# Only running and magnesium works - why?



## thorova (May 21, 2017)

Hello everyone,

I've been readings threads on this forum for a couple of years now and I've finally decided to set up my own account - since the level of my desperation has reached its peak. And I'd be really really glad for your advice and help.

I've been suffering from chronic constipation for many years (I'm 23, female). According to my blood tests etc I'm completely healthy. Only last years it was discovered that I had numerous polyps in my intestines so my doc removed them - but they were a result of the constipation so after their removal nothing changed.

Since I'm "healthy" doctors keep telling me the same formula all over again and again: eat more fiber and drink more water. But I drink lots of water and eating more fiber literally kills me - I bloat, swell, have stomachache and... that's it. No relief. Only more pain.

Basically nothing works. Laxatives stop working after a single use. Eating prunes, psyllium etc. constipates me even more. The only thing that makes me go is running - but then I'm sorry for going to such details - I literally need to sprint to the toilet if I don't want to... ###### my pants. But even that sometimes doesn't work.

Then, last month I started taking ridiculous amounts of magnesium (1600mg twice a day) as I discovered that it was the only thing that made me go repeatedly (any other laxative always stopped working) and now I think I'm kinda addicted to it as I'm happy to accept the fact that instead of constipation I have a constant diarrhea (which I guess is not the best option either).

I'm really desperate, just this week I switched to some other magnesium pills for a few days and it literally killed me - I had the most painful bloating ever and I just couldn't function normally. My diet was the same as always - I only ate a bit more peanut butter but I don't think its effects would last even 30h+ after eating it.

I'm a student so I can't really afford going to gastro specialists as I live abroad - France - where it'd be really expensive for me.. whereas in Czech (my home country) they don't really find it necessary to deal with me since I have "only" constipation and my tests are all fine.

Please don't you have any idea why is it that only running and magnesium works on me? I'm so desperate. I want to be normal









-- I should also mention that I'm a recovered bulimic - the last time I was "fully bulimic" was April 2016 and since then I've been in recovery. After very few failures, I'm fully "clean"(i.e. not throwing up) since August 2016. I know the body needs time to recover from this kind of abuse - but I was prone to constipation even before my ED issues. And it usually takes much less time to get back to normal (from what I know it should be within months, not years)...

Thank you a lot for your opinions and ideas!


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Hi thorova -

I love peanut butter but only eat it maybe every month or two because it (what else?) constipates me.

If you haven't read this yet, I posted it a few months ago, it has lots of information in it for those of us who are chronically constipated. I hope it helps (click on below link to read):

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/325690-the-abcs-of-chronic-constipation-aka-ibs-c/

-Good luck and keep us posted!


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## Soccerlifter (Mar 23, 2017)

I occasionally eat peanut butter but I will say that my constipation has improved since I stopped eating alot of nuts. I used to have almonds and cashews about everyday burt now I'll have them every once in awhile.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Soccerlifter said:


> I occasionally eat peanut butter but I will say that my constipation has improved since I stopped eating alot of nuts. I used to have almonds and cashews about everyday burt now I'll have them every once in awhile.


That's one thing I definitely miss - raw, unsalted almonds. I could live on them! Plus, they seem so nutritious. Gotta keep away from them.


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## thorova (May 21, 2017)

Thank you guys!







I've been thinking of trying PB2 powdered peanut butter but I guess I will keep away from any form of peanuts atm

also: what do you think about digestive enzymes? I'm thinking of buying NOW super enzymes but they are quite pricey so I don't know if I should buy them or not - at least according to my tests my gallbladder, liver etc are fine so I don't know if it's worth those 27 euros or not...


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

thorova said:


> Thank you guys!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That's one thing I actually never tried. If you do, please let us know what you think!


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## thorova (May 21, 2017)

flossy said:


> That's one thing I actually never tried. If you do, please let us know what you think!


I've ordered the enzymes! Unfortunately, it will take ages to get them as they are not easily available in France (and prob the whole EU) - apparently they will be delivered in mid-June  by then I'll try the SIBO diet (at least at the beginning combined with magnesium - until I learn what to eat on it)


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## highlandhilman (Apr 27, 2017)

Your symptoms sound very similar to SIBO - a bacterial infection of the small intestine. I'm currently on a treatment plan for this, and like you, fiber makes it WORSE. I had to stop taking any and all fiber - foods & supplements. The bacteria feeds off of sugar and fiber: prunes made me constipated, asparagus made me bloated (how ironic), bananas made me bloat, etc, etc. The problem with SIBO is that diet alone CANNOT make it go away 100%, but helps immensely. Once your done school and have an income I'd recommend seeing a naturopath. It's taken me 8 months of various treatments and I still have it, although it's getting better.

Since you're tight on money right now as a student, and (I'm assuming) can't afford the tests to know if it is SIBO or something else that's causing your constipation, your options can be limited, BUT you can try:

1. Youtube videos for "digestive yoga" or "yoga for constipation" - moves/asanas that have lots of twists will massage your gut and help it to move

2. Manual massage on your abdomen, which will help your bowels to move (you can look up massage instructions online)

3. Make sure you get enough sleep - 7-8hrs a night. This allows enough time to rest the gut and allow food to pass

4. Try eating large meals throughout the day 4-5hrs apart, and drink lots of water/tea in between - this allows enough time for food to be processed by the gut so it's not sitting in your intestines and fermenting.

5. Homemade enemas - oil or probiotic. You can get a kit off of amazon for less than USD$20. A "bag" style is better for saline/probiotic, and a "bucket" style is better for oil. CLEAN IT BEFORE AND AFTER EVERY USE. These can help clean our your large intestine to get things moving. An oil enema can help coat your large intestine so that the stool can move more efficiently through your system. I'd recommend doing LOTS of research on this before trying it yourself.

I'd also recommend reducing the amount of magnesium you're supplementing with, as it sounds like you're actually giving your body magnesium poisoning. You can try drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, as it is a mild laxative that won't poison your body!

p.s. This is super random, but I recommend eating a bowl of beets - the pigment may or may not show up in your stool (red/purple), but if it does, that will tell you how long it takes for food to pass through your system. My system is very slow - even with medication to help it, it still took 2.5 days for me to see the beet pigmentation in my stool - compared to my husband who only took 12hrs! It can be helpful to give you a before/after picture of how fast your system is working.


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## thorova (May 21, 2017)

highlandhilman said:


> Your symptoms sound very similar to SIBO - a bacterial infection of the small intestine. I'm currently on a treatment plan for this, and like you, fiber makes it WORSE. I had to stop taking any and all fiber - foods & supplements. The bacteria feeds off of sugar and fiber: prunes made me constipated, asparagus made me bloated (how ironic), bananas made me bloat, etc, etc. The problem with SIBO is that diet alone CANNOT make it go away 100%, but helps immensely. Once your done school and have an income I'd recommend seeing a naturopath. It's taken me 8 months of various treatments and I still have it, although it's getting better.
> 
> Since you're tight on money right now as a student, and (I'm assuming) can't afford the tests to know if it is SIBO or something else that's causing your constipation, your options can be limited, BUT you can try:
> 
> ...


Thank you for your message and your advice!!

I saw the message yesterday before sleep - and tbh that "magnesium poisoning" thing pretty scared me - I made sure not to take any magnesium pills in the morning  .. and Amazon was faster than expected so I received my NOW Super Enzymes yesterday and started to take them with main meals. Although I have no idea when I should expect to see results and if I should stop taking magnesium so it doesn't interfere with it... I guess I'll give my body a break for a few days and see how it reacts with no magnesium (although the idea of oncoming constipation is killing me).

Anyway! SIBO has been on my mind for a (long) while but I had a colonoscopy last year (2x) and the doctor said that my intestines looked okey so I assumed I didn't have SIBO. But I guess SIBO is not explicitly visible...

So, I'd like to try a SIBO diet but I've always failed - aka I'd eat sth wrong(=full of sugar). But, I am wondering - don't you know any website where I can find a good overview of DOs and DON'Ts on the SIBO diet? Every website says sth different, some rules are more strict, some less... I'm lost.

On a side note: I wrote an email to my doc in Czech, telling her that I just don't know what to do blabla - and she just wrote me - "drink more water, eat more fiber". Can the docs say anything else or is it just her pure laziness or sth? Because, in fact, today I had lunch which kinda confirmed me that I just can't deal with too much fiber - I had tomatoes and bell pepper (although I made sure to cook them at least), together with eggs and whole grain bread. And, suprise suprise, since then I was super bloated, had stomachache (air bubbles?) and just felt very uncomfortable. It just made me very very sad, again.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

thorova said:


> Thank you for your message and your advice!!
> 
> I saw the message yesterday before sleep - and tbh that "magnesium poisoning" thing pretty scared me - I made sure not to take any magnesium pills in the morning
> 
> ...


If you have an imbalance in your gut flora (is that the same thing as SIBO?) I personally don't think doctors can do much besides various tests and eventually writing you a prescription for something. This seems to be where a lot of us get stuck.

I wish it was as easy as more fiber & water = cured, but for a lot of us? More fiber makes matters worse and more water does nothing at all.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i'm sorry that you can't see a good gastroenterologist. that's really who you need to help you sort out your problems. gastro docs are more proactive about dealing with constipation than regular docs. a gastro doc can order tests such as the sitz marker test to see if you have colonic inertia-- that may be why the laxatives quit working for you. they can also prescribe meds for constipation.

agree with highlandhilman--1600 mg twice a day is way too much magnesium. from what i've read and been told, the safe upper limit for magnesium is 1000 mg per day as long as you don't have renal problems. too much magnesium can be hard on your kidneys. it's a good idea to get your magnesium levels checked periodically as well as your kidney function if you are taking large amounts (over 400 mg) of magnesium daily.

if magnesium helps you go, instead of overdosing on mag supplements, you could try taking magnesium containing products like MagOx, Mag07, natural calm, milk of magnesia etc. a lot of people find that these help and they won't overdose you on magnesium if you take them as directed.

you're right--a colonoscopy will not show if you have sibo. a breath test will. here is a really good website about sibo--it explains everything--testing, diets, treatments, etc:

http://www.siboinfo.com/testing1.html

http://www.siboinfo.com/diet.html

you might want to take a look at this post--it has a lot of good ideas and tips to try for dealing with constipation:

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/152106-the-great-list-of-remedies/

good luck with everything. hope you can find some relief.


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## AlisonfromSickofIBS (Dec 21, 2016)

Don't worry about French specialists (I live in France too). I have been to see a few, and none of them could help me with IBS issues.

Running stimulates peristalsis (bowel movements) that moves waste through your system.

Magnesium works because you are bringing to your body a mineral it is using up when you are stressed out. If you want to find other natural sources of magnesium and not rely on supplements, read part 3 of this article: https://sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/whats-making-you-tired/

You may find this article of use too: https://sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/diarrhea-or-constipation-potential-cause/

Hope this helps,

Alison


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## Peony17 (Jun 11, 2017)

Hello

some things to consider for your issues

1. Be sure you drink lots of water

2. Eat at least 2 TABLESPOONS of good fat, (oilve oil, coconut oil or ghee) at EACH meal

use the oil on a salad, mix into your soup, add coconut as you would butter.

Fat signals your digestive tract to move.

3. Do not take fiber pills or powders.

4, Eliminate cheese, bread and low fiber foods as much as possible.

5. Eat as much SOLUBLE FIBER foods as you can, for example cooked carrots --you can cook them, mash with coconut oil and add cinnamon.

Greens with ghee or butter and nutmeg OR garlic for spice. Check out soluable filber. I also take flaxseed in my food with a lot of water, that really helps.

Good luck!


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## thorova (May 21, 2017)

Hello everyone!

I have some wonderful news to share with you - and I can't even believe that I'm writing it.







It seems that I'm finally getting okay/healthy/normal...!! After many years it's my first week when I have BMs almost every day - and it doesn't even take lots of effort. I start to feel like a normal person









Anyway, I'd like to share with you how I got here...

In mid-July I got to my very lowest point. My body was basically addicted to magnesium and I'd be taking over 3000mg of Mg just to get things moving. Sometimes even that didn't work and I'd be just bloated and having constant stomachaches. The worst moment of my life was when I stayed at a hostel and I had to sleep on a bunk bed. Unfortunately that night I had the worst stomachache ever (I know it's too many superlatives but... really) - I guess my roommates hated me as my stomach was grumbling very very loud and I had to run to the toilet many many times (and I was on that bunk bed...). Luckily, I was at the hostel precisely for the reason that the next day I had to catch a train to see a naturopath or basically a woman who works with energies, does acupressure etc.

I spent 3 days with her. She confirmed the fact that my doctors were right, that I was really healthy. In fact, she weighed me and she told me she'd never seen such results. Apparently I had almost no visceral fat, my metabolic age was 19 etc. (viva weightlifting?). I couldn't believe her given all the pain I'd gone through. Anyway... she did some acupressure (which was sometimes really painful), we had some session which was almost like being at a psychologist and I think it did help.. but I think the most important thing was that she taught me some basics on what&how to eat. Since I was a bulimic for many years, I was (and still am, only less) lost in these things...

So here are some rules that I'm trying to follow:


*no lactose* - I've started buying everything lactose free, although she said I can manage a bit of hard cheese or fermented products (I had the cheese and I was fine, but I'm avoiding the fermented products)
*no gluten* - I eat many many rice crackers
*no industrially processed food *- I should aim for products with short 'use by date', fresh and local = the best
*fruit should be cooked before eating* - but shouldn't be boiled (tbh I couln't help it and I had to eat berries, plums etc straight from the garden, I was quite okay, only overeaten)
*fiber* - I'm taking lots of bran every day (1-2 tbsp; I put it into my porridge or LF yoghurt...), I also eat flax seed and chia seed (again I put it into my porridge that I make for breakfast- at the moment I use amaranth flakes instead of oats to make it).
*drinks* - I should drink camomile tea to calm my stomach, and instead of coffee I drink lupine coffee - which is a bit weird but amazing (and it contains lots of fiber, at least according to the label), on average I drink about 2l of water a day
*sweeteners* - she showed me a chicory root sweetener and I fell in love <3 (I'd not normally buy it because it's quite expensive but atm I just want to get ok so I'm open to anything... and it's just amazing, it contains very little sugar, - it's basically liquid fiber that tastes sweet), but then I'm also fine with xylitol, coconut sugar... and I also had some honey and I was okey. I avoid other sugars atm.
*variety* - I should aim for eating a variety of foods (with which I struggle a lot
*eat small portions frequently* - I should eat something small every 2 hours - to avoid overwhelming my stomach but also "train" it to work (portions are my biggest struggle







)
*movement* - I should be active, but that is a little problem in my case. I do weightlifting almost every day (I stopped running, I don't like cardio) and during school I tend to walk on average 7 kms a day.

(tip: never eat yoghurt and fruit together. that was apparently the huge mistake a made at the hostel, I ate a cup of white yoghurt with a mashed banana before bed and instead of sleeping I thought I was dying)

And... when I asked her about chocolate, she told me, "why not?". So, this week I had some dark chocolate and I was fine...

When I was at her place I saw almost immediate results, my stomach calmed down, de-bloated... but then I went on a vacation to Italy where it was very very difficult to follow these "rules" and I struggled very much despite eating Lac and Glu free stuff as much as I could. I was constipated for 6 days or so and I was about to give up. (It was quite annoying to look like a pregnant woman on the beach...whatever)

Anyway, now I've been home for a week or so, I've been following the rules while making little mistakes (that fresh fruit..., and as a former bulimic I struggle with portion sizes, and I still tend to overeat) and I've seen the amazing results that I've already mentioned (daily BMs). I'm still not perfectly okay (I overeat => bloated... stupid me) but still.. I can't believe that it's really happening and I hope that it's not just some sort of mirage. The last time I took magnesium was before that night at the hostel. I haven't taken a single pill ever since (tbh since that night I can't even see the box)... which had been unthinkable before.

I think that's all I can say for now. Although I'm at the beginning, I hope it can help someone as much as it's already helped me. There is still some hope! <3


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh good. so glad that you found a plan that works for you and that you are doing better.


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## sjw596 (Feb 19, 2014)

flossy said:


> That's one thing I definitely miss - raw, unsalted almonds. I could live on them! Plus, they seem so nutritious. Gotta keep away from them.


Everyone's different, but a well-respected medical school lists "Nuts: Especially almonds, Brazil nuts, peanuts, and walnuts (Consume these sparingly, because of their high fat content)" among its top 20 fiber foods for CIC "https://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/" Of course, I appreciate that some CIC sufferers can be affected adversely by too much fiber. When I sought to increase my intake of healthy fats, I began to add a tablespoon of chopped nuts to my breakfast cereal/yogurt/granola (which may contain nuts on there own). Perhaps there's another school of thought that suggests that nuts/nut butters are constipating.


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## thorova (May 21, 2017)

Hello guys,

I'd like to write a quick update.

Since the beginning of September I'm back in France - and since then I haven't suffered from any bloating, constipation (I'd go max in 3 days, but often I go every day), nothing... Tbh I can't believe that and every day I worry that I'll get back to the old days. But it's been almost a month so hopefully it won't be the case.

Anyways, I'm writing it because in August I saw major changes that I shared - just the fact that I somehow started going to the toilet was a major change - but still it was quite bad. I was bloated way too often, I didn't go very regularly and it was still very painful both physically and mentally.

But it's got way better after I left home, and I've been thinking about "why"... and I've realized that the only "new" thing that I did was that I almost completely cut out sugar. Over summer sugar was a huge part of my diet - although it was the healthy one but I still ate LOADS of sugar in various forms (fruit, honey, natural sweeteners...). Now, I eat fruit only in the morning (and not even that much), do not use any sweeteners... and a miracle happens

Although I still follow gluten and lactose free diet, I think that sugar has made the biggest difference...


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for the update. so glad to hear you are doing so much better!

and yes, cutting out sugar is a great idea. so glad that's helped you!


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