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Advice From Celiacs With Constipation

Wonka

By Wonka
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Wonka Apprentice
Wonka
Posted

I do not get diarrhea (or not very often) but I suffer from chronic constipation (it can be really awful when I travel by air). I do not have hard dry stools. I have normal to soft stools that I can't eliminate (my bowel seems to be sluggish and I don't get enough peristalsis to effectively eliminate). Does this describe the constipation caused by celiac? Will this get better once I can get completely gluten free (I'm working on my kitchen)? Enquiring minds want to know.

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Pyro Enthusiast
Pyro
Posted

I found that it really helped when I incorporated higher amounts of fat into my diet, even though I was on an already high fat diet.

The trick was to get more free standing oil and greases rather than just that found in meat. Ground beef is pretty damn good at it.

YoloGx Rookie
YoloGx
Posted
I found that it really helped when I incorporated higher amounts of fat into my diet, even though I was on an already high fat diet.

The trick was to get more free standing oil and greases rather than just that found in meat. Ground beef is pretty damn good at it.

I have found taking magnesium trwice a day (to bowel tolerance--when it causees D and back off) works like a champ against constipation while also helping gout he nerves etc.. Also fresh ground up flax seed with a little apple pectin added to the grind is excellent--with plently of water added.

Yolo

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted
I do not get diarrhea (or not very often) but I suffer from chronic constipation (it can be really awful when I travel by air). I do not have hard dry stools. I have normal to soft stools that I can't eliminate (my bowel seems to be sluggish and I don't get enough peristalsis to effectively eliminate). Does this describe the constipation caused by celiac? Will this get better once I can get completely gluten free (I'm working on my kitchen)? Enquiring minds want to know.

That's actually been happening to me lately and I haven't been glutened, so I'd say maybe it is a Celiac thing and maybe it isn't. It's easy to blame everything on Celiac, that's what I usually do. For now, while traveling, try eating more bananas & apples. They're naturally gluten free anyway. And if you like prunes I'd add those too, and as much green food as you can stand. I also eliminate much more effectively and regularly when I am exercising EVERY day. My body is such a bastard, forcing me to exercise like this.......

Lux Explorer
Lux
Posted

I have suffered from the same problem. Interestingly, grease/fat etc absolutely DOES seem to work like a charm...also, I eat an amazing organic yoghurt which has an amazing effect on my system. The brand is called Cyclops; although it's a New Zealand product, so I don't know as to whether it would be available outside of the country. Anyway, I think it's the pectin it contains (which is so good, as apples don't agree with me AT all)...

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted
I have suffered from the same problem. Interestingly, grease/fat etc absolutely DOES seem to work like a charm...also, I eat an amazing organic yoghurt which has an amazing effect on my system. The brand is called Cyclops; although it's a New Zealand product, so I don't know as to whether it would be available outside of the country. Anyway, I think it's the pectin it contains (which is so good, as apples don't agree with me AT all)...

Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt in the US contains pectin, if you'd like to try that, I get big tubs of the plain stuff and add applesauce or frozen fruit.

cloesb Newbie
cloesb
Posted

i had a similar situation and after a couple months of being gluten free it seemed to resolve itself - thankfully. I'm actually pregnant & my constipation has severly acted up again. Milk of Magnesia (2 tbsp) at night seems to be the only thing that does the trick.

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Wonka Apprentice
Wonka
Posted
  • Author

It sure would be nice if mine corrected eventually. I am a bit reticent to eat high fat as that is a real trigger for my GERD.

Prairie Girl Apprentice
Prairie Girl
Posted

Hemp hearts really help me. I put them in my smoothies for breakfast and into some of the other things I cook. You might want to give them a try :)

JNBunnie1 Community Regular
JNBunnie1
Posted
It sure would be nice if mine corrected eventually. I am a bit reticent to eat high fat as that is a real trigger for my GERD.

I'd stick with the veggie route in that case. Maybe some digestive enzymes?

BRUMI1968 Collaborator
BRUMI1968
Posted

This may sound silly, but what about lightly massing your whole abdomen every day. I once read a very interesting article about IBS (I know, I know) that talked about how the nervous system and its communications with the brain can be in part to blame for elimination problems. I know for a fact that unless I eat 90% raw, I have a FAST top digestion, and a SLOW bottom digestion. My stool is perfectly fine, I only elimate it every other day or so. I recently went on a trip and ate raw the whole time (had to eat in my hotel room and was in California - so had avocados and tomatoes all day long), and within two days I was eliminating every day, even twice a day, and it felt newer. Maybe you know what I mean - when you're pretty sure you're pooping out something you ate a week ago. If you massage the bowel and small intestines and tummy and all that, you can help get them moving. Along with a warm tea or water with lemon, to get paristalsis started.

Secondly, try sitting on the pot every day at the same time, regardless of if you have to go. It helps to put your feet up on a stool so that your body is in a position similar to squatting. I'm not kidding that this has helped me immensely.

Lastly, while you're there, do the massaging thing, including down your lower back.

Hope this helps. Glad to hear the stool itself isn't miserable -- I lived through years of that and am so happy to have nice soft management poop. Yahoo!

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

I second the magnesium thing. Like some magnesium citrate in orange juice. Start with a teaspoon, maybe even less, and work your way up to the level that works best for you. Expect it to work in a few hours, though I'm sure we all have our own particulars. If you take too much, you'll know - oh boy will you know!! Just make sure you don't have to stray far from a bathroom, 'cause you're gonna need it.

As for other things, I find bananas to NOT work, in fact they are off my list for that reason. Certain types of carbs are off too. It seems each of us are different that way, so you'll probably have to experiment. You can think of it as a different type of "elimination" diet :lol:

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

I get severe C when soy manages to sneak in. In addition to the great advice already given what helps me very quickly is a meal of sweet potatoes, I usually cut them up and boil them then when done I stick them in a saute pan and drizzle some honey or sugar over them to coat. Things usually move smoothly the next morning and I get some extra vitamin A.

Sharon Marie Apprentice
Sharon Marie
Posted

OK This was my problem for years. It was nearly imposable to have a bowel movement even though it was not hard stool. It's like I lacked the lubricant to pass it. Every Am I would resort to a small enema of warm soapy water to enable me to have a bowel movement. Otherwise my entire day was spent feeling like I had to go, but couldn't. And of course the day would be spent feeling totally uncomfortable. I used to worry about the side effects of a daily enema but without one I was miserable. And I felt that laxatives were not a good solution either.

Last November I was diagnosed with celiac sprue and started on a gluten free diet. Now each morning I have a bowel movement normally!

Here it is the last day of January and I am still learning so much from everyone here! Not all of my problems have been taken care of yet but it's a good start! ( My legs and feet are still very painful. )

thanks to you all once again

SharonMarie ;)

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted
I get severe C when soy manages to sneak in. In addition to the great advice already given what helps me very quickly is a meal of sweet potatoes, I usually cut them up and boil them then when done I stick them in a saute pan and drizzle some honey or sugar over them to coat. Things usually move smoothly the next morning and I get some extra vitamin A.

Sweet potatoes are a high carb food. I wonder what this indicates? One thing I already know, is that sweet potatoes don't have that effect on me, nor do other carbs. I guess this just proves how individual we all can be.

lizard00 Enthusiast
lizard00
Posted

I tend to go from one extreme to the other, but mostly linger with the big C. I tried the magnesium, and while it made me generally feel much better, didn't help with the C. So last night I drank a 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice. Doesn't taste so great, so I mixed it in with some other juice. But in my book of natural cures, it highly advocates aloe vera juice (as do other people that I know.) Seems to be working :) I've gone twice this AM (TMI, I know...) and I don't have the still full feeling. HOORAY!!!

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    • cristiana
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By cristiana · Posted

      Hi @Scatterbrain Thank you for your reply.   Some of these things could be weaknesses, also triggered by stress, which perhaps have come about as the result of long-term deficiencies which can take a long time to correct.   Some could be completely unrelated. If it is of help, I'll tell you some of the things that started in the first year or two, following my diagnosis - I pinned everything on coeliac disease, but it turns out I wasn't always right!  Dizziness, lightheaded - I was eventually diagnosed with cervical dizziness (worth googling, could be your issue too, also if you have neck pain?)  A few months after diagnosis I put my neck out slightly carrying my seven-year-old above my head, and never assigned any relevance to it as the pain at the time was severe but so short-lived that I'd forgotten the connection. Jaw pain - stress. Tinnitus - I think stress, but perhaps exacerbated by iron/vitamin deficiencies. Painful ribs and sacroiliac joints - no idea, bloating made the pain worse. It got really bad but then got better. Irregular heart rate - could be a coincidence but my sister (not a coeliac) and I both developed this temporarily after our second Astra Zeneca covid jabs.   Subsequent Pfizer jabs didn't affect us. Brain fog - a big thing for people with certain autoimmune issues but in my case I think possibly worse when my iron or B12 are low, but I have no proof of this. Insomnia - stress, menopause. So basically, it isn't always gluten.  It might be worth having your vitamins and mineral levels checked, and if you have deficiencies speak to your Dr about how better to address them?    
    • knitty kitty
      My only proof

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @NanceK, I do have Hypersensitivity Type Four reaction to Sulfa drugs, a sulfa allergy.  Benfotiamine and other forms of Thiamine do not bother me at all.  There's sulfur in all kinds of Thiamine, yet our bodies must have it as an essential nutrient to make life sustaining enzymes.  The sulfur in thiamine is in a ring which does not trigger sulfa allergy like sulfites in a chain found in pharmaceuticals.  Doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition (nor chemistry in this case).  I studied Nutrition before earning a degree in Microbiology.  I wanted to know what vitamins were doing inside the body.   Thiamine is safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Not feeling well after starting Benfotiamine is normal.  It's called the "thiamine paradox" and is equivalent to an engine backfiring if it's not been cranked up for a while.  Mine went away in about three days.  I took a B Complex, magnesium and added molybdenum for a few weeks. It's important to add a B Complex with all eight essential B vitamins. Supplementing just one B vitamin can cause lows in some of the others and result in feeling worse, too.  Celiac Disease causes malabsorption of all the B vitamins, not just thiamine.  You need all eight.  Thiamine forms including Benfotiamine interact with each of the other B vitamins in some way.  It's important to add a magnesium glycinate or chelate supplement as well.  Forms of Thiamine including Benfotiamine need magnesium to make those life sustaining enzymes.  (Don't use magnesium oxide.  It's not absorbed well.  It pulls water into the intestines and is used to relieve constipation.)   Molybdenum is a trace mineral that helps the body utilize forms of Thiamine.   Molybdenum supplements are available over the counter.  It's not unusual to be low in molybdenum if low in thiamine.   I do hope you will add the necessary supplements and try Benfotiamine again. Science-y Explanation of Thiamine Paradox: https://hormonesmatter.com/paradoxical-reactions-with-ttfd-the-glutathione-connection/#google_vignette
    • Wheatwacked
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      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Your goal is not to be a good puppet, there is no gain in that. You might want to restart the ones that helped.  It sounds more like you are suffering from malnutrition.  Gluten free foods are not fortified with things like Thiamine (B1), vitamin D, Iodine, B1,2,3,5,6 and 12 as non-gluten free products are required to be. There is a Catch-22 here.  Malnutrition can cause SIBO, and SIBO can worsen malnutrition. Another possibility is side effects from any medication that are taking.  I was on Metformin 3 months before it turned me into a zombi.  I had crippling side effects from most of the BP meds tried on me, and Losartan has many of the side effects on me from my pre gluten free days. Because you have been gluten free, you can test and talk until you are blue in the face but all of your tests will be negative.  Without gluten, you will not create the antigen against gluten, no antigens to gluten, so no small intestine damage from the antigens.  You will need to do a gluten challange to test positive if you need an official diagnosis, and even then, no guaranty: 10 g of gluten per day for 6 weeks! Then a full panel of Celiac tests and biopsy. At a minimum consider vitamin D, Liquid Iodine (unless you have dermatitis herpetiformis and iodine exasperates the rash), and Liquid Geritol. Push for vitamin D testing and a consult with a nutritionist experienced with Celiack Disease.  Most blood tests don't indicate nutritional deficiencies.  Your thyroid tests can be perfect, yet not indicate iodine deficiency for example.  Thiamine   test fine, but not pick up on beriberi.  Vegans are often B12 deficient because meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy are the primary souces of B12. Here is what I take daily.  10,000 IU vitamin D3 750 mg g a b a [   ] 200 mg CoQ10 [   ] 100 mg DHEA [   ] 250 mg thiamine B1 [   ] 100 mg of B2 [   ] 500 mg B5 pantothenic acid [   ] 100 mg B6 [   ] 1000 micrograms B12 n [   ] 500 mg vitamin c [   ] 500 mg taurine [   ] 200 mg selenium   
    • NanceK
      My only proof

      By NanceK · Posted

      Hi…Just a note that if you have an allergy to sulfa it’s best not to take Benfotiamine. I bought a bottle and tried one without looking into it first and didn’t feel well.  I checked with my pharmacist and he said not to take it with a known sulfa allergy. I was really bummed because I thought it would help my energy level, but I was thankful I was given this info before taking more of it. 
    • Wheatwacked
      Feel like I’m starting over

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Hello @Scatterbrain, Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals.  Gluten free food is not fortified so you may be starting to run low on B vitamins and vitamin D.   By the way you should get your mom checked for celiac disease.  You got it from your mom or dad.  Some studies show that following a gluten-free diet can stabilize or improve symptoms of dementia.  I know that for the 63 years I was eating gluten I got dumber and dumber until I started GFD and vitamin replenishment and it began to reverse.  Thiamine can get used up in a week or two.  Symptoms can come and go with daily diet.  Symptoms of beriberi due to Thiamine deficiency.   Difficulty walking. Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet. Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower legs. Mental confusion. Pain. Speech difficulties. Strange eye movements (nystagmus) Tingling. Any change in medications? Last March I had corotid artery surgery (90 % blockage), and I started taking Losartan for blood pressure, added to the Clonidine I was taking already.  I was not recovering well and many of my pre gluten free symptoms were back  I was getting worse.  At first I thought it was caused a reaction to the anesthesia from the surgery, but that should have improved after two weeks.  Doctor thought I was just being a wimp. After three months I talked to my doctor about a break from the Losartan to see if it was causing it. It had not made any difference in my bp.  Except for clonindine, all of the previous bp meds tried had not worked to lower bp and had crippling side effects. One, I could not stand up straight; one wobbly knees, another spayed feet.  Inguinal hernia from the Lisinopril cough.  Had I contiued on those, I was destined for a wheelchair or walker. She said the symptoms were not from Losartan so I continued taking it.  Two weeks later I did not have the strength in hips and thighs to get up from sitting on the floor (Help, I can't get up😨).  I stopped AMA (not recommended).  Without the Losartan, a) bp did not change, after the 72 hour withdrawal from Losartanon, on clonidine only and b) symptoms started going away.  Improvement started in 72 hours.  After six weeks they were gone and I am getting better.  
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