Feeling Stuck?

Tips for Preventing and Relieving Constipation

By Dr. Claire Graser, ND & Kayla Waschkowsky, RN

It’s ideal to have at least one, easy-to-pass, well-formed bowel movement daily. If one to two days have gone by without a bowel movement, or you’re needing to strain to have one, please follow up with your practitioner as soon as possible for recommendations and helpful strategies to get things moving again. If you’ve skipped three days, please let your practitioner know IMMEDIATELY so they can review your medications and adjust your dosing accordingly. 

Below, we’ve compiled some useful information to help you troubleshoot before the sh*tuation advances to a level that may require further intervention. Again, if you haven’t had a bowel movement in THREE days, you can still implement these tips, but please seek care immediately.

SUPPLEMENTS

• Magnesium Citrate:
  (Reacted Magnesium by Ortho Molecular Products)
  100 to 200mg (1 to 2 capsules) to start. Take at night to support sleep and relaxation as well! You can titrate up by 100mg each night until you have an easy bowel movement in the morning. Most people have good results with 200 to 400mg, but some have needed to increase up to 600 to 800mg nightly for temporary use as a laxative.
• Digestive Enzymes:
  (Similase by Integrative Therapeutics or Digestzymes by Designs for Health)
  Take 2 capsules with the first few bites of each meal. If you have acid reflux, we recommend Similase. Digestzymes are great for heavier proteins.
• Probiotics:
  (Ortho Biotic by Ortho Molecular Products)
  1 to 3 capsules daily with food. If you’re taking 3 capsules but still not having an easy bowel movement, let us know so we can recommend Ortho Biotic 100 on Fullscript.com for you.

NUTRITION 

• Awaken Your Gut: Drink a glass of warm water (with lemon, if desired) first thing in the morning, before any caffeinated beverages.
• Drink More Water: Water helps to soften stool and keep things moving. Increase water or decaf herbal teas to at least 2 liters or 2 quarts daily, or ½ your body weight in pounds (lbs.) converted to ounces (oz) of non-caffeinated fluids daily–whichever is greater.
• Fruits & Veggies: Consume at least 6 servings of veggies daily, 1 to 2 servings of berries, and ½ cup beans added to meals.
• Fiber: Consume one or more of the following per day: 2 tbsp ground flax in a smoothie; 2 to 3 tbsp chia seeds made into pudding or in smoothies, or; 1 tbsp psyllium husk in 10 to 12 oz cool water (avoid allowing it to sit too long before drinking to prevent it from becoming too thick). These are all beneficial additional fiber sources.
• Add “Good” Fats: ½ avocado, 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, fish oil capsules (ProOmega 2000 or Orthomega), or 1 tsp liquid fish oil daily.
• Caffeine: If you’re a dedicated caffeine drinker (this might not be the time to eliminate coffee or tea completely), wait until you’re stable on your maintenance dose of GIP/GLP-1 medication before eliminating caffeine IF you choose to.

MOVEMENT + POSITIONING

• Get Moving! Exercise really gets the body moving. Try going for a walk!
• Yoga: Breath work and body manipulation do wonders for stress AND digestion! Follow the link to learn yoga poses for digestion:
  https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/digestion/7-yoga-poses-for-constipation/
• Squatty Potty: Squatting while on the toilet improves motility, bowel angle, and reduces the need to strain. The Squatty Potty stool is available on Amazon in various aesthetics (wood, plastic, acrylic, etc.).
• Practice Proper Pooping Techniques! In addition to utilizing a Squatty Potty, posturing the rest of your body can also help with bowel movements:
  https://www.greaterbostonurology.com/blog/how-to-poop-correctly
• Abdominal Massage: Promote bowel motility with a gentle abdominal massage. Practice self-LOVE by utilizing the “I Love U” belly massage:
  https://www.greaterbostonurology.com/blog/constipation-belly-massage

RELAXATION

• Meditation: Even if stress doesn’t normally cause constipation, GIP/GLP-1 medications might make you more susceptible. A daily five-minute meditation practice can be super helpful to keep you calm throughout the day. Follow the link below for guided meditation to ease constipation:
  https://youtu.be/VcsYmM-Zc8I?feature=shared
• Breath Work: While you’re sitting on the toilet, taking a few deep inhalations all the way into your pelvic floor might help as well. Try not to strain or forcefully push while having a bowel movement. Relax.
  https://www.uofmhealth.org/conditions-treatments/digestive-and-liver-health/diaphragmatic-breathing-gi-patients
• Sound Frequency Therapy: Did you know that sound waves can help stimulate muscle motility? Try listening to these sound frequencies for constipation relief while practicing your breath work.
  https://youtu.be/lTs7djFgOIM?feature=shared
• Heat Therapy: Applying heat to the lower abdomen for up to an hour can also help promote muscle relaxation and gut motility.

SERVICES

• Injections
  • B12 LOVE Calm: Vitamin B12, Magnesium Sulfate, MIC (recommended: substitute GSH in place of MIC for added gut support)
  • B12 LOVE Migraine: Vitamin B12, Spascupreel
  • B12 LOVE Energy: Vitamin B12, B-Blend, Aminos
  • NAD+: Gently increases energy in a sleepy gut (mitochondrial enhancer)
• IV Drips
  • Pre/Post Surgery (Standard Dose): Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, B-Blend, L-Lysine, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc
  • Chillax (Big Dose): Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, B-Blend, Aminos, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium
  • Rock Your World (Super Dose): Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, B-Blend, Aminos, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium
  • NAD+: Quickly increases energy in a sleepy gut (mitochondrial enhancer)
  • GLOW-tathione (Glutathione): Improves gut healing, detox, and function