Embarrassing: Camping & Constipated

Nobody should be embarrassed to use a toilet. That's what they are for! And please don't ignore the urge to go, as others have said, it just makes matters worse and can kill off the sensory nerves in your rectum which tell you to when to go. Take a book, use your mobile to listen to some music and wait. I have to say, I have to spend a lot of time in the loo even though I have had the opposite problem since a teenager (IBS), so there are noises and pongs. There's nothing I can do about that, but laugh it off. I do have experience of constipation as a result of drugs I was given to combat sickness in chemotherapy, and I had 3 prunes every morning with 'overnight oats' (oat flakes soaked in apple juice). It worked for me. I hope you are better soon.

Rachb,this is what I do, works a treat. Lift the loo seat up, use a wipe to clean the bare porcelain seat, then sit down, your body creates an air tight vacuum around top, you can fart and poop away, and only you can hear anything, it’s quietly muffled from anyone outside! Traps any pong too. Then when finished a quick spray of mini air freshener, job done!! ( oh and a couple of glycerin suppositories up yer poo pipe 20 mins before you go! Seems to melt everything!!) ??

Try a good helping of sweetcorn to break it up - works every time for me - though you have to wait a little while for things to start working! I speak as one who has recently come back from wild camping in Scotland - where he choice of site involved finding suitable cover for the sort of operations under discussion here.....bushes and bracken and brambles ...

Back in my French camping days, I was always amused by the sound effects coming from the adjacent men’s loos. No embarrassment there from the mostly Dutch menfolk.
Prunes and Yakult are good for me but I like the idea of 2 Mars bars a previous poster mentioned

Prunes that should have read!

Take a puzzle book with you, soduku is good. Don’t forget pencil and rubber though! Something you can concentrate on. A map is good too Also a couple of pruned before bed!!!!

I am the same when we go away - new surroundings, etc - but never been camping and I think i would be like you and never go - think what Kesterel Is saying above is great advice. Remember to drink plenty as that can made you very constipated. Try eating tic tacs, or Harrbo’s are supposed to work well in that dept.

Good luck x

So sympathise with you Rachb, I've suffered exactly the same, and tried everything, But......what's working for me & continues to do so for the last 3 months, is 2 small pieces of good quality liquorice every day and just before bed, a couple of dessert spoons of AllBran Original(not the flakes) in milk. No longer straining and very regular.

Best thing I have found and tried quite a few is TROO syrup from Holland and Barrett. It's a miracle for me ?

Lactose & plums ?

Was always a problem until someone recommended eating a kiwi fruit a day. I have no idea what's in the fruit but problem solved!

That’s a good short term solution, Shortlegs, but not good to become dependent on laxatives

Sorry, Shortlegs

Sortlegs thank you for that!
???

Has the bottom fallen out of your world? Take ExLax and let the world fall out of your bottom.

I recommend buying a "squatty potty" step for your home bathroom. Putting your feet on the step moves your body into a squatting position and completely changes the way the muscles behave.
I researched this after my OH had piles. Having one of these in each toilet has changed our lives.

Maybe you should go when the toilets are busy. The constant noise will hide any of your embarrassment. Massaging your abdomen from lower right all over to lower left will help move things along (following intestinal track). Relax, others will be the same as you.

Agranbytheendofthesummer - you’ve clearly never experienced this embarrassing and painful situation. It isn’t something you choose to worry about - it just happens.

Or the world to drop out of your bottom as the saying goes

Sorry festival - GOING

My festival-hoing children tell me this is normal. One of my daughters cheerfully described Glastonbury as "a long weekend of trying not to need a poo"

Glycerine suppositories are a better option to straining, which can cause the bottom to drop out of your world!

Drink a lot of water, and eat bananas, and grated apples. Walk.

I can’t understand this anxiety about going to the toilet; every single person in the world has to empty their bowels. There are many things to worry about, this isn’t one of them.

I too was wondering who would do an enema at home as I only have experience of hospital ones.