Staying "regular" on the weekend .... hot water and oat bran ain't cutting it

Dried Apricots

[quote] All my life, I've found it hard to maintain my weekday 7 a.m. constitution

Forcing yourself to shit on a schedule your entire life is the problem. The 'daily fiber supplements' you're taking used to be referred to as LAXATIVES in medical textbooks, I'm not sure if that's changed. Despite what the brand selling you this product says, overuse of these can cause bowel issues and constipation like you're having.

Prunes

Magnesium citrate tablets. It's good for your muscles too.

Sugar-free Gummi Bears!!!! A whole bagful!!!!

Bobby Brown used to help Whitney by digging it out with his fingers. Suggest it to your partner!

A large cup or 2 of very strong coffee.

Move your body more. Being a slug on the couch leads to sluggish bowels.

Miralax. It doesn't add bulk to your stool but rather water to your colon. It's an osmotic, not a laxative.

And a whole new way to shit.

Any magnesium compound will induce volumes of H2O in your bowel, which, if you’re sitting uprite, will induce BM. Stay away from sodium, drink lots of water, and do some activity like situps, bicycling, vacuuming the floor, whatever, that involves pushing and pulling and a modicum of effort. Fiber actually will bind you up if a lot of water isn’t included along with it. Get moving, don’t worry and clench up!

And sometimes nothing works. Your body is just not ready to let go yet.

SCAT TROLL ALERT!!!!

Kashi Go Lean cereal really works for me, it has 52% of your requirement of fiber. I had that problem every day of the week and had it most of my life, taking fiber or even laxatives just didn't help much. Only the red box has 52% fiber the other varieties have much less. I add some raisins and some golden raisins, just because I like raisins in my cereal which increases the fiber even more.

Miralax a capful a day. tasteless, odorless colorless - mixes with any beverage.

OP, the weekend thing is pretty typical for a lot of people. Your body is just taking a "rest". Why is it a problem if by Monday morning you're back to regular schedule?

I haven't had a solid bowel movement in over a year.

Why be so concerned about your weekend BM's? You can't turn your bowels on and off like a light switch. Find out what keeps you regular EVERY day. Some foods will constipate you, and can differ among people, you have to learn to compensate for them. Adjust your diet accordingly.

And please, NEVER strain for a BM, you're asking for trouble if you do.

Never underestimate the value of being well-hydrated. It's important not only to keep your electrolytes in balance, but also helps lubricate your guts and keep moving things along. If food is like putting gas in an automobile, then water is like maintaining sufficient oil to keep all parts from seizing up. Water also is necessary to keep fiber from turning to "concrete" in your intestines.

As noted above, prunes are good and a great source of fiber, which will help you to achieve your goal. I put chopped prunes in my twice-weekly serving of oatmeal, and I must say that it certainly helps(along with a daily serving of plain kefir) to promote good, unstrained at BM's.. Our grandparents knew the value of prunes, and many people ate them back in the day. Diners had them on their daily menu, it was easy to get a serving of stewed prunes or a glass of prune juice, if you had a meal away from home. Prunes became the "comical" fruit, and jokes abounded. Sales dropped so much over the years that SunSweet stopped calling them prunes, and actually referred to them merely as 'dried plums' in order to stop the smirks and side-eyes.

There was a patent medicine, BITD, called 'Fletcher's Castoria.' The TV commercial had a concerned mom trying to figure out how many prunes to give to a family member who needed a little help. "Is two enough? Is six too many?" Naturally, the medicine solved the dosage question. I'm sure some of my fellow eldergays will remember the ad.

When your partner says to go into the bathroom for an hour or more, he really means for you to get the fuck away from him for a while.

As others have said, only go when you really need to go

Don't fucking worry about it.

I guess I don't get why someone would have a different bowel movement on the weekends. Like, are you eating or drinking something different on Fridays or Saturdays? Someone explain, I've never heard of it.

Also, don't sit on the toilet for an hour, you can get hemorrhoids.

Aloe Vera gel (mix with water) and fruit. Lots of fruit.

I ate Kashi Go Lean cereal for awhile and it does "work" very well. Problem was the gas it caused. Almost unbearable. Googled it - because it was so obvious - and it seems to be a common problem.

But if it doesn't affect you that way, the stuff is great. And even tastes good.

I Second the Miralax. I have IBS-with Constipation. My GI doctor said it is not an addictive laxative, it just balances out the moisture in the colon. Anyway I don't take it every day, but I do take it two or three times a week. I also take a good probiotic every morning and make sure you're getting enough fiber, drinking a lot of water, every day all day long, and move around. Being sedentary is a problem. So that's it. And honestly if you don't go every day you're fine. When you get in a situation like I was where you were stuck and couldn't go fo five days, that's a problem. And remember, sometimes somethings work for a while and then they don't. I'm referring to the probiotics. I can take a particular probiotic for maybe 6-7 months or a year or two and then suddenly it doesn't work any more. But OP, you don't really have a major problem.

I take a big dose of Metamucil every day in the afternoon - I eat lunch & dinner but I’m never hungry in the morning. I’ve had hemorrhoids since college - (I get them removed about every 10 years with rubber banding) so soft and easy to pass is important. For a long time I used pure psyllium from the health food store -but it doesn’t dissolve well in water - Metamucil does. Take 2 tablespoons in 16 ounces of water & then drink another glass of water. Works like a charm.

Pure for men. You shit regular and are ready to get fucked at the drop of a hat.

yogurt for dessert every night.

italians say to eat the salad at the end of the dinner for this reason, i believe. at any rate, leafy greens can't hurt.

Two pots of coffee per day every day.

Keep track of your food, water, and activity for 7 days to see what’s different about the weekends. I believe you can train yourself to shit on a fairly regular basis. For optimal bowel health you should have a bowel movement after every meal. Normally, I go in the morning, after lunch and in the evening. Working from home, I am eating less and my schedule is off. I used to feel the need to take a shit when I got home from work at night, like as soon as I pulled into the driveway whatever time it was my body knew it was a home shit.

Fruit for dessert the night before. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries have always helped me along. You can also roast/bake fruit for a nice dessert.

I second the exercise notion. When you move, your G.I. moves food stuffs down through your system at a faster rate. Also, the day after doing an ab work out I would have the best BM. Crunches are your friend!

Why do you care? Go when you body tells you to go instead of scheduling performances. If you don't have anything better to obsess about than taking a shit, good for you, I guess.

It's not as easy as "don't strain" or "go when your body tells you". My body often feels like I have to go but the motility is not there. So I'm always bloated and uncomfortable if I "can't" go.

I never had to worry about this. I never gave regularity a second thought. I just went when I had to go. But somewhere along the way - and I think it at least had something to do with the amount of prescribed drugs I was taking - my body and stomach and intestines just went wack. IBS they told me since none of the tests showed anything (lucky for me, I guess.)

I had to train my body and I have to eat a lot of fiber. The issues are still not resolved, but it's better.

Many people seem to think that some of these issues - such as IBS - are phony. Trust me please. They are not. Something changes in your body and it's not always in the mind.

Getting old really does suck.

I used to work for a surgeon who, among other things, operated on bowel obstructions. He saw a lot of patients complaining about irregularity - I remember one woman he said had worn callouses into her thighs where she leaned her elbows during her daily two-hour session on the toilet every morning. She wasn't bored: she said there was a phone in there and she always brought the daily paper or a magazine with her.

The doc told her and a lot of other patients that there is no "normal" for bowel movements: some people have three a day, some people have one every three days. Sufficient fiber, water, and a healthy diet were key. He said then-older people (this was the 1970's, so people who were young during WW I) were victims of the poor diets people had then - too much fat, too much bread, too much meat, and not enough water or fiber. And too many of them, he said, had become addicted to chemical laxatives from which it was hard to wean them.

Don't worry about it.

OP did I ever tell you about that long ass turd I shat out a few weeks ago? Anyone want to hear?

I am back on the Metamucil mobile and its so liberating. Read R24 for instructions!

R34 are you the the one who held it and held it and held it while with friends ?

BRT has to poop.

R32 prescribed medication will definitely mess with your regularity. Try to find a laxative that works for you. Like Metamucil. Talk to your doctor first about it. It is important to note if your stool is hard, soft, formed, loose, etc.... You can learn things about your body through your stool. Maybe this book can help you. Good luck.

R16 You're full of shit!

I always had problems since I was a kid. I found out my dad had the same problem. He used prunes.

I my case more fiber less meat, especially fruit. Lots of water.

I am cured

R38

Thank you. I've been dealing with this for over two years now. There isn't any product that I haven't used or experimented with. Somehow I've come up with some combinations - including changing a probiotic - that have lessened to something manageable the intensity of the gas and bloating and pain I used to experience. Maybe even the passage of time has helped.

But I did stop taking every prescription medication for a while and have slowly added some back at different strengths. Some I've eliminated completely. This would be O/T and could use its own thread, but everyone really needs to be more aware of and concerned with the amounts and types of prescription medicine they are taking. All of those drug lists that doctors require when you sign in? I don't know why they ask for the lists because - and I know it was ultimately my responsibility - not one of them looked at the damn list and said "whoa - we need to take a look at what you're taking and whether they are working together or working at odds with your body."

But that's another thread.

Thanks, again.

"Metamucil mobile"

R35 I currently use Verizon, after switching from AT&T

R36 no that was not me.

R34 I bet you felt wonderful after!

For you guys complaining about the discomfort of gas, have you tried Beano? I have been using it for at least 25 years and it always works a treat. I felt the need for it after I had my gall bladder removed. Don't know if that had anything to do with the commencement of my problem, or it was merely a time coincidence.

As we age, the gut enzymes(?) that would normally take care of the bacteria that produce the gas either simply aren't there anymore, or are in much reduced numbers so as to be useless for the job. Beano has a seafood base, so if you have an allergy or are vegetarian or vegan, you should be aware of this fact.

[quote] For optimal bowel health you should have a bowel movement after every meal.

Holy crap! Seriously, that doesn't make sense, since it tales well over 24 hours to move through your digestive tract.

[quote] I second the exercise notion. When you move, your G.I. moves food stuffs down through your system at a faster rate. Also, the day after doing an ab work out I would have the best BM. Crunches are your friend!

Can anyone cosign for r30? Because I can do crunches if it helps with regularity.

R46 you’re not eliminating what you just ate but rather keeping things moving along after each big meal.

I have a family history of colon cancer and have had colonoscopies since age 40. My GI doc said the most important things are to get enough fiber and water every day, to keep your weight as low as possible within a healthy range, and to shit after every meal.

I track my fiber intake on My Fitness Pal app and when I don’t get enough I mix up a glass of Metamucil.

Intestinal motility is a problem, and it's definitely affected by medications you take. I have suffered from IBS-C for decades, without it having a name. We tried everything. Special diet, Metamucil, etc. Now that I'm older I also worry about obstructions. And believe me they can happen to anyone, but especially if you're over 50. It's really important to make sure you know what your daily diet does to your intestinal health. I know red meat, processed foods and sweets, like desserts, cookies pies candy cakes, etc all make my stool harder. Eating too much white flour bothers me, bloats me. Certain kinds of beans are great, other not so much. Fruit has to be handled carefully. I can eat cantaloupe but not watermelon. I can eat nectarines but not peaches. I eat Granny Smith but not Gala apples. etc. I have juggled and experimented with my diet for years. But as I posted earlier, I take Miralax a couple times a week. I'm using a probiotic that works, I take Metamucil, drink plenty of water, and exercise. If I get sluggish I'll take Pericolace, stool softener. It's a chronic medical condition and it has to be managed. I also got a great anti spasmodic medication which has help to control the monstrous terrible attacks of spasms and cramps that would send me to my knees. I hope all of this helps. IBA is definitely real, and Intestinal Motility is a genuine concern.

R49

Thanks for sharing. I understand completely.

Anyone else experiencing this, I encourage you to take detailed notes of what you eat and when, and how your body reacts. Very detailed, all day, every day. It's the only way you can determine precisely what works and doesn't, as R49 has explained. Because it can be as simple as the difference between two different melons. And no medical person I've consulted has any answers.

One told me I'd get better once Trump was gone, which is amusing, not helpful, but probably true to at least some small degree. Because stress is a contributing factor in these types of digestion problems. Not the answer, but definitely involved.

There is also information available about the Brain-Gut Connection.

r32, try a whole food, plant based diet with no oil for 30 days and see if that helps. My friend suffered for several years with GI problems and the doctors could not figure it out. She went plant based, no oil and was back to normal.

Doesn’t depression contribute to irregularity?

R49 here. I'm sure stress doesn't help, but I took early retirement (with a package) 6 years ago and I truly don't have too much stress. I think the motility problem is one of the main factors with constipation and it can be genetic, at least that's what my GI Doc said .

R25 Pure for Men made me like clockwork with a very ‘clean’ process. It’s a total rip off though. I was able to make the powdered version by buying and mixing the basic ingredients. Their mark-up works out to be around 15x.

Pro-biotic. I use Culturelle, every day. It's perfect.

Try these.

OP, this is quite simple. Start slowly and find out what works for you. I have a redundant colon where it's created extra loops, I suddenly had problems I never had before two years ago. Try this first:

Increase your water intake x 4 and take one of these at bedtime. The end.

Try two Taco Bell Burrito Supremes to induce explosive shitting.

I find a lot of fiber suggestions don't actually make me go. They're useful in forming a nice log resulting in a very comfortable movement but if I want to go every morning, I have to ensure I get a certain type of fiber. For the most part, soluble fibers form logs, certain types of insoluble fiber actually make me go. The best is wheat bran, I try to have 2-3 tablespooons every day to keep regular. I used to buy Bob's 8oz bag at the local store but it went missing during lockdown. I ordered from nuts.com and got enough to tie me over for a couple of years. The bran flakes are super light and are easy to add to baked goods, yogurt, ice cream, etc. Other foods that work for me are popcorn and coconut.

I also take magnesium after dinner. Before the wheat bran, magnesium worked somewhat but resulted in diarrhea sometimes. With a combo of mag and wheat bran, logs (almost) every morning. I don't have constipation by medical definition but my system is really fiddly--any change to the routine and I skip a day. It really bothers me if I skip a day even though I know the medical advice is that it's not a big deal.

r54 please share the basic ingredientes

What a stupid thread!

You're not alone, OP. I started taking Magnesium, Benefiber, Smooth Move tea. I had to resort to buying an enema bottle. Getting food poisoning helped.

R60: here’s my recipe. I buy these four ingredients in equal amounts and mix the powders. Psyllium husk powder, flax seed powder, black chia seed powder, and aloe vera leaf powder. It’s a balanced blend of soluble and insoluble fiber with the aloe vera acting as a softener and lubricant. I mix 3 grams twice a day (around a teaspoon) in a big glass of water. Like I said, it works out to 1/15th the price. If you have a dry blender to make flours, you can save even more buying everything in whole form and processing yourself.

Big differences on types of Magnesium. Mg Malate is good for mineral absorption. It makes me sleepy, so I take it at night. Mg Citrate is the kind you want for a laxative. It’s what people usually take in massive doses to clean out before a colonoscopy for example with products like Citra-Mag.

Magnesium