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Constipation - How to keep regular??


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I’ve been having problems with constipation in the last month, have already used laxatives (magnesium citrate liquid)  a few times and don’t want to rely on them to go.  Also, 3 days into taking magnesium supplement at night, but still not going. What are some healthy alternatives besides exercise, drinking lots of water, lots of veggies?

 

Not sure if this is a Valium thing or a taper/wd thing...  anyone have feedback and/or suggestions? 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Uni ❤️

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I have struggled with this the entire time I have been on the klonopin. I take docusate sodium, which is a stool softener. This is the only thing that can be taken regularly without eventually causing reduced ability fir your body to go back to doing it itself. I keep hoping as I get lower in dose that it will go away. The only other thing it to be sure and get enough fiber in your diet, and drink a ton of water. Use laxativea sparingly if possible.
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Thank you for your feedback, Ajusta and waves.  I’m so sorry you have this troubling physical symptoms, as well.  I agree, taking laxatives regularly is not good because your body gets reliant on them and stops doing it’s own work.  But, benzos seem to make it forget how to anyway, uggghhh...  I’m going to try beets tonight and beet juice.  I recalled I used to eat these when I’d have occasional constipation in the past, so I’ll let you know if it works.  I’ve tried prunes and prune juice... didn’t work.  Might try celery juice again, too.  So uncomfortable and seems to affect everything like a domino effect. 

 

Hope you are both in as much peace as possible, feeling as well as possible and dreaming of life beyond benzos.  We gotta dream big.  Hang in here buddies.

 

❤️Uni

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I get up every morning and fix a green/fruit shake in the nutri bullet.

 

I put kale, about a 1/8 apple, couple pieces pinnacle, watercress, 3/4 banana, blueberries,  1/4 carrot, little bit of ginger, a few walnuts, about 1/4 cup of almond milk, and fill it all the way to the top with water. Then I grind it up  in the nutri bullet until its basically water - helps digestion. I do this a couple time a day. I have absolutely no problem going a couple times a day if not more.

 

This should really help a lot.

 

If not you can juice some vegetables and fruit as well once a day or something. This should help with stopping the laxatives and also getting nutrients to your body. 

 

Then thru out the rest of the day I am eating wild rice or sweet potatoes - I eat very little animal protein now - where before I ate quite a bit. I notice now when I eat certain proteins or other food I get sick.

 

Try making those shakes and see if that helps some.

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I have had a fairly extreme withdrawal, and this was a huge problem in the first few months. I found prune nectar helped. Be careful with the pharma laxatives, they can be dangerous. Also, your body could react to the magnesium laxative and actually make the problem worse. I remember I took some magnesium based laxative and my benzo belly blew up even further. I was really uncomfortable. I believe this is because of magnesium's effect on GABA.

 

For me, at times I had to just stop consuming food and drink prune juice mixed with water until I went, I was so backed up. I couldn't use anything stronger than that. The other laxatives became dangerous to me at the height of withdrawal.

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I've had terrible problems with this. It's only been recently that it's improved, and I haven't changed anything in my diet other than making more vegetable soups. But it still happens more often than not. Fleet suppositories have helped.

 

Benzos affect every part of the system.

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I suffered a pelvic prolapse from all the straining and now have a pessary to hold everything in so have to take a laxative as not able to strain at all.
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I’ve been having problems with constipation in the last month, have already used laxatives (magnesium citrate liquid)  a few times and don’t want to rely on them to go.  Also, 3 days into taking magnesium supplement at night, but still not going. What are some healthy alternatives besides exercise, drinking lots of water, lots of veggies?

 

Not sure if this is a Valium thing or a taper/wd thing...  anyone have feedback and/or suggestions? 

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Uni ❤️

 

Hey Uni,

I use Benefiber , which has prebiotics in it also, and a probiotic.  Usually works pretty well.  You can get both off Amazon.  If you are interested, I will look up the name of the probiotic for you.  Luv you,

Mary ☮️💜🙏

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Thank you so much, everyone ❤️  I really appreciate your help.  This has me obsessively worrying, yet another thing to worry about.. as if it weren’t bad enough.  I’ll try all your recommendations.  I had to skip eating dinner last night, which caused me to have insomnia.  And all I’ve been able to eat today is an apple.  I’ll try smoothies and juice, and if that doesn’t work then Mary I’ll give the benefited a shot, luv you.  My doc said too much fiber is bad for me because it seems to be a sluggish “slow transitioning” bowel issue, rather than constipation where there’s hard stool.  So, it’s getting stuck in the transcending colon and could create a blockage if too much fiber.  Gosh, it’s so confusing.  Thank you again everyone. 

 

The beets didn’t work, nor beet juice. 

 

I just started supplementing with magnesium again over the past week and wonder if it could be worsening it?  Have already done two mag citrate laxatives prior to starting the supplements, so maybe I’m just worsening things?

 

❤️ To you all

 

Uni

 

PS - I’m making notes of all of your recommendations and will report back when I find a good solution.

 

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Thank you, Ajusta  :smitten:

 

I have been eating an avocado every night for months, but I’ll try adding in coconut oil.  I’ve had occasional bouts of constipation, but not like this.  This came on during a bad fear wave and though the fear has lessened, nothing ismbudging.  I’m so sorry you’re enduring this and everything else.  My heart goes out to you, warrior sister.  You’re so kind for offering support when you are struggling yourself.  Something I haven’t been so good at since I’ve crossed to Valium.  Need to try more.

 

You all inspire me.  All of you warriors! 

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You could try full Keto but it is hard to get enough calories if you are losing weight.

 

I find helping others is my best form of distraction so not altruism on my part....

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Ajusta, that’s my concern about Keto.  I’m underweight and lost another pound over the past month, without really changing anything.  Need to keep as much on as I can.  I’m 5’2” at 105, where 115 is my norm.  I know it doesn’t seem like much but it is on my body. 

 

Helping others was what I prefer to do, too.  I don’t know what’s gotten me so withdrawn from doing so.  It’s seriosuly noticeable since crossing from K to V.  Valium is extremely depressing for me, so I am more withdrawn and negative.  Have never been this way in my life.  Even if I try to have a positive attitude.  Like a chemical depression that overrides my spirit.  I think it’s wonderful you are helping others and helping yourself, it’s a win-win.  :smitten:

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Thank you so much, everyone ❤️  I really appreciate your help.  This has me obsessively worrying, yet another thing to worry about.. as if it weren’t bad enough.  I’ll try all your recommendations.  I had to skip eating dinner last night, which caused me to have insomnia.  And all I’ve been able to eat today is an apple.  I’ll try smoothies and juice, and if that doesn’t work then Mary I’ll give the benefited a shot, luv you.  My doc said too much fiber is bad for me because it seems to be a sluggish “slow transitioning” bowel issue, rather than constipation where there’s hard stool.  So, it’s getting stuck in the transcending colon and could create a blockage if too much fiber.  Gosh, it’s so confusing.  Thank you again everyone. 

 

The beets didn’t work, nor beet juice. 

 

I just started supplementing with magnesium again over the past week and wonder if it could be worsening it?  Have already done two mag citrate laxatives prior to starting the supplements, so maybe I’m just worsening things?

 

❤️ To you all

 

Uni

 

PS - I’m making notes of all of your recommendations and will report back when I find a good solution.

 

Good luck Uni!  ;)

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[00...]
I'm having terrible problems with this as well.  The only thing that seems to help is magnesium citrate tablets (800-1200 mg.), but I don't feel good about taking that on a regular basis.  Another thing that helps is smoothies where I add a tablespoon of flax seeds and a tablespoon of chia seeds, and drinking tons of water.  I hate drinking water, but it really helps a lot.
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Well, nothing was working and it had been over two weeks.  My doc said to drink another mag citrate and I did, but this time it floored me.  I got very sick and have been recovering th past two days, restoring electrolytes.  Almost went to urgent care for fluids.  Whoa.  Seems there was a blockage so natural rememdiea weren’t working?  Won’t be doing that method again!  Also, I noticed magnesium supplements (250mg of Triple Mag) has started to make me feel worse.  Just started taking them during the last two weeks in hopes they would help.  Bummed! 

 

Hoping that smoothies will work and maybe more of a plant based diet.  I don’t get it, I was not this bad during tolerance, CT, tapering K or during crossover.  Just came on all of a sudden. 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Unicorn,

 

I'm not sure if this has been suggested, but have you tried a full keto diet? It's not uncommon to develop a problem with carbs during withdrawal. Some people lose weight on Keto, but if you have a problem with carbs, they may actually be causing you to lose weight. I developed a problem with them a few months in (or I may have had it all along, not sure and I'll never know). When I eat carbs they really amp up my nervous system and definitely exacerbate problems with..er...elimination. Seems it's just because everything tightens up (muscles, smooth muscles, muscles which engage in peristalsis etc.). I never found this out until I tried the full keto, then when I tried to go back to eating carbs I got super amped up. Since then I've improved quite a bit, but haven't gone back to carbs because they still have the same effect on my nervous system and I just do better without them. I've gained about 20lbs since my low point, mostly on keto. Constipation can definitely suppress the appetite and cause weight loss.

 

It's a very unusual solution that would probably only work if you had a carb problem, but keto has helped quite a few people in withdrawal as far as I can tell. It just depends whether you can manage it or not.

 

Hope you find a solution soon!

 

DG

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Hi unicorn 77,

I’ve been suffering from constipation for the last year of my taper. I’ve tried almost everything that has been mentioned including some laxatives. I stopped the laxatives because I’m afraid they just make everything worse. Presently I’m taking a teaspoon on psillium with two glasses of water and I’m a bit better but far from normal. I’ll try the smoothie, but the doctor has told me I’m suffering from sluggish colon, which sounds right to me. There are some exercises for this conditioning on YouTube. The constipation got worse after taking an antibiotic for a bug I caught abroad.

Good luck with your taper.

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  • 1 month later...

There are videos on YouTube of abdomen massage for sluggish colon.

I was at first diagnosed with ibs, but latter told I have a sluggish colon.

An ounce of aloe Vera whole leaf juice half an hour before a meal helps to move the vowels.

This has been a very concerning symptom for me.

Good luck.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Probitocis have been a miracle for me, prunes, fiber crackers, and decaffeinated coffee. Also jogging, and Inositol seems to help some. Also chamomille tea, and passion flower to relax the colon muscles to go.
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