Hi everyone — I’m new here and wanted to briefly share my history and ask a couple of questions.

Before I dive in, I just want to ask honestly: is this board mainly focused on discussing pharmaceutical treatments? I’m not anti-medication at all, but after reading some of the early threads it feels a bit like an ad space. If that’s the case, that’s fine — I just want to understand the scope here.

As for my situation: I’ve had severe chronic constipation for many years and have been through a long road of tests, diets, supplements, and multiple doctors, none of which really helped. Over time, I’ve come to realize this doesn’t seem food-related (not probiotics, intolerances, SIBO, endosy, colonoscopy, stool test, OAT, etc.). All fine. I used to manage this with coffee and cigarettes, had quit multiple times for a year plus and it’s just absolute hell so I would go back to smoking and coffee eventually so that I can work my career and live a life. But now I have some circulation gum disease issues so I just quit cold turkey again and it’s been months with zero improvement, I don’t anticipate any improvement at all from simply quitting. But it does lead me to believe that it’s simply a neurological firing problem that has been a case since I was in my very early 20s.

What it feels like is a signaling problem — I don’t get a normal sensation of fullness or urge, and my muscles don’t coordinate to push properly. It feels neurogenic, like the nerves just aren’t firing correctly, not only in the gut but system-wide.

Right now, I’m enema-dependent. If I don’t do one every day or two, everything backs up and I get severe reflux/GERD that’s actively damaging my throat and teeth.

For those with similar symptoms:

• Does this resonate with anyone?

• What has actually helped you?

• Has anyone found answers outside of the usual “fiber, probiotics, diet” loop?

• What medication’s work for you in particular with this sort of issue?

• Has anyone done a balloon test for sensing ability of when the stool is full? I went to a proctologist and he just basically waved me off and said it’s functional and I’m too young to have these issues… i’m sure y’all can relate.

The part that I find very frustrating is a year ago I was really sick. I think I had a dental abscess that was getting into my bloodstream. Got blood work went to the doctor didn’t realize it was a tooth infection so my lab work for some reason always seems like it’s in good order. So the doctor say I’m fine I literally feel like I’m dying at moments. In my desperation, and I don’t recommend this, I took some anti-parasitic that I had purchased on the Internet. At this point that I haven’t pooped in five days and I was having difficulty breathing. Everything came flying out of me after the medication, and from that moment for about two months I was perfectly fine, zero bloating, I was eating healthy but I could eat pizza and ice cream and raw vegetables and fruit-and meat and cheese and bread and everything on the weekends and I had zero bloating I can eat all this crap and go for a run it was amazing. But then it all returned, I did more of the anti-parasitics that I don’t recommend in they don’t do anything. So I don’t know if I like tour something but I know that everything worked for a while perfectly beyond perfectly and now it’s all back. It’s like a sick joke from God.

I appreciate any insight or shared experience. Thanks for reading. If there’s a drug or a treatment or maybe some pelvic floor stuff I don’t know I’m at a loss I don’t even like being here anymore, I’m sure you guys all have a sense of where I’m at. Good luck to all y’all

Motegrity 2mg daily in the morning is working for me. 1 week in. Never wanted to be stuck on a pharmaceutical but it’s the only thing that works.