# Help! Sudden constipation on vegan diet?



## listennup (Jun 10, 2009)

I'm a total newbie to this forum. I don't have an official IBS diagnosis, but I'm guessing that I have it. I often wouldn't have a bowel movement without first feeling this sudden contraction in my abdomen (spastic colon? definitely felt spastic), often when I was anxious. And then I would sometimes have D. Occasionally I've suffered from C, but D was much more common. So about two weeks ago, I decided to cut dairy and wheat out of my diet. (At the same time--possibly a mistake). I was already vegetarian, so this rendered me nearly a wheat-free vegan. I ate more raw vegetables. I was hoping this would make me feel better--I seem to be pretty food sensitive and my energy levels fluctuate wildly, so I've also been eating a lot less sugar... So anyways, almost immediately I became constipated. I didn't really notice at first, but now it's been about two weeks, when I've had maybe two or three good bowel movements, and otherwise just a little bit comes out a time (I don't really know how graphic to get...) I cut down on the raw vegetables, substituting more soft grains, things like hummus. I've been taking Triphala, an ayurvedic remedy for constipation, for about the last week. I've also been eating prunes for a few days. And still essentially no change. I don't know what to do!!! The prunes made me terribly gassy and gave me awful abdominal pain, but only the tiniest bm.Has anyone had this problem before? It's like I cut out (potential) allergens and started eating more fiber, and then I got really constipated. I thought maybe it was just the sudden change, and my system needed time to adjust, but it just doesn't seem to be getting much better.I've also been really busy and pretty stressed the last two weeks. Don't know if that has anything to do with it. But I just need to figure out what to do--I need some relief!! I really have felt better energy-wise without wheat and dairy, but I can't tolerate this incessant constipation!!


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A big change in diet can sometimes upset things.Are you drinking enough water to keep the fiber you are eating wet? Prunes have sorbitol which can increase gas as well as act as a laxative.You might want to try Magnesium Oxide (assuming you want to stick to natural) which is over in the dietary supplement aisle. From 200-750 mgs.


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## listennup (Jun 10, 2009)

Thanks Kathleen, for the response. I probably haven't been drinking enough water. At least not throughout the day. When I'm at home I remember to drink water, but not at work.The other day I drank a bottle of mineral water and ate several prunes, and I had lots of cramping and gurgling







but nothing came out! It's so frustrating...Is Magnesium oxide a constipation treatment? Similar to milk of magnesia?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It is similar to milk of magnesia (just a different ending) and it is sometimes easier to titrate the dose as it comes in smaller amounts per pill/dose. Sometimes people find it more acceptable because it is on the dietary supplement aisle.


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## EarnestAccord (Dec 11, 2001)

Yeh lots of changes to the diet. Magnesium has helped me in the past. It did tend to cramp me up but definitely helped me evacuate.Diet wise.... Do you know how sensitive you are to starches. Have you replaced your old wheat cunsumptionn with some other wheat/grain alternative?I remember going onto a raw diet for a few weeks. I assumed that with all of the raw foods and low starch my bowels would be whistling through but just the opposite happened. I got backed up for days with cramping and bloating as though I was D. So the message is ummm? Don't forget to give your guts some starch, some bulk to work with.If Milk and Wheat were irritating your gut the removal of their intake could have caused a bit of a rebound, sending you over to the other side of the spectrum. Maybe just some time will help with this one. I had that experience just removing wheat from my diet.Good Luck, your mindset and holistic approach will gift you. Lots of Love.


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## listennup (Jun 10, 2009)

Thanks for all the suggestions! Things have been going a little bit better--results here and there. Last night I was so tired of being constipated and gross-feeling that I went to the grocery store and bought some magnesium oxide. I took 750mg last night, and 500mg this morning (in frustration), plus eating a few prunes. So earlier today I had a bm! Yay! Although it wasn't much. I know there's a lot more in there, and with all that magnesium, I kind of thought I'd be letting it all go, if you know what I mean... ;-)Still, I'll take what progress I can get!EarnestAccord, in response to your question about starches, I have been eating some rice, quinoa, a little amaranth, and recently lots of rice bread (because it's SO GOOD, lol). But when I first cut wheat out, I really wasn't substituting anything, just eating a lot of veggies, with maybe a little rice here and there.I'm going to try and be patient, wait for things to work their way out.


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