Chronic constipation after diagnosis. Please help!

[Bjorn]

Dear everyone!

Sorry for the long read, but I am in dire need of help

I'm a newbie celiac from Norway. I got my diagnosis on the 3rd of July 2021 (Marsh 3b/c). I instantly switched to a non-gluten diet and made my own space on the kitchen so no cross-contamination would happen. I am VERY thorough on this, we're talking paranoia times ten. My spouse and children felt it was a pretty dramatic change for them as well, but they've coped fine so far.

In the beginning I was soooo hungry. I couldn't find anything to eat. All my life I've been eating pretty varied and always had Weetabix for breakfast and supper. Weetabix is a breakfast cereal that comes in the form of palm-sized wheat biscuits, and it is very high in dietary fiber (like 10% pr. 100g). I also used to eat a lot of breadrolls, all very high in dietary fiber. I've never/extremely seldom been constipated in my life. But about a month after turning into a non-gluten diet everything just stopped and I was horribly constipated and it really impacted my life. 

These are my symptoms: 
-Chronic constipation
-Dizziness (Not carousel, but like I'm on a boat)
-Fatigue (Some days are so hard, others a bit better)
-Depression (For the first time in my life (42years old) I'm going to a psychologist)

I'm 85kg and 5 feet 13 inches tall.

I've tried to browse a bit in the forums on this site and I stumbled upon a post where it was mentioned that the poster should up his protein in his breakfast. When I eat breakfast I eat a bowl of oatmeal porridge (cooked oatmeal and milk with maybe some almonds). I also eat a small yoghurt and take my multi vitamins. This usually happens around 9am, and then I usually eat four slices of bread with ham and cheese at 12  (The bread has 9% dietary fiber pr. 100g). At dinnertime it's usually chicken or minced beef in some combination. For supper I eat two bread rolls that are high in dietary fiber (11%) and they're also filled with different seeds.

So in my opinion I don't have a low fiber issue in my diet that could constipate me. My diet adviser couldn't find anything wrong with my foods either. And I drink A LOT of water to try to combat the constipation as well. On top of this I take one bag of Movicol (Macrogol) (1/2 morning and 1/2 evening) to try to find a point where my bowels will move sufficient so that I don't get constipated. I used to take three bags pr. day, but this really softened things up and it just didn't work very well in the long run. I was always doing those damn bags, and my family got tired of me running to the bathroom everywhere we went. I really hated my new life as a celiac. 

So I am desperate to try to find out what I can do about this. My mornings are extremely hectic as a father of three, and making a small dinner for breakfast is just not feasible (That's why the Weetabix cereal was so practical before my diagnosis). So my thought would be, could it maybe help to include some gluten free protein powder in my diet? Like still do the porridge and yoghurt for breakfast, but also a protein shake?  I'm also going into a work out regime (cardio/weights three times a week) soon, and I am dreading it as I have little energy, but my psychologist tells me it will fix the constipation... 

Could that be it? Could a low protein diet end up with me getting constipated? My psychologist say that it probably is a mental thing, but this happened before I got depressed and it happened on the end part of my summer vacation.

This is so frustrating. Everyone say that getting the diagnosis was a gift. For me it just sent me into a life of constipation, dizziness, fatigue and depression. I don't want to be stuck on Movicol and live in fear of the next big constipation so I'm desperately looking for a solution here guys! 

Thanks for any help

[trents]

You do not mention fruits and vegetables being a part of your diet. Those are important. They contribute fiber and acids that help maintain a healthy gut PH.

Your diet seems to be heavily weighted towards processed gluten free bread-like products. Be aware that gluten-free flours are not fortified with vitamins like their wheat counterparts are and so provide a lot of nutritionally empty calories.

Also, you might consider adding a magnesium supplement to your routine. Magnesium draws water into the bowel and lubricates the stool. It is a natural laxative, hence it is used in the product Milk of Magnesia that is sold as a laxative. You would need to experiment with the amount and the kind of magnesium. Some forms are more easily assimilated by the body than others and some forms can have strong laxative effect.

[yuluyouyue]

Perhaps you should also try to eliminate oats to see if it helps. They might be contaminated or you might not be handling them well even if they are safe. 

I also second fruit and vegs!

May I ask, is your depression a consequence of adjusting to the diagnosis and/or diet? It hasn't been there before? Could be that the thought of having a condition took a mental toll or you are not getting enough vitamins and minerals on your diet now. 

[Bjorn]

21 hours ago, trents said:

You do not mention fruits and vegetables being a part of your diet. Those are important. They contribute fiber and acids that help maintain a healthy gut PH.

Your diet seems to be heavily weighted towards processed gluten free bread-like products. Be aware that gluten-free flours are not fortified with vitamins like their wheat counterparts are and so provide a lot of nutritionally empty calories.

Also, you might consider adding a magnesium supplement to your routine. Magnesium draws water into the bowel and lubricates the stool. It is a natural laxative, hence it is used in the product Milk of Magnesia that is sold as a laxative. You would need to experiment with the amount and the kind of magnesium. Some forms are more easily assimilated by the body than others and some forms can have strong laxative effect.

Thank you for your feedback on my issue

I eat fruits (apples, oranges, bananas etc) but I should absolutely up my veggie game. I love asian food, but have avoided it since I got my diagnose as every single sauce I find contain wheat/gluten.

I haven't gotten any blood test taken since April (I got diagnosed in July) and I am getting these tests done in January. I really hope that it will show any lacking of vitamins. The dizziness and fatigue is really getting to me.

I will absolutely look into the Magnesium-tip!

Thank you so much for taking your time to answering me.

Best wishes. 

[trents]

What is available to me here in the USA may not be available to you but if not, perhaps you can get it online:

La Choy All Purpose Soy Sauce. Says "Gluten Free As Always" on the bottle and none of the ingredients listed could possibly contain wheat, barley or rye.

But I'm glad you raised this issue because it made me check all of the Asian sauces we have in the refrigerator and another La Choy product we have on hand and have been using (La Choy Teriyaki Marinade) does not list wheat/barley/rye/gluten as an allergen but one of the ingredients is "Natural Flavors (from barley)". We'll have to nix that one I guess.

[Bjorn]

9 hours ago, yuluyouyue said:

Perhaps you should also try to eliminate oats to see if it helps. They might be contaminated or you might not be handling them well even if they are safe. 

I also second fruit and vegs!

May I ask, is your depression a consequence of adjusting to the diagnosis and/or diet? It hasn't been there before? Could be that the thought of having a condition took a mental toll or you are not getting enough vitamins and minerals on your diet now. 

Before my diagnosis in July I never ate oatmeal. The reason I do now is because it is the only gluten free food that I've found so far that is really filling. The oats that I eat is gluten free/ made in a non-contaminated mill. Veggies are on my to do list, but I feel that I've lost a lot of options as I no longer eat asian food due to every single sauce I find contains gluten.

Regarding my depression this was something that got triggered by loosing my uncle to brain cancer in March. After this I suffered from health anxiety (the "am I next-feeling") and combined with the most unwelcome celiac-diagnosis (everything went downhill from there...) it just became to much.

Before my diagnosis I had a couple of days where I was a bit dizzy and exhausted, but nothing bad. After my dianosis I am chronically constipated, fatigued and dizzy (not carousel, but feeling like I'm on a boat). 

I just wish my GP would go "Ah! You're really low on B12" or something.

Thank you so much for responding to my post  

[Bjorn]

16 minutes ago, trents said:

What is available to me here in the USA may not be available to you but if not, perhaps you can get it online:

La Choy All Purpose Soy Sauce. Says "Gluten Free As Always" on the bottle and none of the ingredients listed could possibly contain wheat, barley or rye.

But I'm glad you raised this issue because it made me check all of the Asian sauces we have in the refrigerator and another La Choy product we have on hand and have been using (La Choy Teriyaki Marinade) does not list wheat/barley/rye/gluten as an allergen but one of the ingredients is "Natural Flavors (from barley)". We'll have to nix that one I guess.

I should have at least tried before complaining regarding sauces. This store ships world wide. This looks very promising: https://www.vitacost.com/san-j-glazing-and-dipping-sauce-szechuan?ta=San-j+Szechuan&t=San-j+Szechuan

[trents]

My understanding is that in Asian countries there are two traditional ways of making soy sauce. One with wheat and one without. Most of the products in the supermarket contain wheat which is apparently the most popular one. But as "gluten free" eating has gained popularity we are seeing more of the non wheat soy sauce products.

[AlwaysLearning]

Oh yeah. You definitely need more fruits and vegetables in your diet. There is an expression that we should be "eating the rainbow". From what you describe, your meals are mainly brown and white. If you find ways to add more greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and blues, you will automatically be getting a wider variety of nutrients AND getting the fiber you need to stay regular. 

Your current diet appears to be primarily meat and bread. That means the bacteria that are living in your gut, that aid in digestion, are specialized to only break down bread and meat. If you start eating a wider variety of fruits and veggies (and fungi if you add in some mushrooms), you'll end up with a healthier gut flora which will also help your digestion, immune system, and long-term health.

When I first went gluten free, my digestive system did need to adjust. I began to suspect that the guar gum or the xanthum gum may have played a roll in some "slow" episodes I experienced. The gums are supposed to have a laxative effect, but this seemed to be reversed if eaten in too great a quantity, which could be happening if you're eating too many gluten free breads. The gums are used in breads in an attempt to mimic some of the texture that is lost when you remove gluten.

But unless you are an athlete and are pushing your body to extremes, I wouldn't worry too much about how much protein vs. carbs you are eating. It is already difficult enough to go gluten free. Instead, I would try to find a way to make eating fun. Try to see it as a fantastic food adventure. Worry less about convenience and time and instead, make trying new foods and cooking new dishes your "thing". Become a foodie!

Variety is the highest priority!

[Jennybean]

On 12/9/2021 at 1:10 PM, Bjorn said:

Dear everyone!

Sorry for the long read, but I am in dire need of help

I'm a newbie celiac from Norway. I got my diagnosis on the 3rd of July 2021 (Marsh 3b/c). I instantly switched to a non-gluten diet and made my own space on the kitchen so no cross-contamination would happen. I am VERY thorough on this, we're talking paranoia times ten. My spouse and children felt it was a pretty dramatic change for them as well, but they've coped fine so far.

In the beginning I was soooo hungry. I couldn't find anything to eat. All my life I've been eating pretty varied and always had Weetabix for breakfast and supper. Weetabix is a breakfast cereal that comes in the form of palm-sized wheat biscuits, and it is very high in dietary fiber (like 10% pr. 100g). I also used to eat a lot of breadrolls, all very high in dietary fiber. I've never/extremely seldom been constipated in my life. But about a month after turning into a non-gluten diet everything just stopped and I was horribly constipated and it really impacted my life. 

These are my symptoms: 
-Chronic constipation
-Dizziness (Not carousel, but like I'm on a boat)
-Fatigue (Some days are so hard, others a bit better)
-Depression (For the first time in my life (42years old) I'm going to a psychologist)

I'm 85kg and 5 feet 13 inches tall.

I've tried to browse a bit in the forums on this site and I stumbled upon a post where it was mentioned that the poster should up his protein in his breakfast. When I eat breakfast I eat a bowl of oatmeal porridge (cooked oatmeal and milk with maybe some almonds). I also eat a small yoghurt and take my multi vitamins. This usually happens around 9am, and then I usually eat four slices of bread with ham and cheese at 12  (The bread has 9% dietary fiber pr. 100g). At dinnertime it's usually chicken or minced beef in some combination. For supper I eat two bread rolls that are high in dietary fiber (11%) and they're also filled with different seeds.

So in my opinion I don't have a low fiber issue in my diet that could constipate me. My diet adviser couldn't find anything wrong with my foods either. And I drink A LOT of water to try to combat the constipation as well. On top of this I take one bag of Movicol (Macrogol) (1/2 morning and 1/2 evening) to try to find a point where my bowels will move sufficient so that I don't get constipated. I used to take three bags pr. day, but this really softened things up and it just didn't work very well in the long run. I was always doing those damn bags, and my family got tired of me running to the bathroom everywhere we went. I really hated my new life as a celiac. 

So I am desperate to try to find out what I can do about this. My mornings are extremely hectic as a father of three, and making a small dinner for breakfast is just not feasible (That's why the Weetabix cereal was so practical before my diagnosis). So my thought would be, could it maybe help to include some gluten free protein powder in my diet? Like still do the porridge and yoghurt for breakfast, but also a protein shake?  I'm also going into a work out regime (cardio/weights three times a week) soon, and I am dreading it as I have little energy, but my psychologist tells me it will fix the constipation... 

Could that be it? Could a low protein diet end up with me getting constipated? My psychologist say that it probably is a mental thing, but this happened before I got depressed and it happened on the end part of my summer vacation.

This is so frustrating. Everyone say that getting the diagnosis was a gift. For me it just sent me into a life of constipation, dizziness, fatigue and depression. I don't want to be stuck on Movicol and live in fear of the next big constipation so I'm desperately looking for a solution here guys! 

Thanks for any help

Hey there!

 

I’m so sorry you’re new and struggling..trust me, I get it. I think you might be on the right track with the porridge/oatmeal? When I first got diagnosed 9 years ago, I could NOT eat oatmeal. Not even gluten free, rolled oats, any kind of oatmeal. It would make me grumpy, tired, kind of zombie like, etc. it would also really back me up. Maybe cutting down on the bread and introducing some fiber rich fruits into your diet instead? 
Currently, I’m in the same boat and it’s HORRIBLE. I’m able to go to the bathroom about once every 11-12 days but my GI doctor just put me on a miracle drug called Trulance. I don’t know if they have it over there but I so so wish you my best, friend!!!! Hang in there! This do get better and they do get easier. ❤️

[yuluyouyue]

2 hours ago, Bjorn said:

Before my diagnosis in July I never ate oatmeal. The reason I do now is because it is the only gluten free food that I've found so far that is really filling. The oats that I eat is gluten free/ made in a non-contaminated mill. Veggies are on my to do list, but I feel that I've lost a lot of options as I no longer eat asian food due to every single sauce I find contains gluten.

Regarding my depression this was something that got triggered by loosing my uncle to brain cancer in March. After this I suffered from health anxiety (the "am I next-feeling") and combined with the most unwelcome celiac-diagnosis (everything went downhill from there...) it just became to much.

Before my diagnosis I had a couple of days where I was a bit dizzy and exhausted, but nothing bad. After my dianosis I am chronically constipated, fatigued and dizzy (not carousel, but feeling like I'm on a boat). 

I just wish my GP would go "Ah! You're really low on B12" or something.

Thank you so much for responding to my post  

I am sorry to hear about your uncle. If it helps, after my diagnosis, I started having extreme health anxiety and overall felt way worse than before the diagnosis (even though my diet remained more or less the same - I mainly eat home cooked food). My blood work improved, my antibodies stabilised which means I should have felt in better shape than before diagnosis. But I felt worse. Tired and tense... Now I am getting better. I am not afraid of celiac,  I see I can lead a healthy life like everyone else. These things come with time, but it also takes time for your brain to relax.  Try to cook simple meals for your self that will give you good nutrition - you can make eggs and tomato quikcly for example for breakfast, add salads to your main meal,  etc ) and know that you will get used to it and things will feel normal again. 

[Mintstill]

Magnesium  Citrate is the best. Costco sells it in a big bottle in the U.S. Large pills. I would start with 2 every evening and see if that works. Even gluten-free bread is a constipator. If you have a hard time eating more vegetables, try putting them in a blender- example carrots,celery,spinach,small sweet pepper, peanut butter, blueberries and soy milk. Vegetable soup with meat in it for lunch. Eggs are a great protein. Eat gluten free chips or crackers instead of the bread. Hope this helps!

[cristiana]

Continue to drink a lot of water if you take a magnesium supplement.

[Mintstill]

7 hours ago, cristiana said:

Continue to drink a lot of water if you take a magnesium supplement.

Yes always drink water but magnesium citrate will work even if the person doesn’t drink a lot of liquids- that’s why it is great for older people who don’t always drink enough.😊

[cristiana]

I think I react quite strongly to magnesium supplements - although they always help with constipation (brilliant!) they make me thirsty and last time I took some the dehydration they caused set off some really irregular heartbeats.  Ironically I took them to help improve my palpitations!  😄

 

 

[trents]

48 minutes ago, cristiana said:

I think I react quite strongly to magnesium supplements - although they always help with constipation (brilliant!) they make me thirsty and last time I took some the dehydration they caused set off some really irregular heartbeats.  Ironically I took them to help improve my palpitations!  😄

 

 

So, is there some medical condition that prevents you from drinking more water?

[cristiana]

No, I just forgot on that occasion - ridiculous really, I was just very busy and wasn't drinking enough water.  

 

[Bjorn]

Update: I just got my blood test results back from my GP.
They were perfect in every way.

The gluten free bread I eat is the Schar Vital-bread. It is filled with seeds and have a lot of fibre:
https://www.schaer.com/en-dk/products/vital

Could this bread really constipate me? My bet would be on the gluten free oatmeal with almonds, but at the same time this is supposed to HELP against constipation.

So then it's probably as my psychiatrist tells me: You are constipated because of your mild depression and health anxiety, as this is common for people who suffer from this.

So the plan is now to start exercising three times a week and cut down on the Cola Zero from six 0.33L cans to three.

[cristiana]

I find that if I eat a lot of gluten-free bread it has a mildly constipating effect.  But the idea to do exercise three times a week is a great one, I find even a daily walk of just half an hour helps enormously with these sort of issues.

[trents]

12 minutes ago, cristiana said:

No, I just forgot on that occasion - ridiculous really, I was just very busy and wasn't drinking enough water.  

 

I see. I was asking because people with CHF for instance are often on water restrictions.

[Jo Woodard]

When I was first diagnosed with celiac (May 2000), I too had the same problem.  My gastro suggested I start taking a stool softener daily (docusate sodium 100mg).  They are kind of benign and non-habit forming.  I took those for several years as my intestines healed from the chronic diarrhea.