Constipation

[kajero]

Sometimes I will get really constipated despite all the water, vegetables, prune juice, fruits, fiber, etc., I drink/eat. And sometimes on those days I go on a group ride with friends. I usually can handle it, like what can one do anyway? But when there is a bump or the trail gets rough it can get very uncomfortable at times. If I know there will be facilities around sometimes I might take something, but if those are few and far between I don't dare.

Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem?

[redrhodie]

I find peaches and kiwi fruit do the best job at keeping things regular for me.

[nscrbug]

A stool softener like Senekot, usually works pretty well for me. But you said that you sometimes "take something", so I don't know if that is what you're taking for it or not. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I've heard it works fairly well at cleaning out the pipes, so to speak. I know most folks that have a cup of morning coffee before rides, runs or any other type of exercise, are always looking for a bathroom within the first hour.

[Zippinalong]

My partner has had this issue for a long time and a friend recommended Pearl Acidophilus. She tried it and it was like a miracle. Regular every day and no constipation issues:
http://www.pearlsprobiotics.com/
They have a coupon at the website. Give it a whirl.

[indysteel]

You've gotten some good advice for occasional irregularity. To the extent it remains a chronic condition, however, you might talk to your doctor about whether there may be some underlying cause.

I've had some ongoing problems with it over the last couple of years myself. When it's really bad, I turn to Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal. It's such a sure-fire bet that my DH and I jokingly refer to it as "poop cereal." Infantile and gross, I know, but it makes us laugh.

[kajero]

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. But I still have to deal with one thing . . . how can one handle constipation during a bike ride?