Natural Stool Softener ?

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Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby nprospekt » 27 Nov 2013, 12:26

Hey Guys,

So I am moving along with my fissure from the last time I posted. I saw the dcotor 1.5 months ago and he says it's on it's way.

The bad thing is I am still dealing with a lot of digestive issues including SIBO. I have been on the SCD diet for about a month which has helped a little bit but not much.

Anyways, so even though I am drinking tons of water, eating fruits, veggies and staying away from bread, milk, sugar my stools are always extremely random. Sometimes hard, sometimes perfect, etc. (As a side note, almost all fiber supplements are offlimts due to the SIBO, so I am getting all my fiber from food now)

I am looking to get a (If such a thing exists) a natural stool softener, something I can take once a day, similar to this.

I do not want anything laxative based, nothing habit forming and stimulant free!

Since these digestive issues have not (and most likely will not) let up for a while I don't want to tear this fissure again.

Anyone have any suggestions? (Remember, it has to be dairy, processed sugar, bread, rice, etc free)

If not a supplement I can take, any recommendations on something I could do on a daily basis to ensure soft stool?

Thanks!
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby Scientist2516 » 27 Nov 2013, 13:53

I don't know whether this will be OK for your SIBO, but can you try mineral oil? I'm suggesting it because it is inert. You don't digest it, it won't feed your bacteria, it just passes through you. I used a mineral oil called kondremul because it's an emulsion and mixes well with the BM. I had to order it, as most pharmacies don't carry it. However, pharmacies do carry ordinary mineral oils. Kondremul gives me lovely soft BMs with no side effects, and it was no problem stopping using it either.
I would check with your doctor first however.

You can see the ingredient list for Kondremul here. http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/fd ... m?id=26570
But ordinary mineral oils would probably have only oil and no other ingredients.
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Nitroglycerine, effective.
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Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby AlexP » 27 Nov 2013, 16:34

Are stool softeners safe to take for an extended period, while you wait for the butt to heal up? I have been taking 1-2 per day for the past few days, because I'm scared of getting a hard stool. I had one today, which hurt, so am going to take 2 per day for a couple days and see how that works out. Also, I notice the stool softeners I take have sodium in them, is this at all risky? I don't need a laxative, I just need a good fiber supplement that isn't a laxative, and a good stool softener that's safe to use.
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby Scientist2516 » 27 Nov 2013, 16:38

I don't know - stool softeners like Colace gave me wind, so I stopped using them, because the wind made my stools come out explosively, which really hurt. Prunes did the same thing.
Kondremul may have a laxative effect, but for me it acts very reliably as a stool softener, and I don't notice any laxative effects. I take one tablespoon at night and have a soft BM in the morning - and that's it.
I only use it rarely now, but at one time I was taking it three times a day!
Nifedipine/lidocaine, no help
Diltiazem, effective, but caused major rash
Nitroglycerine, effective.
Topical estrogen for final healing.
Gentle heat to bottom - pain relief, muscle relaxant
Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
Status - Healed!
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby nprospekt » 27 Nov 2013, 17:10

I think most OTC stool softeners will have a dependency effect on the body which I want to avoid.

I was doing a little more research and came across mineral oil, but that too shouldn't be taken very a prolonged period of time as it has some other effects on the body like malabsorption.

So then I was thinking of doing a tablespoon of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil before bed every night. I think I will try that.

I always look for natural products on iherb.com

So maybe this may work for someone, although I haven't personally tried it: http://www.iherb.com/Naturade-Softex-Ad ... =null&ic=1
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby Scientist2516 » 27 Nov 2013, 17:12

The thing about olive oil is that (being natural) it will be absorbed by the body, so how much of it can end up in the stool to act as a softener and lubricant?
Mineral oil on the other hand, is not absorbed, so it stays with the stool to the very end :lol:
Nifedipine/lidocaine, no help
Diltiazem, effective, but caused major rash
Nitroglycerine, effective.
Topical estrogen for final healing.
Gentle heat to bottom - pain relief, muscle relaxant
Kondremul mineral oil
Time - lots of time.
Status - Healed!
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby Ever the Optimist » 28 Nov 2013, 15:48

Nprospekt,
I used to take Olive Oil orally (1.5 tablespoons every night before sleep) and this did me no harm at all and I think helped. I now take a Magnesium supplement (300mg) capsule every night after an evening meal, which also does a great job. I do not get hard tipped stools and everything is very soft in the morning. Of course, I drink tons of water & camomile tea too, which really helps.......
You could try drinking a glass of natural prune juice and I find cloudy apple juice wonderful for keeping things moving.
Suffering medical conditions like yours really don't help but there are things out there that I'm sure will be able to assist you. Just keep experimenting a little and hopefully you will find something that works soon.......
I also find eating lots of oranges really helpful (with all the bits) All the very best :)
Chronic Fissure diagnosed December 2011
Healed by Diltiazem around Feb 2013
Anal Fistula followed burst abscess in June 2012
2 internal troublesome piles remain & suspected, but undiagnosed, ongoing Levator Ani type symptoms & flare-ups
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby nprospekt » 28 Nov 2013, 17:22

So I have been doing the following:

Every morning is a half cup of a fruit smoothie (Usually a banana, apples, strawberries and berries, with water, never dairy or added sugar).

Lunch is a chicken or turkey with veggies (cabbage, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, etc)
Snack is always raw, organic almonds with raisins.
Dinner is another turkey or chicken with veggies.
Before bed is a tablespoon of apple fiber mixed with water.
Water all day, everyday.

After every meal is a caraway tea and then for dinner, caraway tea with chamomile.

Im still having awkward bowl movements and lately it has been with a hard tip at the end which makes me bleed for a second.

At this point, I didn't want to do anything that wasnt natural but as you can see I am doing everything by the books. Plenty of water, veggies and everything SCD approved.

So I just got back from the store and picked up some Miralax powder. I am going to start drinking this stuff every night before bed and see if there is a change.

At this point I am willing to do a daily regime of something not natural if that means I can actually have consistent soft stools.

I choose Miralax because it seems to be something that helps most people on this board.

Has anyone been using this stuff on a regular basis and can comment?
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby Ever the Optimist » 29 Nov 2013, 02:03

nprospekt,
Hi, A lot of people have experienced this plug effect you are describing and I believe it can be helped quite a lot by the placement of the way you consume your food, that is eating your soluble & insoluble fibres in a specific order, ensuring you eat fruit before a meal to aid digestion and tips like this, It might be worth googling the site a bit because I know this has produced lots of previous discussions. I hope one of the experts here can chip in because such things can really help. You will be fine with Miralax, most swear by it, but you will need to experiment a little to get the dosage that works for you - If anything, taking too much can lead to more runny stools, slight stomach aches or make people go more often, so start with a smaller amount and work up accordingly. Miralax is pretty safe stuff and can be used for a long time, so it's a good plan. I didn't use this myself but I did use Lactulose, which worked really well for me. Good luck :) I understand you want to treat this as naturally as possible and Miralax really won't hurt you.........
Chronic Fissure diagnosed December 2011
Healed by Diltiazem around Feb 2013
Anal Fistula followed burst abscess in June 2012
2 internal troublesome piles remain & suspected, but undiagnosed, ongoing Levator Ani type symptoms & flare-ups
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Re: Natural Stool Softener ?

Postby roseyaa » 23 Sep 2016, 23:41

Ever the Optimist wrote:nprospekt,
that is eating your soluble & insoluble fibres in a specific order


Just wondering why eating them in a specific order would prevent the hard tip?
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