Answer Summary

Members strongly agreed that having a bowel movement only once a week or less is not normal and should be addressed, with many emphasizing... Read more

Members strongly agreed that having a bowel movement only once a week or less is not normal and should be addressed, with many emphasizing that daily movements are ideal and that prolonged constipation can be harmful. Several members shared practical strategies that have helped them, including taking magnesium supplements and fiber pills, using stool softeners (with or without senna), trying Miralax, adding probiotics, eating prunes daily, drinking more water, and increasing dietary fiber. A recurring theme was that medications, especially narcotics, are a common cause of constipation in the fibromyalgia community, and many members juggled the delicate balance of managing constipation without triggering the opposite problem.