You might find this gross...

[Zoe100]

haha, okay my friend (I know, sounds suspicious, but at this point why would I even bother pretending it wasn't me if it wasnt? needs a laxative for her constipation. Uhhh I think she said it was pretty bad like she only goes a coupa times a week. What brands do you guys find effective? She's slightly worried about it being unhealthy I think, so I said I check it out.

[vermilion]

She shouldn't use those all the time, it's bad for you. Maybe she needs to change her diet. More water? I'm not sure.

[robowarrior]

Do you have an eating disorder? Not that i would want to talk some sort of mental disease on you. But lack of eating results in a lack of needing to goto the toilet.

[annie24]

she may want to adjust her diet first. more fiber. more whole wheats, more apples, etc.... she should talk to a doctor also if things don't get better. She should talk to a nutritionist about her eating habits.

[Hope75]

Laxatives can be OK to use for a short term constipation problem, but over long term they can actually worsen the problem so that you become dependant on them to move your bowels.

 

Some better ways to prevent constipation are:

 

1. Make sure she drinks 2-3 liters of water per day

 

2. Stay away from excessive caffeine drinks, sodas, and alcohol, those are all diuretics and can deplete the body of water.

 

3. Make sure she has plenty of roughage in her diet. Green leafy vegetables are best. 2-3 servings of veggies a day, carrots, green beens, aparagus, peas, lettuce, kale, etc.

 

4. Increase the amount of fiber in her diet. There are many high fiber cereals available on the market now, and apples/apple juice, and grapes are good sources of fiber as well. They also make fiber drinks.

 

5. Excercise! Constipation tends to go hand in hand with immobility or sedentary lifestyle. Make sure your friend is exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, even if it's a walk around outside the office at lunch break.

 

6. Some medications can cause constipation, particularly opiates/painkillers, Just let your friend know about this, and if she takes any of those, she should address the problem with her doctor.

 

7. A bowel schedule. Have her sit on the pot with no interruptions for 15 minutes a day, after eating her largest meal. Sometimes if we "program" ourselves to go at a certain time (peristalsis occurs strongest after eating a big meal so this is a good time.) we find that we can make this a habit.

 

Hope this helps!

[annie24]

thanks hope! I knew you were going to respond with a good list!

[rikka]

Agreeing with Annie24 and Hope75 here. When I changed some of my medications, this was one of the unfortunate side effects. She might try altering diet first - more fibre and water. If that fails here are somethings that worked for me. Metamucil makes delightful fibre capsules (work really well), metamucil and All Bran make fibre biscuits. These little babies are eaten once a day (with A LOT of water) and should help to keep you regular (and they taste pretty good too).

 

Like other said, look at her diet first. Make sure it contains plenty of fruits and veggies and water.

[annie24]

If there is a trader joe's in your area, I remember that store having these mini blueberry muffins with 13 grams of fiber each!

 

The good news is that food with a lot of fiber makes you feel full, so you eat less. It's good if you are on a diet.

[itsallgrand]

Wow, really good answers.

 

For a quick fix, sit her down with a big pile of grapes. Eat lots n lots of em, she'll been running to the bathroom soon enough.

[Zoe100]

Grapes? That's odd. Thanks to Hope, I didn't ask her about the reason she was constipated, all I know is it came on all of a suddon. Robowarrior...umm no, first off it's not me its a friend and niether of us have eating disorders. (She's normal sized so I assume she doesnt have one....and she's not the type of personality that is self conscious enough to contract one)

[annie24]

well, some people can have eating disorders and be a normal size. many bulemics are normal or even overweight.

[itsallgrand]

The grapes are the basic idea of what the others are saying - they have tonnes of water and fibre.

 

Home remedy, it works. Bananas for excess pooping, grapes for not enough. lol.

[booberry]

she may want to adjust her diet first. more fiber. more whole wheats, more apples, etc....

 

more apples? I try to eat a bowl of fiber every day and I still have this problem My entire life I have only gone once every four or five days, and as long as nine or ten when I'm stressed. The strange thing is... I have always felt fine. I never feel constipated. I actually only learned just a few months ago that you are supposed to go every day. EVERY DAY???? I couldnt believe it. The only time I go every day is one week out of the month.

 

So.... apples, eh? I'll give that a try. I was hesitant at first to fix what I didnt think was broken, (like I said, I feel fine, and I've ALWAYS been this way) but everyone insists its very unhealthy. So since I started eating the giant bowl of all bran every morning I go every three days on average.

 

I think I'll start a yoga or ballet class.

[booberry]

Wow, this is a good list! While I still do the majority of things on this list already in my life, I'm going to try to increase the fiber intake and try that schedule!

[New_Horizons]

The worst constipator is refined carbs (like thick pizza crusts). As the others have mentioned, she may need to change her diet. Also reduce the amount of meat - that's the second worst constipator.

[Hope75]

LOL,

 

As a nurse one of our major duties is to prevent/treat constipation, so this is one topic I know ALOT about!

 

Not everyone moves their bowels every day. I know some people who's normal schedule is every 2 or 3 days, and as long as it's regular, that is OK. It's when you go for days past your normal schedule and you have the accomplanying bloated uncomfortable feeling, and your belly starts to feel hard and yucky, that you have a problem.

 

For years I only went every 4 days or so, I didn't know that was unusual!

But now that I eat more healthy, exercise and have less stress in my life I move more frequently.

[Zoe100]

well, some people can have eating disorders and be a normal size. many bulemics are normal or even overweight.

 

k, if I walked around assuming everyone who was normal sized who had constipation was harboring an eating disorder I'd be like including half the population lol

[annie24]

oh, I'm just saying, just because someone isn't super skinny and bones, don't assume that they don't have an eating disorder.

 

not saying that your friend has an eating disorder either.

[Zoe100]

right- agreed

[booberry]

LOL,

 

As a nurse one of our major duties is to prevent/treat constipation, so this is one topic I know ALOT about!

 

Not everyone moves their bowels every day. I know some people who's normal schedule is every 2 or 3 days, and as long as it's regular, that is OK. It's when you go for days past your normal schedule and you have the accomplanying bloated uncomfortable feeling, and your belly starts to feel hard and yucky, that you have a problem.

 

For years I only went every 4 days or so, I didn't know that was unusual!

But now that I eat more healthy, exercise and have less stress in my life I move more frequently.

 

Thanks nurse!

 

awesome! So as long as I'm regular then I'm ok. And "regular" for me seems to be 4 days give or take a day. I feel better, though I will try that step number seven anyway on the list.

[applepie]

laxatives do some nasty stuff to your system. Try prunes, licorice, grapes (as mentioned), beans and bran. If that stuff doesn't get you going, nothing will!