• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Consitipation

N

niaz11

Active Member
Messages
37
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Anyone struggle with constipation and any advice you can give? I feel like ever since i started metformin ive been getting these issues with my bowel movements but the endo nurses said that consitipation is not a side effect of it. What else could it be??? I always hate having to go to the gp surgery because most of them round where i live are so useless. Since i was on insulin i never really had any issues with bowel movements? And now i am slowly coming off it could it be a reaction.
 
Hi niaz11, welcome to the forums. One of the delights (for some) of the wonderful world of T2 diabetes is constipation. I had it for about three years in total. It went almost immediately after I started low-carb and got my blood glucose back to normal. I have never been on medication, but I understand metformin has the opposite effect - can't advise on insulin.

My rationale for it is that my body's way of trying to deal with high blood sugar was to get and retain as much water as possible. So I had oedema, hardly peed at all, constipation, and constant thirst. Unfortunately many people assume that T2 always means frequent urination, but for some of us the opposite seems to hold true.
 
I used to work in a hospital, and the gastroenterology department did a lecture back in the 90s on treating constipation and why laxatives are a BAD thing. They were however very positive about fibre, especially soluble fibre. (They also explained that from a medical view point a diagnosis of constipation/diarrhea is based on how much water is in your stool, not on frequency of bowel movements.) To quote from the Mayo Clinic: "Soluble fiber is found in oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley and psyllium." My experience is that you have to eat a whole lot more legumes, fruits, etc than I want to eat to get enough fibre. So I just take psyllium. I started with Metamucil, but was horrified to discover, remember this was back in the 90s, that it was 50% sugar! So I hunted around and now either just buy psyllium from the bulk foods store or health store or I go to my friendly neighbourhood Indian market and buy it as Telephone Brand Psyllium Husk (Sat-Isabgol). Start with a very small amount, like 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) in a glass of cold water twice a day and increase gradually until you have the results you want. It is not a taste treat. I frankly find it tasteless, but some people can't stand the flavour. Be careful not to start with too much or increase too fast, or you'll have the opposite problem.

​

 
Couple of things that might help. This is what I have found personally.
Keep your fluids up for 1.
I have found eating fats helps. Whether that is cream, coconut oil or any other fat, if plenty of fat that also helps.
 
filly said:
Couple of things that might help. This is what I have found personally.
Keep your fluids up for 1.
I have found eating fats helps. Whether that is cream, coconut oil or any other fat, if plenty of fat that also helps.
Click to expand...
Cheers mate
 
Thank you for this valuable advice
 
I find eating seeds helps as they are also soluble fibre. I mixed milled flaxseed or chia seeds with full fat plain greek yoghurt and a few berries works well. Start with a tablespoon of seeds and if that doesn't work increase gradually to 3 tablespoons. Once everything's working regularly, reduce the amount again.

BTW physllium husk is prescribed as a laxative under the name fibrogel, but it is the same thing
 
@niaz11

I can get constipated with taking a certain bowel cancer pain killer, I have found that a scoop of tasteless Osmolax Relief in a 250 ml drink everyday helps me keep regular.

I do not have a link for it in the UK, but I have a altenative which is just as good called Movicol which has a mild lemon / lime flavour.

Movicol 30 x 13.8g sachets - Boots

Effective relief from constipation | Movicol 30 x 13.8g sachets
www.boots.com

Both of these can be purchased in the health care sections of supermarkets as well as pharmacies, here in Australia I get my GP to write a script for them and get the cheaoer PBS price for them from my pharmacy.
 
Definitely fluid and fats for me too!

However, physllium husk had a nasty painful disagreement with me - I actually thought at first that I had appendicitis. I seen to remember someone else on the forum had a similar issue, but it appears to be Ok for most people.
 
When i first did strict Keto, i thought i was constipated. No pain but but only went about every 3 to 4 days.
It was explained to me that eating Keto means there is much less waste travelling through the system, so it needed evacuating much less regularly. also it appears to me that excess fat in the diet seems to have a lubricating effect.
The wording of the replies i got from Keto forums was that as i was not eating rubbish, there was no rubbish to get rid of, as most of what i ate was utilised.
 
This is a cheaper, cleaner (no maltodextrin) version - looks closer to what you have in Australia: https://www.medino.com/product/cosmocol-plain-30-sachets

Like others, extra fat helps smooth things along - usually evidenced when I’ve overdone the extra thick double cream!
 
I take h&b inulin powder and that seems to get things moving for me
 
Vitamin C powder in a glass of water is very helpful, but results can be spectacular, so start with the tip of a teaspoon!
 
Goonergal said:
This is a cheaper, cleaner (no maltodextrin) version - looks closer to what you have in Australia: https://www.medino.com/product/cosmocol-plain-30-sachets
Click to expand...
I only pay $6.80 for either Osmolax or Movicol with my GP's script, I get it free when I hit the safetynet after 36 pbs pbs medication items from my pharmacy. I have to pay full price from the supmarkets tho'.

I will keep eye out for the Cosmocol, just in case the ones I get are out of stock,

Thanks for the tip @Goonergal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…