In your case the first thing to check is whether the
thyroid is well controlled, because an under-treated hypothyroidism is one of the commonest causes of stubborn constipation. Please get a
TSH and free T4 done if it has not been checked in the last 6 months - if the TSH is high, your Eltroxin 75 mcg dose needs adjustment by your doctor and the constipation will improve on its own. Also make sure you take Eltroxin on an empty stomach with plain water, and keep a gap of 4 hours from
calcium, iron and antacids, otherwise it is not absorbed properly. Cholesterol tablets (statins) do not usually cause constipation, so no need to stop them. For the constipation itself: take 25-30 g of fibre a day - salads, fruits with skin, whole wheat, oats, and soaked isabgol husk one to two teaspoons in a glass of water at bedtime - drink at least 2.5 to 3 litres of water, and walk for 30 minutes daily. Sit for the toilet at a fixed time every morning after a warm drink, do not rush and do not strain. If this is not enough, lactulose 15 ml at night or a polyethylene glycol sachet daily is safe for long term use; avoid regular use of strong purgatives and enemas. Please get seen soon if you have blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, alternating constipation and loose motions, persistent abdominal pain or a family history of colon cancer, as at 44 those need a proper examination and possibly a colonoscopy. Happy to review your thyroid reports on a Practo consult (fee â¹500) or at Synergy Multispeciality Hospital, Miraj.