[dreambeliever128]

Do any of you know of a good natural med to get from the health food store for constipation.

I am not on any meds for pain so that's not causing my problem. I am on Mitformin and Nexium for my stomach. The Mitformin helps most of the time but I go through spells where it doesn't. I end up with nausea from the constipation.

My Dr. wanted me to start back on Merilax but it didn't do a thing for me and my Gastro Dr. says it would most likely make me worse anyway. The same with Metamucial. I have tried it and sure enough it does make things worse.

I have Metabolic Syndrome and Motility related Dyspepsia so my stomach doesn't work right.

I want to go to a health food store and see what they have. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Ada

[keep smilin]

Originally Posted by dreambeliever128

Do any of you know of a good natural med to get from the health food store for constipation.

I am not on any meds for pain so that's not causing my problem. I am on Mitformin and Nexium for my stomach. The Mitformin helps most of the time but I go through spells where it doesn't. I end up with nausea from the constipation.

My Dr. wanted me to start back on Merilax but it didn't do a thing for me and my Gastro Dr. says it would most likely make me worse anyway. The same with Metamucial. I have tried it and sure enough it does make things worse.

I have Metabolic Syndrome and Motility related Dyspepsia so my stomach doesn't work right.

I want to go to a health food store and see what they have. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks,
Ada

I am so sorry you are having somes troubles...I know that I am not going to be much help and noothing earth shattering..but I was thinking of good ole' Raisin Bran amd some Prune juice with a few shakes of Mother natures wand.. oh and toss an apple in there for kicks...

Feeling nausea due to the constipation says how serious this is and time to do the trick..

Hugz..K

[mrsD]

Magnesium based laxatives often work. They bring water into the bowel and soften things up some. They may also be absorbed a bit as well. Magnesium citrate is the most common one used. Read your labels carefully.

Metformin lowers B12 levels in about 40% of people using it.
And Nexium blocks the absorption of these nutrients:

B12
folate
iron
calcium
magnesium
zinc

That we know of so far.
So you may be low in B12 and that is hampering things. Many people on metformin have the opposite problem (diarrhea), so you seem to have missed that side effect!

Chronic use of cascara products (which contain Senna) is also not recommended. It is implicated in bowel cancer. Occasional use is okay, but not everyday, or many times a month.

[SandyRI]

Hi Ada,

Sorry about your stomach problems...

I take Fiber Capsules once in a while - they are available in the vitamin section of the drugstore - a nurse friend recommended them and they do the trick. I'll take as few as 2-3 or as many as 5-6 at a time, depending on how I feel, and I always make sure I drink plenty of fluids.

BTW - I haven't checked the label of the bottle against mrsD's list in the above message, but I would think that "Fiber" should be fairly benign compared to some of the stronger laxatives out there....

The best of luck to you - feel better soon - XOXOX Sandy

[mrsD]

For someone with delayed movement, a transit slow down, using fiber can be problematic. It may impact there.

Fiber in general is not recommended for people using opiates for pain control, for example.

[dreambeliever128]

I have all 3 things in my house. I eat apples everyday. I have prunes in the fridge. My Dad use to eat them a lot for constipation and I have bran flakes. You sound like my PCP. He pretty much tells me what to eat. I have eaten apples everyday for years. I buy them by the bushel in the summertime.

Mrs. D. you are right about the fiber. That's why Metamucil doesn't work for me. I just started the Nexium a couple of months ago so I am wondering if thats not causing some of my problems. I have to be on a stomach med though and a lot of them don't work for my GERD.

i am not on any pain meds. I only take them when I need to.

My nurse was just telling me she is trying the Magnesium and she is getting awlful joint pain from it.

I just took a walk and sometimes that helps me. The weather won't cooperate enough for me to walk as much as I like.

Thanks for the advice. I might try the Magnesium

Ada

[mrsD]

I have never heard of magnesium hurting the joints. It is amazing tho what some people have told me in the past about things. Nothing would surprise me anymore! Most people are so low in magnesium, you wouldn't believe it.

I wonder what else that nurse was taking? And if she was using the dreaded magnesium oxide, which doesn't work for absorption. For YOUR problem magnesium oxide is preferable because it is a laxative. Phillips makes one tablet form in fact!

Anyway, magnesium works with calcium for your bone strength.
Taking calcium alone, does not work for osteoporosis without magnesium too.

[daniella]

The holistic doc I saw also suggested magnesium to help with bowels. A few other things I have been suggested, ground flaxseed, baby prune food instead of juice if can't tolerate the juice. In the hospital they had me take stool softners for a short time which is not habit forming. For me supplements like the powder or even fiber 1 backs me up even more. Make sure though you are drinking enough water. Apples of course are good but only have 3 or 4 grams of fiber and one should get at least 25. Feel better

[SandyRI]

Thanks mrsD - I had no clue!!! I've learned a lot from these boards....

Good luck Ada,

XOXOX Sandy

Originally Posted by mrsD

For someone with delayed movement, a transit slow down, using fiber can be problematic. It may impact there.

Fiber in general is not recommended for people using opiates for pain control, for example.

[dreambeliever128]

MrsD, my nurse also told me she was taking vitamin E. She's been my nurse for the 19 years I have had my PCP. She is about 60. I was around when she dealt with cancer but otherwise she is doing good nowadays. She horseback rides and keeps active. I don't think she is dealing with any medical issues that keeps her on meds.

Daniella, that's a good ideal on the prune baby food. I buy the regular prunes and I add water to them and boil them. You can drink the juice off of them and it softens them.

Sandy, we do learn a lot here. Reading what MrsD writes helps me a lot. She seems very knowledgeable about things. My biggest problem is that my short term memory keeps me from remembering things. I'll forget this all tomorrow.

My gastro told me that the Merilax could make things worse for me and then gave me a script for it.

As far as the Mitformin, it has really helped me. If I hadn't been put on it, I really do think I would have been even worse today. I have been on it for about a year. I did try and go off of it a couple of months back and that might have made things worse for me. I get to thinking I am doing ok and can get off of meds and it doesn't always work. I get bloodwork done often so I know it's not messing with anything.

My daughter picked me up some natural stool softners at the health food store today so along with these other suggestions I am hoping it will help. I will get some magnesium oxide.

Thanks for the help girls.

Ada