Guest guest Posted April 21, 2006 Report Share Posted April 21, 2006 Here is a constipation post from the autismbiomed discussion board... and so I asked the dad if I could post his post here and he said yes. One thing I want to mention is that yes, not enough serotonin being manufactured in the gut can bring about constipation, but I also do recall reading a mouse or rat study where they took the mice/rats and lowered their serotonin levels, then they got constipated...then they gave them meds (or whatever supplements) to raise their serotonin levels and their constipation resolved. But when they gave too much and the serotonin got too high, then constipation set in again! So it is as if there is a " window " of serotonin that is just right for the bowels to function well. So just keep that in mind. I am not sure what supplements or foods help raise serotonin levels in the body but I am sure there probably are some. Does anyone here know if magnesium helps serotonin levels? B vitamins? I am thinking they possibly do which could be why some success happens with them... also some here have found essential fatty acids (EFA) oils to be helpful, and I know that EFA's are helpful for " mood " ...so maybe this is a key idea for some on this board... Here is his post: Hi , Feel free to post the info on the miralax group. I would have thought that most of these option would have already been posted on your group. Chronic constipation is a difficult issue to deal with. If the usual remedies do not work then you need to look a bit further to see what may be the cause. Hence looking at raising serotonin levels may be an option, as well as dealing with anxiety and stress issues. Sometimes you need to look further afield for a solution, not just increasing fibre and water. I hope your group finds the information useful. Kind regards, >> >> Just some additional notes on constipation issues. Other possible > causes to consider: >> >> Constipation may be due to poor liver function and bile > production. Bile is required for emulsification and digestion of > fats. It promotes intestinal peristalsis, preventing constipation. >> Sometimes calcium supplements may be a cause. >> Low E. coli in the gut. >> Neglecting the urge to go, may be due to pain and the child is > afraid to pass a bowel motion, hence the child holds on making it > worse. >> Lichen sclerosis is an uncommon inflammatory condition mainly > affecting girls and is associated with severe constipation > unrelieved with standard treatment measures >> Stress is a common cause as it decreases gastrointestinal motility. >> >> Psyllium is a good recommendation as it softens stool by retaining > water and reduces pain when passing a stool. Add it to food or into > a pancake mix or muffins. >> Prunes (juice) contain sorbitol which has an osmotic laxative > effect. Kiwifruit has specific activity in the gastrointestinal tract. A study found that eating kiwifruit (1 kiwifruit / 30 kg > bodyweight /day) significantly increased stool bulk and softened the stool, as well as increased the frequency of bowel movements. > Allergy to kiwi fruit is not uncommon, caution should be observed > when prescribing kiwifruit to individuals with no previous exposure >> Chamomile tea stimulates the liver and has a relaxing effect on > the lower gastro-intestinal tract Studies show that probiotics improve intestinal motility and > reduce faecal enzyme activity. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria > encourage healthy colonic microbial growths >> If a child is constipated, a way to increase fibre intake and to > increase peristaltic action is to feed yoghurt and fruit together > for supper and also to make sure there is enough oil in the diet. > This means not teaspoons of oil but make sure oil is part of the > diet; in cooking and salad dressings (rice bran oil is best for ASD > children). Fat is required to stimulate the gall bladder (no oil à > no bile à poor digestion). >> Mineral oil (paraffin oil) has been used for children with stool- > holding behaviour >> A diet deficient in carnitine, can lead to gastrointestinal and > infrequent bowel movements. >> If anxiety is an issue then the culprit may be low serotonin > (needed for peristaltic motion). L-tryptophan is the precursor to > the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is important for mood and > sleep, but is also essential for normal gut function. Most of the > body's serotonin is present in the gut. Serotonin plays a > significant role in gut peristalsis and digestive secretions. >> >> Regards, >> >> Pietryka, >> (Father to 15 yo w/ASD, mostly OK if sticks with diet), > Naturopath >> Re: Constipation > Can I post your post on my miralax board...it is a board I started > for adverse reactions to the prescription miralax and we end up > talking a lot about ways to get off of miralax naturally. Can I > post it there, and if you would like to join, please feel free... > it's on yahoo. > W > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 This is really interesting because I recently started taking Lexapro (a SSRI), and I have been going with much more ease myself (I have never been chronically constipated before though). --- merrywbee wrote: > Here is a constipation post from the autismbiomed > discussion > board... and so I asked the dad if I could post his > post here and he > said yes. One thing I want to mention is that yes, > not enough > serotonin being manufactured in the gut can bring > about > constipation, but I also do recall reading a mouse > or rat study > where they took the mice/rats and lowered their > serotonin levels, > then they got constipated...then they gave them meds > (or whatever > supplements) to raise their serotonin levels and > their constipation > resolved. But when they gave too much and the > serotonin got too > high, then constipation set in again! So it is as > if there is > a " window " of serotonin that is just right for the > bowels to > function well. So just keep that in mind. I am not > sure what > supplements or foods help raise serotonin levels in > the body but I > am sure there probably are some. Does anyone here > know if magnesium > helps serotonin levels? B vitamins? I am thinking > they possibly do > which could be why some success happens with them... > also some here > have found essential fatty acids (EFA) oils to be > helpful, and I > know that EFA's are helpful for " mood " ...so maybe > this is a key idea > for some on this board... > > Here is his post: > > Hi , > > Feel free to post the info on the miralax group. I > would have > thought that most of these option would have already > been posted on > your group. Chronic constipation is a difficult > issue to deal with. > If the usual remedies do not work then you need to > look a bit > further to see what may be the cause. Hence > looking at raising serotonin levels may be an > option, as well as > dealing with anxiety and stress issues. Sometimes > you need to look > further afield for a solution, not just increasing > fibre and water. > I hope your group finds the information useful. > > Kind regards, > > > > >> > >> Just some additional notes on constipation > issues. Other possible > > causes to consider: > >> > >> Constipation may be due to poor liver function > and bile > > production. Bile is required for emulsification > and digestion of > > fats. It promotes intestinal peristalsis, > preventing constipation. > >> Sometimes calcium supplements may be a cause. > >> Low E. coli in the gut. > >> Neglecting the urge to go, may be due to pain and > the child is > > afraid to pass a bowel motion, hence the child > holds on making it > > worse. > >> Lichen sclerosis is an uncommon inflammatory > condition mainly > > affecting girls and is associated with severe > constipation > > unrelieved with standard treatment measures > >> Stress is a common cause as it decreases > gastrointestinal > motility. > >> > >> Psyllium is a good recommendation as it softens > stool by retaining > > water and reduces pain when passing a stool. Add > it to food or into > > a pancake mix or muffins. > >> Prunes (juice) contain sorbitol which has an > osmotic laxative > > effect. Kiwifruit has specific activity in the > gastrointestinal > tract. A study found that eating kiwifruit (1 > kiwifruit / 30 kg > > bodyweight /day) significantly increased stool > bulk and softened > the stool, as well as increased the frequency of > bowel movements. > > Allergy to kiwi fruit is not uncommon, caution > should be observed > > when prescribing kiwifruit to individuals with no > previous exposure > >> Chamomile tea stimulates the liver and has a > relaxing effect on > > the lower gastro-intestinal tract > Studies show that probiotics improve intestinal > motility and > > reduce faecal enzyme activity. Lactobacillus and > Bifidobacteria > > encourage healthy colonic microbial growths > >> If a child is constipated, a way to increase > fibre intake and to > > increase peristaltic action is to feed yoghurt and > fruit together > > for supper and also to make sure there is enough > oil in the diet. > > This means not teaspoons of oil but make sure oil > is part of the > > diet; in cooking and salad dressings (rice bran > oil is best for ASD > > children). Fat is required to stimulate the gall > bladder (no oil à > > no bile à poor digestion). > >> Mineral oil (paraffin oil) has been used for > children with stool- > > holding behaviour > >> A diet deficient in carnitine, can lead to > gastrointestinal and > > infrequent bowel movements. > >> If anxiety is an issue then the culprit may be > low serotonin > > (needed for peristaltic motion). L-tryptophan is > the precursor to > > the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is important > for mood and > > sleep, but is also essential for normal gut > function. Most of the > > body's serotonin is present in the gut. Serotonin > plays a > > significant role in gut peristalsis and digestive > secretions. > >> > >> Regards, > >> > >> Pietryka, > >> (Father to 15 yo w/ASD, mostly OK if sticks with > diet), > > Naturopath > >> > > > Re: Constipation > > > > Can I post your post on my miralax board...it is a > board I started > > for adverse reactions to the prescription miralax > and we end up > > talking a lot about ways to get off of miralax > naturally. Can I > > post it there, and if you would like to join, > please feel free... > > it's on yahoo. > > W > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2006 Report Share Posted April 22, 2006 Yes, isn't it interesting though! And how one of the side effects that they usually talk about with ssri's is constipation, and so it must be that you are in that " window " of a good dose whereas if you were taking too much for your needs, then it would be too much serotonin in your gut, and like those rats, you would end up constipated. Thanks for sharing that tidbit of info!!! maryW > > This is really interesting because I recently started > taking Lexapro (a SSRI), and I have been going with > much more ease myself (I have never been chronically > constipated before though). > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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