No Urge For A Bowel Movement?

[adambryant]

Sorry, I've posted like 4 different threads now, just getting things off my chest what I was wondering! Does anyone get symtoms, by not having the urge to pass bowels? Its like you never need to go.. Sorry for the topic but yeah haha!

[Persei V.]

I have those too... I honestly don't know either I actually just don't need to go to the bathroom or I can't go. Either way, I force myself to go at a regular time everyday. When I went grain free (last week) soon everything was very regular, by the seventh day. Then I had rice for lunch again, and then... Well...

It's going to be a long week.

[shadowicewolf]

Ditto. I still have small issues dealing with "C". I too make myself go at a certain time every day.

[adambryant]

Since I've been gluten free (5 days) I've had a bit more regular movements but don't fully need the urge to go. Did it keep happening when you ate rice?

[adambryant]

Hmmmmm, do you think its normal for this to happen? How long have you been gluten-free? Could still be a healing process?

[shadowicewolf]

i've been gluten free for over a year (will be two in april). My issue stems from the fact that A: i have no appitite thus i don't eat alot, i still eat enough to keep my GERD under control. B when i do eat, i kinda sorta go for easy things (pb and honey on tortillas over something else). I need to eat more fiber i have no doubt.

I've been working on it, no doubt about it. But still, i tend to stick to foods i KNOW won't make me sick, thus its an endless cycle.

[adambryant]

Ahh I see, not to sure a bit strange. I've had similar symtoms, espeiclly no appetite, but I eat as it will never solve any problems.. I also got bad bloating and C but this seems to be decreasing and I've only been on gluten-free for around 6 days. Also I've not been tested positively, I'm just on a celiac diet as I think its the problem.

[AmyVC]

Constipation is my issue! My sister has Celiac and she always had diarrhea so that is why I thought I didn't have it. By I do. I thought once I was diagnosed and eliminated gluten, I would get "regular". But it has been almost 6 weeks and I am still not. I need to take iron but am afraid that will make it worse. I am taking probiotics and trying to be patient. Uggg

[burdee]

I struggled with constipation for years (like maybe 50). During my 20s I took daily laxatives so that I could 'go' each day. Later I discovered magnesium oxide, but that aways caused lots of bloating and gas. During the next 25 years I followed all the 'regularity rules' (fiber, liquids, exercise, etc., etc.), but still struggled with constipation. I THOUGHT getting dx'd with celiac disease and abstaining from gluten would resolve constipation. I noticed slight improvement after abstaining from gluten. After being dx'd with 6 more delayed reaction food allergies and abstaining from each of those, I noticed slight improvement. Then I was dx'd with and treated for 8 different gut bugs (5 bacteria, 2 parasites and candida) over a 4 year period. Resolving those helped a little, but I never experienced normal regularity (soft stools) UNTIL I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (hypothyroidism) which decreased my metabolism and really slowed my gut motility. After a year or so of experimenting with thyroid supplements and doses I FINALLY have normal regularity every day no matter what I eat, no matter how much liquid I drink or what kind of vitamin/mineral supplements I take. All those years I had hypothyroid symptoms (low blood pressure, low pulse, feeling cold all the time, ever increasing TSH, as well as constipation), but all my docs never considered hypothyroid, maybe because I was thin (due to long undiagnosed celiac disease), rather than overweight because of lower metabolism.

If you stuggle with constipation, despite following all the 'regularity rules' and abstaining from all your diagnosed allergens, ask your doc for a thyroid hormone panel, including free T3, free T4, TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) and TSH (which is not as important as the previous 3 tests, despite most docs' reliance on the TSH for dx'ing hypothyroid).

[AmyVC]

Wow. Thanks for all that info, Burdee. I have very low bp. In fact, when I have it taken they often ask if I am ok or if I feel faint. One time a nurse ran and got me a cookie (before I was diagnosed...so of course I ate it). And, I am always cold. My list of things to talk to my dr about is getting longer...as I get more informed...from all of you!

[Persei V.]

Well, I think burdee is right in his advice to look for other possibilities. Constipation is a sign something is still wrong (I would know, damn you rice) so maybe the OP should look it up for what might have been causing this. Either thyroid, or another food intolerance, whatever.

[adambryant]

These past few days its been a lot better after being a week on gluten free, I didn't ever have bowel movements, 1 a week if that! Now I've been every day since the diet. Touch wood lol!!

[nvsmom]

Glad things are... moving. LOL

I'm in the same boat as Burdee. I had "C" and rarely had the urge to go. I was disappointed when that didn't improve with the gluten-free diet. Then I found out I was hypothyroid and after a few weeks on the meds, things got moving (but still cold,tired with the low BP and pulse... hmph). It could be coincidence but I'm guessing my "C" was mostly the Hashimotos.

[adambryant]

Haha thanks! And yeah things seem better ill see how they go!

[burdee]

  On 11/14/2012 at 4:46 PM, nvsmom said:

Glad things are... moving. LOL

I'm in the same boat as Burdee. I had "C" and rarely had the urge to go. I was disappointed when that didn't improve with the gluten-free diet. Then I found out I was hypothyroid and after a few weeks on the meds, things got moving (but still cold,tired with the low BP and pulse... hmph). It could be coincidence but I'm guessing my "C" was mostly the Hashimotos.

Nicole: How are you doing now? If your thyroid supplement didn't resolve all your hypo symptoms (including 'cold, tired and low pulse'), you may not have a large enough dose or maybe you need a different brand or even different kind of thyroid supplement (i.e., combination t4/t3 or even t3 only, rather than t4 only). Most docs start with a t4 supplement like Synthroid or Levoxyl and just assume that your body easily converts t4 to t3. Some people don't (I'm one) and need more t3 or only t3 to resolve their symptoms. I spent a year trying different doses of t4 and t3 before I realized that I did better on t3 only. Few traditional docs consider t3 only, but many people do better on just t3. (See "Recovering with T3" by Paul Robinson.)

[adambryant]

Do routine blood tests implicate if thyroid is high or low?

[burdee]

Depends on what your doctor considers 'routine'. Specifically ask your doc for a thyroid panel including free t4, free t3, TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibodies which indicate Hashimoto's which is highly correlated with gluten intolerance) and TSH. Most docs will only test TSH, which is not even a thyroid hormone, but a pituitary hormone which can indirectly suggest thyroid problems. However the other 3 tests are more useful in detecting specific thyroid problems and specific supplementary treatments.

[nvsmom]

.... What Burdee said.

TSH is the thyroid stimulating hormone. It's numbers go up as your thyroid function goes down. The problem is that the numbers in the normal range often include those with symptoms of problems so doctors ignore the symptoms and go with the lab numbers. Plus people can have a pituitary that's not working great and a poor functioning adrenal can affect that test too.

TSH lab are somewhere between 0.2-6.0; most are closer to 0.5-3.5 in range. When I was feeling hypo (underactive thyroid) my TSH has ranged from a mid 2 to 6 to in the teens. My doctors ignored it when it was below a 7 even though I had many symptoms.

  On 11/14/2012 at 8:58 PM, burdee said:

Nicole: How are you doing now? If your thyroid supplement didn't resolve all your hypo symptoms (including 'cold, tired and low pulse'), you may not have a large enough dose or maybe you need a different brand or even different kind of thyroid supplement (i.e., combination t4/t3 or even t3 only, rather than t4 only). Most docs start with a t4 supplement like Synthroid or Levoxyl and just assume that your body easily converts t4 to t3. Some people don't (I'm one) and need more t3 or only t3 to resolve their symptoms. I spent a year trying different doses of t4 and t3 before I realized that I did better on t3 only. Few traditional docs consider t3 only, but many people do better on just t3. (See "Recovering with T3" by Paul Robinson.)

Thanks Burdee. I'm only 3 months into treatment and not near a good dose (synthroid) yet. I'll get there... eventually...and hopefully sooner than a year! Yikes! That must have been "fun".

[adambryant]

Ahhh ok cheers. I think its just celiac to be honest(fingers crossed ) as things are improving!

[mushroom]

  On 11/15/2012 at 8:02 AM, adambryant said:

Ahhh ok cheers. I think its just celiac to be honest(fingers crossed ) as things are improving!

The one thing celiac will teach you is patience... just wait a while and see what happens.....