The FastDay Forum

After great success with 5:2, I've had to stop doing it.

Firstly, let me say I’ve lived most of my life eating healthy - most of our food is cooked with fresh ingredients, mostly fish, chicken, I eat fresh fruit and most days a salad, bake all our own bread. Breakfast varies with any three of the following fresh fruit, yoghurts, banana, Shredded Wheat and home made muesli containing golden linseed. A hospital nurse told me to add All Bran, I was surprised at the salt and sugar quantities. I drink at least 2 litres of liquid a day mostly water, peppermint tea, one cup of coffee, but no other tea. I walk about 1.5 miles most days. If another member of the medical profession tells me to eat heathily, I’ll choke ‘em.

A few weeks ago, I finished up in A&E with dehydration after three days of the sickness bug. Whilst there I was given the full Dyna Rod treatment, so was cleared out. Now I understand how you can have three days of diarrhea at the same time as being constipated - not many people know that.

I’m trying to avoid straining too much, I’ve diverticular disease and don’t want to burst anything, so it’s difficult for me to decide whether I’m better off taking Movicol (oxmotic) or similar, with the side effect of dehydration or Fybogel (bulk forming) which increases the possibility of straining, that sometimes hurts.

GP’s have told me to decide which is best and I’m finding that difficult, because both work to varying degrees. I know it’s down to me, but sometimes other people come up with something I’ve not thought about. Any comments will be greatly received.

This coming Saturday we're off for a week's river cruise on the Seine, with lots of day trips, all meals provided, and I'd like to feel able to cope.

I have found eating some coconut meat after my last meal means no constipation in the morning.

I can sympathise with your predicament. I have to take varying quantities and strengths of codeine and when I was eating the normal, recommened diet of high carb and loads of fibre I was in quite a predicament. After I went low carb it all cleared miraculously! I know it goes against all you've read but it could be worth a shot given that you are desperate.

My hubby is in a similar state as he now has to take pain meds. Our doc gave him Movicol which seems to take an age to work and gives him the most antisocial wind ever known to man or beast! If you find a good alternative please share the news! I suggested low carb to hubby but, given that he is a Slimming World evangelist, that nearly got me a hatchet in the head!

[carorees]

I discovered that the magnesium supplement I was taking moves things along very nicely! As so many of us are low in magnesium, especially if overweight, and it helps with sleep quality, I've got several reasons to take the supplement. I take a magnesium/calcium/vitamin D combination supplement and each tablet gives 150mg of magnesium. The packet says to take two tablets but I found that was rather too loosening!

May be worth a try?

I use a magnesium supplement called Oxygen. You can find it on detoxyourworld.com

Hubby uses Laxido. the generic name is Macrogel. It may be what you already have. It comes in a sachet that you mix with water and drink. It's to smooth things out. He needs it because of the pain meds he's on.

I have also heard that pysilium husks are good for sprinkling on food to help with constipation and keeping you regular.

Magnesium is found in Epsom salts, but a tiny bit is all you need. Magnesium tablets are better beacuse you know what dosage you are getting.

Thanks to you all - just writing it down helped me get things in a better perspective.

Azureblue - I'll leave coconut for the time being being, might be difficult to get next week.

Miff49, coedine! Oh yes, that really does mess you up. When two shots of morphine only partially eased my stomach pain, coedine helped but hindered.

I like the magnesium idea rawKaren, I assume Caroress that I wouldn't need a combined one. Over the past few weeks I've had so many tests and, apart from salt levels being on the low side, there's nothing wrong with me!

Julieathome, I've got a box of Laxido, it's the same as Movicol. The disadvantage is the need to increase liquid intake, not always easy which is why, if the magnesium doesn't work, I'll probably go down the Fybogel route - similar to pysilium husks.

Low carbs? That'll test me - I do like my bread.

As you already eat healthily, have you tried eating things like prunes and figs? I love both but can't eat more than a couple a day or else I'm on the loo all evening.... I have a greater than average intolerance of sorbitol, unfortunately Might be worth a try....

I found that I ground to a halt, perhaps by being dehydrated on holiday & Senokot & a glycerine suppository sorted me out over a couple of days. But I think it was mainly the Senokot that worked quite gently by encouraging the natural peristaltic action of the gut. It says take it at night but I took two as soon as I bought them & it takes about eight hours to work. I hope that helps & sympathise with your predicament. Since then I have had no problem but do drink lots of fluids & our plum tree has produced loads of fruit which I am sure continues to help things along!

Prunes Domaine? Now why didn't I think of that? It's what we given as kids, so the most obvious. On my way to the health shop now.

Isis, good information for me though I'll wait until after the holiday.

Since starting this plan constipation has been a real problem for me. I have an actimel each non fasting day. On fasting days I have a drink of sugar free squash with cider vinegar and Benefiber added. I take 2 teaspoons of lactulose every day. I soak prunes and apricots and have a few at breakfast time 2 or 3 times a week - also fresh figs and plums at the moment as they are in season. If I have cereal or porridge I add wheat bran ( I have found this more effective than oat bran) and chia seeds. Interestingly I have recently stared taking a Magnesium supplement (375mg) for other reasons and haven't noticed any effect in that department. I also always eat a lot of veggies and salad ( beetroot is another 'aid') With ALL this I probably 'go' 4-5 times a week and don't have to resort to senna or suppositories.Interestingly when I stopped 5:2 for 2 weeks while on holiday recently after about 3 days my 'habits' went back to what I would consider normal for me.

Home again after a lovely holiday, helped no doubt by good weather and food that suited us so well.

As you were all so helpful I thought you would like to know the outcome of the week of experimenting. Most of your ideas I tried, all were successful, though that made it more difficult deciding which would be best.

In terms of medication magnesium worked, a bit too well to trust on holiday, both Movicol and Fybogel worked.

As for food I cut down on the carbs and soaked some dried fruit in order to have a hot dessert on a couple of evenings.

Finally, I decided on Fybogel mainly because of the uncertainty of ensuring proper liquid intake.

I needn’t have worried about that nor the food on the boat (old barge), it suited us perfectly. Buffet breakfast was cereals, dried fruit, a bowl of fresh fruit salad - grapes, melon, pineapple with no apple at all. Fresh French bread and so on.

Three salads at lunch time, though we only had a lettuce one once, carrot, beetroot, mushroom, artichoke and so on, with something hot and a dessert.

Everything was cooked on board from local produce, so no processed food much as we do at home. Free bottled water, squashes, tea, coffee and so on available all day.

Evening meals were on similar lines though with a starter, main, dessert and cheese. The mains were extremely simple, meat/fish with usually just one vegetable, a table spoon of steamed carrots for example. Apart from one Tartiflette, no potatoes. Three cheeses to taste every evening along with free wine.

What made every dish was the sauce that went with it - no doubt lots of cream, butter, garlic and salt - however at no time did we have that uncomfortable full feeling. Normally I avoid butter but the meals provided a very balanced diet and I put on just over three pounds, probably as much to do with snacking on the journey home and the M&S lasagne in the evening we got home. I was happy with that and we plan to get back to 5:2 knowing what to do if my system doesn’t go along with it.

I took Fybogel on the first Sunday and half a sachet on the Wednesday - everything worked fine.

So I’m glad I posted and perhaps the experiences on this thread might help others. Thank you again.

Thanks for letting us know how you got on. Sounds like you found something that worked for you. Your holiday sounded amazing!

Just to add our experience - and with good results, we haven taken a daily teaspoon of milled flax seed with food. ( from health food shops and some supermarkets.)
Do sympathise! And think you have had great advice from the others. So glad you are better, dennispc!