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Conditions

Constipation

Constipation

Constipation is extremely common and can affect a broad range of ages. It is generally defined as a problem in opening the bowels, but it can also mean opening the bowels less often than normal (perhaps less than three times a week) or passing hard or pellet-like stools on more than a quarter of occasions. Cases range from the acute (occasional and temporary) to the chronic (persistent), and can be triggered by poor diet; irregular mealtimes, and certain medication (particularly codeine-based painkillers and antacids containing aluminium). There are no long term complications for anyone suffering from constipation, although it can be a symptom of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). And with all the eye-bulging straining on the throne, you may also end up with a case of piles or an anal fissure. Still, it’s nothing that a high-fibre diet and lots of fruit and vegetables can’t sort.

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hi my daughter is 7 and since she was 2 she has sufferd from servere constipation she has bin on movicol and lactalose for years and still got nowhere using this medication she has been seen by the doctors and hospital numeras times but i really think that it caused by a sycological problem her knowing that it hurts wen it comes out due to her holding it in for 2 weeks at a time this now is starting to effect her like at school n stuff she doesnt think she is a normal child and its is upsetting for her and me if there is any thing you can do then please let me no thank you





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Over a year ago i was addmitted to hospital with severe dihorrea, and sickness and been in an out of hosp since. I dont go regularly take laxatives for 5,6days without doin anything then i end up with bad dihorrea for 3,4days doctors say its IBS but i dont know its getting me down,i have a check uo tmrw but will just get told same thing.Lately i can have dihorrea without takin laxatives now but feel sick and get like hot flushes to, it makes me feel really horrible. Do u have any idea what could be wrong please.Iam age 55.





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I am an 18 year old girl and have been taking Picolax every week for about 3 years now as I can not go to the toilet without it. The taste of it is awful and very acidic it takes me all of my strength to just swallow it every week. Is there any other laxative of the same strength that is in tablet form?





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I am 42yr old female & lately i have been suffering from bad smelling wind, it always happens in early evening/nightime,it never happens in the day just at night,i have found some foods don't help. Any idea's to what it could be?





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im 22 and have to relie on tablets to make me go or otherwise i wouldnt go at all. and the longer i dont go my stomach gets more and more bloated! i eat healthy and have a healthy lifesyle so wot and i do to go naturally!!





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hi i have a 9yr old daughter who for the past 4 years has had what doctors are calling constipation which i dont believe that to be the problem, its not a case of my daughter cant go its she wont go. ive been giving my daughter laxatives prescribed by the doctors but its not making any diffence, my daughter can hold her stools for up to a month at a time and has even held her urine for up to 24hours to stop herself going to the toilet. if there is anyone that can give me some advice i would be really grateful as i dont kno what to do. thanks





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It has almost been a year since I last properly passed anything. I have been to several doctors and taken different types of medication, including fybogel sachets and nothing has helped me go to the toilet. The longest I went without going to the bathroom was almost 2 months and would have been longer if I didn’t over take required medication. I eat regularly and don’t like junk food so my diet consists of fruit, vegetables, protein, dairy and I drink at least 2-3 litres of water a day. I am an active individual but since my ailment I have been left breathless, just a simple 10 minute walk and I feel I am going to pass out. I am feeling lethargic, in constant discomfort, disturb nights and the weight is pilling on since I cannot pass faeces. I am 21 years old.





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i am in a similar situation and even though i am yet to recieve a diagnosis i have been to specialists. The only reason i was refered is because i pushed it through my GP. Over use of ur meds is not a good idea especially laxitives but my doctor has given me micralax enemas and suppositories that help me alot and u'll find wen the weight starts to reduce the breathlessness will ease. i really hope this helps. i am 20 years old

when passing a bowel movement it doesn't always all come away and I have to keep wiping and wiping to get rid of it I am a woman in her fifties





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My daughter is 7yrs old now. When she was three, she was rushed into hospital with lathargy, temperature, abdominal pain etc and initally suspected as having meningitis. Fortunately it turned out to be constipation?? She had been emptying her bowels each day but only small hard pobble type movement. I had not suspected constipation. She was given Movicol, starting at 4 sachets a day, reducing slowly. My worry is that she is still having to have Movicol, I currently give her 1 sachet every other day, otherwise she has tummy pain and her bowel movement is back to being small hard pobbles. She has a good diet, linseeds in her poridge in a morning, only drinks water or barley juice. She loves to drink milk but we have reduced her intake due to possible effects on bowels and she only has a small glass milk before bed. She has vegetables and fruit each day, including dried prunes etc. She is very very active, plays several sport each week. I have been back to my GP several times to question whether it is appropriate to keep giving her Movicol and whether or not she will come to rely on this, but have been told it will be OK and she will grow out of it! Please help.





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im 33 and im the very same and so are my 3 girls ages 10,7 and 3 we all eat veything you metioned what i have done is stopped giving and taking Movicol and started us all on 2 activia a day and it is the best thing i ever did it really does work so if you feel this could be right for your daughter then try it ...i hope it works as good for her as it has for all 4 of us .

I've been suffering anal bleeding for a week, went to doctor and he diagnosed it as a small pile, but i've no pain while passing stools and i'm bleeding without passing stools?





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It looks like no one else has asked this question, so please fill in the rest of your details below.





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Content supplied by NHS Choices

Constipation is a very common condition that affects people of all ages. When you are constipated, you feel that you are not passing stools (faeces) as often as your normally do, or that you have to strain more than usual, or that you are unable to completely empty your bowels. Constipation can also cause your stools to be unusually hard, lumpy, large or small. Read More »

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