Poo question

[Marquis Mark]

Can someone please explain why, prior to surgery, I easily went once or twice a morning and now I endure a "Process of elimination?" Make no mistake. It is a process. I have to get up a half hour earlier, drink some grapefruit juice with my iron to trigger the first BM which usually involves some effort to expel. Then, maybe a half hour later, the next one (easier to expel). And 20 minutes after that, another. 50% of the time I'll have another one or two throughout the day. Each one requires a bit of a push.

On the days I've taken Miralax it tends to come out easier and with fewer BMs, but I don't want to take Miralax daily. As it is, I take 3-4 stool softeners/day, walk 3-4 miles a day and drink plenty of liquids. In addition, I take Magnesium Citrate with each does of calcium and have added about 500 mg of Mag oxide. I also usually get well over 100 mg of fat and 30 mg of fiber. But it's still a time consuming process.

Why does this happen? And is there anything I can do to make it better?

 

[southernlady]

I also usually get well over 100 mg of fat

Mark, you may be someone who needs a bit more fat to help ease the go. Try adding 10 grams more every few days til you get upwards around 130-150. IF you start having very loose stools, ease up that last 10 grams. You will eventually find your sweet spot.

 

[Marquis Mark]

Mark, you may be someone who needs a bit more fat to help ease the go. Try adding 10 grams more every few days til you get upwards around 130-150. IF you start having very loose stools, ease up that last 10 grams. You will eventually find your sweet spot.

I have had some very high fat days (like 200 grams) and it seems to make little difference. I've never had an "oil slick," but my poop is pretty maleable. I just don't think I'm capable of eating much more. As it is I find myself, eating more than I even want to, just to get to 150 grams/protein/day.

I may just have to accept this as another cost of the DS.

 

[hilary1617]

How is your thyroid? Hypothyroidism can cause constipation.

Also If PTH and calcium are in range and you are supplementing calcium at a high dosage, that might be something to try adjusting.

 

[DSRIGGS]

Do your labs indicate that you need iron? I know that can be terribly binding and a lot of us dudes don't need iron.

 

[DSRIGGS]

and btw, COFFEE...

 

[Marquis Mark]

Yes, I do need iron and am taking 300 mg a day/elemental. Was borderline before surgery and it dropped into mild anemia range after surgery. They just gave me a one-time infusion to deal with that as the oral iron wasn't doing much (it raised my Ferritin from 32 to 77, but did nothing for the other iron numbers or the HGB).

I also take 1400 day of cal citrate plus another 1000/day of Jarrow Bone up. My PTH was 74 so I'm trying to address that.

Thyroid is fine (1.72).

Don't drink Coffee/tea, but I do have a bad Diet Coke habit.

 

[DSRIGGS]

My PTH really dropped from my last reading.......I think the D injection helped it.

I am just taking the large Jarrow bone up now...anywhere from 3-6 a day. Luckily I don't need iron but I am non iron deficient anemic and have been for 1.5 years.

Coffee really does help me get things flowing so learn to like coffee and put a shit pot (pun intended) full of cream and sugar in there and you will be a shit show.