Am I constipated?

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Jenny65

Jenny65

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I had my last movement on Christmas Eve, I am very windy and have a stomach ache but no urge to pass anything. Is this considered constipation, I used to go at least twice a day on my old diet and not sure if 5 days without is a bad sign, quite worried as the last time I was consipated nearly 30 years ago was when I broke my leg and was on opiods for the pain, I didnt go for 2 weeks and was in agony at the end, any tips to get things moving without jeopardising my diet or diabetes welcome
 
FIbre and plenty of fluids would be my recommendation. I use Fibre supplements like chia seeds and psyllium husk. You can buy chia seeds in most supermarkets these days and my sister is a big convert to these in particular and reckons that she usually goes within an hour of taking them. You can mix them into soup/stew or yoghurt or into a drink but they do swell up and go gelatinous, so if texture bothers you, best to put them into something that is already gloopy. The whole seeds don't seem to taste of anything but I bought milled once and it smelled and tasted a bit like Cod Liver Oil, so I avoid the milled ones... but then they are high in omega 3 fatty acids like CLO, so a bit of a super food and no carbs to speak of just lots of great soluble fibre.
Good luck. I don't let it go longer than a couple of days before I take action, unless I know I haven't eaten anything much and therefore don't "need" to go, but since using psyllium and chia (just a teaspoon of each) my bowel movements have never been so regular and healthy and easy.
 
Water would help, and plenty of fibre.... 😉
 
Fat works for me, but as "they" say, we're all different.

I know you were doing a tummy massage for a while. Does your tummy feel any different at the moment? If this is very unusual for you, I would consider a single dose of laxative tonight and see if that just gets you going again.

Personally, I'd not leave it alone too much longer. As you highlight it can become very painful.

(I was blue lighted to Kings College Hospital, the day after my graduation with agonising pain, which transpired to be constipation. I'd been a bit too busy and well out of all routine to notice. 😳😳 You don't want that!)
 
Constipation is when the stool is hard rather than how often you go, but going less frequently does tend to be more associated with hard stools.

In general water and fibre encourage passage and prevent constipation, in terms of actually going when it has been longer than usual and you think you may therefore be constipated, having a coffee can help (less data for tea though some anecdotally say they go after a cuppa); a nice warm bath to relax the muscles; clockwise/right-to-left stomach massage; gently wiping your bottom when you use the toilet as if you had been and needed to wipe - and if none of those help then consider a laxative
 
SenoKot or a constipation relief bisacodyl have proven effective for my Other half who has been suffering since his stump appendicitis when he had high doses of antibiotics and has to keep to a low residue diet.
As it is unusual for you then I would not leave it longer.
 
Im OK now, all sorted but quite a lot of blood too :(
 
Pleased you have "been" but blood is not good! Does this happen often?
Could it be bleeding from piles or actually blood in your stools from higher up the system? Some blood is understandable if you suffer from piles and are constipated, but if you don't have piles or know the cause then you should mention it to your GP. but I would encourage you to start using a fibre supplement regularly to keep things moving easily. Soluble fibre is also helpful in reducing cholesterol so plenty of benefits and no real drawback.
 
rebrascora said:
Pleased you have "been" but blood is not good! Does this happen often?
Could it be bleeding from piles or actually blood in your stools from higher up the system? Some blood is understandable if you suffer from piles and are constipated, but if you don't have piles or know the cause then you should mention it to your GP. but I would encourage you to start using a fibre supplement regularly to keep things moving easily. Soluble fibre is also helpful in reducing cholesterol so plenty of benefits and no real drawback.
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It was streaks of bright red blood on the tissue, it also stung as I went so beleive it to be a physical injury rather than anything nasty, My dad died of bowel cancer and he called me when he discovered blood in the toilet, the blood loss he had was dark red and like ribena and constant, although he was diagnosed with diverticulitis, 2 months later they found a cancerous polyp the size of a grapefruit at his sequel (entrance from his stomach to his bowel) Although there are some similarities as I also have on and off cramping pains like a knot in my stomach (similar to period pain) my blood loss was more like a wound, fissure or haemorrhoid. I had them in the past when I was abroad and changed my diet so basically ended up constipated and the straining brought it on, think this is the same.

I will get it checked out though as it is in the family, thank you for the concern and advice about adding soluable fibre to my diet, I think this will help a lot.
 
Have to agree with @rebrascora's remedy which I'd seen on another post someone else had asked a similar question, at that time I was struggling 'to go' myself, and thought I'd give the psyllium husk and chia seeds a try. Pleased to say I've not had a problem since. 😉
 
WOW! 3 pounds lost overnight! I am not surprised, no appetite at all, today I have had 2 cups of coffee, lots of water a benecol and 1 slice of wholemeal toast with peanut butter, (trying to get myself back to normal) still got stomach cramps, I have ordered some movical sachets from the Independent pharmacy, next day delivery as still feel very bunged up and bloated. Also ordered a fibre supplement to include on a daily basis once I am back to normal. Feeling nauseas and in pain today so not feeling like eating at all.
 
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