Constipation
Diet and Nutrition: (references)
- Eliminate foods that cause an allergic response or to which
there is a sensitivity - especially dairy products (fast, use an elimination diet, or allergy
test to isolate such foods)
- Eat a high fiber diet - more fruits (especially kiwi) and vegetables and less animal products
- Drink lots of filtered water
- Use honey instead of sugar as a sweetener
Vitamins and Minerals: (references)
- Constipation Tea - *Cascara sagrada, *Berberis aquifolia, *Foeniculum vulgare seeds, *Symphytum officinalis, Eugenia caryophyllata (Cloves): 1 tsp. per 8 oz. hot water TID for 1 - 4 weeks, sweeten with Honey if needed (see reference to Honey in Diet and Nutrition section) Note: This is an irritant laxative formula and should be used only short term.
- Follow-up Tea - *Taraxicum officinalis, *Arctilum lappa, *Berberis aquifolia, *Zingiber officinalis, *Astragalus membranaceus, *Glycyrrhiza glabra, *Cinnamomon saigonicum bark, Orange peel: 1 tsp. per 8 oz. hot water 3 - 6 times a day for several months
- Individual botanicals to be considered for this condtion:
Homeopathic Remedies: (references)
- Chronic constipation:
ALUM, bry, calc, graph, lac-d, nat-m, nux-v, OP, plb, sep, sul-i, sulph, verat
- Constipation in children:
acon, aesc, ALUM, ant-c, apis, bell, BRY, CALC, caust, cham, coll, croc, graph, hep, hydr, hydr-ac, kreos, LYC, mag-m, meph, nat-m, nit-ac, NUX-V, OP, paraf, plat, plb, podo, psor, sep, sil, verat
- Constipation due to drug abuse:
agar, ant-c, bry, chin, COLOC, hydr, lach, NUX-V, op, ruta, sulph
- Constipation in women:
aesc, alet, alum, ambr, anac, arn, asaf, bry, calc, coll, con, graph, hydr, ign, lach, lyc, mez, nat-m, nux-v, op, plat, plb, podo, puls, SEP, sil, sulph
- Constipation in men with enlarged prostates:
(For an overview of Homeopathy, click here.)
- Exercise regularly
- Biofeedback
- Heating Compress to the abdomen
- Short cold bath - 30 seconds to 1 minute in water as cold as can be tolerated
- Retrain the bowel:
Never ignore an urge to defecate
Routinely sit on the toilet, preferably after each meal, at the same time each day even if there is no urge
Recommended Labs:
- Rule out hypothyroidism: Thyroid Panel with TSH
- Rule out diabetes: Fasting Glucose, Fructosamine, Hemoglobin A1c
- Rule out heavy metal poisoning: Hair Analysis
- Rule out narcotic medications: History, Drug Reference Information Analysis
- Rule out stricture, cancer, anal fissure, proctitis: Colonoscopy with Biopsy, Defecating Protogram, Anal and Abdominal Ultrasound, Scintigraphy, Colonic Motility, Hydrogen Breath
* The recommended use of this supplement or therapy is based on a physiological mechanism or empirical data and is not necessarily supported by peer-reviewed research studies.
Copyright 1998 - 2008 by L. Vicky Crouse, ND and James S. Reiley, ND. All rights reserved (ISSN 1527-0661).