Struggling with Crohn’s disease constipation? Discover how this IBD might lead to constipation and explore 7 effective ways to manage it. From dietary changes to medical interventions, find relief and improve your gut health.

Diarrheaisn’t the only tummy trouble triggered byCrohn’s disease— a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Constipation is also a common symptom of this chronic condition. Here are the fecal facts.

Can Crohn’s cause constipation?

Yup! Crohn’s can makepassing pooptough AF for lots of different reasons. This includes:

How to treat Crohn’s disease constipation

Ready to get your bowels back on track? Here are seven ways to treat Crohn’s disease constipation.

1. Increase your dietary fiber intake

The easiestconstipationfix is to up thehigh fiber foodsin your diet. This isn’t always simple with Crohn’s though, since many high fiber foods can cause a symptom flare-up.

Your health care provider might suggest you increase your fiber intake in small amounts. You should also avoid high fiberfoodsthat contain other triggering ingredients.

2. Stay hydrated

Hydrationis important for everyone, but especially important for Crohn’s disease. Fluid loss is a common complication ofIBD-associated diarrhea. If Crohn’s diarrhea episode has tapped out your body’s fluid the following poops might be dry. This can make you constipated.

Drinking waterat regular intervals throughout the day can be a great constipation quick-fix. And as a big bonus, stayinghydratedis great for your overall health.

3. Exercise

Crohn’s can make physical activity and exercise a difficult prospect for a number of reasons. Who wants to take aHIIT classwhen the urge to poo is omnipresent?

However,researchshows that low levels of physical activity are aconstipationhazard. And on the flip side, other research — such as thisbanger of a meta-analysis— shows that exercise can help you go. You can see where we’re going with this.

If Crohn’s has you living a somewhat sedentary lifestyle that might be what’s making your poops slow. Add a little more movement to your day. It might help get things, well,movingagain.

4. Bowel training

Bowel trainingis basically Kegels for your keister. The tl;dr: They’re behavioral programs that help you get your bowels back under control. For obvious reasons, it’ssuperhelpful for peeps living withCrohn’s and other IBD’s.

Bowel training or bowel retraining strengthens the pelvic floor using a number of exercises. For Crohn’s, it’s usually prescribed to help prevent leakages. But(t), docs may also recommend them toease chronic constipation.

Speak with your doc about bowel training if you’re not already doing so as part of your Crohn’s management. They can give you some dope doody pointers, like sitting on the toilet at specified times throughout the day.

5. Biofeedback therapy

In cases of chronic Crohn’sconstipation,your doc might suggest biofeedback therapy. Especially if the specific cause relates to pelvic floor problems.

Studiesshow that biofeedback therapy can help chronicallyconstipatedpeeps poop normally again.

A medical professional (normally a physio) will help you simulate a bowel movement. There’ll be some breathing exercises and muscle training thrown in too. Don’t worry, it’s not as weird IRL as it sounds written down.

6. Adjust your meds

First things first … Always talk with your health care provider before tweaking your medications.

Now that’s out of the way, some medications can cause constipation. For example, antidiarrheals likeloperamide (Imodium A-D)are a common Crohn’s management medication. Every so often they can overcorrect, causing no pooping at all instead of the intended regular bowel movements.

If you’ve recently had a change in your Crohn’s medication and it’s prompted a spell of recurrent constipation, consult with your doc. A dosage adjustment could fix the issue.

7. Laxatives

Laxatives come in all different shapes, strengths, and sizes. Some are Crohn’s friendly and some are not. Like, really not. That said, don’t jump on the laxative train without consulting your doc.

Many laxatives can have adverse effects even on healthydigestivesystems. Crohn’s makes your GI tract much more sensitive. What might cause light cramping in a non-Crohn’s gut could leave someone with Crohn’s in pain. That doesn’t mean Crohn’s disease makes laxatives a no-go, it just means you need to be especially careful.

Here’s a brief rundown of some available laxatives and how they work.

Bulk-forming agents

Bulk-forming agentsare the easiest on your guts. They soak up water and bulk your stool out, which makes your body go “Oh no, that’s a really bulky stool” and then squeeze it out.

Avoid bulk-forming agents if you have a bowel obstruction of a stricture. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water, or you could create a big dry bulky blockage instead of an empty constipation-free bowel.

Some examples include:

Osmotic agents

Osmotic laxativeswork by keeping the fluid in your stool. This keeps them moist, slippery, and easier to pass.

Again, be super careful. Too much of an osmotic thing again can cause cramping,diarrhea, and dehydration even if youdon’thave Crohn’s disease. Only as much as you need to clear your blockage.

Stool softeners

Stool softeners work in a similar fashion to osmotic agents. They increase the fluid content of your poops so they’re not so challenging to squeeze out.

It’s worth noting that stool softeners can take a few days to work. So, don’t up your laxative intake if you don’t see immediate results.

Bowel stimulants

They do exactly what the name suggests — stimulate your bowel andmakeyou poop. They’ll get working in a few hours, so don’t make any plans once you’ve taken them.

Two types include:

PSA: Don’t touch these unless your constipation is 10/10 and you’re not suffering from any pain in your abdomen.

Symptoms of Crohn’s poop

Crohn’s disease can properly mess with your poops. While constipation can and does happen in those living with Crohn’s, some of the more common symptoms of Crohn’s include:

When to see a doctor

Occasional Crohn’s constipation isn’t usually a big deal. But you should def hit up a health care provider if you have:

You should also let them know if you notice bowel obstructionsymptomslike:

Crohn’s disease — or the methods used to treat it — can make you constipated. However, other bowel concerns like diarrhea are more common.

You might be able to treat your constipation at home with simple remedies and over-the-counter meds. However, more serious cases might need medical intervention.

Call your doctor if your constipation comes on suddenly, intensely, and is accompanied by other abnormal symptoms.