Type 1 Anyone suffer with recurring constipation?

Hi, can anyone answer me this?

I've been suffering with mild/moderate constipation for about 2yrs. I already had a decent diet with plenty of nuts, seeds, grains, water, fruit, veg, etc. None of these foods have an effect on my BM's anymore.

Probiotics worked for a limited time. Lactulose works to soften, but I avoid using this as much as I can.

My original issue was with consistency rather than frequency. Low dose Psyllium Husk was like a magic pill and seemed to solve my problem, but over the past few months, frequency has become an issue and now my BM's are getting harder and more difficult to pass again. I've upped my Psyllium dose but it's now only having a minimal effect.

Therefore, I think my body becomes quickly conditioned to foods and supplements that initially helped.

My main question, though, is this; I do dome theatre work, performing on stage every now and then, and you can bet that the week of a performance I have perfectly soft, frequent movements. Also, any time I may have an audition, interview, etc, perfect movements.

Now I understand these are nerve movements and my brain is interpreting nerves and excitement as stress and sending those signals to my gut - but this kind of proves to me that diet, exercise, etc, aren't the issue. Could it somehow be related to nerves?

When my nerves are stimulated - all is perfect. When stimulation has ended - everything slows right back down to the point of constipation.

My diabetes is decently controlled.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this or experience similar?

boggle said:

How much fat are you eating?

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Not a great deal of fat generally. I don't make a conscious decision to exclude fat. It would mainly just come from the butter I put on my toast each day and ground nuts in porridge. Oh, and I do have brie quite often with my lunch. So, not sure really.

JenniferM55 said:

Exercise is good for your constitution, which might explain why your body normalises at certain times. Have you tried a magnesium supplement? In the 'old days' a spoonful of Milk of Magnesia would have worked wonders but now that's only available (expensively) on Amazon.

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I started to incorporate a 30 minute daily walk into my routine since the new year on top of basic yoga stretches, but it hasn't had an impact.

I have recently started to take magnesium, however, that was due to it being recommended for women of a peri-menopausal age. I take a combination of malate and glycinate - although, it's citrate that is known to work on bowels.

I do want to incorporate it at some point, but I used to take vitamin c and this had a wonderful impact on my BM's, but then I think I built up reliance on it. When I stopped it, everything ground to a halt and now it has no impact whatsoever.

Didn't want the same to happen with the magnesium.

AndBreathe said:

@victry77 - have you had your thryoid checked? Constipation was and is one of my symptoms when things are adrift.

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Yes, have full bloods every year. Most recently in January.

CatsFive said:

Are you on any medication where constipation is a side effect? Do you drink plenty of fluids?

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Hi, no medications other than insulin. I drink plenty of water, fruit and herbal teas. Nothing that would stand out as being an obvious cause.

Grant_Vicat said:

Presumably you have investigated sites like this one?:

Constipation and Diabetes

A few different conditions and factors related to diabetes may increase the likelihood of experiencing constipation.

www.diabetes.co.uk

When I had chronic diarrhoea nearly 40 years ago they investigated to see whether my Autonomic System was packing up -it wasn't thank God! But it was actually caused by fluctuating blood sugars within a considerable range. It's not that I am suggesting that this is the cause, rather that digestion problems can sometimes have surprising triggers. It is odd how your body has acclimatised to remedies which were initially successful. I wonder what a specialist would read into that? I hope you find a solution soon. Good luck.

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Ah yes, read all the bog standard advice.

I think it's not too unusual to become conditioned to remedies or foods that normally worked. If someone suddenly incorporated fruit and veg into a diet that was sorely lacking, they would initially get loose stools until they acclimatised.

Or, the way some people become reliant on laxatives to the point they start having less effect.

I still think it's weird how when my nerves are stimulated, I have great BM's, but without that stimulation, it's a struggle.

Grant_Vicat said:

I wonder what a neurologist would make of that?

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I know. Its weird, isn't it?

AndBreathe said:

Have you have a Faecal Calprotectin test done recently? It is a test that picks up inflammation in the gut. It does not identify what the issue is, but identifies that something is going on, likely requiring further investigation.

The faecal calprotectin test is often run alongside various blood tests, but if you consider you need your constipation to be investigated further, few gastroenterologists will accept referrals for vague issues without certain bloods and the FC tests already completed.

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Thanks. Yes, had this done last September and it was negative.