Perform stimulation with your finger every day until you start to have a regular pattern of bowel movements. You can also stimulate bowel movements by using a suppository (glycerin or bisacodyl) or a small enema. Some people find it helpful to drink warm prune juice or fruit nectar.
Delayed or slower bowel movements can be caused by a lack of fiber in your diet. A diet that emphasizes natural, unprocessed fruit and vegetables can kick-start digestion and help make you more regular unless you have IBS, gastroparesis or other chronic gastrointestinal condition.
Perform stimulation with your finger every day until you start to have a regular pattern of bowel movements. You can also stimulate bowel movements by using a suppository (glycerin or bisacodyl) or a small enema. Some people find it helpful to drink warm prune juice or fruit nectar.
Include plenty of high-fiber foods in your diet, including beans, vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals and bran. Eat fewer foods with low amounts of fiber such as processed foods, and dairy and meat products. Drink plenty of fluids. Stay as active as possible and try to get regular exercise.
Try to sit on the toilet 15 to 20 minutes after breakfast. Do not ignore the call to open your bowels. Putting off the call to go can cause constipation. Try to work with the body's natural rhythm (emptying the bowel first thing in the morning).
Colchicine and misoprostol have both been shown to increase stool frequency and colonic transit. Erythromycin, a motilin receptor agonist, can also stimulate colonic motility. Prucalopride and tegaserod, both 5HT4 receptor agonists, increase colonic transit and improve symptoms in constipated patients.
Whole wheat bread, pasta, bran and cereals – Adding weight to stools to speed up passing through the intestines, whole wheat foods are a great way to encourage bowel movements. A clever way to add even more fibre to your diet is to choose whole wheat bread and cereals that contain nuts and seeds.
You may think that cutting back on food will help “clear out” your colon. That's not the case. Do this: Eating, especially healthy whole foods that contain fiber, helps your body move stool.
Slow-transit constipation is characterized by delay in transit of stool through the colon, caused by either myopathy or neuropathy. The severity of constipation is highly variable, but may be severe enough to result in complete cessation of spontaneous bowel motions.
In general, bulk-forming laxatives, also referred to as fiber supplements, are the gentlest on your body and safest to use long term. Metamucil and Citrucel fall into this category.
Eat fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables
This adds bulk to your stool, which stimulates the bowels to move and propel your stool forward. Foods that contain fiber include: fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, and apples. nuts and seeds, such as pistachios, almonds, or sunflower seeds.
Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is a great way to regulate digestion. People who support a water flush for colon cleansing recommend drinking six to eight glasses of lukewarm water per day. Also try eating plenty of foods high in fiber & water content.
The fats in olive oil can help smooth the insides of the bowel, making it easier for stools to pass. It can also help the stool hold in more water, keeping it softer. One tablespoon of olive oil, taken on an empty stomach in the morning, may relieve constipation for many healthy adults.
It takes different amounts of time for men and women to digest their meals, too. It can take anywhere from two to five days for food to be fully digested and exit your body.
Bowel retraining can take anywhere from 1 or 2 weeks to 5 months. The time depends on how long you have been struggling with constipation. Once your bowels start working, eating high fibre food and drinking lots of water will help you maintain a normal bowel function.
Some people have bowel movements several times a day, others only once or twice a week. Going longer than three days without having a bowel movement is too long. After three days, the stool becomes harder and more difficult to pass. Constipation then occurs as bowel movements become difficult or less frequent.
Typically, it is due to damage to the nerves or muscle of the gut. Most causes are related to nerve damage (neuropathy) from diabetes, after major stomach surgery, or for unknown (called idiopathic) reasons.
Osmotic laxatives such as polyethylene glycol (brand name Miralax) are well-tolerated by most older adults, and can be used daily.