Easy Home Remedies for Constipation Relief

Epsom Salt

Posted by Lightbelly (Uk) on 02/12/2018
★★★★★

Hi- am reporting in that Epsom salts (ES) are the stars - had tried Senna tea, fibre, flax seed, water, lemon etc etc but to no avail. Had trouble locating it - pharmacies in the UK don't seem to sell the raw ingredients any more, and when it finally arrived (ebay) I tried it and nearly threw up. This was probably from having done maybe too many liver cleanses and developing an aversion to the taste. Thanks to EC - someone had suggested putting some lemon juice to hide the taste (why didn't I think of that?! ) and it really did the trick - a few drops of lime juice and no ew before bedtime. The morning relief is amazing, I'm sleeping again and the tension has gone, I feel lighter, more vital and ready to take action!

Water

Posted by Search4truth (Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Philippines) on 09/23/2017 1 posts
★★★★★

I have tried numerous constipation remedies to create daily bowel movements as part of a detox protocol, but nothing worked consistently.

Until I read about drinking 1 liter of filtered water first thing in the morning when I woke up. It worked. After drinking my morning liter of water, I'll have an easy bowel movement usually within an hour or two. Sometimes just minutes. It used to be days. I don't know if the type of water is a factor, but I drink filtered mountain water where I live.

I do also have chronic health problems often characterized as Fibromyalgia which may be of some consequence.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Rene (Idaho USA) on 08/12/2023

"Die off" refers to when a "pathogen" (the broad word to describe any microbe, worm, candida, mold, etc.) is killed. often that pathogen will be a host to other pathogens, so when the host is killed, the pathogens that it supported will die and all these dead pathogens have to be removed by our body. Sometimes this can make us feel sick, flu like. Our kidneys and liver have to work hard to cleanse our body of all this yucky waste. It helps ALOT if we drink extra water and remain "regular" in the bathroom by whatever means necessary (enema, fiber pills, even laxatives for a short time). as always, try to "put the good stuff in (healthy food) and get the bad stuff out". Thank you E.C.!! This sight is refreshing and helpful.

Yellow Dock Tea

Posted by Sis Morgan (Monterey, Ca) on 11/15/2012
★★★★★

Yellow dock has worked for a chronic constipation problem where all other remedies failed. I had tried magnesium, and although this at first worked, it failed to work with repeated use. Likewise, a concerted try of psyllium powder did not produce the intended result. I had read about yellow dock in a Chinese herbal book and its wonderful, reliable effects for constipation, and read many testimonials in the book about the herb. I began to drink a tea of yellow dock at night. Results in the morning were immediate. The best part is that it has continued to work! I can now drink this tea every evening and go to bed knowing with certainty that I will have a bowel movement the next morning. It doesn't matter what I have eaten or even the amount of water I have drank during the day, the results are always reliable.

I have suffered from constipation for many years and this is a godsend remedy. You can buy yellow dock tea online for steeping or make your own tea from the dried root. I put about two teaspoons of yellow dock root in a metal tea strainer and pour boiling water over it and allow it to steep until the tea is a rich yellow tan. Begin with small doses for best results and work up to the dose that gives you results. Some people have to drink more than a cup a day for chronic problems. If you take too much yellow dock you can have intestinal cramps, so begin slowly for best results.

If you have had chronic constipation for many years with no help from the usual remedies, I highly recommend yellow dock tea. It has been a miracle herb for me. If the flavor is too bitter, mix some molasses with the hot tea. It's delicious!

Dietary Changes

Posted by Elaine (Edmond, Oklahoma, Usa) on 06/21/2012
★★★★★

I have been constipated for years. I either take Metamucil or take magnesium. I cut back on the mag because it is hard on the kidneys. I haven't really eaten watermelon in years. I bought a melon two weeks ago and oh my gosh. As long as I eat some watermelon every morning a goose has nothing on me. It worked for me.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Laura (Houston, Texas) on 12/17/2011
★★★★★

I have had terrible constipation for as long as I can remember (I am 42). I always thought myself lucky to go a maximum of 4 times per week. I have tried eating more fiber, drank gallons of water, followed blood type diet for a year, exercised, used ACV & EVCO, all with limited success. Well, my "cure" as it turns out was to drastically increase the amount of raw fruits and veggies in my diet. Now you can set your watch by me! I still fully cook ground beef, poultry & fish (except sushi), but I eat a minimum of 3-4 whole fruits and 4-5 raw veggies a day. I've also begun drinking kefir. Give it a try!

Molasses

Posted by Gavin (Manganui, Northland, New Zealand) on 05/01/2011
★★★★★

As a suggestion if you take a teaspoonfull of blackstrap molasass a day, you will find your problems will end.. Plus the eradication of any hemorrhoids over a few days. Put it in your mouth and wash it down with fruit juice.

Flaxseed

Posted by Suzanne (Abbotsford, Bc) on 03/10/2010
★★★★★

When travelling, my daughter had problems with constipation, as many do. I had a lot of ground flaxseed along, so she ate a dessert bowlful for her cereal that morning, and voila! Problem solved. It IS important to drink lots of water with it, though.

Apple Juice, Warm

Posted by Angel (USA) on 07/11/2008
★★★★★

I was bloated swollen, there was pain in my upper left rib cage, all the way around my back. I went to the ER thinking it was my gallbladder, thank God that it wasn't. I was told that I needed to poop! I was given magnesium citrate..it took almost 2 hours to work and it didn't bring out the beasts that were within me. I called my little brother who insisted that I try some apple juice. I took out a mug and filled it with apple juice and warmed it in the microwave. About an hour and a half later, I was on the free of poop list. It worked wonderfully. Left me feeling sluggish but well worth it. I'll continue to drink a cup of warm apple juice once a week to keep myself regular. I loathe medications, so this natural remedy is what I recommend.

Bentonite Clay

Posted by Joyce (Glasgow, Scotland) on 03/29/2008
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I digested Psyllium and Bentonite clay for a colon cleanse. This was to ruin my whole life and caused immediate gastritis and triggered rosacea/rhinophyma. The onset of symptoms was abrupt, immediate and extremely severe. I now have blepharitis and meibomitis as a result.

I was very stupid and digesting this product has ruined my whole life. DO NOT TAKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

Baked Apples

Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 01/18/2022
★★★★★

For several days in a row, eating a diet of mostly, or only, baked apples can help for cleansing the body and for relieving constipation.

The apples should be eaten with the peel. (Before baking, they can be scrubbed a bit with a food wash or even dish soap, and then rinsed well, to lessen preservatives on the peel, since the peel should be eaten.) The apples, Cortland cooking apples, can be baked with olive oil drizzled onto the apples and also some spices such as nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon, but without added sugar. Since cinnamon can be constipating for some people only a pinch or so should be added per apple.

The apples can be baked at around 425 degrees Fahrenheit, for about an hour and a half or more. If the apples are baked until the inside starts to caramelize and turn brown, the apples will be sweet even though no sugar was added. (Even regular apple sauce can be simmered very slowly for several hours without added water or sugar. If the apples are good quality cooking apples, such as Cortland apples, the applesauce will be sweet.)

In the writings of the psychic, Edgar Cayce, we find reference to an apple diet. That is, eating only apples for three days, prepared any which way, after which one is to sip a quarter of a half cup of (hot) olive oil for body cleansing.

For many people, the Cayce apple diet is a hard program to follow.

A modified, mostly apple diet is easy to follow and satisfying. While such a program may not be as effective as a total apple diet, it is easy to try out.

One should start eating the baked apples in the morning and if in the evening one feels the need for other food one can eat a small amount of light food such as a few spoonful's of small curd cottage cheese and maybe some hot water with blackstrap molasses with some spices, and a bit of milk (a small amount, such as an eighth or a quarter teaspoon, of salt, added to the molasses drink makes it taste better), or one can drink a tea with some honey in it. Throughout the day, if one feels the need, one can also drink molasses with hot water, or coffee, or tea.

Baking Soda

Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 12/30/2021
★★★★★

It was mentioned somewhere that taking a little (maybe a teaspoon or a bit more) of baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) in about an ounce of water (others recommend in a little lemon juice) on an empty stomach, and not eating for a short while after, helps for emptying the bowels.

The baking soda/water remedy should probably not be used regularly, but rather only on an occasional basis.

It is important, generally, to wait for some urge to go before using a laxative or suppository, in order to prevent the natural urge, a vital body function, from disappearing.

Ted's Remedies

Posted by Robert (London, UK) on 07/23/2019
★★★★★

Since switching to a low-carb vegetarian diet for health reasons, I've had issues with mild constipation. I found the suggestions on the Earth Clinic website very helpful and I started trying them. My constipation has now gone, I am able to have an easy bowel movement every morning which is soft and moist.

I previously found that I couldn't eat egg yolks because they would block me up, but this is no longer the case.

The remedies the worked for me are as follows, starting with the most effective and proceeding in order down to the least effective: - 1/4 tsp of bicarbonate soda dissolved in 1/4 cup of water 1 hour after each meal. This is one of the remedies recommended by Parhatsathid Nabadalung (aka Ted from Bangkok, Thailand) in his book pH Balanced for Life! The Easiest Way to Alkalize. -

1 tbsp of olive oil dissolved in 1/4 cup of water every morning, after my bowel movement and before my first meal. - Before each bowel movement, drink 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt dissolved in 1 cup of warm water. - Eat some cucumber with every meal. I tried lots of other things including abdominal massage and eating coconut oil, but the above four worked the best for me. If anyone is interested in my diet, a typical meal for is 3 cups of vegetables with 2 boiled eggs, plenty of healthy fat (avocados, olive oil, coconut oil), and spices (garlic, ginger, turmeric etc). I drink plenty of plain water - I don't take other liquids.

Thank you to the people who run this site. You've helped me find a natural cure to my problem, which was causing me a lot of stress. I'm going to make a donation by way of thanks.

Acupressure

Posted by Mary Beth (Pittsburgh) on 02/06/2017
★★★★★

Constipation (and probably diarrhea too) better with acupressure

Large Intestine

The poster originally used "sedation" of the large intestine to reduce constipation, but "tonifying" may help with the opposite problem, diarrhea.

Tonifying:

On the right side, press lightly (a nickel's weight worth) on the outer side of the elbow crease (i.e., the thumb side) AND if manageable, also press a "body hand width" at a spot below the kneecap bone.

A body-hand-width for the person-who-posted means about one inch, measuring from the middle of the edge of the palm of the hand to an opposite spot on the non-palm side.

Press these two spots at the same time for one minute.

Then on the left, press on the same points for another minute.

Then do the second set of points:

On the right side, press a point in the hollow side of the thumb side of the wrist crease on the non-palm side of the hand. (This point is between the hand and the lower arm bone.)

At the SAME TIME, press in at the depression that is on the little finger side of the hand, moving up the side of the hand, over a little bump of the wrist bone. I found this spot by starting at the part of the lower arm bone near the hand, then moving upward toward the little finger, by sliding upward, over that bump in the wrist bone. I used two fingers, to make sure I had the right spot. Hold these for thirty seconds.

Do the same again on the left side.

I only had to do this two times on my bladder meridian, to stop being incontinent. It has not been completely foolproof, as my disease has progressed, but mostly it has freed me from the potty substantially.

Sedation:

It is important that I also tell you how to sedate your large intestine. This practice was very useful to relieve my constipation.

Also, if you over-tonify, your meridian/muscle can get too tight, so I had better tell you how to loosen it.

To sedate, on the right side, you'll want to press a point on the right hand -- and, if you are flexible enough, ideally you can also, at the same time, press the other point on your right foot. I can JUST do this: but if it is difficult, do one point at a time, starting with the points on the right, then do the same points on the left.

It really does not matter if you do the right points first, and then the left. But you are supposed to do all the right hand points, at one time, then all the left hand points at one time.

Use your left hand to press a point that seems to be close to the knuckle of your pointing finger, at the bottom of the finger, and on the side of the finger that is closest to the thumb. AT THE SAME TIME, use your right index finger (since it is still NOT doing anything) to press on the point on the side of your foot, just a smidgen down the foot from where the toe meets the foot. Hold this at a "nickel's weight" for one minute.

Then do the left side the same way.

The second set of points is the same as the points for tonifying, copied and pasted from above:

On the right side, press a point in the hollow side of the thumb side of the wrist crease on the non-palm side of the hand. (This point is between the hand and the lower arm bone.)

Do the same again on the left side.

This remedy worked for the poster in two days later -- and she has been "loose" ever since!

The poster used the pictures and descriptions from "Touch for Health" by John and Matthew Thie -- and "Energy Medicine" by Donna Eden.

Green Iced Tea

Posted by Loie (Naples, Fl) on 09/30/2014
★★★★★

I have tried many different remedies from an early age.....over the counter and natural.....for my lifelong battle with constipation and nothing last more than a few months. I started drinking organic green iced tea in place of water all day long, knowing that I will get the water that my body needs while enjoying the taste of the iced tea.(I hate plain water). After about 2-3 weeks I noticed that I was having a BM every morning and sometimes in the afternoon! Every day....no straining.

I have had this problem since I was a little girl. I am now 71 years old and wish I had found this organic green iced tea solution a long time ago.

Not sure this would work for everyone, but it sure works for me.

B1 (Thiamine)

Posted by Elaine (Edmond, Oklahoma) on 10/06/2014

Did a little experiment last week by not taking the vitamin B-1. Yup, the cement factory was back. Took 250 mg of B-1 and was softer by that afternoon! I also take Vitamin D, have for over ten years. Didn't help. The B-1 is what works for me.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Tori13 (Kelowna, Bc Canada) on 12/14/2012

My understanding is that coconut oil has antimicrobial properties and so there are toxins released as it kills off bacteria, viruses, etc. I would guess that candida would be included in this mix, but I'm no expert. When I started taking it I experienced headaches and flu-like symptoms. I felt pretty crappy so I cut back to where it was comfortable and worked up from there.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Kelly (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 11/11/2009
★★★★★

A very good remedy for constipation and heartburn is: peel and core apples (sweet or sour) put them in a freezer ziploc bag (add 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice 2 tablespoons of water/gal. bag) and freeze. They come out like really good applesauce and are well worth the time spent. Here in Ohio when winter rolls around the apples are 3x the price and have no flavor. If you suffer from chronic constipation and heartburn they will especially help if you eat before bedtime. Hope this helps someone. God Bless.