CancerCompass message board discussion started by Oby T. on 8/8/2003 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,886,0.htm Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hi, this is Oby again. Thought I'd share what I have found to be the absolute solution to constipation -- which so often comes about because of the chemotherapy we have to take. I first experienced it when I had my first bout with chemo. Girls, I'll tell you, I thought I was going to die! I was in soooo much pain. I called my oncologist AND my primary doctor and they both told me to do the same thing. "Call 911 and have them take you to the ER because your bowels are impacted." Well, the very last place I wanted to go was back to the hospital because it had only been short time since I'd been operated on! I was living in Phoenix at the time and I decided to call my daughter. She arrived within 20 minutes, bringing with her some suppositories (which didn't work) and a liquid formula of natural herbs, which she gave me -- mixed with some apple juice. She said that the herbs would take approximately 24 hours to work. JEEZ! Anyway, by the time she left she had put me to bed, turned out the lights, and during the night I only had to get up once to go to the toilet. I didn't use any effort to make my bowels move because I didn't want to go through that again...I just urinated and went back to bed. At around 5:30 a.m. I woke up and the miracle happened! My bowels moved!!! That afternoon I went to the health food store and told the clerk, "I want the very best natural laxative you have in the store." (No, I didn't go to GNC because no one who works there knows what they are talking about. I went to a health food store where they have employees who know about vitamin supplements, etc.) Anyway, I bought a product named "Tibetian Formula Natural Laxative." The label said I could take 1-3 capsules at a time. I started by taking 3 per night, and a few days later took 2 per night. About a week later I discovered that I only needed 1 per night to stay 'regular.' I should add here that the primary ingredient of that natural laxative is Cascara Bark. It's funny; when I first opened the bottle I recognized the smell. When I was a little girl my mother used to give me Cascara -- to 'stay regular.' When I moved to Illinois I found that I could not find the laxative I'd found in Phoenix. However, I did find a health food store where EVERYONE knows about the vitamin supplements! (It's called Fruitful Yield.) I told them about the laxative I had been taking and asked them if they had anything like it. They did. It's called "Cascara Sagrada Aged Bark" manufactured by Nature's Way. I have been taking one capsule every night -- and I'm overjoyed to say that I am 'regular.' Oh, I'm sure that my oncologist would have given me a prescription for a laxative, but damn, I am sick and tired of prescription upon prescription! And I wasn't going to go to the drugstore and check out all of the laxatives they have there. Instead, I want to provide my body with as many 'natural' products that I can. I hope this information will help some of you. After all, who needs constipation on top of everything else we have to go through, right? I love you all, Oby Oby T. Fri, 08 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT Thanks for the information. My brother is on liquid morphine and horribly constipated...I'm on the way to the vitamin store right now. Again thanks and God Bless laura C. Mon, 11 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT Hey Oby, How ya doing my friend? Thanks for this information, kiddo. I seem to have this problem from time to time and flaxseed seems to help for me. And it is good for other things also. Question: The stuff you mentioned ...does it cause cramping? I tried the smooth move tea and while it is pretty good it made me cramp too much I thought. Thanks again and let me know okie dokie? Be well and take care of you...Jan Jan T. Tue, 12 Aug 2003 00:00:00 GMT