The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Bran, Guar Gum, Molasses
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 02/25/2025
★★★★★
A third tsp unprocessed coarse bran, with around a quarter tsp or so of guar gum/or other such fiber in a cup of warm water, with an added pinch (or occasionally two) of Epsom salt, a little MCT or coconut or olive oil, and a tsp honey/molasses taken several times a day is helpful.
Small amounts of magnesium, even taking a larger dosage from time to time, but not every day, might be helpful.
Herbal remedies for constipation containing senna or other stimulant herbs stop working eventually. First, there is a need for higher and higher dosages and then even the higher dosages hardly work. Even taking high amounts of magnesium products like magnesium citrate over a long time (a year or so) will end up hardly working. And the body's natural peristalsis is damaged. Miralax is less habit forming, but it can cause nervousness (or anxiety or sleeplessness) in some people.
Fiber foods taken with a lot of water are helpful.
(There is an antibiotic - Erythromycin that has been shown to help severe constipation in children. https://www.scielo.br/j/bjmbr/a/NGMt3N7mkbn49xnzYB8mYYS/)
Avoiding/minimizing fried foods, too much protein, and refined and processed foods is important.
Coffee
Posted by SUNNY (Ca) on 02/03/2025
★★★★★
A poop Dr. on YouTube said that bloating is due to constipation. I agree. Coffee makes me go right away. I had major bloating and remembered I hadn't pooped regularly. I took one cup of coffee and cleaned my house to move around and like 20 minutes later has so much relief and pooped. Don't eat stuff that makes you stuck or gives you gas. But if you need it coffee is the best!!
Carrot Soup
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 01/13/2025
★★★★★
Carrot Soup for Infants and Adults with Acute or Chronic Intestinal Disturbances
Medical Council – A Monthly Journal for the Physican and Surgeon. Volume 15,1910
For infants suffering from acute or chronic intestinal disturbances, E. Moro highly recommends a soup prepared as follows : Five hundred grams of carrots are peeled, mashed and boiled out with water, until 375 grams remain. The mass is then rubbed through a very fine sieve and added together with 6 gm. Of salt to 1 liter of broth. This soup was given to infants from two weeks to six months old with the best results. In acute cases the vomiting and diarrhea will cease in from one to three days and the fever and general symptoms of marasmus will rapidly disappear. In the chronic affection and in infants suffering from atrophy the result is no less prompt, and a rapid gain in weight can be noted . The stools are soft, very copious, and yellow or reddish-yellow. One of the most pronounced results following feeding with carrot soup is retention of water within the system of the infant.- Muench . Med. Woch.
Carrot juice every day helps clear up constipation, premote loose stools, relief from piles, and kills worms in the intestinal tract. Kitchen Clinic Home Remedies for Common Ailments Pub. 2011
Dry Mustard in Water
Posted by Shal (Noida India) on 01/03/2025
Can you please tell which mustard seeds yellow or black and how much quantity and should I grind or not?
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by Dano (Ontario) on 01/02/2025
If your constipation is chronic, then I would suggest using the Ayurvedic herbal formula called Triphala. It is very well suited to long term daily use and its benefits increase with time to address more than just constipation.
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by A.M.S. (New York) on 01/02/2025
UPDATE: Stopped working as well when I had even a tiny amount of bread, such as on vacation. Hoping it still works when eating clean again. Read that ground flaxseed can also be a huge help, will add that to the mix.
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by A.M.S. (New York) on 12/17/2024
★★★★★
Lemon juice and olive oil worked! I have had issues for over 10 years and have tried everything - probiotics, enzymes, aloe vera, magnesium, psyllium husk. I eat healthy - oatmeal, fruit, greens, beets, etc. No bread or cheese, which stops all movement due to food sensitivities. Nothing has worked as well as Olive Oil and Lemon Juice in a WARM glass of water every morning. One lemon, 1-2 TBS of olive oil in a warm glass of water. I also take psyllium husk (powder or pill) which was not working on its own until I added the olive oil. The two together within the same day is the key for me. Additionally, the olive oil has helped lose some weight as a healthy fat. I am so thankful for this website.
Red Yeast Rice
Posted by Zander (Anytown, USA) on 11/05/2024
★★★★★
I learned about red yeast rice as an aid for high cholesterol. But the potential downsides of the substance I learned on this site made me decide not to take it, regularly. (Not to mention the "high cholesterol" criteria as per alopathic medical standards is suspect to begin with, at best.)
Still, I had a bottle of it and I kept it. I had noticed the few times I had taken it before I decided to discontinue its use, it had relieved constipation. I thought I would try it again as I was having this issue that had persisted for almost three days. And it did work! I'm not sure why, but it seems to work for me.
Celery Ginger Juice
Posted by Mary Anne Haskins (Marengo IL) on 11/01/2024
What's the combination ratio of celery stalks (juiced) and add to it what amount of ginger root?
Prune or Celery Juice
Posted by Danica (Boston, MA) on 10/12/2024
★★★★★
My mom always had prune juice in the house for those occasional bouts of constipation. I would image 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup would be plenty as it is very sweet.
The other thing that works like a charm is celery juice, but I find it less gentle than prune juice. You will be cleaned out, but the need to go can come on somewhat abruptly and with a vengeance.
I love this site and look for natural remedies for everything. Thank you, Earth Clinic!
Yellow Dock Tea
Posted by Amnon (California) on 10/03/2024
Did you use yellow dock flower, leaves or roots?
Probiotics
Posted by noel (merced) on 08/29/2024
yes, I am trying probiotics now, sometimes you need to get the correct strain for your gut. Probiotics also helps people with diarrhea cause by gut dysbiosis. Just a tip for readers - it can take up to 2 months or longer to repair gut biome so be patient and try different strains. You can also try kombucha, sourkraut, etc. Make sure to eat apples so you have some prebiotics for the probiotics to eat. Probiotics may work for IBS & crohns too.
Dandelion Root
Posted by Ashley (Santa Clarita, CA) on 08/01/2024
★★★★★
Constipation remedy:
Dandelion root and leaf tea works wonders.
Kvass
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 06/06/2024
★★★★★
Kvass, or fermented rye bread or beet water, helps lessen constipation.
A simple way to make this is just to place in a jar some dried out rye sourdough bread slices, (slices can be dried in the oven or even just on the counter). Add boiling water to fill the jar. One slice of the bread can be added later when the water not that hot. A teaspoon of salt can also be added to the mixture. Put a lid on the jar. (Maybe mix it every day.) After 3-5 days the water will have a pleasant tangy taste. (The bread can be removed after a day or two or earlier.)
This is not a professional kvass, which also has sugar or honey and some yeast added to it.
There is also beet kvass that is also helpful for many.
Resistant Starch + Wheat Bran
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 06/06/2024
Update.
The raw starch is not easy on the intestines.
Maybe, just using one fourth teaspoon (or a bit more) starch several times a week is enough. This together with some wheat or other bran.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Dena L. (New Orleans, Louisiana ) on 05/21/2024
★★★★★
I suffer from constipation so I started drinking more water, eating Raisin Bran cereal, taking calm magnesium powder, and making smoothies on my off days with strawberries and bananas with pitted dates and peanut butter. I make three cups to last me for three days. I have them with a chicken or tuna salad and cucumbers. I also drink kumbucha drinks twice a week. This eliminated my constipation.
Vitamin C
Posted by Chris (Binghamton NY) on 04/04/2024
★★★★★
If you have a stubborn case of constipation there is nothing like Vitamin C in a larger quantity.Something like a good teaspoon to however many it takes of powdered sodium ascorbate stirred into orange juice or another beverage will do the trick.I think it is less sour than plain powdered ascorbic acid, but you can use it as well.This is usually the bowel tolerance level when you cut back on how much you take for other ailments, but it works for constipation very well.You May feel a bit of rumbling inside and I advise staying close to the bathroom because it really works.
MSM
Posted by Marilyn (Kearney, NE) on 04/01/2024
Thank you so much Cindy for posting your results with MSM! I found it searching for a "mineral water" recipe thinking that my city tap water is probably "dead" of minerals. And that maybe I would feel better if I made my own mineral water. I just bought a little MSM last week, and thought maybe that was helping. But I only took about 1 tsp a day. Now I know I can take more! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Resistant Starch + Wheat Bran
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 03/20/2024
★★★★★
Resistant Starch such as Potato or Corn Starch w/Wheat Bran in Water for Constipation
Taking a little (start with a quarter teaspoon, then gradually increase the amount) potato or corn starch in water once or twice a day helps to increase good bacteria in the colon. This should be taken with some other fiber, such as wheat bran.
Studies have shown that taking this starch/water mixture increased the good bacteria in the colon. Still, the good bacteria weren't propagating throughout the whole colon. Adding a little (wheat) bran together with the starch effected that the good bacteria spread throughout the whole colon.
Senna Leaf Tea
Posted by Glen (Denver, CO) on 03/13/2024
★★★★★
Senna works for chronic constipation. I use a senna compound in table form. There are many to choose from (I use prunelax). One and half tablets a night along with 3 capsules of magnesium oxide works reliably. I also bought one of those "squatty potties."
All of these inexpensive remedies together work work wonders. I feel so much better now and don't worry as much about my diet.
Castor Oil and Triphala
Posted by koyal (Portland, OR) on 02/17/2024
★★★★★
I recently had a bad episode of constipation and trapped gas. It was really painful.
I first got a colonic which got a lot out. I highly recommend them, perhaps even every few months if you have digestive issues. They clear the junk out from years and decades ago along with shedding the related emotional baggage. I always feel incredibly lighter. Honestly, I think they should be an addendum to therapy!
After the colonic, I still had some trapped gas which hurt. I drank triphala tea along with herbal teas for a couple of days without eating much food.
But what did the trick for me was a tbsp of castor oil with the triphala tea at night. Early the next morning I was able to release everything.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. This site is super useful!
Castor Oil
Posted by noel (california) on 01/16/2024
★★★★★
I started experimenting with 1/2 Tablespoon castor oil, working my way up to 1 Tablespoon. it works when nothing else does, but takes 2-3 hours. It is a stimulant laxitive -i also like to take it with coffee to get things moving. Only caution is if you take too much it may cause slight tummy ache. I found the following info online (not sure if it applies to ingested castor oil, but I assume it should):
"Oftentimes, the gut contains pathogenic bacteria wrapped in biofilm. Biofilm is the gross, slimy protective layer bad bacteria can produce. Harmful bacteria produce biofilm to protect themselves from being eliminated or destroyed, making it hard to achieve balance in the microbiome.
However, castor oil can break down the biofilm barrier, allowing harmful bacteria to be eradicated from the gut and beneficial bacteria to survive. Since 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut, a balanced gut microbiome is key to a healthy, regulated immune system. This makes gut health the most important factor in healing and reversing autoimmunity."
Kiwi
Posted by Amelia (Westheimer) on 12/09/2023
★★★★★
I have had success with 1 kiwi and 1 or 2 tablespoons of yogurt right before I go to bed. It is the last thing I eat. When I wake up in the morning, I feel relief.
