Though our poll is still small (11), the results are very interesting with over half remembering childhood problems. For a young and active group that is a very high percentage and is an important clue.

One interpretation says that constipation is a result of PD and therefore our PD must have started from Day One.

Another one is that the constipation had another cause and that PD was a result of that cause as well.

And a third says that the constipation had an independent cause but that the constipation itself eventually led to PD.

The third one is my bet and the details follow: Exposure to endotoxins from bacteria in the womb or within the first years of life can have dramatic effects. Among those are a sensitivity to future exposures so a little goes a long way. Another is a slowdown in the action of the GI system. A slowed bowel leads to resorption of toxins due to be eliminated, including endotoxins. These toxins also cause inflammation of the intestinal wall which leads to ?leaky gut" and even greater absorption. That leads to more inflammation and on and on for forty years. Get the picture?

The total effect depends on the first step. At what point in the development of the child exposure occurs determines the effect. As a result we are a mixed bunch of nuts. Some have fast progression and some have slow, etc.

Endotoxins probably aren't all of the picture but they are enough to make us look at what we can do to counter the ongoing inflammation that results. Most of the store bought anti-inflammatories have problems. Even simple aspirin.

There are some potent alternatives available that seem problem free. It's the good old trinity of turmeric/curcumin, ginger, and green tea. It keeps coming back to those. Safe, cheap, effective, and readily available. It doesn't get any better.