Where to next?

Hi,

I’m 20F, have been chronically constipated for around 4/5 years now, my Mum has similar problems but has also struggled finding solutions.

So far I have tried low FODMAP diet, I stuck with it for 6 ish weeks as it made me feel drastically worse than before.

I have had abdominal ultrasounds and X-rays to rule out obstructions. I met with a dietitian for 2? appointments, but didn’t fancy continuing as I felt she wasn’t listening to my concerns and wanted to just treat the symptoms and not find the core root of my constipation.

I’ve added gentle fibre supplements to my diet, and have used movicol/laxatives when needed. I’ve put this problem on pause this year as I had a far more severe health problem earlier this year, but with that in the past, I want to get back to finding a solution for my bowels.

Qs:

Urge: yes Type: just constipation, not alternating Other symptoms: general pain from constipation, nothing else Time/cause: 3.5 years, unknown cause (ie. no significant events) Medication: I have taken isotretinoin, however my constipation started in 2022, I started iso mid 2023, and I completed my course Aug 2025 with no change in symptoms after finishing. I’ve been on antidepressants since 2018 (fluoxetine until 2020?, escitalopram since then) Abuse: no

I want to try some other options before going to a doctor again as my whole year has been filled with appointments and I’m exhausted with them.

Given my history, is there anything you’d suggest I should try without doctors intervention currently. To be clear, I will likely see a doctor again soon, but I just want to try some more things before the doctors tells me to take movicol 278 times a day.

Let me know if I can provide any more relevant history. Thanks in advance. It’s so nice to have a space to share these problems given it’s not frequently talked about irl. And way easier to type about this than talk. Thanks again.