If you are constipated you will have fewer bowel movements than usual. You may find you need to strain a lot when you go to the toilet. You may feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Constipation may be caused by the drugs you are taking. For example, some chemotherapy drugs and some painkillers may make you constipated. You may also become constipated if you haven’t been able to move about or take much exercise, or if your diet has recently changed and you have had too little fibre (roughage) or fluid.

If your constipation persists, please tell your doctor or nurse. You may need to take some laxative medicine for a while, to get your bowels moving again, but you can also take some simple steps yourself, to try to reduce any problems.

Getting more fibre (roughage) into your diet should help.

Try to eat more high fibre foods such as fruit (unpeeled), vegetables, potatoes with the skin left on, wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals.

 

Try to get more of these foods into your diet:

wholemeal and granary breads

brown crispbreads

oatcakes

cakes and biscuits made with wholemeal flour, bran, dried fruit and nuts – such as flapjacks, Hob Nobs, and oatcakes

wholemeal pasta and brown rice

jacket potatoes, or potatoes boiled in their skins

fruit – leave the skins on fruits like apples, pears and plums

tinned or dried prunes

vegetables

pulses – for example baked beans and lentils

breakfast cereals such as All Bran, Bran Flakes, Weetabix, Shredded Wheat, muesli and cereals with added fruit and nuts.

try to have at least eight glasses or cups of fluid each day

 

try taking a hot drink first thing in the morning, or about half an hour before your usual bowel movement.

If you can, try to keep active and take a little exercise every day (a gentle walk, for example).

Remember to tell your doctor or nurse if your constipation remains a problem.