Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Constipation


gflooser

Recommended Posts

gflooser Contributor

What can we use!!!???

I've been doing miralax, but thats starting not to work anymore. Is there any herbal remedies, cleanses?

What about mineral oils? It doesn't help that I'm on weight watchers. So I don't eat enough to MAKE me go! Sorry, tmi ;)

I had a massage and the therapist showed me how to do an intestinal massage and that helps a little.

Anyone???


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



dilettantesteph Collaborator

Prunes. Sunsweet don't seem to have any gluten in that I can eat them. 7 bite size a day.

skinnyasparagus Apprentice

I take all natural pure phyllisum husks as a fiber source. On days of constipation I take an extra one. They also make it in a powdered form but I prefer the gelatin capsules. For me, they work incredibly well and better than metamusil ever did. Prunes are great but don't always work and sometimes the extra sugar constipates you even more. They sell phyllisum husks at Whole Foods and GNC - but make sure its gluten-free because some companies produce them on machinery that manufactures wheat, soy, and nuts as well.

Hope this helps!

mftnchn Explorer

Prunes work better if they are boiled in water and softened. You might search the forum here as many people have posted their discoveries.

Magnesium is needed for the intestine to contract. You may try taking an oral magnesium supplement. You can gradually increase until it is enough to help. Vitamin C can help as well.

I have gotten a lot of help on the specific carbohydrate diet; in the literature I have found out that constipation is a sign of intestinal irritation, and if that is the case for you, extra fiber will make it worse instead of better. SCD helps by reducing irritants, eliminating carbohydrates that we can't digest (villa damage can hinder production of carb digestive enzymes) and that feed bad bacteria, helping to kill the bad bacteria and replace them with good bacteria.

babysteps Contributor

if your gut is irritated this would probably be a bad idea, but for me a meal heavy in garlic (say, one-third to half a head per person) speeds things right along. Prunes work great too.

mhb Apprentice

I am having good success using bitters from Italy. Years ago I tried the "Swedish Bitters" but they did not work for me. Recently I learned about "Dolce Digestivo". It has no sugar, alcohol or preservatives and is working well. The box says it has natural flavors and natural caramel color, but I called the distributor and they assured me, after researching its ingredients, it has no gluten. A friend of mine started using it and it's helping her a lot too. I paid $16.99 locally, but later found it online here for much less: Open Original Shared Link You could call the distributor to see if you can find it locally: Solaray, at 1-800-683-9640.

gflooser Contributor

You guys are GREAT!!! Thanks for all your help. Prunes used to work, but I think my body got used to them. Of course, I was only eating 3-5 per day. Maybe I should try to eat more per day!

What is the SCD diet???

Never heard of bitters....

I will have to research this stuff!!!!

B):):lol::P


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



mftnchn Explorer

Sorry, SCD stands for specific carbohydrate diet. It is designed to help heal the gut. For me, and possibly others who are celiac, damage to the villa means that we do not adequately produce carbohydrate digesting enzymes. Often mentioned is lactase, but there are at least two others that cannot be produced without villa.

When we don't break down sugars and starches to monosaccharides, they can't be absorbed. They should be absorbed high in the intestine. So if you are eliminating high amounts of sugar in stool (like I was) this is a sure sign of problems. It means further damage to the intestine and prevention of healing. The sugar in the lower intestine feeds lots of bad organisms.

The gut damage can produce either constipation or diarrhea. The answer of more fiber can actually worsen the condition.

The SCD eliminates the problematic carbs, then you follow a gradual introduction of foods beginning with those easiest to digest.

My main celiac symptom is constipation and gluten-free for 15 months, CF 10 months, and SF 12 months just didn't clear this up. One week after starting SCD I saw dramatic improvement.

So my question would be what is underlying the constipation? If symptomatic treatment isn't consistently helping...

Amber M Explorer
What can we use!!!???

I've been doing miralax, but thats starting not to work anymore. Is there any herbal remedies, cleanses?

What about mineral oils? It doesn't help that I'm on weight watchers. So I don't eat enough to MAKE me go! Sorry, tmi ;)

I had a massage and the therapist showed me how to do an intestinal massage and that helps a little.

Anyone???

Funny about the fiber. My nutritionist kept telling me to eat more fiber (before I was diagnosed) and the more I ate, the more constipated I got! I kept telling her it didn't work for me. After I went gluten free, my allergist told me to take magnesium for all of the neuro symptoms as well as the constipation. I had to get up to 1000 mgs. before it started to work. I tried everything else and nothing but the mag. worked for me. My allergist said, "your body will tell you when you have enough mag. because your stools will begin to be loose and if you get the "D", then start lowering the amount of mag." Have you had your vitamin levels checked? If you take magnesium, be sure its on a full stomach (or it will cause nasea) and build up gradually. I take half at lunch and half at supper.

gflooser Contributor

Thats very interesting Amber, thank you!

I'm going to the dr. for my regular yearly check up in a few weeks. I will be going with LOTS of questions!

mftnchn Explorer
Funny about the fiber. My nutritionist kept telling me to eat more fiber (before I was diagnosed) and the more I ate, the more constipated I got! I kept telling her it didn't work for me. After I went gluten free, my allergist told me to take magnesium for all of the neuro symptoms as well as the constipation. I had to get up to 1000 mgs. before it started to work. I tried everything else and nothing but the mag. worked for me. My allergist said, "your body will tell you when you have enough mag. because your stools will begin to be loose and if you get the "D", then start lowering the amount of mag." Have you had your vitamin levels checked?

Same for me. Actually this is what led me to my celiac diagnosis. I had tried the "tried and true" and it didn't work; I found the references to gluten problems when searching for answers.

I was up to 1600 mg of magnesium in the early months of gluten-free!!!! But was gradually able to cut it down to 300-400 daily and not every day. Now I am back up to about 1000 again after a hidden gluten exposure that took me several weeks to discover.

Also, YES on the vitamin d. My levels were horrendously low.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,393
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    HeckelCrazy
    Newest Member
    HeckelCrazy
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
    • Clear2me
      Thanks for the info. I recently moved to CA from Wyoming and in that western region the Costco and Sam's /Walmart Brands have many nuts and more products that are labeled gluten free. I was told it's because those products are packaged and processed  in different  plants. Some plants can be labeled  gluten free because the plant does not also package gluten products and they know that for example the trucks, containers equipment are not used to handle wheat, barely or Rye. The Walmart butter in the western region says gluten free but not here. Most of The Kirkland and Members Mark brands in CA say they are from Vietnam. That's not the case in Wyoming and Colorado. I've spoken to customer service at the stores here in California. They were not helpful. I check labels every time I go to the store. The stores where I am are a Sh*tshow. The Magalopoly grocery chain Vons/Safeway/Albertsons, etc. are the same. Fishers and Planters brands no longer say gluten free. It could be regional. There are nuts with sugar coatings and fruit and nut mixes at the big chains that are labeled gluten free but I don't want the fruit or sugar.  It's so difficult I am considering moving again. I thought it would be easier to find safe food in a more populated area. It's actually worse.  I was undiagnosed for most of my life but not because I didn't try to figure it out. So I have had all the complications possible. I don't have any spare organs left.  No a little gluten will hurt you. The autoimmune process continues to destroy your organs though you may not feel it. If you are getting a little all the time and as much as we try we probably all are and so the damage is happening. Now the FDA has pretty much abandoned celiacs. There are no requirements for labeling for common allergens on medications. All the generic drugs made outside the US are not regulated for common allergens and the FDA is taking the last gluten free porcine Thyroid med, NP Thyroid, off the market in 2026. I was being glutened by a generic levothyroxin. The insurance wouldn't pay for the gluten free brand any longer because the FDA took them all off their approved formulary. So now I am paying $147 out of pocket for NP Thyroid but shortly I will have no safe choice. Other people with allergies should be aware that these foreign generic pharmaceutical producers are using ground shellfish shell as pill coatings and anti-desicants. The FDA knows this but  now just waits for consumers to complain or die. The take over of Wholefoods by Amazon destroyed a very reliable source of good high quality food for people with allergies and for people who wanted good reliably organic food. Bezos thought  he could make a fortune off people who were paying alot for organic and allergen free food by substituting cheap brands from Thailand. He didn't understand who the customers were who were willing to pay more for that food and why. I went from spending hundreds to nothing because Bezo removed every single trusted brand that I was buying. Now they are closing Whole foods stores across the country. In CA, Mill Valley store (closed July 2025) and the National Blvd. store in West Los Angeles (closed October 2025). The Cupertino store will close.  In recent years I have learned to be careful and trust no one. I have been deleberately glutened in a restaurant that was my favorite (a new employee). The Chef owner was not in the kitchen that night. I've had  a metal scouring pad cut up over my food.The chain offered gluten free dishes but it only takes one crazy who thinks you're a problem as a food fadist. Good thing I always look. Good thing they didn't do that to food going to a child with a busy mom.  I give big tips and apologize for having to ask in restaurants but mental illness seem to be rampant. I've learn the hard way.          I don't buy any processed food that doesn't say gluten free.  I am a life long Catholic. I worked for the Church while at college. I don't go to Church anymore because the men at the top decided Jesus is gluten. The special hosts are gluten less not gluten free. No I can't drink wine after people with gluten in their mouth and a variety of deadly germs. I have been abandoned and excluded by my Church/Family.  Having nearly died several times, safe food is paramount. If your immune system collapses as mine did, you get sepsis. It can kill you very quickly. I spent 5 days unconscious and had to have my appendix and gall bladder removed because they were necrotic. I was 25. They didn't figure out I had celiac till I was 53. No one will take the time to tell you what can happen when your immune system gets overwhelmed from its constant fighting the gluten and just stops. It is miserable that our food is processed so carelessly. Our food in many aspects is not safe. And the merging of all the grocery chains has made it far worse. Its a disaster. Krogers also recently purchased Vitacost where I was getting the products I could no longer get at Whole Foods. Kroger is eliminating those products from Vitacost just a Bezos did from WF. I am looking for reliable and certified sources for nuts. I have lived the worst consequences of the disease and being exposed unknowingly and maliciously. Once I was diagnosed I learned way more than anyone should have to about the food industry.  I don't do gray areas. And now I dont eat out except very rarely.  I have not eaten fast food for 30 years before the celiac diagnosis. Gluten aside..... It's not food and it's not safe.  No one has got our backs. Sharing safe food sources is one thing we can do to try to be safe.        
    • Mmoc
      Thank you kindly for your response. I have since gotten the other type of bloods done and am awaiting results. 
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      I wanted to respond to your post as much for other people who read this later on (I'm not trying to contradict your experience or decisions) > Kirkland Signature Super Extra-Large Peanuts, 2.5 lbs, are labeled "gluten free" in the Calif Costcos I've been in. If they are selling non-gluten-free in your store, I suggest talking to customer service to see if they can get you the gluten-free version (they are tasty) > This past week I bought "Sliced Raw Almonds, Baking Nuts, 5 lbs Item 1495072 Best if used by Jun-10-26 W-261-6-L1A 12:47" at Costco. The package has the standard warning that it was made on machinery that <may> have processed wheat. Based on that alone, I would not eat these. However, I contacted customer service and asked them "are Costco's Sliced Almonds gluten free?" Within a day I got this response:  "This is [xyz] with the Costco Member Service Resolutions Team. I am happy to let you know we got a reply back from our Kirkland Signature team. Here is their response:  This item does not have a risk of cross contamination with gluten, barley or rye." Based on this, I will eat them. Based on experience, I believe they will be fine. Sometimes, for other products, the answer has been "they really do have cross-contamination risk" (eg, Kirkland Signature Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts, Salted, 1.5 lbs Item 1195303). When they give me that answer I return them for cash. You might reasonably ask, "Why would Costco use that label if they actually are safe?" I can't speak for Costco but I've worked in Corporate America and I've seen this kind of thing first hand and up close. (1) This kind of regulatory label represents risk/cost to the company. What if they are mistaken? In one direction, the cost is loss of maybe 1% of sales (if celiacs don't buy when they would have). In the other direction, the risk is reputational damage and open-ended litigation (bad reviews and celiacs suing them). Expect them to play it safe. (2) There is a team tasked with getting each product out to market quickly and cheaply, and there is also a committee tasked with reviewing the packaging before it is released. If the team chooses the simplest, safest, pre-approved label, this becomes a quick check box. On the other hand, if they choose something else, it has to be carefully scrutinized through a long process. It's more efficient for the team to say there <could> be risk. (3) There is probably some plug and play in production. Some lots of the very same product could be made in a safe facility while others are made in an unsafe facility. Uniform packaging (saying there is risk) for all packages regardless of gluten risk is easier, cheaper, and safer (for Costco). Everything I wrote here is about my Costco experience, but the principles will be true at other vendors, particularly if they have extensive quality control infrastructure. The first hurdle of gluten-free diet is to remove/replace all the labeled gluten ingredients. The second, more difficult hurdle is to remove/replace all the hidden gluten. Each of us have to assess gray zones and make judgement calls knowing there is a penalty for being wrong. One penalty would be getting glutened but the other penalty could be eating an unnecessarily boring or malnourishing diet.
    • trents
      Thanks for the thoughtful reply and links, Wheatwacked. Definitely some food for thought. However, I would point out that your linked articles refer to gliadin in human breast milk, not cow's milk. And although it might seem reasonable to conclude it would work the same way in cows, that is not necessarily the case. Studies seem to indicate otherwise. Studies also indicate the amount of gliadin in human breast milk is miniscule and unlikely to cause reactions:  https://www.glutenfreewatchdog.org/news/gluten-peptides-in-human-breast-milk-implications-for-cows-milk/ I would also point out that Dr. Peter Osborne's doctorate is in chiropractic medicine, though he also has studied and, I believe, holds some sort of certifications in nutritional science. To put it plainly, he is considered by many qualified medical and nutritional professionals to be on the fringe of quackery. But he has a dedicated and rabid following, nonetheless.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.