IamA 17 year old male who has suffered from chronic constipation his whole life and lives off of laxatives. AMA!

This fucking kid hasn't tried any of the dietary suggestions brought up. Fiber pills? Nope. Eating a high fiber diet? Nope. Vinegar? Nope. Yogurt (acidophilus)? Nope.

He purposefully eats shitty food and has an obvious medical problem that requires that he maintain a proper diet. You're not going to learn anything here except a vaguely new poop joke and how deliberately ignorant he is.

As someone with IBS and a kid that's allergic to nearly everything, this pisses me off.

Carry on. Sorry for the rant.

I agree. I actually take the same medication as OP, along with four other laxative-causing drugs each day just to function. I have two GI diseases, I eat kale like a champ, and have tried everything you said.

Perhaps he hasn't had this long enough or it hasn't impacted his life enough yet. One day it might.

The kid said he'd almost died. My guess is this is a parenting issue. Clearly something isn't going through. In another comment he said his mom has the same issue and mainly eats cereal and ice cream at dinner.

It is definitely not a parenting issue. I assure you my parents have helped in every way possible. My mother's issue is also lot worse than mine is. Since i was gone for a bit, most of you seem to believe this is the fault of me or my parents. That is just untrue. You are assuming I'm a kid who eats all the unhealthy food he can get his hands on which is also untrue.

Ok thank you for insulting me. No i don't go on higher fiber diets. I try to eat as little as i can however. There is no need for you to come on my AMA to call me ignorant, no matter if you have IBS or not. Also, it is not my fault I haven't heard of these things. I am only 17 and I listen to what my doctor says. I keep myself active and go jogging regularly. I assume he knows more about my condition than you, or at least I hope.

I eat a lot

I'm sorry, what were you lying?

I fixed that earlier. Guess i should have thought before typing that one up huh?

[deleted]

Then i suppose my usual 1 week would turn into 2 weeks lol.

[deleted]

Not exactly healthy like vegetables and stuff but i don't eat unhealthy either. It hurts like hell but it is incredible relief when its over.

Very sorry to hear about that. However...

That's a very low dose of Miralax. Is that really sufficient for you?

My 13 year old daughter (with chronic constipation) who only weighs 90lbs takes 2.5 times that plus fiber plus prescription Amitiza (http://www.amitiza.com/).

The latter being the thing that has helped her the most.

And how are you still getting prescription Miralax when it's an over the counter medicine now?

I don't know a whole lot about the different types of medicines but the doctor says what he prescribes me is more powerful than miralax. I assume that is why.

What you are using is not more powerful, it is plain miralax.

Then i guess my doctor lied. :\

It seems you aren't concerned with your diet. Have you tried eating correctly for this condition (proper food and proper amount), exercising (it helps the motility of the GI tract), and following the advice of medical professionals involved in your case?

I try to get a lot of exercise. Me and my friend go jogging a lot and i stay active. I don't go on big diets but i do watch what i eat and make sure i don't gorge myself.

Have you tried acidophilus pills?

No and i'm not sure what that is. :\

Why not cure yourself by fixing your diet instead of always using laxatives to deal with symptoms?

It is not an issue that can be fixed with a simple diet change. (As my doctor has pointed out) He lately believes there is a place in my intestines that is smaller than normal and he hopes i will grow out of my issue one day.

Have you had any success with increasing fiber in your diet? Not like eating fruits and veggies or Colace and Metamucil but like eating two bowls of Fiber One (the 40% daily fiber one) a day. I find all fiber is not alike (Metamucil is useless in my experience) but Fiber One cereal is some seriously effective cardboard.

I haven't tried fiber one but i make healthy smoothies.

Seriously, give the Fiber One a try. Two bowls a day. Add something to make it taste better (fruits or better tasting cereal). Smoothies really don't do it. You chop up all the insoluble fiber and fruit fiber isn't very effective for a lot of people anyways. Good luck!

I also find that exercise helps keep people regular.

EDIT: I'm not a cereal rep. I'm a hospitalist and I've also been a doctor to myself. I've just found that for PREVENTION, two big bowls of "Super Colon Blow" works better for me than colace, senna, metamucil, or castor oil did. A bowl of blueberries seems to help me too. Lots of caffeine (especially energy drinks) can make you go initially but they dehydrate you and make it harder to go the next days after if you don't rehydrate big time.

Thanks for the advice!

how often do you crap? are there any side effects of the medication? is there an underlying cause of the constipation? is there a cure or curative procedure?

edit: if you're asking a question, upvote the OP people.

Typically for a few days i will go every day and then suddenly i just.. Cant. At that point it takes about 4-7 days before i go again and the cycle repeats. As far as I know there are no bad side effects other than my body getting so used to it that it makes it even harder for me to go without it. Doctors still don't know the cause. They thought it was Hirschsprung's disease but I tested negative.

at the risk of being that guy who gives advice for something he's never experienced when you've been dealing with this for years and have probably tried literally everything: have you tried drinking an ounce of pickle juice (or even straight vinegar) every day?

I've never heard of pickle juice and vinegar actually! Lately I've made healthy smoothies to drink though.

Does it run in the family?

Yes actually! My mom has the same issue and they thought she had irritable bowel syndrome. My mom still has problems today and all she eats for dinner is usually ice cream or cereal. :(

edit: My mother's condition is a LOT worse than mine.

Thank you for the reply. I hope everything works out for you in the future. Although I am a little disappointed that you didn't get the joke.

Lol i got it after i replied and I felt stupid but it was still a solid question! ;D

What do you typically eat??

[deleted]

That's not a real answer. Being a teenager is no excuse for a poor diet.

Didn't say poor. I eat normally but i dont over endulge or eat bad foods.

Do you have Hirschsprung's or something? If your situation is that bad, maybe taking out the affected part of your colon is actually worth it.

I was nested negative for Hirschsprungs.

Does this effect your diet at all or will you just shovel down a Triple Grande Burrito because it's worth an intestinal rupture?

Well there are instances where i refuse dinner because its been a few days and I dont want to make it even harder on myself.

The irony of me reading this on the toilet. Have you tried taco bell?

I love taco bell!

Whats the longest amount of time you've gone between BMs? Did the doctors ever tell you the theoretical medical maximum a person CAN go between BMs?

He may have but i don't remember. A long time ago the doctors and my parents both thought it was all in my head and they would often tell me I will die if I didn't go more often. They have smartened up since then. I once had an impactment so large I should have died though. (according to the doctor)

what was the most painfull situation about your problem?

That's a hard one. (Hahaha) A lot of the most painful things I've ever experienced is due to my problem. The tops ones are probably the internal hemorrhoids, the barium enema, and the time it almost killed me. Lets go with that last one.

what happened in that moment? glad you are alive and (almost) well

I edited it into my original post, but "The worst thing I experienced because of this was back before i had control over my bowel movements. For years i had gone a week at a time and i had to be rushed to the emergency room an hour away for an emergency colonoscopy. The doctor said I had an impactment the size of a cantaloupe. Yes. A cantaloupe. He then said He is surprised I am alive. This impactment actually stunted my growth. I was made fun of for being short for a long time. After this impactment was removed, i sprouted like bamboo. (very quickly) Although i am not "tall." I am not short anymore."

What causes this?

They have gone through several theories and tests but the doctor says there is a place in my colon that he believes is smaller than it should be and it causes issues with poop passing through there especially when they are big in the first place.

Has your doctor talked about fecal transplants? Basically micro-organisms in healthy individuals break down and help digest foods. There are pills for this in health food stores.

He hasn't. Me and my mom agree he isn't a good doctor and when I turn 18 i will be going to a new doctor.

Have you ever soiled yourself as a result of the laxatives?

Well the laxatives don't give me diarrhea. They just kinda soften the poop up and make it easier to pass. But when I get extremely constipated i take Magnesium Citrate which DOES give me liquid diarrhea and some has leaked out although very rarely.

[deleted]

Sometimes when things are going well for a long time i slowly stop taking the medication but then after a while the constipation begins again.

How do you feel about diarrhea?

It's fiery relief.

Disgusting, but, have you considered a fecal matter transplant?

I wasn't diagnosed with anything that requires that.

Do you suffer from hemroids?

Yes I have had a lot of internal hemorrhoids and they are one of the greatest pains I've experienced.

How did you find out? Was there a time when you tried getting off the laxatives?

Yes and when I do, I just get constipated again.

[deleted]

Because chronic constipation can be related to cancer and diseases. My doctor was very concerned with what the cause was. I'm not sure about the second question. I have to go to the doctor to get refills though.

[deleted]

When you have an upcoming colonoscopy They give you a huge jug of laxative you have to take the night before to clear your bowels. As for the time I had to be rushed to the ER, that wasn't really a formal procedure. But they had to go up into my intestines to clear the blockage. The front of the bottle says prescription and my mom (who usually acquires it for me) says it is not available over the counter.

Are you shitting me?

I think you're full of shit.

Actually I went about 20 minutes ago! It is a good day.