I'd been booted up the jacksie: throb. throb. throb.

I know a lot of ladies attribute this to IBS. Have to admit my bowels have always beeen quite emotional TBH!  Having run a busy business for 22 long yrs, I had been very good for caring for others, meeting their needs etc, but I think as a result I had enough stress to develop IBS.  Now I'm a lady of leisure (bored!) I thought they'd lighten up. Huh!

I come from what I would call an extended 'windy' family, and we've never really been one's to hold back on this front. However, in terms of IBS, I NEVER, EVER get diahorreah. I've got a gut of cast iron, me. 

So please ladies, I'll leave my 'toilet humour' aside:  Is anyone else suffering like this sister?redface x

 

1 like, 38 replies

38 Replies

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  • Posted

    hi shaznay,

    i think i should be on the fibroids forum but as you say we digress.

    i'm still looking for an answer to my left pelvic pain and today have had a barium enema. last week i had a CT scan.

    i've been getting tossed from gynno to digestivo for over 3 years.

    hopefully somebody will see the cause this time around and give me my life back.

    nearly 67 so i still have a lot i want to do. especially as i live in spain.

    one of the spinoffs of my infirmity is loose stools or none at all.

    i'm glad to hear you are a lady of leisure these days as its crucial you become a creature of habit concerning your bowels.

    my newly discovered constipation aid is salted pumpkin seeds.

    nibble away in the evening watching tv and in the morning there you go.

    i do hope you can get them in uk or wherever you live.

    they are delicious.

    • Posted

      Ya know what chica, I have a big tub of sunflower seeds that sound like they'd work well for me, maybe. Worth giving it a try huh? 

      Remember my mum having a barium enema........say no more!

      Hope you get some answers soon.

      Thanks for your advice x

    • Posted

      if you start chomping on the wrong ones, you'll end up looking like a hamster.

      chew forever and you cant swallow it even though you.ve got it to a pulp.

      take care.we dont want you to choke.

  • Posted

    Hi Shaznay ,firstly may I say that I love reading your threads ( so amusing ) but of course of a serious nature ! ,anyway on to the matter in hand ,I used to suffer from slow bowels but started eating Kelloggs All Bran Golden Crunch ( like you I have a sweet tooth ) so this is actually an enjoyable way to have All Bran ,anyway it seems to work ,almost too well if I overindulge on the stuff ,find it quite moreish ! My mum also used to suffer with constipation and she is now a lot better after eating this ,anyway it is a suggestion ,may or may not make any difference !
    • Posted

      Hiya sarah

      My take on life is this: we get a lot of things thrown at us to deal with, and its up to us (and those around us who love us) to deal with them.  I'm very fortunate that my ol' man is truly my best mate. We met at 17/18 and believe me when I say that a man that can make me laugh could get in my knickers!!   We've been laughing ever since!!  And, as that cheeky sod always tells me:  'Its what's inside that counts!' - back of the queue, me, when they were dishing out the looks I'm afraid.  Just had to get a personality and a sense of humour to compensatelol!

      Shame I didn't get a fast metabolism and good bowels too!!

      All joking inside, I've started eating Bran Flakes with some blueberries thrown in.  I don't drink milk so I'm happy with soya or just boiled water really.  I think I've got to take care not go OTT on the fibre for now, but I've certainly got a taste for them. 

      Glad your mum's benefitting.  Actually, when I look back, both my late mum and my 2nd eldest sister (who I'm like, apparently:  she's a size 8. I'm not. I think that's my other 2 sisters trying to be funny!!) were/are a bit inclined to get the flags out when they finally got to 'Go'.  I think its definitely a woman-thing.  Can't say I've ever known a bloke who's admitted to having problems with their bowels. From experience, its generally the women in their lives who find their bowels a problem!  lol x

       

    • Posted

      Hi 😊😊   Yes I too believe we are here to overcome these struggles with a smile on our face.  Cause if we don't pass these tests we are to do them over and over again.  I don't think its a coincidence that we are just plopped here.  Positivity is the key to all happiness.  xo 💜💙❤️
    • Posted

      Hi Shaznay, your husband is sooo right it is what's on the inside that counts ! And you sound like you have a lot going on inside ,oops that didn't come out right ,didnt mean your bowel probs ,what I meant was you sound a lovely person ,full of positivity ,would be grateful if you could send some my way ! My cup is always half empty ! If I haven't got something to worry about ,I create something ! But hey ho we are all different and have our own coping mechanisms ( mines eating lots of lovely sugar ) hope the bran works and keep laughing ! X
    • Posted

      hi sarah

      My husband's so right. Nah, that's that cheeky sod taking the p*ss!!  But we both never take ourselves too seriously, and yes, I think I'm a kind sorta gel. (But Charity defo begins at Home in my book:  I help the one's I love first and last.)

      But, like you, I am completely a 'half empty'-type and, like you, I also create something to mither on about!!  I know I do it, and can go on about something for ages, coming back to it over the course of a few days.  But hey, that's just me.  Can't even blame that on my ol' mate Perilol!

      The Bran - and the stool softners! - are working their magic.  But I'd still love to not have that to keep stressing about, as I'm probably my own worse enemy for stressing in the first place! x

  • Posted

    Hi Shaznay 

    I to suffer from a lot of IBS symptoms and yes it is not fun. Somedays I feel fine then in and out of the toilet. I am going through menopause and i have hypothyroidism not all there lately so i understand about your bathroom problems

    We just have to watch what we eat

  • Posted

    Dear Shaznay

    I know this is not much, but I found when I sit around a lot (not saying that you do), i.e. computer that is when I get constipated. 

    • Posted

      Nah, Motherhawk, I come from a family who find it hard to sit still:  life's too short etc.  I'm a natural sie 8 hiding in a size 18 fat suit. I run around like the proverbial blue ar*ed fly - I'm just normally eating while I running aroundlol!

      Know exactly what you mean tho'.  My ol' mum always used to say: "Use it or Lose it!".  See was doing white knuckle rides in Orlando at 72yrs young!

      We have a growing obesity prob in the UK.  As fat as I am, I take great offence to seeing some lard ar*e sitting 'over' 2 seats, eating their way through half their body weight in Gregg's Sausage Rolls.  As 'big' as I am, I don't have any sympathy with anyone bigger than me who is sloth-like! 

      I've got a couple of mths left of my 2yr 'Sabattical' (sold a very busy Business after 22yrs of running around like that fly I mentioned!).  I was completed due a rest, but I'm a born worker and am now bored and want to get on with my next project in life. 

      I see the future involving a peddle bike (static or otherwise!); maybe a dog to walk; a garden/veg patch to tend so I plan to keep myself very busy. 

      Just wish I could have a poo in comfort!sad

    • Posted

      Motherhawk. I live another day to eat my words......and my body weight in crisps, chocolate biscuits and Ripple bars!  Not a good day for being the Saint I am, ha, ha!

      Alas, I have the tell-tale light dischange that will turn into full-blown carnage over the next few days, and go on for what seems eternitysad!  Was hoping to start with the irregular or would love to have a missed P or two. By Day 5 I'll have no appetite at all so I'll stockpile while I can! 

      At this rate, I'll be one of th lard ar*es I berate!!!

      Now explains a lot about the constipationrolleyes

  • Posted

    Hi Shaznay, i have got to sympathise with you, i know that -'omg dont talk to me i am constipated' feeling, i have had ibs since early teens, and swear that hormones are 90% to blame. Constipation got unbearable in peri, at this time no amount of water/ fibre/ meds or anything else helped me . I hope that your's improves with time, my body is working like it never did during my fertile years. I cant help but say thank God for Menopause, HONESTLY wish i had it earlier in life, best thing that ever happened to me for feeling well.

    xxx

    • Posted

      Hi zantecat

      you say thank god for menopause .. 

      whats your secret to feeling so good, are you a natural menopause remedy lady or HRT..

      please share with us ..

      glad you feel so good, i am post meno .. Natural route.. ( 10 year peri) age 50 now, like to hear about ladies feeling good, this is a new one to me 

      😊

      jay x

    • Posted

      Hiya Zantecat

      I would say that there's always been a bit of a taboo amongst girls/women regarding the 'Call to Stool'!  I remember that term from a TV prog. It was used by a Doctor who was talking about my very condition.  His advice was '....never ignore the call to stool', meaning go when you need to.  I suppose after years of perfecting the art of hanging on to 'it' (feeding babies, putting babies to sleep, cooking for the family, in the workplace etc etc) its hardly any wonder I have to fight to get it out these days!  Why don't men seem to have a problem??!!

      Come Monday, I'm going to get my sorry ol' ar*e into gear and get more active:  power walking exercise vids on YouTube; walking to the s'market and back a couple of times and generally upping my game. 

      Its taken me a week to get myself to stop mithering about it.  But I go through patches like this and once I'm back to normal (for me), I sorta forget how horrible it was until the next time!

       

    • Posted

      i am happy for you enjoying your post menopause but cant help but think you are on the magic elixir. please come clean!

      i think you are so right about hormones being responsible for all sorts of things.

      unfortunately the medical proffesion dont seem to know much.

      in fact many of our lady problems are not understood well, due to lack of research.

      just think about morning sickness that lasts all day and baby blues depression. we dont all get these problems.

      )if anyone has knowledge of progesterone cream ,i'd be grateful to hear.)

      its these male gynnos that gives these conditions silly names.

      when i read on the internet about eostrogen dominance caused by what we eat, it worries me as the scientists say the tap water we drink is full of it and then they say the plastic bottles leach it.

      and red meat and poultry are full of growth hormones.

      what are we supposed to do.

      we cant all afford to buy organic.

      no wonder we are all stressed out.!

      please try my advice for pumpkin seeds when your constipated and let us know what you think.

    • Posted

      Hi Jay how are you?  This isn't about menopause.  This is about Dragons Den. This is a better subject cheesygrin I remember you saying you were watching it.  We have Canada's version of Dragons Den films from Vancouver.  I remember seeing it on the guide but never watched it.  God I love it!  Me and my husband and daughter are hooked!  It's a great show and we love it too! ❤️ Thank you for mentioning it.
    • Posted

      Hi hotdot 

      😊 Dragons Den is good yeah 😃

      have a good weekend 

      i am about to go to bed .. getting close to midnight here ..

      take care, speak soon 

      Jay x

       

    • Posted

      Hi ladies, no ive got no magical elixir...unfortunately, and im not so meno natural, even though that does go against the grain. I have vagifem for the dry  lady bits  but no hrt per se'.

      But i think there is a bit of karma involved, i mean i get a few hot flushes (call them power surges ladies !), but compared to all the other bs that comes with fertility ( mood swings, childbirth stuff , HEAVY periods so bad that i was scared to go to work and accompanying anemia, ibs so  it kept me awake for nights at a time i even went to A and E with it etc etc) i  think i now have peace.

      Hang in there peri ladies. xxx

       

    • Posted

      Zantecat

      We should all take a leaf out of your book and remember the cr*p we've had to endure over the years and see this grief as a means to an end.

      Remember when I used to commute to London, and how I used to have to make sure I changed before I left home, and panic the whole journey (only 30mins!) hoping that I'd not leak (have always had IUDs: great for contraception, but when I say heavy bleeding, I'm not kidding!).

      I'm experiencing a very rare - and completely uncharacteristically for me lately -  good mood.  Long may it last!!

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