What do you do for colon health? (gross, TMI)
Around age 47, I started noticing that my body was processing stuff differently. Also started drinking Starbucks via coffee packets (1/2 of one per day) and a time of constipation started...and has been going on for several years now. I've stopped drinking coffee, but it hasn't changed. One DS had the whole encopresis thing many years ago, and it lasted many years...but he finally cleared up. My GP said that I should just use Miralax daily. When turning 50 last year and getting my first colonoscopy, they said I should do the 3 day clean out. Wow. It was great to lose all that. The GI doc noted I had a redundant colon but everything was fine. But it's been a year with daily miralax and semi-regular 4-6 dose events on some weekends, and things aren't getting better. Whenever I eat a meal, it pretty much stays with me until I have the multi-dose event. My pants don't fit because my tummy is shaped differently and bending is hard/uncomfortable.
I've asked my doc about it every time I've been there. I messaged online last week that I'd like a referral to a GI, but her nurse sent a message that I need to schedule an appt. We've talked about this 3+ times, so I'm frustrated that she wants me to come in again about it...but I guess that's all I can do.
In the meantime, what tricks do you guys have? I use the 10-strain probiotics, sometimes fiber gummies, sometimes prunes, most of the time 30 min of walking, and what I think is a lot of water. What other things should I be trying to get my system moving again on its own? It feels crazy to be so dependent on Miralax, with an occasional laxative pill to make things move.
What do you do for colon health? (gross, TMI)
I am 44 and have been slow my whole life. I have been gluten free at times as well (it was essentially required for about a two year span between the time I was 26 and 28, but when I got pregnant with DD1 a lot of the symptoms on IBS-C went away), but tbh even when I am gluten free I don’t feel great and still have issues with IBS-C and finding enough fiber and still having to take sugar free Citrucel so I usually eat some high fiber only bread and high fiber pasta (currently two slices of Dave’s Killer Bread thin sliced 21 grain bread or Oroweat’s version, but I prefer DKB). I have tried psyllium husks, Miralax (it gives me awful gas…..I know they say it isn’t supposed to, but for me it does…..I have never completed a full clean out because the gas pain is just too much). Within the last month I started taking Garden of Life Women’s 16 strain Probiotic (I accidentally took two of these a day for about 10 days because I didn’t read the canister right and boy did it kick things into high gear, but have since gone back to one a day), Thorne Calcium Glucarate, Smoky Mountain Naturals DIM, and a large spoonful of Citrucel. I have also taken Natual Calm as well and for a time I was seeing a faster move with that in my system but things had slowed back to down a month or two ago prior to starting the Calcium Glucarate, DIM, and the new probiotic I didn’t think it was working as well as it used to so I haven’t taken it in about a month and a half. I was taking 2 tsp.; I might need to up the dose again even though the suggested dose is 1.5 tsp. I also take a multi vitamins (right now it is iron free gummy multi vites because DD2 didn’t like them), VitaminC tablets 500 x2, Bluebonnet Evening Primrose Oil (1300mg), Pure Encapsulations Zinc, Jarrow Biotin, Carlson’s Vitamin D 4000iu, and Thorne Quercetin. I just added the zinc and the glucetin after Dh came down with Covid and it was recommended by a few posters here (from a list of vitamins to take to maybe avoid Covid). Since starting the Calcium Glucarate I feel less bloated and while I haven’t lost much weight my clothes are definitely fitting better especially in the stomach area.
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