The parrot vs. the toilet

For obvious reasons, I'm looking for something to help things along in the bathroom. It's been a struggle ever since surgery 1 1/2 years ago, and I'm getting tired of it.

What is the safest supplement to take long-term? Should it be a stool softener, a laxative or a fiber supplement? A combination of them? All advice and comments welcome here.

psychoticparrot 

I haven't had surgery yet but I have seen many many posts suggesting Mira lax to be very helpful. There are plenty of experienced people on here who should be able to help. 

I did go on Miralax last year, but it didn't agree with me. My stomach was unsettled and I felt a bit queasy. But it did work. Maybe I should try it again and see if my GI system can handle it better now. Thanks.

psychoticparrot

I dealt with that issue for years. The only solution for me is either a rx lactulose or miralax. The thing with miralax those is that it doesn't work well when you are already backed up. If you need to go ASAP, magnesium citrate is the best solution for me. Then daily miralax. 

Kombucha. Swear it works. Trader Joes or Whole Foods, and typically found at health food markets. Located in the refridgerated section. Down a bottle, next day should see some movement. Loaded with probiotics :)

Never heard of kombucha before, so I googled it. The article I read about it says that if you drink it unpasteurized, it may be unsafe. If you drink it pasteurized, the probiotics do not survive and their potential benefit is lost. Can you suggest a reliable unpasteurized brand that is safe to drink?

psychoticparrot

I started drinking the brand "GT" at first, and it was the pasteurized version. This stuff did help with the heart burn. GT also does sell the unpastuerized stuff in some states where it is allowed. I believe it is in brown bottles instead of clear bottles, but it should say on the bottle itself. Trader Joes and Whole Food sells it. Here in Michigan I can find the unpasturezed stuff at Whole Food. So, long story short just look for GT in the clear bottle, read the label to confirm it is pasturized if you are concerned with that. GT is the most popular brand in the U.S., so you should be able to locate some near you.  

People react differently- don't drink more than 10 ounces at first, and it might be better if you even start with 4 ounces or so. See how it agrees with you first. For heartburn it took drinking it for a couple of days before I really noticed a difference. For constipation, my daughter finds relief after 1 bottle (20 ounce) the following day.  If it doesn't agree with you apparently it might cause diarehea... this is what happend with my home brew as it was MUCH stronger than what I bought. 

I checked my local Harris Teeter website and they carry GT unpasteurized kombucha. They even have a raspberry-chia flavor (pasteurized). Another poster on this thread has recommended chia seed pudding. Maybe I can have the best of both worlds with this GT flavor! I'll pick up some chia seeds while I'm there too. 

I'm a'goin' shoppin' today!

psychoticparrot

Miralax and a Squatty Potty. Look up Squatty Potty online. Works for me.. They can now be purchased in retail stores. mine was about twenty dollars.

Squatty Potty will change your life, and I mean that in the best possible way.  It puts your body in the best position to use the potty and you will love it.