Constipation And Diarrhea

In my experience as nurse, I have seen many patients who were constipated and/or had diarrhea for quite a while. There are natural things that work to help. First, learn about the bowels. Did you know the colon is like another brain and keeps so many things in balance in the body? It makes serotonin...the neurotransmitter/hormone that makes you happy. When food leaves your stomach, it enters your small intestine which can be 40 feet long. While there, your pancreas secretes three enzymes to break your food down (fun fact). Have you ever seen someone vomit stool? I have. So that means the 6 to 8 feet of their colon and their long small intestine were all most likely blocked up. People can carry 40 pounds plus of stool in their intestines. Not good. Now, at the large intestine, the colon, water is absorbed from the stool back into the body. If we fail to drink much fluids, this can lead to some dry stool that sticks to the colon like a wet tongue to a frozen pole. Same idea. Sometimes when this happens, the liquids we drink are still able to go around it and then people think oh gosh, I have diarrhea. Now, if that diarrhea is treated to stop it you've just created A harder stool. No Bueno. Things to know about meds: miralax draws water into the colon from your body so drink extra fluids when you take it, senna stimulates your gut to move those bowel muscles and propel stool along the colon, docusate (Doss) draws water into your stool to soften it (kind of makes it like peanut butter).

So these all work together but if you have a brick it's best to soften it first before trying senna. So, if you can juice with only organic veggies and fruits it will fix so much! If you absolutely can't do it, here are some other ideas: yogurt smoothies with berries (just throw it in a blender with some juice or milk); oatmeal (who care if you love it if it will fix you right? Have a bowl a day of ONLY old fashioned oatmeal cooked for five minutes. The same way it slicks around in the bowl it will slickify your gut. What I use a lot in hospitals is warm prune juice with a little melted butter on top (can season w cinnamon or something if you like). Also, here's a good one: Have you tried power pudding? Take applesauce prune juice and Raisin Bran or another bran cereal and mix it in a bowl. Equal parts I think. Refrigerate. If too thin, add more bran cereal and let sit in fridge for a while until you have it like a pudding consistency. This will help regulate your bowels. I'm a nurse and this works great for my patients. The applesauce gives you soluble fiber, the feral is regular fiber, and the prune juice softens stool a little while the magnesium in it stimulates your gut muscles to propel stool along. Also, get your magnesium levels checked. All of us are chronically low on it and it keeps the guy working when we have good levels. Also, if you take tums or anything with calcium carbonate, consider stopping it as it constipated and causes kidney stones. If you take calcium, take ca citrate and get a good magnesium supplement not Mag oxide. Look up the types of magnesium and it will help you. Also, look up symptoms of high and low magnesium as well as calcium so you will know if your having these signs.

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Great information!! Thank you! I am taking Linzess, but without additional fiber supplement I get constipated, then have watery stools!!!

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