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Waaaaay Tmi, Question About Keto Constipation

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
6,713
Location
The Netherlands
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi you guys,

I'm about to head out for the day, but there's something on my mind and I was wondering if you guys had solutions.

I'm really happy with keto and intermittent fasting... But my insides aren't. I'm loving my HbA1c of 34, I feel energetic and all that... But I'm constipated as heck, and sometimes can barely walk. Besides often having a painfully swollen belly, I have bleeding hemorrhoids, the last bit of my colon (rectum?) is swollen and painful to the point of keeping me awake, I got diverticulitis and my irritable bowel syndrome is back with a vengance. Common solutions like chia, psyllium husk, quinoa and the like severely aggrivate the IBS, so they are absolutely not an option. Back when I was on LCHF I was kinda like clockwork, because of the blue berries, I think... So I got those yesterday and am keeping my fingers crossed it'll make my belly budge some, but oh, my BS was 7 after eating this morning. Which I really can't appreciate. Though the constant pain may have something to do with the elevated BS too. I dunno. I was 6.2 fasting (Thanks, Dawn Phenomenon!), but I expect the rise to continue as I checked only one hour after eating. Recently I just haven't been eating much of anything because of the diverticulitis, and trying to give that bit of my insides a break, but what I normally do eat is eggs, bacon, cauliflower, goat's cheese, meat/fish, olives, 0-carb salads, and maybe a bit of extra dark chocolate. I missed going to the Holland & Barrett's yesterday because the pain became too severe, but I'm hoping to shop there today for probiotics I think they're called (gut bacteria), and the oregano-oil someone suggested. But if anyone has any other suggestions... I'm all ears. Because I don't want to quit keto, if I don't have to. I don't know if the blue berries will push me over the edge of my 20 grams, I'm hoping not.... But for now it seems like I'm a fruit-eater again.

This is so not how I thought I'd be spending the morning of our 10th wedding anniversary, haha. Ah well. In any case, thanks you, guys for any hints and tips!
 
Can you tolerate coffee? It worked for me when I got the bungs at the start of LCHF. Get better soon.
 
Have you tried magnesium supplements. I take 3x200 ie 600mg of Mg as Magnesium Citrate each day with good results. Went up to 800 mg at one stage.Best to start with smaller dosage and "titrate" to the desired end point.
 
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Coincidentally, I viewed a presentation by Dr. Georgia Ead last night on the effects of plants on the human body. She said at one point that there is no conclusive evidence that dietary fibre alleviates constipation.
 
Try adding more water and more oil/fat. Maybe more salt. Agree re the coffee and magnesium. Probiotics can help too.
 
First of all you have my sympathies. Been there, done that when I tried the Dukan Diet 7 years ago. I found DulcoEase helped, but I gave up the diet after only 3 weeks because of these complications. Now I am doing keto I find that veggies help a lot - especially sprouts. I too am loving keto but can't wait to get back to simply low carb, because it suits my bowel better. I personally need my veggies and can't get quite enough packed into keto.
 
Have you tried inulin? It’s soluble in water so I mix it in am and have in my morning coffee with cream it works for me. However I also take magnesium at night for leg cramps so could be a mix! As quantities of inulin are small just a couple of teaspoons and it’s soluble it may suit your bowel?
Happy 10th anniversary btw hope your day improves
 
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Water and more water. This will ease the compacted stools and make movement easier. You need to keep a note of each glass that you drink and ensure that it is in the region of 4 - 5 pints a day, until effective.
 
I'm much of a coffee fan myself so can't speak from experience, but wondering if bulletproof coffee made with lots of salted butter might help?
 
Hey people!

Yay, the forum's back up!!! I was just walking into the H&B yesterday when the forum went down, but I remembered most of it. The shopgirl who helped me said Inulin wasn't sold seperately, but was part of a vitamin B complex which I already had at home for my husband. I thought it was odd, but didn't think to check the packaging: she confused Inulin with Inositol. So that I didn't get, yet. But I did buy magnesium, probiotics and oregano oil. Let's see where that gets me. (I'm not as bloated today as I was yesterday, so... Here's to hoping!) As for drinking, I already take in a whole lot of water a day, having tea and fizzy springwater all the time. I have upped my salt-intake considerably in the past 2 weeks already, and coffee used to work until about 3 weeks ago. Was a time one espresso was helpful. Yesterday I had 5, with no results. (Other than enjoying my coffee. Regular and bulletproof.). In any case... I'm trying a bunch of things and will add more if need be... Thanks so much for your suggestions! I don't want to drop keto, (I have to buy a new coat, last winter's is two sizes too big!!! Woohooo!!!) and if this all works, I won't have to.

Thanks again!
Jo
 
Abdominal “sun and moon” massage can be very helpful, I learned it as part of a baby massage thing I did when my lad was a nipper. You can do it on yourself - oil your hands and with one hand rub around the soft part of your abdomen in clockwise circles (sun), and with the other hand donhalf a circle (moon) at the same time. There’s lots of diagrams etc if you google it.
 
Will do, thank you!
 
Agree with magnesium. Magnesium citrate tends to have the opposite effect - not all types of magnesium have this effect. (I tend the other way because I had 1/2 of my colon removed a 1 1/2 year ago - extended upper hemicolectomy - so that particular effect isn't helpful for me. )
https://aor.ca/blog/understanding-different-types-of-magnesium
 
If all else fails - a trampoline.
Gentle bouncing seems to stimulate the insides as well as improving muscles in the pelvic floor and also helps pull things back to the North even if quite droopy - though only if they have muscles, a sports bra is a good idea, ladies.
 
I don't have room for a trampoline, but a giant trampoline park just opened in our town, so yeah... If all else does fail...
 
Have you tried a soluble laxative. My husband suffered bad constipation when he first went on to Metformin and the doctor recommended Cosmocol a powder no sugar in it that you it dissolve in a glass of water. It worked for him after a couple of days of taking it. He had been taking Dulcolax but the doctor said she did not want him taking that . He had it on prescription but I do not know if you can buy it in chemists but I think you can get it on Amazon
 

I've been taking oral laxatives, but they're not working anymore. Soluble ones usually don't agree with me. (For some reason I puke 'em straight back out again. Can't explain it, because they don't actually taste bad or anything, and that doesn't happen with anything else!). So it's been microlax lately (....clysters... God help me...), but again, not something you're supposed to use for prolonged periods of time. I think that's why the hemorrhoids are making an appearance again, so I'm easing off of those for now. I do feel less bloated today, but if this doesn't help I'll ask the doc for the stuff that came back up, I'll try that again in a pinch. Thanks for reminding me that's also still an option!
 
Tiny little update with even more TMI: Nothing was working, and I was trying it all, at the same time. Poetically speaking, I should've been a geiser. Nothing. The pain kept getting worse, (I haven't slept in days), as were the bleeds... I didn't enjoy meeting a bit of my intestines one morning, and flushing it down the toilet with a load of blood, and nothing but blood. That was basically the point where I just threw my hands up in the air and quit. I went out of ketosis yesterday, ate 3 meals rather than one or two, and am for the moment back to LC/HF. I think I know where I went wrong, so I'll attempt keto again when my intestines have healed up and I'm not a walking bloodbath anymore. I'm not looking forward to the slightly higher bloodsugar and the almost inevitable weight gain, but for now... My insides really have to heal. Hopefully it'll all be back to good in a few weeks, and I'll give keto another go, but without the IF this time around, because my insides just quit working alltogether if there's not enough input, leaving what is in there to just, you know... Become solid rock. Lazy b*st*rds. I rather liked being in ketosis... So that's what I'm working toward. Thanks again for all the advice, I'll keep taking the supplements and the like to help me heal, and prevent this from happening again! Onwards and upwards!
 
Hi @JoKalsbeek coming to this late. Just a couple of thoughts for if/when you go back to Keto. You mentioned high cocoa chocolate - if you can get the 100% version with very few carbs (I have one that is 8g per 100g) and if your taste buds are up to it, then larger quantities of that can help to get things moving.

Another vote for magnesium and water.
 
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