hi All! having a bit of a frustrating morning and thought it could be good to share and reach out here :)


I have been trying (a lot!) to have softer stools as I currently have a fissure that I am trying to heal. I saw a caring naturopath a few days ago who thought I was doing a lot of the right things...but suggested higher doses of those things: natural calm magnesium citrate (was taking 2 teaspoons(400mg), he has me now at 3 teaspoons (600mg), taking fish oils, and slippery elm powder in water.
Today I had the most painful/hard BM resulting in some reinjury of the fissure.

Does anyone have more tips? I wonder if I can go even higher on the Magnesium or if that is a bad idea?
It is wild too me that my high vegetable diet, lots of olive oil and taking things that are meant to have a laxative effect is not guaranteeing regularly soft stools :(


thanks so much!

I think the missing part may be your water intake. Try drinking one litre every morning before you start eating and see if that helps. Then have a further 2 liters during the day. Daily prunes in the morning can help with soft BMs as well, and another thing to try is Miralax.

I have the same frustration and water made things worse as it led to frequent urination which depleted potassium reserves. From time to time it seems no matter what we do we still get a harder stool, and this while keeping the same food regimen. Higher intakes of magnesium sometimes work other times don't, probably depending on how empty the stomach is when taking it.

It took me 2vweeks to see ant difference when I started magnesium

Please read this it has just blown my mind

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3435786/

I read the paper. It's not realistic or safe to have such a restricted diet long term. The study authors haven't considered the possibility of SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth), which can be a cause for constipation. That's something which needs to be treated rather than putting patients on a highly restricted diet.

I'm being tested for bacteria at the moment I'm waiting for the results.

Are you having a stool test done? Sibo is tested using a breath test since that's that least invasive way, but questions remain about its accuracy.

Yes I had a stool sample taken so far most of the tests have come back clear I'm not sure if I'm waiting on anymore tests or not I'll ring the doctor tomorrow can you please tell me the medical term of the bacteria or the condition so I can ask the doctor directly? Thanks

small intestinal bacterial Overgrowth just did a quick Google search the doctor is checking for an Overgrowth of bacteria is what he said also checking for Overgrowth and yeast and heaps of other stuff