Help Constipation Is Making Me Want To Quit
 

I have been doing low carb for 5 months. Doing well except for constipation and thinning hair. I don't want to quit.... Help :help: :help: :help: I am nearing 30 lbs. I need advice

I went through exactly the same thing a couple of months ago and almost gave up. Glad I didn't! I'm sure more experienced people will chime in with more helpful suggestions. I don't know about the hair issue, but I can tell you what helped me greatly with the constipation:

1. I quit ALL dairy (except for grass-fed butter). Dairy plugs me up from head to toe.

2. I started taking a magnesium citrate supplement, first in powder form dissolved in water but that got old fast so switched to capsules. I take 320-500 mg, which is about 80-125% RDA, and it does the trick for me. Some people go a little higher.

3. I make sure I drink lots of water. Everyone says this helps, only because it's true! At least a couple of liters a day. I go for as close to a gallon of plain water a day as possible.

4. Couch potato that I am, I make a conscious effort to get up and move around as much as possible over the course of the day. A 10-15 minute walk up and down the block works wonders. It helps shake things up!

5. Don't forget to eat your vegetables! High-water-content salad vegetables like celery, cucumber, bell pepper, radishes, romaine, etc. are wonderful. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts topped with butter, too, if you're that far up the ladder.

Hope this helps.

I quite the diet twice at about four to five months in because of the same reason. This time I decided going into it that it was going to be" Solutions not excuses!" and wrote it on a poster to remind myself. This time upping the mag did the trick for me . The advise last time was more fiber good luck with that one. It just made it so much worse.

Try taking a tablespoon of coconut oil. My girlfriend who is always low carb, lost a lot of hair..and started taking hair vitamins her stylist suggested and her hair is back in full. I don't recall the name.. but I recall looking them up on amazon when she mentioned them and they were there.

Quote from the Duke Clinic:



As Barb also wrote, the magnesium powder (natural calm) is great but an extra step to take before bed. Since I take half my vitamins after dinner, it is easier to include a magnesium capsule then.


Also a previous post on hair loss with links to other posts:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=469122

I bought a pack of Trident chewing gum a couple of weeks ago, too, as I heard sorbitol and xylitol have a laxative effect, among other positives. I can't tell that it's helping yet, but it certainly isn't hurting!

One thing I haven't heard mentioned is probiotics. Get the refrigerated kind from the health food store; the problem is often lack of the right gut bugs.

I can't add any more than what others have said except to say, DON'T let this stop you from doing LC! You've done super duper so far! WTG! :thup:

Wishing you continued success on your journey to better HEALTH! :agree:

I 2nd this, but you might want to start with less - just in case. My husband had years' long constipation issues, but dropping wheat & sugar helped. Then he added creamed coconut (he doesn't like coconut oil) & 1-2 tablespoons a day keeps him regular. He just told me the other day that his hemorrhoids have been gone for a while.

Every time he thinks he can handle a wheat treat, he has issues again. So he's avoiding those now.

I have so many foods that make me go, my problem is the opposite. Maybe some of my "go" foods will work for you?

Almonds, cashews (almost any nut), coconut oil, lots of raw veggies, avocados

I find dairy (other than butter) is very constipating. Especially cheese.

I find avocados are good, too. ☺

I generally find that walking is natures laxative. Are you getting any exercise?

I lose my hair fairly easily from stress and low thyroid problems and Rogaine for women stops it from falling out. There are all kinds of B vitamins and biotin mixtures called stuff like Hair, Skin Nails that help your new growth be healthy.

Thanks everyone. I am drinking Miralax in the AM and Metamucil in the evening. Today and last night , I went. One thing I noticed is since I am eating less, I am going less. Poo is not hard.No exercise. Time to start that. Lots of water. Seeing Gastroenterologist tomorrow. Kinda scarey, had breast cancer 3.5 years ago....

Best wishes on your doctor appointment.