# Slow motility, slow transit friends unite



## Citylady403 (Apr 15, 2003)

Anyone who meets Flux's definition of refractory constipation -- aka slow motility, slow transit -- let's talk below about helps when fiber and water do not. According to Flux,"The term constipation can be used in different ways: infrequent defecation, straining, and incomplete evacuation are also described as constipation. Technically, only the first one is "true" constipation. Studies seem to indicate there is a functional constipation which does not involve altered transit and a REFRACTORY CONSTIPATION which does. Kmottus adds: "You can have hard, dry, hard to pass stools that exit the body in the normal 72 hour time frame, which is what you are likely to see in functional constipation. This often is helped by eating more fiber, drinking more water which alters the stool consistancy so it comes out easier.In slow-motility it can take longer than 72 hours to get out of the body, sometimes much more than 72 hours and increasing fiber tends to only bog things down even more."OK, Slow-mo buddies, what helps you both in a C-crisis and to generally "loosen up"?


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## Charlie357 (Apr 3, 2002)

Hi Citylady, Count me in,I have slow motility and transit. It's ironic but I feel better when I'm a little on the constipated side and I often use glycerin suppositories to get things moving again due to the sluggish system. It would be great to be back to normal again. Good luck to you and your problems.


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## katykaren (Apr 5, 2003)

It almost seems as if slow motility goes against common practice's advice for C sometimes. Here are my biggies:1) GIVE IT A REST! Stop eating as early in the evening as you can.Don't snack. Just eat three meals a day.This has been the most effective trick in the book for me.2) BE RESPECTFUL TO YOUR TUMMYToo much fiber makes my stomach lash out. Soda pop is another huge problem. I always try to eat healthily, but I was listening to authorities outside my body before listening to my body. Sometimes, I can just tell that broccoli is going to give me fits. Other times I know I'll be fine. Cooking veggies helps me, even though the raw foods movement says otherwise. I used to drink like a fish, but now I feel better if only drink when I don't feel waterlogged. Wheat bran is like cement, so oat bran is my fiber of choice. Start going with your "gut" feeing. REally!3) Ground flaxseeds, warm water enemas, mineral oil, milk of magnesia, raw carrots and apples, the "bridge pose" in yoga, jogging (high impact exercise), and getting extra sleep all have helped at different times. So feel free to ask about it. I'm sure someone on this post will wag a finger at some of these practices, but let me tell you, sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. Quality of life, I say! And when that is better, it will start to help you feel better.Hope that helps!


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## Panda (Apr 27, 2003)

Hi there! I am new to this so bear with me. I am almost at my wits end with this constipation. I take metamucil daily and stool softeners every couple of days, along with excercise and the diet thing but I cannot become regular. This is sort of a recent problem (although as a kid I was always constipated) I'm glad i've found this group. Ii's great to get ideas and such from others who are similar







I guess everyone is different but I have really slow plumbing and I need to speed it up so when I do have a movement, i'm not torn. It's horrible.My doc told me to take senna until I train my colon to be regualr again! It's not happenin'!! And I don't want to take senna often(even though it works). If anyone has any suggestions I'm here


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## jenifer moor (Apr 14, 2002)

Good on you Citylady. I think I fit in the slow mo group. If I don't take something then I don't go for days and then only in tiny bits until I eventually clog right up. I have tried everything to get things going naturally but all the things like fibre make things worse. My doctor is happy to call my condition IBS because with this I get the bloating and cramps etc if I don't keep things moving but am I truly IBS? Maybe we can identify each post at the beginning by saying slow mo or something. A lot of the other posts are irrelevant for us slow mo's What do you suggest?


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## nordattack (Dec 11, 2002)

I'm definitely a slow-mo. If I eat bran cereal then I start getting urges to go within two days but everything is closed tight so it becomes a battle. The urges will grow in intensity over the next few days and finally after 5 days to a week a final "real" urge to go occurs and I go. The pain leading up to that time and depression is terrible. If I avoid fiber, bran, Metamucil, prunes then the false urges will come only two days before it is time. Best case scenario for me is to find a way to have a normal movement once every other day with no false urges. Once every three days I could live with as well as long as the false urges are gone. If this cycle of false urges comes at night then sleep becomes difficult if not impossible. It seems sad to say but my case closely resembles contractions and labor before birth, but in my case this labor can continue for days. I have not yet found anything other than a laxative that by adding it to my diet will cause regularity. Any advice is desired. My stool is normally not dry even after a week of not going.


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## Citylady403 (Apr 15, 2003)

Info from Bonniei under the thread 3 types of C:If you are classifying constipation by transit times then there are four types1) normal colonic and rectal transit times,(IBS) (2) slow colonic transit only, (3) delayed rectal transit only,( this is with pelvic floor dysfunction I think) and (4) slow colonic and rectal transit


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## Citylady403 (Apr 15, 2003)

Advice from Moxie under Prunes thread:For people with the usual sort of constipation (which is defined by hard, dry stools, not by frequency) the order of interventions is water, water, water, fiber, both soluble and insoluble, and exercise. If that fails to make a difference and you start feeling as if you have a 'brick' or 'stone' in your gut, then it may be that you have a slow transit problem in the colon and you may need to reduce or change the fiber you are ingesting. Keep up with the water and exercise, though.Try the lubricant laxatives such as a little olive oil, mineral oil, in small quantities at first. If no resolution, then move on to the osmotics such as lactulose and finally the stimulants such as senna. Never overuse any of these - they only aggravate the problems long term. You are going to have to be your own caregiver and detective. It can be done, just keep careful records (a journal of everything you eat with stool results) and think about everything you put in your mouth. Loads of info if you look hard around this site. Ghitta posts good infor on food, but your triggers may be different from anyone else on this site. Remember that, always.


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## Peaches39 (Apr 29, 2003)

I've tried everything except the new metamucil in capsule form but I've been taking two Cascara Segrada every night about 10 pm for the past 18 years and have been very regular this whole time. My GYN seems to think this is okay and advised me not to stop what I was doing. I'd be interested to know if anyone else is taking Cascara?


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## Citylady403 (Apr 15, 2003)

Peaches, you might want to do a search on Cascara to see what people say on the topic in other threads. "Search" is in the middle of the line on the upper right between "my profile" and "forum home". Just click it, put in that word, click and you'll see the threads.


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## yali (May 1, 2003)

Hi there,I'm new to this forum. I too am a sufferer of severe constipation resulting from a motility problem. I have tried EVERYTHING!! Its complicated by the fact that I also have colitis in my rectal area, which when inflamed, plugs me up even more. I was hospitalized just last week from severe debilitating stomach pains and all the doctors could tell me was that I had stones of #### in my colon. I took a purgative to clean me out and even that didn't do the trick! I'm currently being sort of controlled (at least going every 2 days, plugged for 2 days, then going again) by doing the following:high fibre diet (but staying away from raw fruits/veggies, and things that may irritate my GI tract = eg: garlic, onion, peppermint, green peppers, beans, chocolate, caffeine).I'm also taking 2 senekot-s every night, and a chinese herb (its called 'smooth passage'= probably a mild stimulant) every morning.My doctor perscribed me Dicetel for the motility. So far, things have been a lot better. But I can't tell what exactly in all of the above is doing the trick. Its so frustrating and so debilitating. Traveling especially always gets me plugged up!! Anyone else find that?


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## NoGutsNoGlory (Dec 24, 2002)

yali: I too also wondered why traveling is so constipating. When I travel, I can be plugged up for 7 days.


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

Definitely slo-mo here. Just the other night I tried something new that worked beautifully. I decided it made no sense to eat dinner with a brick in my lower gut after a full day and night of gas, bachache and a bloated belly. So I had a Boost (liquid supplement) for dinner instead of adding more solid food to the clog. At bedtime I took milk of magnesia, the next day I had a bowel movement mid morning and felt GREAT the rest of the day. I was dancing in the streets!! I think I should have done it for maybe 2 more nights even though I felt better, because things clogged up again the next day. I have to say when I feel better, I'm on cloud 9, just sooooooo happy to be feeling normal again and to see that (relatively) flat tummy in the mirror...


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## Isis5244 (May 4, 2003)

.....I posted that too soon. I also meant to say that I take 2 Colase every day, and have a bowl of oat bran cereal with dried fruit and 2 tbsp. of flax seed meal every morning. Good or bad, I also rely on my one cup of coffee every morning to get things moving. I don't know if that's a good thing in the long run but most of the time it works.....


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## Mil3525 (Mar 25, 2003)

I have constipation problem along with gas incontinence. I also believe I have tma (fish odor diorder) so my problems are very deep. I tried GAS X Extra Strength today for my gas and it seemed to work. I will try it again tomorrow and see what happens. Is there anyone who has ibs and tma?


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## Meesh (Apr 8, 2003)

Hi All,My doc says I have slow motility (I guess not being able to go for 5-7 days and having to do water enemas was a giveaway!). The result of my slow mo is poopy smelling gas, bloating, and no room to fit any food. Right now, Zelnorm is helping. Osmotic laxatives DO NOT work for me because my intestines cannot move the water-filled stool out. What has worked in past:1) FLUID PRESSURE: AM--Eat raw carrots (3-5 large ones) with 32 oz or more as needed of flavored water--I can't do this anymore because raw veg upset my GI tract. High fiber crackers could be used as a substitute for the carrots--the goal is to hold the water in the intestines until pressure builds up enough to push the saturated stool out. [Unfortunately, I can't do this anymore.]2) Dinner--Eat a pound or more of frozen raspberries or blackberries. Sometime next day I sometimes have a BM. (Good to eat fat with this too.) 3) Water bottle enemas--gets things moving. Best for me to do in the morning when least gas stopping the intake of water. Two a week. Not habit forming. My intestines even go on their own sometimes.4) Walking 45 min. in the heat while constipated. Upon returning, drink 32-48 oz flavored water. Then an urge to go actually comes!TRAVELING: Forget it--only water bottle enemas work for me. I am afraid to use stimulant laxatives. Otherwise, it is five days, a piece of stool here and there and lots of bloating and gas! Ugh! I am trying 1000 mg of Magnesium a day right now--we'll see...Meesh


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