Constipation

[Veganite]

Hey Folks...

I know, not the most pleasant of topics. Here's the scoop...lol, no, not the poop, the scoop. So as a new transitioning vegan, I am eating a wide variety of foods. I am a culinary chef, so learning to cook vegan isn't too big a stretch for me. My problem is not all the rice and beans, as I'm sure you are all thinking. I do consume a fair bit of fiber during the day, but I also eat lots of fruits and veggies as well. In fact I eat many things to help promote healthier BM's. Why? Well, I've been suffering from chronic pain for a long time, and have unfortunately been on a narcotic for a long time. So long before I became vegan I was having troubles. So it would appear since going vegan the troubles seemed to have increased. I am lucky if I have one BM a day. I am beginning to feel lousy and bloated all the time.

Without writing down everything I eat, I will just say that I stick to a very strict vegan diet. I also don't use any oils. That said, I do eat nuts, seeds, avocados, etc, for a healthy whole foods dietary fat source. I also drink a lot of water, but because I am on blood pressure medication it affects water retention. I do my best to stay hydrated. I also eat kimchi and sauerkraut, daily. I do all the right things, but still I have trouble

So as you can imagine, I have lightened up on my fiber intake in fear of more troubles. The good news here is I expect to be finally free from the narcotic very soon. Hopefully by the months end, and after 14 long years, I might add. I am also hoping to eventually be free from my blood pressure medication too. I've lost some weight. I will get there, I am confident. This bloating isn't helping me though.

Any suggestions? I really have tried a lot of things, from lovely poop promoting teas to Chinese herbs. It has been a very serious problem lately though. I want to eat beans and fiber, but now I'm a bit reluctant.

 

[amberfunk]

Do you exercise such as walking? I've found walking helps with constipation and that was before I went vegan. It sounds like it's your narcotic and not your diet that is doing this to you. Eat smaller portions so you don't get as full the more you eat in one sitting the more uncomfortable you will be. Cut down on the carbs and have more veggies instead. Coffee sometimes helps if you like coffee.

 

[GTing]

There ARE fiber supplements you can easily get from a pharmacy. Back when I used to have almost no fiber in my diet, they worked REALLY well. I don't know if it's vegan though.....so.....

You COULD take a laxative, but my warning is that back when I used to take it, I used to use it instead of a fiber supplement. It turns out it's very dangerous to take laxatives for a prolonged period, primarily because they can severely affect the bacteria living in your (intestines?) that digest food. I had something called 'laxative addiction', even though it's not actually an addiction and you can drop it at a moment's notice, but its effect on your body is named such, and it CAN be lethal if you take it for a prolonged period. For reference, a prolonged period for me meant six months, so......yeah......stick to a fiber supplement instead of a laxative.

 

[Veganite]

Yes, exercise is daily, but because I am recovering from an injury, it's been minimal. I used to run between 25-35 KM a week. I think the years of excessive animal protein abuse helped degenerate my bones. So I do cycle everyday, weather permitting, or I will walk.

I am not looking to supplement with high fiber treatments. I have tried them before and they just seem to escalate the problem. Yes, I am also aware of the dangers of laxatives. I don't use them unless things are really bad for prolonged periods, and then I have been using Milk of Mag for that. It's about the only one that works well for me.

I am close to beating this narcotic addiction, if you want to call it that. I suppose that's what it is. I've been taking them for pain, as I mentioned for many years, but I have never once misused them. Being well aware of the dangers of addiction, I've been cautious. That said, it would appear I have developed a dependency despite my caution. So I am very close to beating it. We'll see how my body works after I am clean. I have a feeling things will get better.

By the way, I ate fruit all day for two days. That worked. Thanks for all your support and input.

 

[amberfunk]

Hope it gets better for you and it most likely will once you are off the pills. Keep at the exercise and eating more veggies and fruits.

 

[Benjamin Ehinger]

Most likely, it's a side effect of the drug. If you eat strict vegan, you get plenty of fiber and I certainly wouldn't cut back on it. It could also be stress, as stress manifests itself physically and often as constipation. My sister went through this (not a vegan) and tried everything you could imagine. Lasted nearly 30 days before she finally gave up, relaxed and it went back to normal because she relaxed.

 

[Veganite]

Good news! I'm almost 2 weeks narcotic free.

btw, I've tried many many techniques, relaxing, meditation, exercising, drinking tons of water, posture control, etc. The list was endless. It was the narcotics to blame. I'm already feeling 100% better than when I made this thread.

My GI track went through some cleansing over this period. As a result of the withdrawal, I've totally lost my appetite, so a small piece of fruit here and there for the last two weeks has cleaned me out. I'm now starting to sleep properly again too, which is refreshingly wonderful.

My appetite is slowly returning, finally, although it's not quite 100% yet. The insomnia is a very difficult part of withdrawing, but losing my voracious appetite was even more disturbing for me. I still feel some slight side effects from the withdrawal process. I guess that's normal, considering how long I was on them.

I will never understand what makes junkies relapse. I don't ever want to see another narcotic as long as I live.

Thanks for all your input, kind words, and encouragement.

 

[Benjamin Ehinger]

That's great to hear! Often, side effects of drugs can last for a while and really, side effects or withdrawal symptoms of anything. I remember when I cut out added sugar from my diet, it took like 3 weeks for everything to get to normal. Had headaches and other odd things going on, but the body is wonderful and clears everything up for us when we take good care of it!

 

[amberfunk]

Glad you're feeling better and on the track to recovery.

 

[Donald]

My doctor once told me "eat 2 kiwi a day" to prevent constipation.
Though if you are vegetarian, you shouldnt be constipated unless you are eating too much cheese.

 

[amberfunk]

My doctor once told me "eat 2 kiwi a day" to prevent constipation.
Though if you are vegetarian, you shouldnt be constipated unless you are eating too much cheese.

Actually eating a lot of cheese won't make you constipated. When I did eat cheese I ate a lot of it everyday and never got constipated from it.

 

[poivron]

Though if you are vegetarian, you shouldnt be constipated unless you are eating too much cheese.

I'm vegan, and I sometimes get horrible constipation. It happens at times of high stress, when I stop exercising and don't drink enough water. Drinking water and returning to running helps make things better within three days. I suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which tends to cause repeating cycles of mild diarrhea followed by mild constipation, as well as general bloating almost all the time.

 

[windrose]

Lots of water, regular exercise, lots of fruits, pineapple, try Kombucha tea and BTW Kimchi is not vegan, it has fish oils.