I'm so bloated and constipated...my stomach feels huge! What, besides dairy, does everyone do to push it through? I'm going insane!

I am all about some veggies... but that doesn't always work. I drink 1/4 cup aloe vera juice (mix it with something, tastes kind of metallic) which has a pretty big amount of magnesium in it. I think that because it's already liquid, it does that trick much faster. I'll take it at night and things are moving along in the morning.

Others will tell you a higher fat diet will work; like some ground beef or something like that. But I can't handle all that fat, makes me feel blah!
Liz

Try some brown rice...and flaxseed oil...kiwifruit also works wonders :-)

You were asking what people use besides dairy........ actually, dairy may be the problem! It is known to CAUSE constipation, not alleviate it.

Personally I've always found that prune juice, or stewed prunes take care of constipation very quickly.

I've found tremendous relief of both symptoms you mentioned by taking magnesium. I'd recommend a powdered form, such as magnesium citrate, mixed in a glass of orange juice. Here's one product which I know works: http://www.nowfoods.com/index.php?action=i...mp;item_id=2861

You may need to start off with one teaspoon, but wait a few hours, so plan to stay home for awhile. The usual recommendation is to slowly work up to a level that you are comfortable with, not take a lot in the first few days.

The big C is my primary gluten symptom. Besides being dairy free and soy free as well, what helps me is powdered Vitamin C and also magnesium. I have been using a buffered Vitamin C powder that also contains magnesium, it is easier to take than the pure C.

Without this I hardly have a BM.

A small bag of dried cherries (farmers market purchase - I talked to the farmer to ensure that they were safe) worked brilliantly for me the other day. lol I also take about 600mg of magnesium/day.

Don't forget to drink tons of water - take it from someone who knows about constipation.
Also hot water with lemon squeezed in it is good for digestion as well!
I have a two cups a day.

Someone mentionned brown rice - are you sure about that? I always thought rice plugs you up, or is that just white rice?

I haven't known anything to push things through my system like brown rice does. It's true that white rice can plug you up, and is recommended for cases of DH, but brown rice is quite the opposite. I didn't believe it til I tried it...

Absolutely everyone is different. Some things like Vit. C and Magnesum are known to cause diarrhea in large amounts, which is why it no doubt works again constipation.

There are three or four factors at work in your elimination:

1. water
2. bulk (fiber)
3. grease
4. nerve action (peristalsis, etc.)

For me, dairy caused terrible constipation, even in tiny amounts. I eat a high fat diet now and find very little problems with constipation, but I also eat a lot of fiber and eating raw means I get a lot of liquid as well (cooking food turns it's moisture into steam and thus takes it out of the food).

I will say that it hardly ever cleared up in a day. I would have it for days at a time no matter if I changed my diet or my behavior or whatever.

Some things that help while on the pot:

1. elevating your feet on a stool or something to emulate a squatting position.
2. massaging your abdomen and lower back

Others:

1. walking

Good luck!

Thanks for the info. Sorry I didn't respond sooner. I have just returned from a trip to Panama. I have all the things covered that you have listed (fat, bulk and water) but I suspect that the problem for me is the peristalsis. For the first time I did not have a problem while travelling. I increased my magnesium for a day and that was enough to help me push things out. I was staying with my friends, who are down there doing research, and we did most of the cooking ourselves. Just lots of fresh fruit, vegies and meat. Simple fair but very good. It was fun to eat all sorts of vegetables that were new to me (I'm still not sure what they are but they made a terrific soup).