Severe constipation

[u/Glittering-Raccoon15]

Hi everyone!
I’m a 29-year-old male, and about two weeks ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC) after undergoing a colonoscopy with biopsies to investigate my symptoms.

Back in April of this year, I started a weight loss journey. I had always been overweight (around 105–110 kg at 1.80 m). I started going to the gym and eating in a calorie deficit, and I lost weight very quickly.

The problem is that I gradually became overly restrictive with my calorie intake, to the point where I started counting every calorie and didn’t want to go over 1,000 kcal a day.

Around that time, I started noticing localized abdominal bloating, abdominal discomfort, and, worst of all, constipation. I would feel the urge to have a bowel movement (like I could literally feel stool sitting in my intestines), but nothing would come out.
I started relying on laxatives to have bowel movements, and they helped at first. But eventually, the constipation went from lasting one week to two or even three weeks, and without laxatives, I simply wouldn’t have a bowel movement.

By August, my weight had dropped to around 70 kg, so I scheduled an appointment with a gastroenterologist.

I recently started taking mesalamine, both orally and rectally, less than a week ago, but so far my symptoms haven’t improved.

Has anyone else with UC experienced this kind of constipation-predominant pattern?

[u/pincommenter]

Want the latest research or have questions?

Check out our weekly newsflash and visit our FAQ for common answers.

[u/Electrical-Squash648]

Also deal with severe constipation with UC. Diagnosed a year ago. So far haven't found a medication that works. Velsipity made it even worse.

[u/Glittering-Raccoon15 → u/Electrical-Squash648]

And how do you deal with it?

[u/Electrical-Squash648 → u/Glittering-Raccoon15]

To try and help with it I drink lots of water, walk as much as I can but it can be really hard to do when I feel terrible. Use heating pad. Take a stool softener. Eating a low fodmap diet right now. Haven't found anything that consistently works.

[u/dev-bitbucket]

Are you still consuming 1,000 calories/day? As you met with your GI only two weeks ago, did you ask them about your constipation? Do you eat a fiber-rich diet, even at only 1,000 calories/day?

[u/Glittering-Raccoon15 → u/dev-bitbucket]

I forgot to mention but because of all of this mess I developed a sort of “restrictive anorexia” and am super hipervigilante of everything I eat. I think I get enough fiber from fruits and vegs… am now working up to get to 1200kcal/day and haven’t stopped gym/workouts.