fast help please - dry hard stools

[catoosh]

Nasty subject, painful too, having huge difficulty in passing dry hard stools and I mean pebble like hard.

Watch my diet, drink loads water, take fibre physillium nothing helps.

Beyond suppositories etc.

[sapphire kate]

I know the feeling http://herbwifery.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=591 That episode was a reaction to a specific food. But I think the advice stands for more chronic conditions.

What have you tried other than the psyllium? Are you soaking that first?

Are you on any medications?

[cory su]

Hemp seeds are a good dietary additive for dry stools.

[jim mcdonald]

I've had people use a cup to a cup and a half of lukewarm water with a teaspoonish (I generally eyeball stuff) each of freshly ground flax seed and slippery elm or marshmallow powder. Let it sit on the counter till well hydrated. drink in 1-2 doses. It often works well, the mucilage and oils helping to moisten the stool, lubricate the GI tract, and add fiber.

Things to wonder about:
` if there's dryness, could that be from sluggish liver function or poor bile release? Bile lubricates the GI tract in addition to helping emulsify lipids for digestion. Bitters may be indicated.
` if you're drinking loads of water, are you peeing/sweating freely, loosing the water you're taking in? Sumach leaf/stem tea or tincture might be useful. Because its astringent, and astringents dry the mucous membranes, you'd for sure want to use it with a mucilage (marshmallow, slippery elm, malva).
` Are you getting good quality lipids/fats/oils in the diet? Dryness can be from lack or water or oils, and you can't address oil dryness with water or vice verse.

[kelli]

One of chickweeds many attributes is for small dry hard constipation poos.
Might be worth a try to include it in your daily salad(s).
Or dandelion, or marshmallow, or chamomile, ... the list could be endless

Kelli

[Narayani]

catoosh, here is how ayurveda looks at dryness and its causes. http://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/article/guna/Dry When I was combating dryness adding some oil (I used ghee) to my diet really helped.

[Cat of the Moonlit Wood]

Ground flax seeds in cool water (or add them to soup, yogurt, whatever). I found psyllium to be very binding and drying, as it keeps absorbing liquid once it's in the guts. It's like concrete in there!
Flax has oil as well as mucilage, and won't absorb all your gut liquids.

[catoosh]

Many thanks for the good advice which I will address.

Steps I've taken, firstly medical side so have had a blood test yesterday, to-day a X-Ray after drinking a Barium mixture, tomorrow an Ultra sound.

Have screened my diet, to daily intake avocado, sprouts, any greens, 3 x dessertspoons of virgin olive oil, brazil/almond nuts, seaweed, miso soup, this has indeed help, further steps are increase fruit intake and juice veggies/fruit.
Currently no intake of milk, cheese, sugar, processed foods.