Re: 22 y.o. severely constipated

Hi there, I really feel for you, we are in the exact same situation!
I am 22 and in my final year of college as well, so I know how stressful it can be...I have suffered badly with constipation for the past year or so. The only thing that seemed to work were harsh chemical laxatives like biscadoyl, which gave me severe abdominal pain and diarrhea for the whole morning and then left me constipated again by night time. I've experimented with lots of different things, and I've found something that seems to work for me...

Day 1

Take a spoonful of powdered psyllium husk in water or juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Follow up with plenty of fresh water. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water throughout the day. Have thin porridge, soup or broth for meals, but no solid food. Take the psyllium husk drink twice more during the day. Before you go to bed, drink a couple of cups of laxative tea. What I do is pour boiling water onto six or seven whole dried senna pods (available quite cheaply from health food shops). Your stomach will feel gurgly at this point, maybe even a bit more bloated, but it will be worth it.

Day 2

In the morning, before you've eaten or drunk anything, use a salt water flush. Everyone seems to say a quart of warm salt water but i find it hard to drink more than a pint (half the amount) and that's enough. Drink the pint of warm water with two teaspoons of salt, followed by a glass of water to take the taste away and flush you out. Try not to puke ;-) Massage your lower abdomen and within an hour or so you should feel the urge to go. It doesn't give me diarrhea but it can happen so be aware, and don't try it if you have to run straight off to class! Also, i find if you crouch over the toilet instead of sitting on it, that can help. And keep trying - don't strain, but be aware you might have stopped noticing the signs for when you want to go. Again, stick to soup etc for the rest of the day to be kind to your tummy, and keep drinking the senna tea.

This is the routine I've developed, it's what works for me, I've just taken bits from everywhere and come up with what I think is a safe and effective way to deal with constipation.

I hope this helps, good luck hon x Tweet