Oh my, I have THIS exact problem! I have been telling my doctor for ages "It's constipation", but it's really not.

I go MAYBE every 3-4 days if lucky, though I've sometimes reached up to 5. I don't have hard stools, in fact, my stools otherwise appear quite normal and healthy.

I noticed what you've been distinguishing Chelle... it gets to a point where the bowel just 'lets go', like it's finally so over-full, it all comes out at once. That's the ONLY time I feel truly like I've emptied my bowel.

I've done all the recommended: lots and lots of water, lots of fibre, magnesium. I tried stool softeners and bulk-forming capsules. Nothing's really made things better (it was harder stools before, now with the increase in water/fibre they seem otherwise healthy).

It's the fact that I'm only going every 3 days, if lucky, and as you describe, it seems only when the bowel's overfull that it finally lets loose. Otherwise I am bloated for days.

Maybe I should present my case to GP not as 'constipation' (which gets fluffed off) and instead as part of my intestine doesn't seem to be cooperating (or is dormant).