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If you are constipated you will have fewer bowel movements than usual. You may find you need to strain a lot when you go to the toilet. You may feel bloated and uncomfortable.
Constipation may be caused by the drugs you are taking. For example, some chemotherapy drugs and some painkillers may make you constipated. You may also become constipated if you haven’t been able to move about or take much exercise, or if your diet has recently changed and you have had too little fibre (roughage) or fluid.
If your constipation persists, please tell your doctor or nurse. You may need to take some laxative medicine for a while, to get your bowels moving again, but you can also take some simple steps yourself, to try to reduce any problems...
Eat more fibre
Getting more fibre (roughage) into your diet should help.
Try to eat more high fibre foods such as fruit (unpeeled), vegetables, potatoes with the skin left on, wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals.
