My little boy was constipated badly and I mixed two tablespoons of mineral oil in his apple juice every day. If you mix it well, he won't know. This worked very well and he felt much better.

Room temperature prune/apple/cranberry juices work best for me. also if there is any stress in your life, get rid of it. also forget the red meat forever.

Honestly a lot of doctors have scared me, you would not believe if I told you.

So therefore I have treated myself and am doing much better. Sometimes I have to put a little vodka in my juice, and it sure helps too on those packed days/weeks/months.

I am a 38 year old woman.

Wow! I found some pills online that are fantastic, based on walnut husks and other natural ingredients. Works for me always.

Any suggestions on relief for opiate induced constipation? - anon32883 Yeah. Stop doing drugs!

If I feel I am not going enough I use a ground flax seed and nut homemade cereal. What you do is take 4 tablespoons of ground flax seed and a handful of almonds and walnuts and toss it all in a small bowl. Next, add 4 tablespoons of milk, heavy cream, or half and half, (your choice), and 1 tablespoon of water with a packet of sugar substitute and 2 teaspoons of butter or margarine. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on medium heat setting. Stir and top with nutmeg or cinnamon. Drink 20 ounces of liquid with it to activate all of the fiber. This works really good and is very healthy. Me.

prune juice and apple juice mixed! About one glass a day. It works wonders! Drink plenty of water along with it.

Mirilax! is a god send! And it's not a laxative. i've been on it for about a year =[ but it works. unlike benefiber which had me bloated!

It's interesting to see all of the ways people solve their constipation. OTC laxatives are like crash dieting for your colon. It works initially, but isn't good for you in the long run. In the end game of chronic constipation (coming from a second generation sufferer), the only solution is balance. Don't overload on meats, cheeses, and fats. When you eat a meal, try to include some greens or something with soluble fiber. I buy cereals with fiber and have about 2-3 servings in the morning, and try to get one more serving of fiber later in the day. Also, drink plenty of water. The salt is not necessary, only good clean H2O. Finally, be aware of your BM timing. If you notice that it's been a while, load up on some oatmeal, prune juice, salad, etc... and lots of water. Stay on top of it. Pretty soon you'll find yourself subbing in wheat bread more often, or skipping the cheese, or getting the salad instead of that extra side of potatoes. So do yourselves all a great big favor, and add a little balance to your diet. :)

The best thing to do is to drink peppermint tea after you have eaten or before you go to bed. as soon as you wake up you will need to go to the lav. it's natural, caffeine free, widely available and cheap! asdas own is really nice!

Number 66 it sounds as though you may be addicted to laxatives!

If you can't use the restroom without them that concerns me. Did you initially use them for weight loss? I am sincere when I say this should be checked out by a doctor! Good luck, stay healthy!

Anyone who is very constipated probably has very hard stool in the rectal area that is not coming out. You should first use a small plain water enema, glycerin suppositories or the little liquid glycerin enemas to relieve the immediate "blockage" at the lower end. Then, consider any fiber supplements, foods, or laxatives to work from above.

smooth move tea from traditional medicines. can get at whole foods. it's natural and works every time.

also drinking 16 ounces of warm water with a teaspoon of salt.

Wow. I tried laxatives. Kills my stomach.

Fiber pills: Doesn't work. Different foods: Doesn't work. Prunes: Nah. Didn't work.

Most of these suggestions didn't work either

I talked to my doctor and they did some tests and I'm waiting for the results. Just hope I don't have that irritable bowel syndrome.

I'm gonna try warm apple juice and if it doesn't work, I quit. lol.

I agree! I'm thinking whoever posted 66 could use a little "help" too! ...geesh

btw, "bm" is an abbreviation for bowel movement. on the off chance your question was sincere!

comments 69 and 71 are especially disturbing! Thank God I know where my kids are!

I learned this first hand from my grandmother. Drink 1/2 glass of warm prune juice or warm apple juice daily. It really works.

try squatting on your toilet, or lightly pressing on the skin in front of your anus. The angle helps elimination, and the pressure squeezes it out. Seriously give it a shot.

laxatives make my tummy hurt ):

I have a chronic constipation. i tried a high fiber diet but it didnt work for me. now i am dependent on senna pods tea. however i cannot poo poo anymore without taking the senna pods. Will too much of this cause harm in my colon? Please help me -- I am desperate.

What is a BM?

Ok, I'm 16, and have had this problem for 1 or 2 years, and it is embarrassing. I wouldn't go for weeks without a laxative. I'm trying not to take them but I can't help it. Like, I'm stuffed.

Another thing, I went to Iraq/Kurdistan Region to visit my family for 7 weeks, and for some reason I was normal there. I don't get it!!

I came back and realized I lost 14 pounds just by being regular and even asked my doctor, if it was 'cuz of that and she said yes. I'm desperate to lose weight and this problem is in the way.

I'll use those suggestions, thanks for sharing and yeah, just thought I'd share my story.

It's not a natural herb, etc., but the stool softener "Colace" works wonders. It's not a laxative but a stool *softener" that works simply by getting more water into the stool. It doesn't induce a bowel movement, just softens the stool and makes it much easier to go. I take one little cap every day and it helps me every day. Stool softeners are over-the-counter and available everywhere ... Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, etc. They're usually found with the laxatives.

I tried the Aloelax which was suggested here but that did not work, 2 glasses of prune juice & an apple however, certainly did.

I am a chronic sufferer, relied on laxatives, at least once a week to hopefully clean myself out...I started going to get colonics done, I went for several treatments (remember if you are constipated for many years it will take more than one session to get working), actually the first couple were very frustrating- my colon was lazy and there was a lot of mucous...so go to a good one, there is a diet to follow the day before to alleviate gas and make the colonics move better (less meat more greens etc). I also changed my diet just through discussions with my colinics person, eating more greens, taking probiotics, vitamin c, more fruit (berries etc), so I am more regular but I am still not to where you should be--most specialists say you should have one bm for every meal you had the day before...Don't know if I will ever achieve that!

I found this very helpful...give yourself a couple extra hours in the morning though...

32 oz warm distilled water + 1/2 tbsp sea salt + 1 hour (Repeat this again) = a serious bm

If you are not sensitive to alcohol, try 1-2 shots of Blackberry Brandy. Works within an hour for me.

Any suggestions on relief for opiate induced constipation?

i ate a bag full of roasted peanuts, shells and all. i guess the shells don't digest, and they all backed up somewhere along the line, and going is very difficult now. i feel very full no matter what... i can definitely say that my food intake is a lot higher than the exit amount... i called the school doctor, she said since i am still passing gas it's not clogged and suggested exlax and a lot of water. it's been 5 days now, but no pain... only today i am starting to get a little cramped, but i suspect that is because i haven't gone in 5 or 6 days. i'm gonna go buy some exlax and cycopeptate tomorrow to see if that won't liquefy everything and do a quick flush of my system. the moral of this story, take the shells off of your roasted peanuts!

So i was reading these, and i came across one about fiber. It really does work. I was really constipated so i took 3 fiber capsules, and then i had toast with honey, cinnamon and sugar--i don't know if it helps but it worked for me and then an activia probiotic yogurt. It really worked, like within an hour, i'm good to go. Try it, i hope it helps.

The best natural laxative I have ever used is licorice. It has to be natural licorice and I have found the best one to be "Panda's All Natural Soft Licorice" ...it seems to work in about an hour, after not having gone for days! I have heard that hard licorice root is even more effective but I have never been able to find a health shop that carries it. Other things that work are Coffee (if you drink caffeine), pears, salad, and "All Bran" cereal. Lots of other fruits work well too, drinking more water helps a lot too. If you have to take a tablet then herbal Senokot works, just take it before bed and you are good to go by morning.

Did you know that eating too much fiber and natural laxatives can actually cause constipation?! All your ideas are great, and I will try most of them. However, I know it becomes very frustrating to not be able to go, but don't eat too much. What is too much? You'll have to figure that out. Just to make things complicated. For me all I know is anything more than 30g of fiber make me constipated.

Down in Mexico we use tamarindo, papaya and we have a fiber here called Fibra Kania. It has fibers from cactus and maguey. It works great but I'm not sure if its available in the states.

I think a variety of natural remedies is better than sticking to a single one. Prune juice works very well or a couple of cooked bananas or concentrated marmite soup (and it's packed with vitamins) or a plate of fried onions. Red chillies are very good too for those who don't mind spicy food; black lentils are also excellent. And most of all exercise is crucial. I think that it rids the body of toxins (natural aching of the body muscles should follow) which get naturally evacuated through the natural stimulation of the laxative system.

I eat 1/2 apple per day, drink 1 glass of water with 1 spoon of metamucil, eat 2 fiber one tablets with about 5 prunes each morning for breakfast. I also drink at least 48 to 72 ounces of water a day.

That combo worked a little for about a week and then stopped up again. I've made a list from above that I will try, but do you have any more natural food ideas?

Try Miralax. That stuff is unbelievable. You may say "gross" but actually if you mix it with your favorite beverage, you can't taste it at all! It doesn't work right away but will definitely give you the relief you need without the painful constricting of your bowels from other laxatives. Take my word for it. I sometimes cannot go to the bathroom but once a week or so, but with Miralax (believe it or not) I went like 2-3 times a day! Also you should try Benefiber. Just like the commercials, there is absolutely no taste or thickness to it. This is not a laxative, but it is very good for your colon health.

i think you may want to get your colon checked.

to 3 wks no go: Honestly, more then 4 days is bad. You don't want what happened to me to happen to you. I didn't go for a week and I was slow go before that so I got so impacted that it was horrible pain and nausea, all the way up to my rib cage... it took 2 wks for that to go away (trust me 45 feet or so of intestines is a lot of back up).

Then, I developed a pancreatic attack which was the most horrible thing I've ever experienced. So... if you are able to take a natural laxative, try first Prune Juice and it's in the beverage isle. If that doesn't work, trust me on this one, a tall glass of warm water (not hot), followed by 1 cup of black coffee (not decaf), and if that doesn't work, try a bran muffin with a cup of black coffee. This should work. And, to add to the possibilities, do some sit ups. Get your abs moving. Hope it works! Don't delay going to doc if no go in 1 wk... like I said... 4 days is too much.

Try Senna Pods, place about 5 in a cup pour in some boiling water, let it brew for about 5mins and drink it. I have found them to be really effective; just don't take too many! They are available at organic shops and are really cheap.

refried beans and strong coffee!

In response to anon11484 concerning her 10 year old, please have your doctor evaluate your child for gluten sensitivity. Or if you want to try it for yourself, just limit her diet to gluten free for a week or two and see what happens. You will need to really read labels because there is gluten in many foods that you wouldn't expect. Investigate gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease on the internet. I believe that you will find that your daughter may well have that.

I had been taking laxatives from the time I was about 8 years old to almost age 21. Then I read a book called "Fit for Life" by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond - it's about the body's natural hygiene. After reading that book and adjusting when I ate certain foods, I stopped taking laxatives very quickly (within a week). It was truly miraculous for me because I was absolutely dependent on laxatives for those 13 or so years. I also became vegan around the same time, but I didn't have any effects until I read the book and made the adjustments. Also, I noticed if I start the day with some apples things get moving within a few hours. Good luck to everyone!

The problem with taking the fiber and stool softeners is that the body then becomes more dependent. It will cause the intestinal wall muscles to weaken and an inability to preform peristalsis ( the contractions that move the feces). Fiber should be taken with caution and really no more than a few times a month, during a colon cleanse. If you make a salt solution,with good salt, not that toxic table salt, and take a teaspoon in a cup of water in the morning that will help as well. Hymalan Sherpa pink is a great salt.

I've had pretty bad constipation for nearly a year now, ever since I quit smoking, and have tried almost everything. Psyllium, foods with flax, abdominal massage, dairy (I was lactose intolerant at before), spinach, Activia, etc. They either didn't work, or they worked great for a while and then stopped. I recently began using Fiber Mate, which has none of the bulk-forming things that can work against some of us, just powder of dark green vegetables, and it was been working fairly nicely for me so far. Keeping my fingers crossed!

You can find it at Whole Foods, and it's much better if you sprinkle it on your food rather than mixing it in water. Good luck to those who try it!

Salt baths work.... and I found that if I eat high fiber, like raw carrots about an hour before bed it works for a sure fire morning power BM.

Had constipation problems for years, but these two keep me moving and off fiber drinks and pills!

Also, blend aloe vera with honey and your favorite juice. That is truly cleansing. You won't even feel the taste of the aloe. Hope it works for you all! :-)

I just basically registered to give a simple recipe, it works miracles, hope it works for you too!

All you have to do is drink 2 tablespoons of olive oil first thing in the morning. then follow with 2 full glasses of water (not cold or hot water, just normal). If the effects of two tablespoons is too much, reduce to one. It's usually a very mild effect but very cleansing one.

Also, it's a plus for greater skin! Hope it works for you all :-)

And I cannot stress this enough, exercise...sedentary lifestyles only worsen constipation.

Hi all. Just another angle to the discussion. I have read it all and am fascinated (and a fellow sufferer...kind of). I am wondering if any of you have ever noticed your problems to be weather-related?

I have just started having problems again with the onset of the warmer weather as we head into Summer. I had the same problem last year, which eased off come Autumn time. I've had a great 6-9 months! But alas, the warmer days are here again, and so is my problem. I have drunk like a camel, and gotten straight onto the Metamucil, but it has had no effect on it, so it can't be dehydration.

Upon thinking about it, every time I've had it in the past, it's been hot weather. Whaddayathink? In the meantime, I might go ahead and try a few of those remedies I read about...

I have always suffered from constipation and i am very sensitive about my weight. i have been an on-again off-again laxative abuser for the last 10 years. i can go for up to a month without hitting the laxatives, and then the constipation just gets to much and i crumble.

to avoid taking laxatives i have tried all types of natural laxatives.. metamucil, prune juice (in large quantities), alcohol, all bran cereal, papaya, mango, wholemeal bread, mineral oil (its awful and makes me leak), exercise, water, coffee. ... nothing works! i just want to be regular!

i am fed up with having a bloated stomach, "the pooch", and feeling gassy. i want to be regular and lose weight. what can i do??????

a whole mango + a probiotic yogurt. it will work within 2 hours. mango is known in some african countries to cause bm quickly.

Black olives are a great natural laxative. When my son was around 1-2 years old, I discovered black olives. But you have to be careful because you can go from constipation to diarrhea in less than a day. I can't remember how much I gave him, but I think 10-20 olives work well. He's 17 and I still keep them in the pantry and feed them to him in tacos and other foods.

Fresh Heart of Palm is very effective as a stool softener. but to much can cause Diarrhea.....

I want to highly recommend Aloelax, I find it at health food stores. I was only 28 yrs old and had such bad constipation problems that I was backed up and not able to go for weeks and it was miserable. I ended up getting a colonoscopy and barium enima. Was given Go Lightly prescription to prepare for the colonoscopy used per directions and it didn't work the first time so had to do it again a second time. I had been in and out of my doctors advised to use every product they could think of such as Benefiber, Miralax, Dulcolax, Milk of Magnesia, suppositories, Perdiem, including products guaranteed to work in less than 24 hrs., but nothing worked not even tons of liquid or high fiber foods and exercise. A family member was concerned about getting the toxins out of my system before I got really ill and recommended Aloelax and I started taking it and so far it is the only product that keeps me regular. I feel so much better and I lost a bunch of weight. My colon looked good and they never did find the problem, they were going to refer me to another specialist to see if perhaps it was an upper digestive problem, but since the AloeLax capsules work so well and are relatively inexpensive (about $8 a bottle), I decided I didn't need to waste the money. I suggest if you have tried many products that don't seem to work to give this a try. I am sure glad that I did.

Epsom Salt works well. It's cheap and natural but tastes horrible. The only thing is that about an hour or two after you drink it it will start to work and you should make sure you have access to the bathroom for the next 2-3 hours. It works in small strong bursts.

Sardines can also be effective, if eaten steadily at least for a few days. Also only eating hot or warm foods or drinks, and avoiding foods and drinks that are cold. Some spices such as hot peppers, ginger, or curry can also help. Avoiding vinegar can also be beneficial.

I've had problems with my digestive system for as long as I can remember. A few months back, after trying this and that (except harsh laxatives-those are very bad and habit forming), I saw an acupuncturist. It did wonders! I felt so amazing! For the first time ever I felt alive! I was also given herbs selected specifically for my problem which kept me running smoothly for about two months. He said it wasn't a permanent fix cause I've had the problem for so long. When I can, I am going back. It was worth every penny.

FIGS! My baby kept getting constipated for days on end. I tried a bunch of things including prunes and fiber and tons of water. I rubbed her belly and gave her stewed dried figs for breakfast and before bed and let me tell you they worked!! If its really bad do a semi fig fast.

No one has mentioned coconut as being a natural laxative. I read it somewhere. I don't know if it is true or not nor how effective if true.

Response to anon8374 who gave up the alcohol 5 weeks ago. First, Great job. Second, depending on how much of a drinker you were it is going to take you a few months to even begin to even out. You may have a good week here and there, but your system is probably pretty screwed up. I took Metamucil and it worked pretty good. Don't over do it thinking it will help out quicker, you have to take the recommended dose, or just under. Good luck with everything.

Yams and sweet potatoes are naturally very high in insoluble fiber, especially eaten with the skin. Try baking them whole or sliced and serving them with sweet maple syrup and several tall glasses of water. It's cheap, tasty, high in beta carotene and vitamin A, and will almost universally produce a healthy bowel movement within 24 hours.

A note about alcohol: one of the reasons it works so well is because it acts like a depressant drug. Relaxation allows increased blood flow to the GI tract and stimulates intestinal muscle contractions. Getting plenty of sleep and drinking extra water can be just as effective in producing BMs and far more beneficial in the long run.

I heard a joke once that went -

Question : Do you want to know what fear is?

Answer : Being stuck in your car on the freeway in morning rush hour traffic after 2 bran muffins and a cup of coffee.

i take a tablespoon full almond oil with milk after night meal. then i go to bed for sleep. it helps very much in relieving constipation and the stool passes very easily in morning. it also strengthens the digestive system.

a good way for those people that enjoy drinking alcohol, is drinking liquor heavily one night, acts as a laxative, i know it might not be the best choice, but it definitely works in flushing out your system, i know from experience haha..

I don't have problems with constipation, but I find that coffee with half-and-half and Splenda work wonders to keep me regular. I'm often not even through my first cup before I feel it working.

I take Fiber pills.(Psylium Husk). 4 pills a day. It has made a huge difference in my life. I have no irregularity at all. Been regular for over 5 years now, no matter what I eat or drink.. I always hated having to run to the bathroom at work, 2 or 3 times if I ate something before work. Now I hardly ever have to excuse myself from my work duties.. If you can find store brand pills, they are a lot less expensive for a bottle of 200. Half the price usually. I recommend them for anyone who doesn't get enough fiber in their diet..

My son had constipation issues and we tried loading him up with fiber and water, with no luck. After talking with a dietitian, we tried flax seed and it worked like a charm. Best thing we ever did. Search in your internet browser for a recipe for "super flax muffins" which is a staple in our house. I just add a few things to get the kids to eat them, like some chocolate chips or Reeses Pieces. As the recipe says, just eat one or two per day or you might be in the bathroom a while.

I have diabetes, so I'm limited to what I can use as a laxative. Eating fiber seems to makes me more constipated, and I can't drink much prune juice because of the sugar content. Any suggestions?

For the first post about the child i suggest you see a pediatrician or family doctor if it keeps up.

If it's been 3 weeks, you need to see somebody ASAP. Generally, more than a week can be bad.

ok, this is going to an interesting one for you. My 10 year old daughter has a tendency to not have a bm for up to a week. When she finally does, well, it looks like she cleaned out the entire colon! The smell, that's another story but you can just tell that something is wrong.

I've taken her to doctors, specialists, etc. They had started her on a prescription of laxatives but that seemed to make the matter worse. The dosage that they were giving her made everything too soft and she couldn't feel it. So you can only imagine the mess that made. After the embarrassment that she constantly suffered at school and home, I stopped that.

I'm looking for something natural that I can give her in small doses at home to help her but not completely lock her down to the bathroom. Plus something that won't hurt her over the long run. I've been told that it will take her a while to get back to normal because she's been this way for so long, that she's "stretched out".

i havent been able to go to the bathroom for over 3 weeks now. When is a good time to go see a doctor?

anon8374, I have noticed that drinking alcohol heavily one night seems to have a laxative effect by the next morning. I have never read it, though.

Try giving your son fibersure. It's a powder fiber you can add to any creamy substance and he wont know. Put it in his mac and cheese, or spaghetti, or even pour some into the jar of jelly for his pb&j's

I quit alcohol 5 wks ago and have been constipated for 3 wks - anyone think there is a connection? High stress level at my job too. Have tried prunes, stool softeners - getting a bit frightened!

Re: Quartz10

I would stay away from any type of bread. Perhaps you should try fiber cereal or go on a strict liquid diet for a couple of days. OJ with cranberry, herbal laxative tea, sea salt with warm water, or make a soup with tomato sauce, water, seasonings and some type of herb like cilantro which aids in digestion. If nothing else works I would go for the over counter or see a doctor. A severely compacted colon can be dangerous.

I love laxatives!

Go get a colonic done. Even though it costs a little money (around 100) it's very effective and makes you feel so much better. It is where a small plastic tube is inserted and you are flushed with warm water. It's actually good for you because it will strengthen your colon and get out nasty stuff that has been sitting up there. Totally worth it. Although I will point out I had a lot of discomfort due to the fact of a lot of gas, but like I said, worth it.

hi i'm sharon and i have stopped smoking two weeks ago and find it very hard to go to the toilet. have been 3 times in two weeks have tried orange juice, brown bread, 2 litres of water PER DAY!, 1 cup of black coffee a morning what i do not like:) and stomach has swelled up:( any suggestions. i eat very sensibly and i am not a fast food person. thanks

Previously Posted: You can try sugar-free ice cream, sugar-free chocolate or Lay's Wow Chips or any chips made with Olestra Oil. Although you wouldn't want to make a habit of him eating these things, the sugar alcohol or Olestra oil has very effective laxative effect.

Something else that will work is a couple of small glasses of a mixture of pure cranberry juice and O.J. or Dannon makes a great new yogurt called Activia for digestion.

You can always try sugar free chocolate, sugar free ice cream or Lay's Wow Chips or any chips made with Olestra oil. Although you wouldn't want him to eat these things on a regular basis, the sugar substitutes or oil can act as a very effective for of laxative and these are things that the majority of kids willing eat.

my five year old was up last night with pretty bad constipation. he's a pretty picky eater, and i can usually get him to eat fruit and lots of fluids. he'll also eat lots of whole wheat bread. what are some secret ways i can get some more fiber into his diet that taste yummy and he'll be none the wiser about? i hate to see him suffer so much. thanks!