For context, I'm the type to need 5-6 laxative pills instead of 1-2 to get any action. I can drink senna tea like it's lipton, and nothing happens. My blood is 50% artificial sweeteners; ace k, aspartame, sucralose, erythritol, allulose, and monkfruit are consumed daily, none of them give me the squirts. Miralax, phyllium husk/metamucil, Citrucel, they barely give me any results.

I think I hit the trifecta this morning -

1 big cup of coffee, which usually doesn't have an effect on me, but on rare occasions it get things moving.

3 fresh plums. It's been years since I've had plums and they were on sale. Plums + coffee was my breakfast.

Big serving of black bean soup for lunch. I eat beans daily and they've had absolutely no effect on my bowels, until just now.

The only new addition to my diet was the plums, and I've shit 7 times this morning. My colon hasn't been this empty in ages.

*see picture* has anyone been this swollen due to constipation? This is almost unbearable so much pressure.

Also has anyone experienced other parts of the body swelling, such as legs/feet?

I'm going a tiny bit the past 2 weeks, it's basically individual hard rocks.

I took Mirafast chew on Sunday. Another half a Mirafast chew yesterday. A cup of hot Senna tea a few hours ago. I've had 2 very small bm's that seem to be a bit more hydrated but still hard rocks.

Had an episode of constipation and this I may have strained more than I should have as by this point it was frustrating me and I wanted it OUT.
Anyone strained really bad and move around a lot? Like shuffle side to side, front back?

Worried I’ve given myself a prolapse now because I definitely think I pushed too far.

How long do you all strain for? Think it was easily 10 minutes! Fed up of this now, think I’d rather not eat than worry about it all the time.

I was already taking magnesium, eating plenty of fiber, etc., etc. But amla made a huge change in eliminations, no longer a struggle.

I’m experiencing chronic constipation again after 8ish years of not dealing with it. For context, I’m 25, and when I was 14-17, I dealt with SEVERE chronic constipation. I would go 3 weeks without going after trying Miralax, Dulcolax, Ex-Lax, etc. Enemas barely worked. I got diagnosed with IBS, but the colonoscopy was normal. I ended up getting colonic treatments as a last resort, which worked but always made me feel so bloated and sick, and it was obviously only a temporary fix. I also had an eating disorder throughout these years, and as I started recovering, my constipation naturally improved. I still took stool softeners nightly for a few years until I rarely ever had constipation.

Since then, I’ve dealt with occasional constipation, especially while traveling, but it hasn't been chronic, and it usually resolves on its own or with laxatives. About 3 weeks ago, I started getting constipated again and only going about once a week after several days of Miralax, other laxatives, & stool softeners. I’m honestly really scared I’m going to be chronically constipated again. I recently moved across the country, and I’ve been fairly stressed trying to figure out my work situation, but I’m definitely not as stressed as I was in my previous job, and I was going regularly then… My diet is pretty much the same as it was before I moved. The only thing I can think of is that I had to quit all 3 of my medications because my health insurance got canceled and I ran out. One of them is birth control specifically for endometriosis. I was diagnosed with endometriosis in 2023, and my surgeon found endo on my rectum, so that could maybe be related to the constipation. My new health insurance starts this month, so I’m working on finding doctors so I can get back on my medications. In the meantime, I would appreciate any advice! I’m currently taking Miralax, a stool softener/laxative combo, magnesium, and colon cleanse pills daily, and I’m still only going about once a week. I’ve also started eating at least 1 kiwi daily, and I eat avocado and broccoli at least a few times a week. I’m thinking about trying Psyllium Husks/fiber capsules or Amla capsules, but I don’t want to keep buying things unless I’m confident they’ll work.

I'm slowly identifying what type of foods help me. And only eat those. Sooo farrrrr soo good! Having a BM everyday, sometimes 2-3 times. Soft, toothpaste type of shits. (I'm glad 🥹).

But the issue here is, i can't identify the urge. I sometimes feel like i have to shit, go and sit on the toilet and boom, there's nothing. I'll give it a minute or two and suddenly there's a small pebble coming down 🚶🏻‍♀️ it doesn't come down or go in, stays here, i try not to strain, but it doesn't even move 🫠 once it falls, i expect to bleed or see a rock, but man that's soo soft looking shit 🫩

I leave and go for a walk for 30mins. But there's a constant "full, aching and burning feeling due to poop.???

I'll try again, boommm, there's everything coming! With zero pain!! wdym it was all soft and type 5 stool, but wasn't coming out before?? And now even with the soft stool, i end with a lot of ache inside 🫩

Is it me not identifying the urge properly and straining even if the poop isn't ready to come out? or is it slow motility? A lot of fibre?

Whatever it is, it's eating me 😭

(Sorryy for the bad english, English isn't my first language 🚶🏻‍♀️)

I had a lung operation 7 weeks ago and I’ve not been right since on and off. My stomach was making crazy sounds, I started going fine so just thought my stomach needed to calm down. But just this last week it was going even more crazier, it even woke me up in the night one night! I went to the doctors and he didn’t seem too concerned just said take laxatives.

For the past week I’ve started with stomach cramps above my belly button, it is on and off and I’d say mild pain. Then my stomach sounds have nearly completely stopped? Yet all this time I am still going to the toilet but it’s not much. I’ve taken Laxatives for 3 days and the little that I am going is now soft (I’m guessing that’s the laxatives) yet I was expecting I’d go normally yet it’s a small amount. I am eating loads still and just hardly anything is coming out. I’ve been twice today with just a bit each time. I am also still passing wind, but again I normally pass more.

I am worried I’ve got a small blockage and I will need to go to the hospital? I fear about losing my job if I need more time off. I’ve just had 7 weeks off and I got a promotion just before I had the time off. I can’t afford to not be at work right now. Does this sound bad or do I need to be patient? I’ve never been like this in my life.

Is it normal to have weeks where it works and weeks where it doesn’t? It worked for my first week and I had to pause, but now it’s on and off. I’m back on it for 11 days now and have some good days and some bad, but the bloating hasn’t gone away like it did the first time..

There are cases of constipation associated with dysautonomia, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that can be investigated by testing for various antibodies. Has anyone here been tested for these antibodies to see whether dysautonomia might be the underlying cause of their constipation?