Back in 2013, when I began taking Tecfidera, the one and only “side-effect” that I experienced was constipation. Back then- mere months after it had come to market – “constipation” had not yet been listed as a possible side-effect, which meant I was told by both my doctor and the nurse on the helpline for the pharmaceutical company, that my constipation could NOT be from the new foreign substance I was putting into my body daily. I was told it must be something I changed in my diet, my exercise routine, or perhaps as they suggested I wasn’t drinking enough water.
But let me assure you, I was drinking PLENTY of water. Seriously, like excessive amounts of H20 because I just KNEW that drinking water and staying hydrated is the very first rule in NOT being constipated. So as the days ticked by and my body failed to make a bowel movement, I drank water. I drank and drank and drank until I was constantly and chronically at risk of peeing my pants (which in this case would have had NOTHING to do with my disease).
But whether or not it was listed as a possible side-effect is irrelevant, because I know my body best and I knew that it was the start of my issues with chronic constipation. Those issues were then compounded by the opioids and pain pills I took when my chronic pain became severe–especially after I returned to work and spent 40+ hrs a week sitting in front of a computer and stopped hitting the gym and swimming daily.
It wasn’t until I had been off of all the pharmaceutical drugs for almost a year that I began to return to a much more “normal” and healthy bowel movement schedule. However, I was still only taking a dump every 2-3 days. But, in comparison to the 2-3 week stretches that have made up a majority of my last 5 years, it seemed like bowel movement bliss!
So things in the crapping department were going well! Until I realized mid-Turkey Day festivities – that I hadn’t taken a dump in over two weeks!
Now, you may be wondering just how it got to two weeks without me noticing? In my defense – I’ve been busy. I don’t know if you’ve heard – but I finally published the book that I have been rambling on about for years! So I have been busy pimping it out. Plus – it was the holidays and the kids came home, there was food to be made, and a house to clean. Truthfully, I kinda stopped being so diligent on watching what I ate and monitoring my poop cycles. SO, that’s where it all began.
About a month ago, I came across this neat little Ninja blender that one of the kids had left behind in the garage. So I brought it up to the kitchen and began making smoothies every morning. Healthy smoothies – with fruits, veggies, and leaves from Doug (our cannabis plant). I even started adding things like flax seeds, hemp protein, and black chia seeds. It was another step in my quest for healthy living and trying to heal naturally. I was doing the right thing…. but there were two things that would eventually lead to what I now refer to as “SHIT-NADO 2018.”
The first was that I added a banana to my smoothie. Not just every once in a while or on occasion. Literally, every single smoothie I drank had a banana in it. Because honestly I LOVE bananas in my smoothies and since in my pre-MS life -back when I was running 6-8 miles a day- smoothies with bananas were my jam! Plus, bananas are healthy. So how can a banana a day be a bad thing?
Because bananas and my chronically constipated body are NOT friends. My first mistake was that I SHOULD have remembered this. – but I was in book and holiday heaven and I really just wasn’t paying attention. So, unfortunately, it crept up on me – until I realized, while reaching in to pull the turkey out of the oven that I felt about as stuffed as the bird I was holding.
The second mistake I made was that I stopped having my cup of tea in the morning. Because- according to Dr. Aaron Boster, MD (check out his YouTube) having a warm drink in the morning triggers your colon. It makes your body want to take a poop. So even though it wasn’t coffee- my tea was more than likely playing a roll in my better/healthier poop schedule. However, when I started drinking smoothies every morning, I found day after day I was eventually dumping the tea out, untouched. So I stopped making it at all, which means I was neglecting to give my body the morning poop wake up call I had been giving it.
Constipation is not new to my life, so I can assure you that I have many things I do daily to try and keep it at bay. I am constantly monitoring my fiber intake and eating foods that don’t promote fecal impaction. As I mentioned – I drink lots of water. I am always scanning for articles and information about countering chronic constipation. I spend a whole lot of time thinking about pooping. I have to – because if I don’t and I slip – it will lead to what I have just been through and honest to god, I really would prefer not to go through it again. Plus, I’m pretty damn sure Shawn feels the same way. 🙂
Products above: Phillips Milk of Magnesium, SeneKot-S, Fortify daily probiotic, Digestify CBD/THC tincture, GTS Kombucha (multi green), Kevita apple cider tonic with turmeric and ginger, magnesium citrate, popcorn, prunes, radishes, and dark chocolate.
Sending good vibes,
Meg
I fight my constipation with the following, in the morning I take prune and senna gel supplement (from swanson) and acidophilous and apple pectin, papaya tabs and b-12 under the tongue. I set a eight cup mason jar right next to me so i can drink water all day. Then at five I drink a half a cup of prune juice, eat dinner then after dinner I mix up 3 tablespoons of ground flax seed, two scoops of ground psyllium seed, three T Miralax (prescription) and 1/2 cup aloe vera gel “(Inner Fillet) Lily of the desert. . Three hours later like clockwork I can go, It’s what works for me. And if that doesn’t work for you I don’t know what else to tell you.
Glad to see you wrote a book about MS, I too have MS the progressive kind, but once I quit a very stressful job ten years ago, I’ve stabilized. Have the usual fatigue, one leg is half paralyzed, and hauling my leg around causes back pain, so am on time released 20 mg morphine sulfate, it works on the part of the brain that doesn’t take the pain away (like other pain meds) it works on the part of the brain that helps you cope with the pain. Another substance that does that is marijuana, but because I get drug tested by my Dr. I can’t show any other drugs in my system. They check to make sure I am taking it and not selling it to others. The sad thing is I cant use CBD’s (afraid something would show up on test, yes, I’ve been told it won’t) So sad, they will give me more morphine but I can’t use marijuana.
Love your blog, will follow and keep contact with all your ideas and good articles. Only people with MS can talk about constipation and find it interesting in how other people live with it and how they fight it.
I also wrote a book “The Eve Chronicles” by Diane DeVillers is three books. After I had to retire from my job working with people with disabilities, Ironic, I found my old journals from the days when I first moved to ORegon when I worked in the Wallowa Mountains doing timber inventory. As I sat reading them, I thought these would make a funny book. So I wrote three ebooks, ‘From the Waters of Coyote Springs”, “Felix and Eve” and “The Arrangement” all three are also available as the paperback book “the Eve Chronicles”. Without getting MS i never would have had the time to write. Check them out on my amazon page https://www.amazon.com/Diane-DeVillers/e/B00BWY3Q9K
Take care.
Hey Diane!
That is certainly quite the shit show you have going on to counter your constipation:) I am super excited to announce that I am now 5 for 5 (5 poops in 5 days!) It’s been a long time since that has happened and fingers crossed it continues. Like you, it isn’t just ONE thing that is helping – I have my own shit show going on – thinking IF if keeps up and I am no longer full of shit, I will have to write down all that I am doing to move things along:)
Thanks for sharing and I look forward to checking out your books:)
XOXO
MEG
Constipation is SO difficult and frustrating to deal with! I used to add Miralax to my water and it actually helped a lot! Sending you lots of positive vibes Meg!
Bin there it’s not fun I even have a log so I don’t forget thr number of days between movements. I foud this wonderful non drug help — it is caled CE O-two sposiitories it has changed my life. Even amizon has I – I haven’t seen it in pharmacys . Good wishes in your qest to be as physically as normal as possible.
Are the moment. I’m letting my body know. I don’t care what IT thinks. I want to be the person I was before MS. I never was a water drinker and am very seldom thirsy. Of course I’m misable and will probably start forcing myself to drink water again but I do get tired of always having to watch what is going on with me. anybody relate?
I can so relate to this. During my life I have never been “regular”, working shifts and missing meals didn’t help. Then pain started taking over my life, so constipation or diarrhoea became a constant battle, leading to some very spectacular “accidents”. To be honest your average elephant would have been proud to get rid of that much in one “go”.
I have never been one to start the day with a hot drink either, but hubby has diverticular disease so follows a very high fibre diet. So since eating the same as him and stopping all the meds, I can say at my vast age, I’ve become regular.
I too have struggled with constipation ever since my MS began and no matter which medication I was on. I struggled for years until I found the best cure for me, warm prune juice which doesn’t taste that bad and of course lots of water to follow. I have to change the amount now and again or eat a prune or two to help it along, but eventually I get results, sometimes a bit more result than I would prefer which requires a shower and extra laundry.