This is so embarrassing. It's been almost a week since, well...advice?
OMG so this is really embarrassing but I don't know what to do or think so I have to ask for some advice.
I have not had a BM in at least 6 days. And for days now, I've been very gassy. Just last night, I felt a heavy pressure in my lower abdomen and thought I was finally going to go. But that, uh, wasn't the issue. This happened two more times that night. No BM. There are three suspects:
1) Nutrisystem, either the content or quantity of food. I've completed 2 weeks of it though and the problem didn't seem to start with the diet. However, the food is quite small so maybe I'm expecting more in terms of BMs than I should be?
2) I've been sick. For nearly the past week, I think I've had the flu. I say "I think" because my doctor didn't really bother to seek a diagnosis and instead charged me $25 to let me suffer. My throat hurt so badly for the first 4 days that I couldn't drink anything cold, so I had almost no water because the pain was too intense. I imagine I'm dehydrated and that this only hurts my situation.
3) Me. My digestive system is on the slower end of the spectrum. Sometimes it needs a little help. It's sensitive to a lot of various foods, including vegetables and seemingly fiber sometimes, and my new diet makes it a point of including fiber. So maybe I, yet again, just need a little help... >.>
Any thoughts? I'd ask my doctor but, well, I don't want to. We've had this discussion before and she gives me generic answers. And the last two times I visited her while very sick, she failed to give me a diagnosis but didn't fail to charge my bank account so we will be parting ways.
Last edited by TheLibrarian; 02-23-2016 at 11:54 AM.
I swear by Miralax. It's not a stimulant and it's safe to take everyday.
It draws water into the colon to make it easier to go. Your body doesn't get used to it like a stimulant laxative and so your bowels won't get dependent and need more and more to be effective.
No, but not like this. BMs could be difficult, they varied a lot. I've never been this gassy for this long without a BM though. I mean, in the past week I've "gone" two or three times - as in teeny, tiny, barely there amounts. I've tried adding fiber and veggies before though and I did notice that an increase in fiber, while still at a "normal" amount as dictated by a doctor, did cause me distress. So I wasn't sure if I should be thinking it's the fiber content in the NS food or if it's the small size of the food. I can't be the only person eating the smaller portions, and I find it hard to believe I'm one of many who isn't going to the bathroom. =/
Drink as much water as you can stand and take some magnesium oxide. It's very cheap and it'll relax your system. I think fiber can have that effect if you're not used to it.
I've also been told Magnesium Citrate works as a laxative (no stimulant) by my Doc, but that's just another pill I would have to take and I doubt it would work for me. I tried Colace which is a stool softener and nada. I try to drink more water but for now it's large lattes every few days. Best laxative ever.
I've found warm coffee or tea to be helpful, too. If you're into herbs, maybe look into yellow dock? That's what I give my daughter when she gets bound up. And fluids fluids fluids.
Hiya Librarian, You mention having the 'flu. I sympathize the "dreaded lurghi" has been particularly miserable and wide spread this winter. Were you taking CoCodamol for fever or any kind of cough suppressant? I find that even small over the counter doses of codeine can bung me up for days, so that could be the cause. Fibre based laxatives and coffee are the way to go, as everybody else has been saying. If you have trouble with, or are trying to avoid, caffeine decaff also works. Best of luck
I've been taking Guaifenesin AC Cough. No idea what that is, haha.
Three cups of coffee deep. Woooo that's enough for me, haha. Downing more water. If this doesn't work, when the pharmacy opens back up I'll need to try one of the other suggestions offered here. Thanks everyone!
Just looked down over my NS order. Some of the things I eat most often have 5-10 grams of fiber in them. I'm altering that for some lower fiber options until I adjust, I'm gonna make myself blow up like this!
This is so embarrassing. It's been almost a week since, well...advice?
