# Severe case of constipation! What do I do?!? Please HELP! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326 "2004-07-15T21:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/41 "2004-07-16T21:45:51Z")
Forget all the above ‘crappy’ advice and Hie thee thyself to an M.D. pronto! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/42 "2004-07-16T23:06:45Z")
I always use Ex-Lax when fiber and fruit don’t do the trick. However, I have irritable bowel syndrome, and so I know that having diarrhea or being constipated is probably not a symptom of some acute disease. Ex-Lax is a chemical laxative, and I always use the chocolate variety (in fact, I’m not sure if there’s a non-chocolate variety) which tastes all right. I recommend staying very close to a toilet after eating this medicine…it always makes me go, and go, and go. Other complications of constipation are pretty rare, but if “your friend” is worried about them, by all means, a doctor’s visit could ease the mind. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/43 "2004-07-17T01:41:11Z")
You know, I’ve never been constipated (rather the opposite, sometimes) and have never had to have a medical exam that involved internal cleansing. All of these threads describing what laxatives, barium shakes, citrate of magnesia etc. do to one… are frankly making me curious. Am I missing something good in life…? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/44 "2004-07-17T02:03:10Z")
no, you are not ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/45 "2004-07-17T10:05:24Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > You know, I’ve never been constipated (rather the opposite, sometimes) and have never had to have a medical exam that involved internal cleansing. All of these threads describing what laxatives, barium shakes, citrate of magnesia etc. do to one… are frankly making me curious. Am I missing something good in life…? Enjoy your innocence. Barium milkshakes taste horrid, and are unpleasant to dispose of. The more aggressive laxatives can make a strong man or woman curl up into the fetal position and whimper. One side effect of chemical laxatives is that the rectal tissue quickly becomes sore from all that cleansing. Another side effect is that the abdominal muscles become sore from the artificial stimulation. Then there is the embarrassment of not having complete control of one’s bowels. In short, you’re very, very lucky. Don’t go looking for trouble. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/46 "2004-07-17T13:27:59Z")
> [@Jimmy from the Bronx](#): > > What do you recommend for my poor friend who seems to be full of shit? Please help! Has ‘he’ been to the M.D. and what were the results? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326.md?page=2)