Easy Home Remedies for Constipation Relief

Acupressure

Posted by Susan (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) on 11/27/2008
★★★★★

For constipation, I use an acupressure point in the arm. The point is found when you bend the arm - for example, place your right hand on your left shoulder. At the bend of the elbow, use your left hand to locate the acupressure point about halfway between the crease of the bend and the bone. Massage that point for about 15 seconds, then switch to the other arm. Back and forth. I also do this while standing. Usually works within 10 to 15 minutes at most. Also, I have cut out wheat and all gluten grains. I did not think I had a gluten problem but found out that I have that sensitivity.

Acupressure

Posted by Asif (London) on 04/17/2023
★★★★★

I found that spot and I had instant relief from the pain of constipation as well as bloating. I think the two pressure points from the crease of elbow which is easy to find is all you need to massage and it stops pain.

Coffee

Posted by Trisha (Berkeley, California) on 07/22/2008
★★★★★

In response to a reader's constipation problem: Try coffee! It may seem obvious, but in case you haven't tried it, a cup of coffee will get you going in no time at all! I drink it black every single morning and I am very regular. It always prompts digestion when I've eaten too much as well, and makes my stomach feel calmed.

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Posted by Fitnessgal (Fort Worth, Tx) on 09/03/2012
★★★★★

So very thankful to have found this solution as I am 8 months pregnant and there are not a lot of things I can try for constipation. It had been over a week since I've been able to go with no avail. I took 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, & a pinch of salt. It took 5 hours and finally had a small movement. Then in another hour had another small movement. The next day I was able to go again. I'm so much more comfortable now! Will skip a day and then take the solution again at bedtime as another user suggested. Thanks for posting this!!!!!!!

Olive Oil and Orange Juice

Posted by susan (jupiter, florida) on 11/26/2007
★★★★★

I tried the olive oil and orange juice remedy for the constipation. It worked within ten minutes without stomach cramping and awful side effects like all the other over the counter laxatives can do. Thank you very much, I wish I found this remedy sooner.

Hot Tea

Posted by Kegan (Illinois) on 12/12/2006
★★★★★

Have you ever stopped to think about chinese people how with every meal no matter what meal they have hot tea?? well the reason behind it is, when you eat food's that have fat or oils in them you usually drink COLD bevarages after right?? Well that causes the fats to sit and harden, causing many problems constipation, clogged arteries, many! So when you eat something, try to drink something hot along with it and see what happens.....bet you will poop right on time and won't be constipated.

Garlic

Posted by Rick (Victoria, Australia) on 11/24/2006
★★★★★

Cut garlic clove into small pieces. Swallow them in one go with just a little water. This cures Bloating, stomach cramps and constipation.

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Posted by Kat (USA) on 07/16/2006
★★★★★

Lemon Juice/Olive Oil is one of the best & natural ways that I was able to stop my constipation. I had everything I needed at home. The lemon and oil didn't mix completely, but i would put a pinch of salt in the lemon juice to take away the sourness.

Lemon Juice and Olive Oil

Posted by Enza (Hamilton, ON CANADA) on 07/06/2006
★★★★★

1 TBSP FRESH SQUEEZED LEMON MIXED WITH 1 TBSP OF EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL. Take mixture 2-3 times a day until it relieves constipation. Stop taking the mixture once you have a normal bowel movement. It works great.

Castor Oil and Triphala

Posted by koyal (Portland, OR) on 02/17/2024
★★★★★

I recently had a bad episode of constipation and trapped gas. It was really painful.

I first got a colonic which got a lot out. I highly recommend them, perhaps even every few months if you have digestive issues. They clear the junk out from years and decades ago along with shedding the related emotional baggage. I always feel incredibly lighter. Honestly, I think they should be an addendum to therapy!

After the colonic, I still had some trapped gas which hurt. I drank triphala tea along with herbal teas for a couple of days without eating much food.

But what did the trick for me was a tbsp of castor oil with the triphala tea at night. Early the next morning I was able to release everything.

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories. This site is super useful!

Miso

Posted by Nat (Brooklyn, NY) on 05/05/2022
★★★★★

Miso for constipation

Miso (white miso is easier to take) a half teaspoon mixed into hot or boiling water helps for improving peristaltic action.

Prune Juice

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 02/18/2021
★★★★★

A classic cure for constipation is prune juice. The fruit works as a natural laxative because it has high amounts of fiber, and contains sorbitol. Sorbitol softens stools because it is a natural carbohydrate that is not easily ingested, causing it to draw a lot of water as it passes through the intestines and adding bulk to stool. Be careful though-too much and sorbitol can cause gas and make stool too soft.

Drink one glass of prune juice (8oz) in the morning and one at night to relieve constipation. It should start working within a few hours, so it's important to let one glass pass through your intestines before attempting to drink another or else you risk diarrhea. You can also eat several prunes instead of drinking the juice if you prefer.

MSM

Posted by Cindy (Illinois, Usa) on 09/08/2020 563 posts
★★★★★

You can't beat MSM for constipation but it's probably actually caused by dehydration as the body has to steal water from the colon when it doesn't get enough as everything but plain old water is processed as food.

Plus, I think it makes my water taste like good old fashioned well water. Yummy!

I use about 1/4 tsp in every 20 oz glass of water I drink but there are days I get dehydrated because I drink so much coffee. Then I set the timer on my phone to go off every 2 hours and drink 8 oz when it goes off. That's about 10 good gulps.

Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamin C

Posted by Nita (Mineola, Tx) on 03/04/2020
★★★★★

For Constipation:

2 Tbs of Bragg apple cider vinegar, 1 packet of Emergent C, half glass of water, every morning for years now. Works.

Epsom Salt

Posted by Gord 235 (Vancouver, Canada) on 03/24/2019
★★★★★

I've used epson salt as a remedy for constipation. I mixed 1 tsp. with a cup of warm water, stirred and then drank it, then followed up with two more cups of warm water. I found it to be very effective but it's wise to be near a toilet after taking as it can produce a fairly rapid response.

Herbs

Posted by Bill (Philippines) on 08/19/2022

Hi Nat...I take senna leaf tea every once and a while, been doing that for many years. For me, if I drink senna tea in the evening then I will definitely have a substantial poop the next morning. My poop urgency isn't that huge and the poop itself comes out soft and quick but not explosively.

On the other hand when my wife drinks the senna tea then she will have a stronger poop urgency then me (yup, she runs to the toilet! ) and will have between 3 to 5 poops the next morning and they can be rather explosive. So my wife is quite sensitive to senna's effects in the intestines, whereas I seem to have few problems using the senna tea. Horses for courses, I guess.

I've also read that you must never take senna everyday because doing so will harm the liver. But once in a while is OK. I also like using senna because -- from all the research -- it also kills a wide variety of bad bacteria and parasites in the intestines.

I must also disagree with what you said about magnesium supplements in general in this thread. I've been taking magnesium chloride -- at a higher dosage -- twice a day for about 15 yrs. I also use mag chloride combined with DMSO for tired or aching muscles and I can confirm that it works a treat!

Ted is also quite correct when he says that we eat far too much calcium in our supermarket diets. All the grains, bread, corn flakes, sports drinks etc that you buy in the supermarket are all over-fortified with too much calcium and no magnesium. That's why I take magnesium chloride regularly, which helps to balance and regulate any excess calcium in the body.

And for sure you better be very careful what you are led to believe about RDA dosages from the FDA. About 50 years ago the advised dosage for magnesium supplements was only about 200 mgs per day. The RDA dosage that the FDA now recommend is between 350 mgs and 420 mgs per day, which I think is still way too low -- it's just a clueless guessing game for the FDA because they really don't give a single hoot about proper mineral nutrition for the body. That's also why, on some days, I take much higher dosages of magnesium. And if you take too much magnesium the worst that can happen to you is that you get loose stools or diarrhea. And the intestines and kidneys will always act to self regulate proper electrolyte levels(including magnesium) in the blood.

I'm 72 y.o. and I've been taking high dose magnesium chloride(and Borax) regularly for about 15 years. And that's probably why I have no arthritis, rheumatism or any other aches and pains in my body right now. And there are more than a few days when my combined magnesium intake is probably above 1000mgs per day. That gives me soft stools with no other noticeable side-effects. But I'm not you. So it's like I said, horses for courses. That means that you should always find the best dose for yourself. Call it your own, personalized, orthomolecular dose if you like...that's the way to do it because your body always knows best.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Michael (Sacramento) on 10/01/2015
★★★★★

I got severely constipated from eating baked cookies and cake that contained whole oats and flax seeds. Now I cook or soak the oats and the flax seeds in water prior to baking. I also make sure when I make legumes like black beans that I cook them thoroughly until very soft. Carbs in general take a lot of water to digest so daily water consumption should be increased accordingly with a moderate to high carb diet.

Dry Mustard in Water

Posted by KT (The Usa) on 05/30/2013
★★★★★

Constipation: I had read an old "grandma" recipe of 1/2 tsp of dry mustard in 1/2 Cup cool water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, before breakfast, would get things moving. It worked great for me and I thought I had posted that here, on EC, but could not locate it so I'm posting it again hoping it will help someone else.