# been constipated all my life



## agalenaved (Jun 9, 2002)

i was born with a problem that affects my ability to urinate and defecate on my own. the urination problem has been taked care of by medication and catheterization, but the bowel problems are still lingering. I am almost 19 years old, and i've never had a bowel movement on my own. I was born without nerves in that area that i guess make that area function. i had ememas a lot when i was little, but those were painful and very uncomfortable. I have been taking laxatives(mainly dulcolax) since i was 9. now the dulcolax is not working like it should. it is supposed to produce a bowel movement in about 6-8 hours, and now only does it in about 15-20 hours and it's ver painful. if anyone is going through the same problem, or knows about a method i could try to maybe have less disscomfort, i would be greatly appreciative. thanks


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## gr8girl (Jan 14, 2002)

I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time having a bm. I have IBS-C (contispation prone instead of dirrhea) so I know what it's like to have problems with having a bm. I have found that drinking a fiber supplement such as Citucel twice a day helps. When I have really bad contispation I drink Citucel and take laxatives. The combination of the two always does the trick for me. You may need to change the laxatives you are taking. My doctor suggested Surfak because it produces a milder effect, meaning you won't go running to bathroom if you take it. A lso, you may want to take magnesium. Magnesium helps alleviate contispation, but don't take too much, it may cause dirrhea. I hope my advice helps, but maybe you should check with your doctor before acting on my advice. Your condition is different from mine so you may need different remedies to help you. Good Luck.gr8girl


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