constipation - how to drink more water

Help needed! I had surgery on 3/29/07. Had a little bowel movement in the hospital on day 3. Did not have another for 12 days because I was very constipated. My doctor recommended Milk of Magnesia. I took that once a day but did not feel it was helping enough. Tried suppositories with little success. I felt terrible and had the urge to go but could not. By day 13, I managed to go a little but am fighting solid hard stools and hemroids. My doctor said the next step is to try an enema. Last Tuesday, I was put on soft and mushy foods. I only consume about 1/2 cup at a time at the most 2 to 3 times a day. I find it very hard to get any quantity of water in. Any suggestions for the Constipation and for getting enough water in? Thanks, Cindy

I know its hard but you have to try and get tha****er in. Sip all day. If its the taste of the water try decaffeinated tea or Crystal Light but getting tha****er in will make a world of difference. Holly W

Great way for me was/is to eat chopped ice! Ice=water...and its easy to consume. Try crushing ice in a blender with water and crystal light and make your own "slurpee"........hey, I like sugar free slurpees !! I take bottled water everywhere I go, in the truck, work, and try to remember to drink 6 bottles a day if I can (each bottle is about 12 ounces).....room temp works best for my pouch now, before wls it didnt matter. I became FOS (full of ...ahem) many times due to constipation and my surgeon told me fiber fiber and more fiber. This great thing called Flax seed oil or granola or just plan flax seed- Works Wonders!!!!!!!!! Give it a try in cereal or breads you can buy at the store. It is amazing! Stacey W

I forgot about that. I always loved slushies. I would also make kool aid with splenda instead of sugar for different flavors.

Ask your doctor about Miralax. My daughter takes it daily now and it seems to help her constipation. Holly W

Our 7-11 here in town carries Crystal Light Pomegranate Slurpees, they are a bit tart but also delightfully good and.........a heed of warning! DO not spill this!!!!!!!!! One afternoon on my way to work, I picked up a small one and got into work, had about 3 sips and it (yes, IT) decided to LAND on the floor and OMG.........blood red!!!!!! Fortunately it was able to be removed with proper cleaning agents but oh my! I was pretty embarassed!!! I enjoy also dilited OJ and ice in a blender like a slushie. Stacey W

Blackstrap Molasses- I was having a terrible time with constipation, it really helped. I am now VERY regular, it takes about 3days to start seeing results. I take it every day. If you google it you will see what I am talking about. There is all kinds of stuff on the web about it. You can get it in your grocery store. I pay 2.29 a jar, just make sure it is BLACKSTRAP molasses. But, PLEASE if you have any pain go directly to emergancy, You could have a blockage and they are VERY dangerous. NOTHING to mess with. The Miralax that holly mentioned is now avalible over the counter. It just became avalible a while ago. I have never used it, but I did see it in the stores. Good luck to you, take care---Toni

I agree with you on the Blackstrap Molasses! The early times right after surgery there were endless amounts of Benefiber, suppositories, stool softeners and that happened at least once a month without great results. The Blackstrap Molasses has had me regular for months now without fail or nasty side effects and it helped with my iron levels too.

a great method for upping water intake was suggested to me when i was a newbie and it works well. keep bottle water by your bed. if you get up during the night, DRINK. when you wake up in the morning DRINK. you'll have a huge headstart on your water quota before you even get out of bed and start your day. It really helped me get a lot more water. As for constipation, i recently had a hernia repair and i'm struggling badly with the same issues. Nothing the doctors have recommended has helped. If you find something that works, let me know. oh and about the molasses... be careful. it's a byproduct of sugar and at your point the amounts of carbs you'll be getting from just two teaspoons may cause you to dump! it may not, it depends on the person but please be careful.

Yes, it is a byproduct of sugar, but being a byproduct most of the bad part of it is taken out. These are ALLL of the nutrients, that WAS in sugar cane before it is processed. to make white refined table sugar. Isn't it weird that they take out the good stuff and feed us the bad. No wonder we are and obese, ill, and malnourished nation...LOL. I do understand your concern about it, I worried when I was told about it by another WLS patient because I am VERY sensitive to sugar. but, don't have a problem with it. If someone where nervous about it they could split the tablespoon into 2 separate doses. It is also taken by many diabetics without issue. There are so many benefits they out weigh the sugar and carbs. The reason the sugar doesn't bother us from the BLACKSTRAP molasses is because it is the natural UNPROCESSED part of the sugar cane. Such as in fruit. It also has 70% of our daily allowance of Iron, with out causing constipation as in artificial iron. It is always up to you what you do for yourself, but like you I TRIED EVERYTHING the dr. gave me as well as spending a couple of hundred dollars on various products with NO results. Very frustrating to say the least. When a dear from this board personally emailed me and told me about Blackstrap Molasses, and told me to goggle it so that I could read about it myself and how well it would help so I thought I would give it a try. I am sooo very glad I did. Well I hope you find something to work for you as well as Blackstrap Molasses has worked for me.