Treating Constipation without drugs

CLEAN THE TOILET…

Best Cure EVER for constipation!!!  I kid you not!… oh wait maybe that’s Murphy’s Law?

It never fails, the same day I clean the toilet, I NEED to clean the toilet again.  (The same way that when smoking was allowed in restaurants, it never failed,  the second I lit a cigarette, my food would be delivered.)

Obviously just cleaning the toilet won’t FIX constipation, but I am trying to make light of one of the worst symptoms I deal with….MS and Constipation.

Does MS cause constipation?

YES, it can, and frequently does.  In addition to MS itself causing bowel issues, often the medications one takes to treat MS symptoms cause constipation as well.  (Yah fun!)….Not even a little….smh

Okay all sarcasm aside, Constipation, when left untreated can cause multiple, even life threatening issues.  I found this link from Mayo Clinic very helpful in providing information about causes and treatments for constipation.

I am not a doctor, so I can not tell you that one type of treatment will work for you versus another, but I CAN share what works for me, and you can talk to your doctor about trying it.   Power Pudding was recommended to me by a therapist, while I was going through Pelvic Floor Therapy. (I am not endorsing this clinic, but they have a good explanation about the therapy.)

What Is “Power Pudding”?

Power pudding is a natural homemade “treatment” for constipation that is frequently used in nursing homes and assisted living centers to help people find relief from constipation.

What are the ingredients for Power Pudding?

The recipe for “power pudding” is as follows: Combine the following, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

1 cup applesauce

3/4 cup prune juice

1 cup Cream of Wheat (uncooked)

3 tbsp ground flax seed

When I began using power pudding, I started with 3 tbsp, followed by a 16 oz bottle of water each day for 3 days.  If I didn’t find any relief after 3 days, I was supposed to increase the amount of power pudding I consumed by 1 tbsp for another 3 days.  (same amount of water).  The goal was to have a bowel movement the size and shape of a small banana every day….. I literally LOL at that.  (Considering “My Normal” ,was maybe once a week if I was lucky, and only after using an otc drug etc for a couple days I literally LOL’d.)  I thought for sure they were as full of shit as I was (pun intended)

Does power pudding work for constipation?

I began taking it “as directed” and had a bowel movement on the second day.  Nothing like this banana she spoke of, but holy shit…I shit!!!!!  On day three, I had another Bowel Movement, (still not the banana type she talked about)……

but having a BM 2x in one week had to be a record for me.  On day four, I increased the  “dosage” by another tbsp. and started having some kind of BM every day.  I am still “working it out”, but am so excited to finally have some relief I thought I would share. ( talking about poop, makes me feel like everything that comes out as an  innuendo)

The most full of shit I have ever been

21 Days without a Bowel Movement! No that’s not a typo– literally 21 days.  There are no words to describe the amount of pain I was in.  Phone calls to my doctors resulted in recommendations for OTC drugs and a referral to a Gastroenterologist.

Looking back I don’t understand why I wasn’t referred to the Emergency Room after the first week of trying their recommendations with no luck.  I chose to “self medicate” instead, taking 2 pain pills instead of one. ( making the whole problem even worse)…muttering something about hindsight.  By the 21st day, I did end up in the Emergency Room and subsequently admitted to the hospital for a week.  I am going to skip talking about the whole “cleaning out process” for now, but it did give new meaning to the phrase, “the shit hitting the fan”.

I know that the tone and language used in this entire post is sarcastic, that is how I deal with talking about difficult situations.  Most people don’t talk about “pooping” on the internet, but because constipation can be deadly, I thought it important to share a tool that I have found to help.  If you are suffering from constipation whether or not it is because of MS, don’t suffer in silence….talk to your doctor, talk to someone and realize there is help available.  I know that it’s an uncomfortable subject to talk about, but the consequences of doing nothing are way more uncomfortable.

LINK to MY HISTORY  (future)