Please help-I am suffering from constipation very badly

I am ok and then I am not ok. I go for days with out a bowel movement. And my stomach is really crammping. What can I do to make this problem go away.

First of all - are you drinking enough fluids? I heard recently from a naturopath that not only is it important to get in the 64 oz minimum - but that we need to sip it slowly throughout the day. If you drink to much at a time you just pee it out and it doesn't do much good. your cells and systems can't utilize the water in large qauntities and you dehydrate even if your drinking the 64 oz. Secondly - are you getting any fiber in your diet? I know I tend to focus on the protein and don't always get enough fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Good luck!

Sharon, I've had bowel problems since the beginning of post-surgery. I've been taking colace every day since and still I have difficulties. Just recently, I began adding citrus fruits back into my diet (a clemantine a day and they are so delicious!) and this seems to have helped a lot. Try this for a week: make sure you're getting everything you need -- healthy protein choices first, followed by a vegetable, at each meal (i.e., a little green pepper in your eggs or omelette for breakfast); have one piece of fruit every day; drink your water -- can't emphasize this enough, it's primarily responsible for "moving" things along; take a good, long, fast walk every day (I am up to 2 miles a day and I really notice the difference when I'm not walking). If, after a week, things have not improved for you, see your doctor! Keep us posted, ok? Take good care and God bless, Maureen

I went to my surgeon for my 9 month check up yesterday and talked to him about the same problem. Previously, I had been to my internal medicine dr. and she told me to take metamucil or some type of fiber, a stoll softener, and increase my liquids. My surgen agreed with increasing fiber and liquids, but said to stop the stoll softener immediately (Colace) because it causes you to have a lazy colon. He gave me a prescription for Miralax and told me to take it every other day. He wants me to go every 2-3 days instead of once a week.

Howdy! I don't know if this will work, but I've heard that eating sugar-free candy with malitol (sugar alcohol) as the sweeting agent sometimes gives them diarrhea. Not that you would want that, but it could possibly help get things flowing along. Just a thought, if the regular ways and other's suggestions don't work. Tata! CP

OK I am going to bore you to tears, but I taught a science lesson on this yesterday so I have to throw my two cents in. Because after WLS our stomachs don't produce acid, the food doesnt go through the pepsin in the stomach that dissolves protein molecules so the remainder of the digested materials are going to be exceptionally dry, unless an unusually high amount of water is consumed. OK now that youre totally bored with this explanation, long story shor****er!!!!