RTO and bowel issues

[Anonymous]

Ever since RTO I have been experiencing chronic constipation. The office I’ve been assigned to report to 45 miles away through traffic, and in order to get home at an ok time to eat dinner and get ready for bed, and with 3.5 hours commuting plus my workday, I have to leave pretty early. I can’t seem to poop, it’s like the mechanism just grinds to a halt. Our office has horrible shared restrooms where as much as I try and am willing, my body just won’t give it up. Over the course of the week I get more and more constipated, bloated, and uncomfortable. I look pregnant. Starting to get heartburn at night from eating too late and having too full of an abdomen. Starting to have insomnia for the first time in years. How do people live like this?

I drink tons of water, eat plenty of whole grains and fruit, not overweight, limit caffeine and alcohol… RTO is the thing that changed and suddenly I am unhealthy.
I’m scared to take laxatives because after child bearing and menopause my sphincter is not reliable.

Helpful ideas please?

[Anonymous]

I’d stop eating any junk food and only eat whole foods. And take magnesium.

[Anonymous]

OMG I thought it was just me. RTO has wreaked havoc on my system.

[Anonymous]

Look at factual info on how caffeine acts on your excretory system. It might actually help your problem. Although it could worsen other issues.

Maybe try some fiber supplements that you can consume during the workday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d stop eating any junk food and only eat whole foods. And take magnesium.

I already do all of the above. Magnesium is great stuff and has helped me in many ways but apparently not enough to overcome my system’s refusal to move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look at factual info on how caffeine acts on your excretory system. It might actually help your problem. Although it could worsen other issues.

Maybe try some fiber supplements that you can consume during the workday.

I do drink a large cup of coffee in the morning. That used to do the job. No more. I really can’t drink much more coffee than that morning cup or I’ll be up all night. Maybe there’s a type of coffee more effective than others?

[Anonymous]

Have you tried miralax? It doesn’t stimulate but brings water to the stool.

[Anonymous]

One espresso shot does it for me!

[Anonymous]

No alcohol

Black coffee, don't add sugar to it

Only eat fruits, vegetables, and meat/fish/eggs (whole grains in theory are good, but it's hard these days to tell what's really whole grains)

[Anonymous]

I know how this goes for sure. Try out a daily bowl of Fiber One cereal - the original bran one that looks like crunchy chow mein. It used to work for me when I had an issue. Report back!

[Anonymous]

Metamucil daily eventually you’ll go mornings before work or after getting home. It makes a huge difference

[Anonymous]

Arrange for a standing desk. That makes all the difference for me. Also Metamucil and regular exercise.

[Anonymous]

Get up a a little earlier. Drink a big glass of warm water. And do some stretching. Google yoga for constipation and you’ll find some stretches/breathing exercises. If you start doing this, it might help- it helped me. Don’t expect it to work on the first day, but I think you have to relax your digestive track and just may take a few days for your body to “let go.”

[Anonymous]

I have switched to having raisin bran every morning.

[Anonymous]

You can train your body to go at a certain time. I never got to WFH. And like my work bathroom better than home (no kids and few women so it's very private). I get in right before 9 and have a bowel movement at work. It's great for the day. Took me a while to get there but it's the best. Weekends are so much more annoying as my body is now trained to go at the same time.