constipation!!

[El Supremo]

my girlfriend/training partner suffers from severe constipation. ive just discovered she been using laxatives for a long time to help with this and im worried about the long term effects. she eats a healthy balanced diet and drinks loads of water, trains 5 or six times a week with me.
this seems to be a common problem for women as a lot of my ex girlfriends seemed to suffer from this as well.
i would appreciate anyones experience with this problem and overcoming it
thanks

 

[gymmum]

Has she seen a doctor?

 

[El Supremo]

Has she seen a doctor?

yes shes seen the gp who said it was due to diet but to be honest, the gps in england are pretty crap most of the time (as is the nhs in general) my previous girlfriend had it even worse. she went to hospital where they performed a procedure and stuck a camera up her backside to see if there was a problem and they found nothing. my sister who's a vegetarian and therefore eats loads of fibre also seems to suffer from this condition.

 

[gymmum]

It's quite common in women. I suffer regularly and my doc told me it was due to a lazy bowel. Slow to release so therefore becomes a build up.
Laxatives won't help this problem. I find when it gets to much I binge on stone fruit for a couple of days, that seems to help.
Has she tried a detox program?

 

[El Supremo]

i dont think so, although ive been training with her for over 6 months ive only been dating 6 weeks so dont know all her personal history (yet!)
i think my ex was diagnosed as having a lazy bowel but she never did find a solution
re the stone fruit, what sort do you eat and how much? is it effective?
appreciate the feedback

 

[gymmum]

All stone fruits are good. eg. mangos, peaches, necterines, apricots.
I would eat up to 6-8 pieces a day. Some people don't need that much it all depends on the person.

 

[El Supremo]

All stone fruits are good. eg. mangos, peaches, necterines, apricots.
I would eat up to 6-8 pieces a day. Some people don't need that much it all depends on the person.

thanks for the info, i'll pass it on.

 

[Sassy69]

Also wondering if there's any chance she has allergies, e.g. wheat or gluten?

 

[weightpro]

Tell her to try to eat lots of fruits such papaya and banana and also try to add some vegetables..green leafy vegetables

 

[bigthor012]

I myself have the same problem. I use to go a week, sometimes 2 with no "movements". My husband was worried.... so I finally spoke to the doctor about it and he told me to drink 1/2 cup apple & 1/2 cup orange juice mixed together. It works wonders. I have my 1 cup a day & it keeps me regular.A cup of coffee in the morning also helps.

With long term use, a person can become dependant on laxatives. I would tell her to try anything she could, to get off the laxatives. There is also a condition called IBS with constipation... which requires medication. If there is no natural solution to her constipation, she should discuss that with her doc.

 

[El Supremo]

thanks for all the replys. i had a chat with her last night and according to the doctor she has a lazy and extra long bowel! when i asked how they new this she said she had to drink something (barium meal??) and then they took an x ray. this was about 20 years ago so its an ongoing problem. shes worked as a dancer, aerobic instructor, personal trainer, she eats very healthy, she has tried all the various fruits to know avail however not sure about allergies. will suggest the half cup of orange and apple juice.
if any one has any more ideas please keep them coming because whilst i appreciate all the feedback ive got so far, it appears shes tried all of them and im worried about the continued laxative use.
thanks again

 

[HerselfThElf]

my girlfriend/training partner suffers from severe constipation. ive just discovered she been using laxatives for a long time to help with this and im worried about the long term effects. she eats a healthy balanced diet and drinks loads of water, trains 5 or six times a week with me.
this seems to be a common problem for women as a lot of my ex girlfriends seemed to suffer from this as well.
i would appreciate anyones experience with this problem and overcoming it
thanks

Has she tried anything with probiotics? Like Dan Active or Activia yogurt?
There are also probiotic supps you can take. It takes about two weeks, but then everything is back to normal.

Also, does she get sick a lot? Like colds, fevers etc? Does the constipation ever alternate with diarrhea? Ever any blood? Unexplained weight loss?
Exhaustion?

(Your intestines and stomach are responsible for about 70% of your immune system.)

Also, is she on a low carb diet? (Low carb is seriously bad for people with immunodeficiencies, endocrine disorders, diabetes and gastrointestinal issues.
Low carb diets can actually cause constipation.)

She should probably see a gastroenterologist regularly.

I hope this helps.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Making sure she gets enough fats also can help. Adding flaxseed to her diet might be a good idea.

 

[hoteacher]

Had this problem..BIG TIME...especially when preparing for my last three shows! I was eating about 2 lbs of broccoli a day and probably 50 grams of fiber and still having issues! I started taking PROBIOTICS, Tyler's Liver detox, and had an enema done and was a NEW PERSON! I now stay on the probiotics and liver detox daily and have the enema done monthy to rid myself of toxins. I walked out of that office feeling like a million bucks! Like her, I was taking laxatives and nothing was working!