Getting to the Bottom of Constipation

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Getting to the Bottom of Constipation

 

First off, a joke:  I hope this blog post isn’t so packed with info that you have to stress and strain to read it.

Now, here’s my take on constipation.

I was diagnosed with PD in 2012 and had no problems with constipation until a few months ago.  But since then, I’ve been dealing with it frequently.  I’ve watched dozens of YouTube videos about PD and constipation; read academic articles; received advice from my doctor, a Movement Disorder Specialist; and checked out websites like the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.  (The Fox Foundation website, by the way, has a terrific page devoted exclusively to constipation.)

If I were to report on everything I’ve discovered, it would take an enormous bulk of time and cause blockages on the Internet.  So, I’ll cover a few bases and let you seek out whatever I’ve left off.  I’ll list some resources at the end, I mean the bottom, of this post.

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1. Who gets constipation?

This question has a three-part answer:

• People who have already been diagnosed with PD. Over 60% of Parkies deal with constipation at some point.
• People who will eventually be diagnosed with PD, but are only experiencing prodromal features (meaning in this case that constipation is a warning sign that PD is somewhere in your future). Other Parkinson’s prodromal features include anxiety and losing the sense of smell.
• People who have no connection to PD, either now or in the future.

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2. What should you do if constipation becomes a severe issue for you – for example, you’ve been constipated for three weeks?

• See your doctor, no matter which category mentioned above you belong to.
• If you have blood in your poop, see the doctor immediately.
• Exercise as much as you can.
• Follow some or all of the suggestions below.

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3. What should you eat to help with constipation?

• Prunes
• Berries
• Flax seeds – add them to salads, oatmeal, and peanut butter sandwiches.
• Chia seeds – soak them in water first. See the demonstration photos below.
• Raisins – especially if you soak them in water overnight, then eat them first thing in the morning along with the water they were soaking in; they’ll act as a natural laxative.
• Oats – especially pure oatmeal in the morning without added sugar and flavorings. Instead, add fresh fruit and nuts.  Frozen berries also work; they’re just as nutritional and much cheaper.
• I know I have prunes at the top of this list, but they deserve a second mention. They’re great on their own or in your morning oatmeal.  And if you soak them in water overnight and then eat them (as well as the water they were soaking in) first thing in the morning, they’ll act as a natural laxative, just like raisins.  I also eat a handful of prunes after every meal.
• Pears and apples – especially if you leave the skin on
• Legumes – lentils, beans, soybeans, chickpeas
• Leafy greens – spinach, broccoli, and kale, among others
• Sweet potatoes – wash before you cook them, and keep the skin on, since that’s where most of the fiber is.
• Kiwi fruit
• Whole grain bread

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4. Before any meal, what should you eat first?

• Eat a heaping tablespoon of this mix:
  • 1 part wheat bran
  • 1 part apple sauce
  • 1 part prune juice
• You can make a big batch of this and keep it in the fridge.

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5. What should you drink to help with constipation?

• Lots of water!

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6. What should you NOT eat?

• Red meat
• Hamburgers
• Sugary drinks, including diet sodas containing artificial sweeteners
• Fried chicken
• White potatoes, including French fries
• White rice
• Tums and similar calcium antacids. Instead, if you have heartburn, ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter medicine that won’t interfere with your other Parky meds.

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7. What should you restrict yourself from eating too much of?

• Milk and other dairy products
• Maybe coffee and other sources of caffeine

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8. Why is constipation critical if you’re a Parky?

• If you have Parkinson’s and are taking medicines like carbidopa/levodopa, you may find that being constipated means food doesn’t move quickly enough through your gut, causing your medicine to not get absorbed into your bloodstream, thus producing “off” times.

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9. What else can you do?

• Train yourself to poop at the same time every day. A good time is right after you eat breakfast, as the food you just consumed helps push the blockage in your gut.
• Get a footstool and put your feet on it when you sit on the toilet. (I call this “a stool for your stool.”)  This will bring your knees higher than your hips, which is a more natural position for pooping.  If you relax your muscles, the poop may exit your body without much effort.

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Now for the photo gallery!

One Way to Eat Chia Seeds

Pour a quarter cup of Chia seeds into a glass.

Add a half glass of water to cover the seeds.  Let them soak overnight.

The next morning you’ll find the seeds have become gelatinous.  Now you can top them off with either a bit of prune juice or kefir, which contains probiotic bacteria.

Eat with a spoon!  It’s tasty.

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A Stool for When You Sit on the Toilet

 

Put your feet up on this stool to make your knees higher than your hips.  Then relax as your body does the rest, with little or no effort on your part.

For more information on this, check out Amazon.com’s website.  The website includes video of stools for using with your toilet.  (You may need to scroll down the screen to get to the video.)

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Anything else?

Yes!  Go to YouTube and in the search bar enter “constipation massage stomach.”  Check out how you can massage your colon to move the digested food along.  Then enter “constipation massage parkinson’s” for more info.

No closing joke?

OK, sure.  What do New Yorkers call a bird that poops on them as it flies overhead?  A stool pigeon!