Homeopathy For Constipation: Causes, Remedies, And Real-Life Tips

Let’s talk honestly about constipation—what’s truly normal, what’s not, and how to get back to regular without relying on harsh laxatives. We break down the real signs of constipation beyond just “skipping days,” including hard, dry stools, straining, incomplete emptying, or no urge at all, and we map those patterns to targeted homeopathic remedies that support the body rather than forcing it.

We walk through practical matches: Nux vomica for tense, irritable, stressed-out “always urging, never empty” patterns; Bryonia for dryness and pain that worsen with movement; Alumina when there’s no urge and sluggish bowels; Silica for the “bashful stool” that slips back in; Opium for severe sluggishness after anesthesia or medications; Calc Carb for slow metabolism and large, painful stools, especially in kids; and Lycopodium for afternoon bloating, trapped gas, and IBS-like discomfort. Along the way, we share how to choose potencies and frequency with a light, sensible touch.

Beyond remedies, we dig into the everyday shifts that make a big difference: choosing the right magnesium and pairing it with Mag phos, staying truly hydrated, using warm lemon water to prime digestion, and leaning on fruit like prunes, pears, kiwi, and berries. Movement matters more than most people realize, so we offer simple ideas—from walking to gentle squats—to nudge peristalsis. Parents will find guidance for easing fear and withholding in kids with kindness and flexible strategies.

We also flag when to seek medical input: blood in stool, severe pain, more than five days without a bowel movement, unexplained weight loss, or recurring episodes. Most of all, we connect the dots between elimination and whole-body health—mood, skin, energy—so you can move from coping to confident. If this conversation helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs relief, and leave a quick review so more people can find these practical tools.

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Chapters

• 4:03 Naming The Problem: Constipation
• 5:54 Common Myths And What’s Actually Normal
• 8:03 Why Homeopathy Helps The Whole Person
• 11:04 Defining Constipation Signs And Patterns
• 14:43 Top Remedies: Nux, Bryonia, Alumina

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 2:43

Welcome back to Homeopathy at home with Melissa. Hey Melissa.

SPEAKER_02: 2:47

Hey Brie. This topic tonight is um another one that a lot of people struggle with. A lot of people. So I hope that this is helpful for you.

SPEAKER_01: 2:58

Yeah, this one is one of um, I guess my most common, one of the most common complaints, usually with other things in chronic clients that I have, but even in lots of people's lives. Um, we're going to talk about constipation. And this could be kids, adults, whatever, traveling, new moms. Um, if you're stressed out, it has probably hit every single person at some point in your life, whether that's been a lifelong issue or just something more short-lived. But it is sometimes uncomfortable to talk about. I think we've become really comfortable talking about these things, but maybe for other people it can feel that way. Um, but it can be have a huge effect on your day-to-day life and also on your health. Like really, you need to be pooping. I don't know if we're allowed to say that word on this podcast, but you need to be going to the bathroom regularly and well, like normally.

SPEAKER_02: 4:01

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 4:01

And a lot of yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_02: 4:03

I'm sorry. And we might we might be talking about this later, but um there you know, when let's see, in 2007, I had a baby and he didn't have a bowel movement for a long time. And then so, like at six or seven days, lactation consultants, pediatricians were telling me, Oh, that's normal for a breastfed baby. No, stop it. No, it's not.

SPEAKER_01: 4:34

I know I was told that too, that they can absorb everything in breast milk so there's no waste.

SPEAKER_02: 4:40

Right. That's exactly what they used to say. I can't believe that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01: 4:43

We disagree that I know people still do. I would I completely disagree. And I I mean, I don't, I'm not like upset with those people. It makes rational sense, right? Like that sounds good when you're concerned.

SPEAKER_00: 4:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 4:55

Um, but one of the phrases I learned a long time ago in this, you know, the realm of natural health is common does not mean normal.

SPEAKER_02: 5:05

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01: 5:06

I think that's very common. I think it is completely abnormal if we're talking about a true healthy body.

SPEAKER_02: 5:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01: 5:12

We just don't have a gauge as much, these maybe more now. I do think a lot of people are realizing some of these things that we've been thinking are normal, are not. Yeah. Um, so just like in a lot of other things, homeopathy shines in constipation. And we hear the phrase too, we want to address the root, not just the symptom. And homeopathy does that because we're never treating just a symptom. We are using the symptoms as a guide, but treating the whole person to cure that problem, to uproot that issue. So today we're going to talk about what causes constipation. Well, maybe what causes it, um, how to identify the type that you're dealing with, some top homeopathic remedies, some lifestyle tips. Um, and then, of course, how to reach out if you want chronic or even acute support. But constipation really is more of a chronic issue. Um, true constipation is more than just not going every day. So even if your normal has been, I only go every two or three days for my whole life. That's a form, one type of constipation, but it is also more than that. So you want to look for stools that are hard, dry, pellet-like, um, painful bowel movements, a lot of straining, maybe the feeling that you do go, but it's not complete elimination. You skip days, there is anxiety around it. And maybe you even have become really disconnected from that, that you don't really realize that you have anxiety. Especially I find people when they're traveling. It can that alone can keep people from experiencing a lot of things because they're so worried about not going or when they're going to be able to go. Um, they might have abdominal pain, especially in little kids. You that might be the only thing you notice is discomfort, bloating, or gas. Um, so then also for kids, there might be a fear of going. Not all the time. So if they're only afraid, you know, that can be normal in potty training, but if they have a fear of pooping only, it might be painful. So they might hide or withhold um in a lots of different behaviors, but especially if they're just not wanting to go, they'll just hold it a lot. Being fussy or clingy, um, they may have a potty training regression where they were going well and then now they're not. And homeopathy doesn't just make you go, but it restores the healthy bowel function by addressing those underlying patterns. Yeah. I do see in acute situations, which I'm trying to think of maybe after an antibiotic or um maybe a stressful event where that's not normal, but maybe you are for a couple of days or your child is. I have seen some of your protocols, some of these remedies work very quickly.

SPEAKER_02: 8:11

Quickly.

SPEAKER_01: 8:11

And it doesn't turn into a chronic problem.

SPEAKER_02: 8:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 8:14

So I agree. I have to.

SPEAKER_02: 8:16

Yeah. So number one for um for constipation is Nux Vomica. It's just, it's my number one go-to. Yeah. And so NUX is great for when there's a constant urging with little result, a lot of straining. The person might be irritable, tense, easily angered, worse from stress, coffee, or alcohol. They might live a sedentary lifestyle, and they might feel like the rectum is never empty. So also think of NUX for that type A personality, constipation after travel, stress or stimulants. And I really love to start with NUX30. If you have experience with NUX and you like 200, that's fine too. And you can use it every few hours if it's really bad, or you know, once or twice per day ongoing until you're till you become a regular bryonia is for the bryonia is aka dry onia. So bryonia is for these dry, large, hard stools, dryness everywhere. So think about a dry mouth, dry lips, dry stools. The person wants to be still because movement makes it worse. Pain worsens with motion, and they're very thirsty and they're irritable. I also call it the bryonia bear. They're very irritable. And I like Bryonia 30 or 200. Alumina is also a wonderful, um, powerful remedy for constipation where there's absolutely no urge to poop. So then they have they might also have sluggish bowels, stools that require effort, dry, hard stools, and constipation, and babies really love a 30C in alumina. Silica is a cell salt, and it's great for constipation from weakness of the rectum. Um, think of silica and for the stool that comes out but slides back in. So we call it the bashful stool. Now, Xvomica can also um have a bashful stool. So, like you think that it's gonna come out and then it does, it goes back in.

SPEAKER_00: 10:22

Yeah, it is just so funny to me. Yeah, that bashful stool. Like it's embarrassed, like it has a feeling.

SPEAKER_02: 10:29

Yeah, that's so funny. Yeah. Come on, baby, it's okay. Um, this is the inefficient bowel movement. It can be there can be thin or narrow stools, cold, delicate, usually thin person. And um, you know, silica, you could use a uh 6x, 12x, or a 30c, or even a 200C. So start low and slow when you don't know. Opium is also another great one. And um, opium is good when there's no urge. Stools are like little black balls. Um, there's severe sluggishness, and opium is going to be a great one for constipation after anesthesia or after medications, and just start with a 30 C, see how you do. Calc carb is great for any person who's constipated, but especially for kids. So this is the chunky person, low uh slow metabolism, big belly, stools are large and painful, they might crave eggs, and the person might be anxious with it. Lycopodium. Oh, let me back up. So calc carb, I like to use a 30 C daily, it is a slow acting remedy. I don't usually use it acutely, so it's gonna be more of a deeper chronic remedy that you use daily to uproot chronic constipation. Lycopodium is great for the gas and bloating and digestive sluggishness. So this person might get bloated after they eat, have trapped gas, um, they feel worse in the afternoon or worse before between 4 and 8 p.m. They might have IBS and um have a lot of right-sided issues. And I like like a podium 30 or 200. And I just grab for myself um when I'm feeling bloated, and because I've eaten stuff that I shouldn't be eating, then I'll just grab 30 or 200, whatever I have, and it works every time. So I don't I don't worry too much about that. Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_01: 12:34

That is true. I've never thought about that, but I have used it in both yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 12:38

Yeah. What else can people do, Brie?

SPEAKER_01: 12:41

Okay, so for constipation, one of the biggest is magnesium. And this may even be a situation to take mag phosp alongside some magnesium as you regulate so that you're um assimilating that well. Um, we like re-mag, it's liquid magnesium um without the risk of bowel intolerance, the same as maybe magnesium citrate or um what's that? Calm. There's a type that like, yeah. And it can be good when you need to go. Just know that it is you're more prone to having to work up or just having an intolerance where then you're having diarrhea. And it might not work long term, but that's something to add in while you're regulating um hydration. Huge, especially in kids when they're playing a lot or not drinking enough, but really in anyone. I think a lot of people are chronically dehydrated. You need good water. Um, what you should also be eating some fruits. We all know, I think about prunes, that's probably the most common. Um, but also berries, kiwi, pears, those can all be good. Warm lemon water in the morning. This is actually great. On an empty stomach, if you can drink warm lemon water, I actually enjoy it. If it's not, I like it more hot than warm. Warm water just is kind of gross to me. Um, movement, exercise. This might seem obvious, but really sometimes we're just too like sedentary. Get moving. Even if it's um a walk or stretching, sometimes squatting, but even if you're into jogging, but just walking, moving for quite a while can get things going. And then um for kids, if they're very fearful, that can be a big block. So you may consider other remedies for fear acutely if you need that, like if they suddenly are very scared. Um, and just reassure them. Try not to put too much pressure around the experience. Do what you need to do. I know for my kids, sometimes when they were young, I would let them go on a pull-up while we were trying to regulate, just because they can get in a different position or be alone or like, you know, whatever was more comfortable, and then move back to the toilet. Like, just be a little lenient on maybe some of the expectations when they're figuring that out. Um, seek help if there is blood in the stool. We'd mentioned this in our hemorrhoid podcast, but you just don't always know what's going on. So get information. If it's been more than five or so days, or that pain is very severe, if you're noticing weight loss or consistent, like recurrent constipation, or truly if you just have um, you just want to know, you feel like something's off. There's no harm in getting information. I've actually taken, I actually think just my oldest. The other two I brought in to make sure that that's all it was, and that's all it was. They were both common. But I have one who's a little more dramatic in his presentation of anything, and he was, I mean, just off the rails. I was like, this kid probably has appendicitis exploded. That's how bad he was acting. Or did I say appendicitis exploded? You did appendix exploded, but so we took him in, and that's all it was just constipation. So I was so glad though. I mean, he acted like this is a medical emergency, and all we had to do was come home and do remedies for a few days, and the kid was fine.

SPEAKER_02: 16:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 16:23

So yeah, no shame in that.

SPEAKER_02: 16:26

Yeah. Well, um, I mean, constipation is extremely uncomfortable. And um, yeah, if you feel dangerous, if you feel like you're in a danger zone, go get checked. I love it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: 16:38

If I can add two, don't underestimate how much that can affect your mood. Um, if you have any type of skin condition, constipation is one of the first I look the one of the first things I look for is good digestion because you're holding on to toxic things. It's not just gut related. Or, I mean, I'm just like uncomfortable, gut related. It can affect your whole body system. You need that stuff out. Yep.

SPEAKER_02: 17:04

Yeah, absolutely. So constipation doesn't have to be a battle. You know, homeopathy is just a great choice to help resolve constipation and restore normal bowel function. So if you want to learn how to address uh conditions like constipation at home with your family, go to join.melissacrenshaw.com and check out the inner healing circle. Uh, there's a lot of cool stuff that we do in there. I teach you how to use homeopathy at home. And if you don't feel like you want to learn, you just need individualized help, go to melissacrinshaw.com and just fill out the um schedule my call form. And I'll get in touch and we'll get started and working with your case and helping you with whatever ails you. So I hope this was helpful. Share it with a friend who's constipated or has a child who's constipated, and let us know if you have questions.