Easy Home Remedies for Constipation Relief

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.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Polly (London, England) on 04/05/2013
★★★★★

Not a remedy as such for constipation but in my experience giving up EVERY type of wheat (especially whole wheat) cured my constipation.

It gives my husband IBS and bad tempers. So we buy pure rye, Kamut and spelt bread and have felt great relief!!

Dietary Changes

Posted by Janine (Cerritos, California, USA) on 01/12/2013
★★★★★

I rarely see anything mentioned about diet when it comes to constipation. Believe me, if you're having problems and you don't factor in what you're eating, you are making a mistake. If you are really backed up, natural methods take time to act and even then - if you're a difficult case you may have to bring out the big guns (senna, etc.) to resolve the problem in the meantime. Your body wants to be on a schedule. In brief, no matter how you resolve the problem stick with a program. Avoid dairy (until resolved), eat at least three meals a day, use sprouted grain bread, some raw and cooked (lightly) vegetables, healthy fats, probiotics (natural or supplement), enzymes (natural and/or supplements), water, exercise regularly, sleep 8 hours, meditate. To avoid laxatives look for natural solutions like flax seed and chia seed. I use Kombucha and ACV in my diet but usually not both in the same day. Natural methods will work but only if you pay attention to the big picture. You could be taking enzymes, probiotics, ACV and still be constipated if you're diet is low in fiber and fat. Don't be afraid of protein but don't overload. Grass fed beef, milk and cheese is much lower in saturated fat than what we've typically been using and raw milk and cheese are friendlier for the gut. Too much of the non raw variety of milk will cause constipation. Do your homework.

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.

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!

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.

Flaxseed

Posted by Christine (Doncaster, Yorkshire) on 08/30/2009
★★★★★

I have suffered constipation for years, not anymore. I take flax seeds every night so does my friend since I recommended them to her, about 3tbls swollowed down with plenty of water.

Water

Posted by Caitlin (Austin, tx) on 05/26/2009
★★★★★

Constipation: I spoke with a naturopathic doctor who said that ACV is great in limited amounts. Said that when you take too much, the stomach stops producing its own acid; it regulates itself to the acv and may produce smaller amounts which may account for constipation. I have personally found that drinking a lot more water can regulate my bowels more than anything else. Water is the key. I met a lady who said she drank about 2 gallons of water a day and lost 50 lbs she was carrying, mostly around her stomach. That's all she did. When I saw her later in the year she said her doctor told her to cut down on the water as it was flushing her nutrients out as well which was making her feel extremely tired. Cutting back to a gallon a day worked for her.

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.

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Posted by Grace (London, Uk) on 11/16/2012
★★★★★

Thank you for posting this! This remedy works well. I just took 1 tsp fresh lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil on an empty stomach and had some immediate relief! I shall persist with this. I had tried a fiber plus probiotics and prebiotics supplement, senna tea and aloe vera, all of which probably did no harm but I saw no results. Lemon and olive oil works a treat!

Molasses

Posted by Tish (Chicago, Il) on 07/21/2007
★★★★★

My period has been always heavy that my hemoglobin level is always low that I have to take iron and shot every 2 weeks. ITs hard also to work and go to the bathroom every now and then. When I bleed it like for 10 days and more. I was diagnosed with fibroid just 2 months ago and I found your website just weeks before my surgery and its my second day of my period. I started taking the molasses and the next day my period slow down and no blood clotting and it stopped after 5 days. My daughter is always suffering from constipation and I recommended her this and she said she never pooh like this before..THANK YOU!

Hot Tea

Posted by Kegan (Illinois) on 12/12/2006
★★★★★

Have you ever stopped to think about chinese people how with every meal no matter what meal they have hot tea?? well the reason behind it is, when you eat food's that have fat or oils in them you usually drink COLD bevarages after right?? Well that causes the fats to sit and harden, causing many problems constipation, clogged arteries, many! So when you eat something, try to drink something hot along with it and see what happens.....bet you will poop right on time and won't be constipated.

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.

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!

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.