Or Bananas, Rice, Apples, Toast

The four main things that will make your stools firmer, according to one of my Dr.s. Avoid if constipated, eat if the opposite is the case.

Do you know if there is an underlying cause of the constipation? Medications, lack of exercise, Irritable Bowl Syndrome, and a half-a-dozen other things on can cause it. If you can treat a cause you treat the symptom.

As to alleviating the symptoms, I've always found that lacto-fermented foods soften stools. The more you eat, the softer it gets. Kefir, kombucha, kim chee and saurkraut are all lacto-fermented but they HAVE to be non-pasturized to be of any benefit. These are available at the health food stores where I live, though a bit expensive. They cost hardly anything to make yourself, though if you have the time. For immediate relief either buy from the store or make kefir (ready in one day) and kim chee (ready in three days). The rest take a week or more. The thing with kefir is you have to get the kefir "grain" first, so unless you know someone with extra, you'll have to order it.

As to homeopathics, which remedy to take depends entirely on your symptoms. Over here (and I'm assuming this is the case over there, too) the remedies are sold as little round pills in tube dispensers in two strengths, 6C and 30C. Boiron is the brand sold in our local health food stores. There is an article here that lists the most common homeopathic remedies for constipation and their indications. It's always iffy to self-medicate but if you don't have a homeopath nearby, or cannot afford one, you're pretty much forced to.

I was horribly constipated after the birth of DD and it took two years to get over the worst of it. The thing that really made the most difference was, believe it or not, a healthy body meditation CD that I listened to each night. Weird, yes? But it does suggest there may be a mental or even spiritual component to our illness and that meditation, guided or otherwise, may be of benefit. I haven't been able to find that CD since our last move and can't remember the name, sorry! It's probably out of print by now, anyway.

Hope you get some relief soon.

Anhata
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