Constipation! The Uncommonly Discussed Common MS Symptom
 

This isn't a topic that comes up often on threads but after going through some issues and ending up on a hospital "vacation" for a few days due to diverticulitis, I thought it would be a good thread to start up.

Constipation is a common symptom of many of us MSers. I apparently have it and yet, don't realize it as constipation. Maybe it's because I lack feeling in areas of my stomach. I also have a very slow transit of food, which increases the change of constipation and complications from it. I didn't realize I was suffering from constipation but apparently, I am. My BM's are not normal.

Since I am still recovering from diverticulitis, I am still on a soft diet and can't tolerate most solids. Everything has to be ground up/pureed.

How many of you suffer from constipation as an MS symptom and how are you treating it? What products, foods, etc. have worked for you? I think that by sharing such a "poopy" situation, we can help each other. I know I am not the only MSer with this issue. haha

Well, I have dealt with constipation literally all my life. I was diagnosed with Hirschsprung's disease as an infant and had surgery to remove about 2 1/2 feet of intestines when I was not quite 2 years old. The section removed had no nerves.

Does MS cause issues of constipation in my case? It's really difficult to know for sure as this has been a life long issue, although not an impossible possibility.

There have been numerous things I have tried through the years and for the most part rarely have constipation due to my efforts in this area.

I tend to use a combination of things. Some of what I will list I do not currently use, it depends on how I am doing as to adding in or taking away certain products.

- Stool softener
- Fish oil
- Flaxseed
- Magnesium Citrate
- Metamucil
- Lots of water (80 -100 oz a day)
- Fruits/Vegetables
- Exercise (yes, that can get things moving) :)

I have read and heard Probiotics can help. I have tried this but I seem to be quite odd when it comes to Probiotics as I end up with stomach cramps and diareah. I also can't eat yogurt, which has probiotics in it for the same reason :Dunno:

I have had this problem off and on. I tried different diets and fiber solutions. the only thing that helped me was miralax. For awhile, my gastro had me taking it every day. I still occasionally have to use it, but my problem now seems to be just the opposite - colitis. So I am taking a med for that.:rolleyes:

Mag07 capsules have worked for me in dealing with constipation, although like Trish I have a slow transit time and a history of digestive issues going way back (ilio-colitis, intestinal resection etc).

It really seems to be a process of trial and error doesn't it?
Good luck to all who have this to deal with.

Stick with it until you find something that works for you.

With love, Erika

In the autism community, many parents find great success (at last) with a product called Oxy-Powder. It can be ordered online.

Hard to tell for me, too, whether or not it's MS. I was diagnosed with colitis as a young teenager--misdiagnosed, I think, because I was much later diagnosed with IBS and that is probably what I've had all along.

The only thing that's worked "well" for me (in other words, without gruesome over-cure) is being careful to eat fruit, veggies, cereal with fiber, etc. and drink lots of water. And keep magazines in the bathroom. :rolleyes:

i try to drink at least 8 glasses of water/day.
i also take 200mg (2 pills) of generic colace. you can buy docusate sodium much, much cheaper than the brand which is colace.

sometimes i add metamucil. my problem is also added to from meds i take, not just my MS.

Oxy-powder has a similar formula as Mag 07: magnesium with a molecular stracture that is too large to pass into the bloodstream from the gut, which is infused with an oxygen compound that dissolves in the presence of acid. The magnesium stimulates the colon peristalis (movement) and the oxygen creates an envioronment inhospitable to anaerobic microbes. The difference between the two products is that Oxypowder also contains germanium which can have some unwanted side effects for some individuals.

Both products seem to do the trick without irritating the colon like laxitives can though :).

With love, Erika

Trish, I have had constipation problems since childhood. My Father
used to make a milk of mag milkshake for me...I loved em...lol.

Since I've change my diet to lean cousine dinners and taking a
Green coffee extract diet capsule every day, for the last 3+
months, I am no longer constipated.:D. As a matter of fact
my stools have softened.:o TMI!!

I have had chronic constipation for 20 years largely because of anti- depressants which then set the chronic problem in motion (no pun intended!).

What has worked for me is Magnesium every night (which gets my colon moving) and the Vitamin D (oil in capsules works like Colace as a stool softener). Ironically, it wasn't until I got diagnosed with MS 6 years ago and then started taking vitamin D and magnesium that the problem mostly went away! If i forget the Magnesium I notice!

Pre- MS I struggled and had to use enemas a lot. I found that Probiotics helped more than anything else besides laxative drugs which I worried about getting addicted to.

You all have some great ideas!

I forgot about canned pears. They always seem to work well for me but since my transit time has slowed it may take another day before I see the effects.

I used to have fast transit time. Omgoodness! But since my flare last September, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Also, my BM used to be loose quite a bit until my September flare. Something changed in that flare and now I am the opposite.

And, Sally, this is the "pooping" thread so generally nothing is TMI.:D

Probiotics help. I started drinking Kefir again which is loaded with probiotics. Since my transit time is slow, I don't drink it every day. I like it because it has vitamins and nutrients in it such as magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D but I can tolerate it better than milk and even some yogurts.

i take miralax daily, sometimes twice. i have a slow transit as others have said too. i believe its because i'm not very active? also i dont eat very much as i'm doing my best to lose weight since i got out of the nursing home...

Hi Clarkstar! How are you doing? How is your recovering going? It's good to see you posting as that says you are feeling well enough to do so.:hug:

to add to what others have already said: I also find a bowl of steel cut (Irish) oatmeal helps get things moving. I have to rotate what "tricks" works often - almost as if my guy gets used to one thing and needs to be surprised in order to get things moving ;)

So true Jane. Sometimes chocolate acts as a laxative and other
times it binds be up??? I wouldn't think of cutting my chocolate.:D
Adding something else, like brocolli to the mix, once in awhile
is a good thing.:D

I love oatmeal! But oatmeal and my gut don't get along. I had to stop eating it because of the discomfort it brought me as well as it causing things to move too quickly, if you know what I mean. I occasionally have a little, like less than once a year, and steel cut is the most tolerable for me. I actually tried to reintroduced it a few weeks ago. Not sure if that is the reason for my current GI issues but, I decided not to try it again.

my recovery is going well, thanks! sometimes i am able to walk into the kitchen and bathroonm leaving my walker in the hall, although my balance is still not good, but as long as there are things i can catch myself on, i'm ok.

pain is my biggest challenge right now, have pretty bad shoulder blade pain, as well as leg pain. the avonex pen really does a number on my thighs, hurts for a week or 2 after each shot!

i bought a homedics massager to see if it would help my back. it felt good as i was using it but afterwards my shoulder blade was killing me, i think from using that arm to hold the massager to my back...

also medicare is being a pain, not wanting to cover cymbalta which my dr prescribed for pain, and raising the price on my lidoderm patch to $400 for a 30 day supply... :mad:

Clarkstar - Glad to hear you are slowly improving. I don't like those massagers. I tried one once and it made me hurt more too. Never again. And, I'm sorry about the Avonex. I don't take it so I've never experienced what you have described. I can't remember but are you just starting Avonex? And, I wonder why Medicare won't cover Cymbalta. I only took it for 3 days. It was awesome for nerve pain but horrible for my emotions, in fact, it was pretty scary.

As of the cost of meds, do you qualify for extra help through Medicare for your prescriptions. It's an awesome program and has totally saved me. This is the link to the program. http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Eligibil...Cov/index.html