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

annegirl

By annegirl
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

annegirl Explorer
annegirl
Posted

Hey guys!

I've been gluten free for 1 month and 13 days and I feel GREAT. Best thing that has ever happened to me, so no complaints there.

I eat 3-4 fruits a day, 2-3 veggies a day with some meat and potatoes thrown in the round stuff out. I have not really gotten into any of the "gluten free" food because I figure it's just safer, healthier (and cheaper!). I am also off of all milk products, soy products. I have started exercising 20-30 minutes a day and I am careful to drink enough water.

I take a multi vitamin, calcium, vit A&D, and primrose oil (all gluten, soy, dairy free).

My problem is that I still struggle with constipation. Things will go well for a few days and then I will have a problem again. I thought maybe it was a fat issue, so I tried frying some corn tortillas for tacos to see if that would help...no go so far.

I have lost about 13-14 pounds, can losing weight create this problem? Has anyone else had this issue crop up or continue after going gluten-free?

Thanks in advance!!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Marilyn R Community Regular
Marilyn R
Posted

So glad you are feeling better!! :)

I had some constipation, which was a major shock to my system after all the IBS. I figured that was normal.

I have added quite a bit of oil to my diet. I buy tuna in olive oil vs. in water. I make my own marinades & salad dressings with olive, sunflower or canola oil, some seasonings and an acid (like lime juice or vinegar.)

The best thing I've found for constipation is to heat 2-4 oz. of prune juice and drink it. If you have belly pain from constipation, then follow the warm prune juice with 1-2 T. warmed up honey. I don't know why it works, but it works.

It seems strange with your diet that you're constipated. It sounds like you're doing everything right. Are you eating some of those vegetables and fruits raw for fiber? Are you eating brown rice as well as white rice? Sweet potatoes as well as white? (If you are eating white rice consistently as your starch, it can be constipating.)

I hope you get over the next hurdle soon, sounds like you're doing great!

Waverlywoods Rookie
Waverlywoods
Posted

I struggled with chronic constipation from 2006-2010. It got so bad at times it would only respond to castor oil and green foods/juices. Nothing really worked, nothing at all worked I should say. Then in january I started taking large amounts of betaine HCL (stomach acid) w/pepsin and NOW plant enzymes. Problem over-have not been constipated at all in 2011! (no laxatives ect...) just a couple of days ago I was looking over a stool test from april 2010 and noticed putrefactive SCFA was in the yellow (caution). This indicates bacterial fermentation of undigested protein. Protein is digested in the stomach. If fact it's the only thing the really gets digested in the stomach and it won't happen without sufficient HCL. If you don't have a lab to look at and don't want to get one, my symptoms were really foul gas , bloating, and chronic constipation that got worse with increasing amounts of meat in the diet. At the time, going gluten free (gluten light in truth) helped my constipation but it was still a problem. Konstantine M. has a book out called Fiber Menace which is a little against the grain, I liked the book, but honestly haven't studied it because I've cured this problem, which was a monster.

Waverlywoods Rookie
Waverlywoods
Posted

I should have added that any kind of sleep problem would complicate this issue. Not eating anything past the evening meal and allowing full 12 hours of fasting between evening meal and bkst is also helpful. Other than that, sluggish thyroid is linked to constipation.

annegirl Explorer
annegirl
Posted
  • Author

Thanks guys!Good info.

I eat most of the fruits and veggies raw (only exceptions on fruits are homemade/canned applesauce and peaches). I do eat prunes on occasion to "get things going" and it helps (gives me really bad stomach cramps though). I also eat raw almonds....so I'm sorta at a loss as to what exactly could be causing the issue.

I eat steamed veggies (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) for dinner, but I always have a salad too. So basically every meal and at least 2 snacks I'm having a raw fruit or veggie.

I go very light on the rice (no more than once ever couple of weeks) because I don't digest it too well.

I do eat both red, yukon gold and sweet potatoes to make things creative.

I will give the prune juice a try and look for the book at the library!

Terri O Rookie
Terri O
Posted

I just came on to post a question and saw yours...I had to chuckle 'cause my problem is just the opposite! In fact my title was going to be "does the big D ever go away?"

Terri O

Scarlett January Newbie
Scarlett January
Posted

Hi! I too have struggled with constipation, however mine started long before I went gluten-free. It seems that no matter what I eat (or don't eat for that matter) nothing changes significantly in terms of bowel movements and stool consistency. At one point I even had to have an 'emergency' colonoscopy (normally where I live you wait a couple of months to get one and they had me in the hospital to get it done in fewer than 48 hours!) because I hadn't had a bowel movement in 3 weeks! Of course the colonoscopy came back normal and I was no further ahead than before.

After trying many more diet changes, laxatives, supplements etc. it was recommended to me by a gastroenterologist to try MILK OF MAGNESIUM. It is normally used as an antacid but when taken in larger quantities it acts as a laxative. She told me it is safe to use regularly and to just start with a low dose (1Tbs or less) once a day and increase slowly until I start having regular bowel movements. There is no pain or cramping. It is very gentle. In fact, the only effect it seems to have is--miracle of all miracles--I am actually having a daily movement (and have been now for about a year) for the first time in years!!! For me, personally, 2 and a half Tbs is the magic number, except when I have eaten something containing gluten and then I usually need about 3 or 3 and half for a couple of days to a week.

I feel really weird posting all of this information about, of all things, bowel movements haha, but I am super passionate about it because milk of magnesium has given me so much relief...more than these words can convey! I hope this helps. Also, if anyone has heard any negatives of using milk of mag long-term I welcome your input. Up until this point I haven't seen anything negative about it.

One last note: the doctor said magnesium citrate pills will not do the trick and in my experience she is right (I had already tried them with no effect) and also just make sure there are no extra additives in your milk of mag because they can be irritants for people like us with sensitive digestive tracts. Personally I use Phillips brand.

Good luck. I hope you find a solution that works for you :-)

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


annegirl Explorer
annegirl
Posted
  • Author

I just came on to post a question and saw yours...I had to chuckle 'cause my problem is just the opposite! In fact my title was going to be "does the big D ever go away?"

Terri O

Oh sad. Hey! Combined we could almost be normal! :P

captaincrab55 Collaborator
captaincrab55
Posted

annegirl , Were you checked for H Pylori??? A small percentage of people with H Pylori suffer with constipation...

Terri O Rookie
Terri O
Posted

Oh sad. Hey! Combined we could almost be normal! :P

Yes--that is sad! But I guess kinda funny too...T

annegirl Explorer
annegirl
Posted
  • Author

annegirl , Were you checked for H Pylori??? A small percentage of people with H Pylori suffer with constipation...

I'm not sure actually....I know I had a bunch of tests done (including thyroid) before my dr asked me to try gluten free before getting diagnosed with celiac.

I'll look into it!

cap6 Enthusiast
cap6
Posted

I noticed that you wrote Milk of Magnesium in caps. Is that different from Milk of Magnesia? Sorry for the dumb question.

Hi! I too have struggled with constipation, however mine started long before I went gluten-free. It seems that no matter what I eat (or don't eat for that matter) nothing changes significantly in terms of bowel movements and stool consistency. At one point I even had to have an 'emergency' colonoscopy (normally where I live you wait a couple of months to get one and they had me in the hospital to get it done in fewer than 48 hours!) because I hadn't had a bowel movement in 3 weeks! Of course the colonoscopy came back normal and I was no further ahead than before.

After trying many more diet changes, laxatives, supplements etc. it was recommended to me by a gastroenterologist to try MILK OF MAGNESIUM. It is normally used as an antacid but when taken in larger quantities it acts as a laxative. She told me it is safe to use regularly and to just start with a low dose (1Tbs or less) once a day and increase slowly until I start having regular bowel movements. There is no pain or cramping. It is very gentle. In fact, the only effect it seems to have is--miracle of all miracles--I am actually having a daily movement (and have been now for about a year) for the first time in years!!! For me, personally, 2 and a half Tbs is the magic number, except when I have eaten something containing gluten and then I usually need about 3 or 3 and half for a couple of days to a week.

I feel really weird posting all of this information about, of all things, bowel movements haha, but I am super passionate about it because milk of magnesium has given me so much relief...more than these words can convey! I hope this helps. Also, if anyone has heard any negatives of using milk of mag long-term I welcome your input. Up until this point I haven't seen anything negative about it.

One last note: the doctor said magnesium citrate pills will not do the trick and in my experience she is right (I had already tried them with no effect) and also just make sure there are no extra additives in your milk of mag because they can be irritants for people like us with sensitive digestive tracts. Personally I use Phillips brand.

Good luck. I hope you find a solution that works for you :-)

Naezer Rookie
Naezer
Posted

I too have had problems with occasional constipation but I know I dont eat enough fruit and veggies. I can pretty much fix it with diet changes. My son(non celiac) on the other hand has battled with constipaiton since potty training and his doc suggested Miralax. It is very gentle and does not cause pains/cramping. You may want to try that to give you some relief. It dissolves completely and not gritty taste. You will have to check if it is gluten free though. Good luck

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. xxnonamexx
      - xxnonamexx posted a topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      0

      Fermented foods, Kefir, Kombucha?

      I have read fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, Kefir, Kombucha are great for gut health besides probiotics. However I have searched and read about ones that were tested (Kefir, Kombucha) and there is no clear one that is very helpful. Has anyone take Kefir, Kombucha and noticed a difference in gut health? I read one is lactose free but when tested...
    2. SamAlvi
      - SamAlvi replied to SamAlvi's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      7

      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      Thanks again for the detailed explanation. Just to clarify, I actually did have my initial tests done while I was still consuming gluten. I stopped eating gluten only after those tests were completed, and it has now been about 70 days since I went gluten-free. I understand the limitations around diagnosing NCGS and the importance of antibody testing...
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    5. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,877
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Ruth Margaret
    Newest Member
    Ruth Margaret
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • xxnonamexx
      Fermented foods, Kefir, Kombucha?

      By xxnonamexx · Posted

      I have read fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, Kefir, Kombucha are great for gut health besides probiotics. However I have searched and read about ones that were tested (Kefir, Kombucha) and there is no clear one that is very helpful. Has anyone take Kefir, Kombucha and noticed a difference in gut health? I read one is lactose free but when tested was high in lactose so I would probably try a non dairy one. Thanks
    • SamAlvi
      High TTG-IgG and Normal TTG-IgA

      By SamAlvi · Posted

      Thanks again for the detailed explanation. Just to clarify, I actually did have my initial tests done while I was still consuming gluten. I stopped eating gluten only after those tests were completed, and it has now been about 70 days since I went gluten-free. I understand the limitations around diagnosing NCGS and the importance of antibody testing and biopsy for celiac disease. Unfortunately, where I live, access to comprehensive testing (including total IgA and endoscopy with biopsy) is limited, which makes things more complicated. Your explanation about small-bowel damage, nutrient absorption, and iron-deficiency anemia still aligns closely with my history, and it’s been very helpful in understanding what may be going on. I don't wanna get Endoscopy and I can't start eating Gluten again because it's hurt really with severe diarrhea.  I appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed and informative guidance. Thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful response. I really appreciate you pointing out the relationship between anemia and antibody patterns, and how the high DGP IgG still supports celiac disease in my case. A gluten challenge isn’t something I feel safe attempting due to how severe my reactions were, so your suggestion about genetic testing makes a lot of sense. I’ll look into whether HLA testing is available where I live and discuss it with my doctor. I also appreciate you mentioning gastrointestinal beriberi and thiamine deficiency. This isn’t something any of my doctors have discussed with me, and given my symptoms and nutritional history, it’s definitely worth raising with them. I’ll also ask about correcting deficiencies more comprehensively, including B vitamins alongside iron. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and taking the time to help. I’ll update the forum as I make progress.
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
×
×
  • 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.