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.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Laurie (Belleville, Ontario, Canada) on 09/08/2009
★★★★★
Hi. What I discovered years ago is a simple yet very effective and natural trick to be rid of constipation.
In the early evening (taken early in the day, you'll feel painful cramps) I eat 1 apple. By morning I have a very good BM. The 2nd night I have one more apple and usually the problem is gone.
IF this doesn't work at all over the first night; the 2nd evening I eat 2 apples.... for me its guaranteed it does work in the morning. Repeat the 2nd night too.
Apples are Fabulous for many reasons.
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.
Molasses
Posted by Tish (Chicago, Il) on 07/21/2007
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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.
Lemon Juice and Olive Oil
Posted by Linda (Erlanger, Ky) on 11/25/2008
★★★★★
Wow, I tried this concoction and yes indeed it works. Just a TBSP of each in a small glass, gulp it down, late in the PM and low and behold the next AM we have a BM! haha Thanks for the great advice!
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!
Miso
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 05/05/2022
★★★★★
Miso for constipation
Miso (white miso is easier to take) a half teaspoon mixed into hot or boiling water helps for improving peristaltic action.
Prune Juice
Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 02/18/2021
★★★★★
A classic cure for constipation is prune juice. The fruit works as a natural laxative because it has high amounts of fiber, and contains sorbitol. Sorbitol softens stools because it is a natural carbohydrate that is not easily ingested, causing it to draw a lot of water as it passes through the intestines and adding bulk to stool. Be careful though-too much and sorbitol can cause gas and make stool too soft.
Drink one glass of prune juice (8oz) in the morning and one at night to relieve constipation. It should start working within a few hours, so it's important to let one glass pass through your intestines before attempting to drink another or else you risk diarrhea. You can also eat several prunes instead of drinking the juice if you prefer.
MSM
Posted by Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 09/08/2020 533 posts
★★★★★
You can't beat MSM for constipation but it's probably actually caused by dehydration as the body has to steal water from the colon when it doesn't get enough as everything but plain old water is processed as food.
Plus, I think it makes my water taste like good old fashioned well water. Yummy!
I use about 1/4 tsp in every 20 oz glass of water I drink but there are days I get dehydrated because I drink so much coffee. Then I set the timer on my phone to go off every 2 hours and drink 8 oz when it goes off. That's about 10 good gulps.
Herbs
Posted by Bill (Philippines) on 08/19/2022
Hi Nat...I take senna leaf tea every once and a while, been doing that for many years. For me, if I drink senna tea in the evening then I will definitely have a substantial poop the next morning. My poop urgency isn't that huge and the poop itself comes out soft and quick but not explosively.
On the other hand when my wife drinks the senna tea then she will have a stronger poop urgency then me (yup, she runs to the toilet! ) and will have between 3 to 5 poops the next morning and they can be rather explosive. So my wife is quite sensitive to senna's effects in the intestines, whereas I seem to have few problems using the senna tea. Horses for courses, I guess.
I've also read that you must never take senna everyday because doing so will harm the liver. But once in a while is OK. I also like using senna because -- from all the research -- it also kills a wide variety of bad bacteria and parasites in the intestines.
I must also disagree with what you said about magnesium supplements in general in this thread. I've been taking magnesium chloride -- at a higher dosage -- twice a day for about 15 yrs. I also use mag chloride combined with DMSO for tired or aching muscles and I can confirm that it works a treat!
Ted is also quite correct when he says that we eat far too much calcium in our supermarket diets. All the grains, bread, corn flakes, sports drinks etc that you buy in the supermarket are all over-fortified with too much calcium and no magnesium. That's why I take magnesium chloride regularly, which helps to balance and regulate any excess calcium in the body.
And for sure you better be very careful what you are led to believe about RDA dosages from the FDA. About 50 years ago the advised dosage for magnesium supplements was only about 200 mgs per day. The RDA dosage that the FDA now recommend is between 350 mgs and 420 mgs per day, which I think is still way too low -- it's just a clueless guessing game for the FDA because they really don't give a single hoot about proper mineral nutrition for the body. That's also why, on some days, I take much higher dosages of magnesium. And if you take too much magnesium the worst that can happen to you is that you get loose stools or diarrhea. And the intestines and kidneys will always act to self regulate proper electrolyte levels(including magnesium) in the blood.
I'm 72 y.o. and I've been taking high dose magnesium chloride(and Borax) regularly for about 15 years. And that's probably why I have no arthritis, rheumatism or any other aches and pains in my body right now. And there are more than a few days when my combined magnesium intake is probably above 1000mgs per day. That gives me soft stools with no other noticeable side-effects. But I'm not you. So it's like I said, horses for courses. That means that you should always find the best dose for yourself. Call it your own, personalized, orthomolecular dose if you like...that's the way to do it because your body always knows best.
Dietary Changes
Posted by Michael (Sacramento) on 10/01/2015
★★★★★
I got severely constipated from eating baked cookies and cake that contained whole oats and flax seeds. Now I cook or soak the oats and the flax seeds in water prior to baking. I also make sure when I make legumes like black beans that I cook them thoroughly until very soft. Carbs in general take a lot of water to digest so daily water consumption should be increased accordingly with a moderate to high carb diet.
Flaxseed
Posted by H (Usa) on 12/02/2013
★★★★★
Like the original poster said, you have to boil the flax seeds in water till it gets gelatinous. Strain the seeds, keep the gel. Let it cool, then add 1 tbsp. apple cider to a cup of warm water, along with some of the flax gel poured in. That's what gives it the benefit. The flax seed alone, in it's hard shell won't work. The shells have to be broken down.
Vitamin D
Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, Ny) on 09/10/2013
★★★★★
Vitamin D helps in constipation issues. It is better to take at least part in an oil based form since Vitamin D, an oil based vitamin, is better absorbed with fat.
Mayo Clinic's site states that people who are deficient can take about 50,000IU weekly for three months and then smaller amounts daily. They write that up to 4000IU daily is safe for people who are not deficient. It is reported that about 70% of people are Vitamin D deficient.
Other place recommend higher doses. They write that at times a 250,000 IU dose was given to children with rickets with no negative results. This high dosaging was given once in about three months.
Vitamin D should be taken with K2. (K2 keeps calcium in the bones and out of the arteries.)
Lemons
Posted by Lis11 (Richmond, Va) on 01/31/2012
★★★★★
This works for me and I do it everyday.
Hot water, squeeze lemon/lime water into it, add about 1tb molasses or less, olive oil, 3-4 prunes. Mix and let it stand for 5 mins so the prunes can absorb some water. This works like a charm every single time. Sometimes I run out of lemons or I forget to add olive oil.. It's okay if you do. Exact measurements are not important. It still works!! I will also occasionally add other things to my tonic.. Like a small pinch of turmeric/ cinnamon etc.. you can experiment with what works for you.
Additional note: mind over matter.. Be kind to yourself. Take time to breath and relax. It really helps to be aware of your internal dialogue to see how you talk to yourself.
Peace, L
Castor Oil
Posted by Karen (Los Angeles, California) on 01/23/2012
★★★★★
What works for me for severe constipation is Castor oil. One tablespoon. But if you try it, take it only on a weekend you have off. Stay home because you don't know when it's going to work.Works on me like drain-O on a drain.
Baking Soda
Posted by John (Greenport, New York, Usa) on 09/16/2010
★★★★★
For chronic constipation, it helps to drink a glass of water mixed with a teaspoon of pure baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) before bed every night. Be sure it's pure baking soda (no aluminum).
