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Loose slow moving stools with bloating and fluid retention
I'm a 66 year old healthy female. After I stopped taking my antidepressant, my stools are still loose, but they move through the colon very very slowly with no urge to eliminate and I have a lot of bloating and fluid retention. Colonoscopy doesn't show any problems. How can I stimulate the colon to move without resorting to laxatives, which will only make it worse?
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I had not heard of Aloe Vera Gel, and will give it a try. It has been my opinion also that fibre supplements would only make things worse. I've noticed benefits from exercise as well. Up until a couple months ago I was walking 2 miles a day every day at a local metropark. With winter here, I usually frequent the track at our local senior center, but working full time makes it difficult to comply with the track availability, so I'll probably join one of the local fitness centers.
Thanks, again for your response. It gives me some hope that this condition could improve.
Kay213
Thanks, again for your response. It gives me some hope that this condition could improve.
Kay213
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Drinking Aloe Vera Gel (sold at health food stores) helps soothe and heal the intestine and assist the bowels' movement through. Drink this on a empty stomach a couple times a day.
Upon waking in the morning-- and it's important that this is before breakfast-- drink a couple glasses of warm-to-hot water which relaxes the bowels. You want to try get your rhythm back and a morning bowel movement is usually best, so try to re-teach your body to find a routine again.
This really helped me through my laxative dependency.
Regular exercise helps speed your body's renewal after the discontinuation of SSRIs and related medications. And of course it also helps with bloating and edema.
One thing not to do, in my opinion, is to overload on all the fibre supplements that we so commonly hear for constipation. If you're not drinking enough water throughout the day this will only make things worse.
All the best. You'll feel better soon!
Brittany