Opioid Induced Constipation

Good info, Amy.  The one thing I think I could supplement (pun intended) is that Dr. Lepisto's seminars have said that 10% of people do not do well with psyllium, it's actually like an allergy, so when adding psyllium start our REAL slow in case you're one of them.  And some of the health issues just do not 'do well' with psyllium and they should go to the 'clear' type of fiber supplementation or other natural forms in foods BUT to be sure that the things you supplement do not have food colorings in them, which brands like Metamucil do.  

And for people who are bloating but it's not due to something sensible like side effects from opiods, that's just one of the '9 Liver Dwarves' he talks about in his 'Detoxification and Cleansing' video.  I'll stick the link for that in here if anyone's wanting to watch the free snippets and see if it's worth the $20 to download:   www.lumigrate.com/product/detoxification-and-cleansing-dr-christopher-lepisto

(His FREE "Chronic Illness: Full Barrel Syndrome" is a good place to start by the way)

And the link to the blog that might help you build your confidence about downloading:

www.lumigrate.com/blog/who-are-you-and-what-lumigrate-videos-and-more

I hope that adds to the info stream!  And again, Thanks to Amy for the great info!  Keep thinking, though about if taking opiods for chronic pain is where you and your medical provider really want to be, as they are developed and intended for chronic pain and then interfere with not just your intestines but your sleep pattern and THAT then causes more problems.  As always, just opinions and yours is the most important one, but keep learning from us hopefully, those opinions.  There are blogs about pain from mid to late July that I wrote on Lumigrate.com that I hope really helps people looking into this kind of information!  

Hoping this is shining the light on your path to health and well-being (Lumigrate's motto) ~ ~ Mardy

Mardy

I take a suppliment that has no dyes in it, and is very popular with the medical society. (I'm not sure if I am allowed to mention a specific product name here), but as well as taking a suppliment, I have added alot of natural fiber to my diet.

I have started purchasing items with "fiber added". Cereal, Granola bars, yogurt, bread, any thing I normally would purchase, I try to find a brand that has additional fiber added. This has helped me to regulate. I have never been regular before.

If I end up having a pain flare-up for more than 5 days, I add more fiber to my diet with fiber cookies. It's a way of getting that extra in with a treat (especially when your body is just plum tired out, a treat is nice!)

Also, I make a tea every once in a while out of Borage. It's a really odd tasting tea. Use only about 1/4 of a tablespoon when you first make the tea, and then adjust your strength as needed. My massage therapist turned me onto it. I mix a little bit of honey in it to cut the taste. If you brew it really mild, it helps. It takes about 4-6 hours for me to see results. The mild tea doesn't cause stomach cramps, excess bloating, or any sudden "need to go". I find it at my local herb store in Berkeley and buy it loose (1/4 lb usually is under $5). However, if you have a green thumb, the plant is easy to grow. It even has beautiful little flowers to brighten your day!

just wanted to share that I recently found that castor oil will help with the constipation issues. hope you find this helpful.

I have just learned from watching Dr.Oz that cod liver oil will help with the pain and stiffness of fibro. I started taking one teaspoon 3 days ago and got to tell ya it has helped with my pain and stiffness,energy and sleep. I did some research and found out that the cod liver oil is high in vitiam D so that could explain why I have had such good results. Also it is suggested that the liquid form is best light yellow in color,I mix 1 teaspoon in a shot glass and fill glass with o j this helps the taste. the benefits are fare greater then a little bad taste for about 1 second. Good luck and would love some feed back from who ever tries.

                                                                                                                      Dove

Totally off the subject- but reading your post on cod liver oil made me think of funny thing I did in the past to help my endometriosis pain. I read/heard somewhere that cod liver oil when rubbed into your muscles would help with cramps! My pain was so bad, nothing seemed to help. So, one night I tried the oil! It was a mess! I was staying with my Mom at the time, awaiting my next surgery. She found me lying flat on the bed covered in oil, all over my belly, just waiting for the "magic solution" to work! At first glance, she must of had a hard time figuring out what I was doing, because I also covered part of the bed in plastic wrap to make sure it stayed clean. To think back now, I just laugh!

So, Dove whenever you have that bad taste in your mouth. Just have a giggle on me!

That's funny, Amy...... you poor thing!  But I say that and am chuckling at the same time.  No... cracking up!  Thanks!  Mardy

You know, I'm off to bed now and Tammy Cedo has gotten me onto using coconut oil on my skin and I love it but ....... I go to bed thinking I smell like a macaroon and now that I have the winter warmy blanket (that goes OFF when I get IN by the way so no lectures on EMFs please, folks), I really really feel like I'm a macaroon in a warm oven!  I think I was dreaming that even the other night.   Hope THAT makes y'all grin too! (and think about using coconut oil... saves about a gzillion $ a year on moisurizer for some people I imagine). 

 Is Castor oil and or cod liver oil safe to take with medications or should I ask a pharmacist before starting them? Also, is there any supplements that help with internal hemorrhoids?

Thanks,

Estella

Just a little FYI about coconut oil for those with "stretch" marks, which I have plenty of, thank you very much Rubin (my son).  Not only is it a fabulous moisturizer but it also fades stretch marks over time!  I believe they start fading after about three weeks or so if I remember correctly.  And wasn't it cod liver oil that was shoved down the throats of our grandparents when they wanted to prevent them from getting sick?  Couldn't we get that now in a gel tab and would it be as effective?  Preferrably in a non-burb formula.  Somehow burbing up fish all day just isn't that appealing to me.

As for the constipation conversation, I find avocados very helpful.  Personally, I could eat them all day long but some people, ok, a lot of people don't enjoy them and can have to find ways to "hide" the green, mushy, goo (again, my son's words) in order to eat it.  For me, I just eat it as is.  For my husband and son, chopped up in eggs, potato skins, fondue, stir fry (olive oil of course), guacemole (a staple a Florida), salsa, and just about anything else I can think of that they won't notice.  By the way, our dog Lucy, is like me, she also likes her avocado straight from the peel.

Take care and be well.

Ellen

 I remember taking cod-liver oil as a kid, stupid naturalist hippie upbringing... Maybe if I just did what they told me then I would be a lot better off! I LOVE avacado. it goes great in mexican cooking and my momma makes the best guacamole! But they are very pricy here. I think right now they are 2 for a dollar and not very big ones either, so they unfortunatly are a special sometimes food. 

Is coconut oil in a lotion form or is it an oil? If it's an oil is it safe to go out in the sun after putting it on or would it burn you to a crisp?

I'm late in posting a response about coconut oil to answer Jen's question, above... (and laugh as always at how she writes overall... she's such a 'hoot').  

I buy coconut oil at the health food store but they're now starting to have it at the grocery stores such as Safeway and Kroger here too.  It is like butter in terms of being solid at room temperature and melts very fast with your body heat.  I've REALLY liked using it on my skin, something that was encouraged by 'The Cute-cle Lady' who posted a while back about nail basics.  So hearing it more than one place made me say 'I'll try that' .. and I'm glad I did.  I'm pleased to see Zoftig's hint about stretch marks and coconut oil -- I recently had someone pointing out their stretch marks and didn't think/recall about coconut oil so I'll pass that on..... 

Related to sun safety and the skin, I'm hoping we get some really good information going on that soon; with everyone's awareness now about vitamin D levels being chronically low in most people and virtually all with chronic illness, one of the antidotes is to get 20 minutes or so of sun every day without sunscreen.  I personally feel there's much to do with our internal health and nutrition that allows our skin to deal with the harmful effects of the sun and that sunscreens can have toxins in them (depending upon brand).  There's MUCH about that now in the "Integrative" section here at the forums on Lumigrate, aesthetics forum.  

Mostly, too, I believe overall that there's not 'one' answer for everyone and that everyone must study a little about topics and then find what they believe is right for them.  I work to make Lumigrate a place that has different aspects of information that's progressive and valid, and hope to make it streamlined (and fun overall) for people to be finding the information they seek.  

Personally, I've been relaxing about sunscreen except on my face; I work to use more clothing and hat brims blocking the rays when needed now, or have really adjusted when I'm outside and inside in order to get the amount of sun I believe is right for me.  Considering I did a LOT of sun bathing at 7,500 ft elevation or was out working or playing in the sun, hiking, etc., I've been amazed a the lack of damage my skin has and attribute it somewhat to the recently 10-20 years where I've been supplementing my nutrition a lot due to fibromyalgia and then also appreciate the good organic vegetables I ate as a kid, which was one of the many things I was outside doing a lot of sun - time with.  That's kind of how humans are 'made' in essence, so being wise along those lines might be the best 'natural medicine' there is! 

I'm late in posting a response about coconut oil to answer Jen's question, above... (and laugh as always at how she writes overall... she's such a 'hoot').  

I buy coconut oil at the health food store but they're now starting to have it at the grocery stores such as Safeway and Kroger here too.  It is like butter in terms of being solid at room temperature and melts very fast with your body heat.  I've REALLY liked using it on my skin, something that was encouraged by 'The Cute-cle Lady' who posted a while back about nail basics.  So hearing it more than one place made me say 'I'll try that' .. and I'm glad I did.  I'm pleased to see Zoftig's hint about stretch marks and coconut oil -- I recently had someone pointing out their stretch marks and didn't think/recall about coconut oil so I'll pass that on..... 

Related to sun safety and the skin, I'm hoping we get some really good information going on that soon; with everyone's awareness now about vitamin D levels being chronically low in most people and virtually all with chronic illness, one of the antidotes is to get 20 minutes or so of sun every day without sunscreen.  I personally feel there's much to do with our internal health and nutrition that allows our skin to deal with the harmful effects of the sun and that sunscreens can have toxins in them (depending upon brand).  There's MUCH about that now in the "Integrative" section here at the forums on Lumigrate, aesthetics forum.  

Mostly, too, I believe overall that there's not 'one' answer for everyone and that everyone must study a little about topics and then find what they believe is right for them.  I work to make Lumigrate a place that has different aspects of information that's progressive and valid, and hope to make it streamlined (and fun overall) for people to be finding the information they seek.  

Personally, I've been relaxing about sunscreen except on my face; I work to use more clothing and hat brims blocking the rays when needed now, or have really adjusted when I'm outside and inside in order to get the amount of sun I believe is right for me.  Considering I did a LOT of sun bathing at 7,500 ft elevation or was out working or playing in the sun, hiking, etc., I've been amazed a the lack of damage my skin has and attribute it somewhat to the recently 10-20 years where I've been supplementing my nutrition a lot due to fibromyalgia and then also appreciate the good organic vegetables I ate as a kid, which was one of the many things I was outside doing a lot of sun - time with.  That's kind of how humans are 'made' in essence, so being wise along those lines might be the best 'natural medicine' there is! 

I realized that one of the most read things on Lumigrate in it's first two years was a recipe Ronda Maddux posted titled the "Best Enema Recipe Ever", and it might be beneficial to provide the link here for people who are interested to go read about that.  Ronda's a nurse who has had a long history with chronic pain with lots of narcotics and so she's speaking from experience with both her nurses hat and her patient/consumer/in the trenches hat.  As of May 2011 it had over 1,000 reads, which for pieces in our first two years is a significant number.  Thanks to Ronda for having posted and I certainly hope we hear back from her and that she's doing well.

~~ Mardy 

http://www.lumigrate.com/forum/best-enema-recipe-ever