It’s not something I hear talked about much, but every time I go on multi-day trips, I end up getting dehydrated and constipated by day two. I tend to get pretty bloated and uncomfortable, which makes the trip less enjoyable.
I drink water and electrolytes, which helps, but maybe something else is off? I'm starting to wonder if I need more fiber or something else to remedy this.
What’s worked for you to keep things regular while traveling? Any small additions to your bag that make a big difference?
I experience this a fair bit too. All the changes in routine and diet may cause this and I'm super sensitive to new toilet places so I can't just go anywhere. I drink a ton of water and try to get my veggies and fruit consumption up. I've also started packing some metamucil and taking it twice a day on days I think my fibre intake wasn't enough. It's definitely helped.
Air travel across time zones always causes me digestive problems for several days afterward. It’s like my colon gets jet lag and forgets how to move things along or something lol. After how uncomfortable it was last time I’ve resolved to travel with mild laxatives from now on.
Miralax and lots of water. I take it preemptively night before the trip and every other day during the trip.
Super common. I pack some Metamucil packets and take one before bed.
I also pack a baggie with metamucil powder, and take it while traveling.
Personally, I am taking a big water bottle that I fill up at the airport. It rolls up when not in use. Personally, I think the water sold is too small
If I can eat breakfast at home, we normally eat oatmeal. At the airport, eat a dish that has lots of beans and veggies. Our airport has a cafe yumm and they serve a delicious bowl with beans and veggies
Which rollup water bottle do you use?
Nalgene cantene 48 oz. It’s wide mouth, which is why I bought it
The best thing I've ever done BY FAR are stomach massages. The best part is that they're free and weigh nothing. Look on YouTube for instructions. It usually takes a day or two for it to work so start doing them on the first day or even before your trip.
I was battling some constipation lately and I tried stomach massages on myself and within 15 minutes I took a veryyy satisfying dump 😂🙏🏼
Drink twice your usual amount amount of water while traveling. You need more water, so force yourself to drink it!
Try to consume two slices of whole wheat toast for breakfast.
Bring a bag of dried apricots with you. If you are an average-sized individual, eat three to produce an effective result the following morning. Scale back to two each day you are traveling. Four or more might produce an Apricot Explosion. YMMV.
A healthy diet will have 25 g of fiber a day. Three dried apricots is a start, but it’s 1.5 - 2 grams. A lot of folks get on the road and dont realize that they arent eating well, and also don’t realize how much travel dehydrates them. I used to have issues like this. But now when I travel I make eating whole foods with a focus on fruits, vegetables and grains the norm. And I drink a ton of water. Limiting alcohol also helps.
We always travel with grapes when we are in a car. Helpful addition to the apricots! Plane travel requires a different food/water strategy because we can’t bring foreign fruits and vegetables into another country. If all else fails, Walmart sells Equate brand stool softeners. Two before bed should produce desired result in the morning. Note I recommend stool softeners, not laxatives.
I too have been dehydrated while traveling.
I solved it the only way that is possible. By drinking water.
Naw, just get hospitalized and get an IV in you /s
I pack pysllium powder which works for me. I also drink at least 2 liters of water my first day of travel.
I avoid alcohol and limit caffeine and drink about 1.5x - 2x my normal amount of water and electrolytes. I avoid fried and junk food, try to eat all the fruit and vegetables I can and also try to eat fiber like beans and whole grains. I also limit processed carbs and sugar. I don’t eliminate anything, I just try to make smart choices. I eat my normal amount of protein and try to limit late dinners. Overall I’m just more conscious than normal.
Dehydration, yes, excellent excuse to drink all the coconut water I can get my hands on in SEA. Personally, dehydration can cause constipation, but otherwise not an issue
Yes, it happens. Try Probiotics (from home) and fruits (buy there).
Yoghurt is usually safe wherever you go.
Also, hotel fruit bars.
Yes, so I always overhydrate now.
I’m supposed to take iron and magnesium supplements but they don’t agree with my bowels. So I take them more regularly when I’m on vacation haha.
Important to note that this is only my situation and I’ve talked with my doctor about it. Taking too much iron can be dangerous.
Constipation. For longer trips I’ll take prunes. One each morning keeps things moving.
Apparently, they are also good for our bones.
I get a little constipated from sitting for long periods during travel, and changing time zones throws off my schedule, but usually once I get there it works itself out within a day or 2 so it’s not a big deal for me. I usually do a lot of walking and eat small snacks and meals though when I’m on vacation so maybe that’s why
I should say that I’m thankfully pretty regular despite my diet not always being amazing lol, I’ve accidentally programmed myself to take a dump within an hour or 2 of my morning coffee
Drink water before you fly, not just during and after. Basically you need to start super hydrating 2 days beforehand.
Flying and climate controlled environments tend to dehydrate you. High fiber snacks like dried apricots are helpful.
On the other hand being slightly dehydrated also keeps you from having an accident if rest stops/bathrooms are few and far between.
I suffer from that too. On my last big trip (distance wise, the furthest trip I have been on, roughly on the opposite side of the planet…) I loaded up on water & tea, fruit, made a point to eat salad every day, and took a small dose of stool softener every other day. Worked like a charm, for the first time ever, I had no issues on that trip!
Yes. EV-ER-Y-TIME. There are lots of great tips here already. What has helped me (I do not one, but all of these):
The triscuits and oatmeal may be more carbs and calories than I want, but at least I can poop. It's worth it. Good luck!
I take probiotika in the weekend before and during the trip. It's a Danish brand but they have a travel version that I use. No problems at all.
I drink a lot of water, probably too much. So I have recently started to take electrolytes after being far too low on a high altitude trip (Ladakh, India) where lots of water prevents altitude sickness.
It works well.
Take probiotics supplements and some laxative. Macrogol works well for me - it's safe, can be used for long periods, does not work aggressively, is easy to transport and prepare. Of course you still have to drink lots of water.
Water and some magnesium carbonate pills
In addition to everyone else’s suggestions, there’s a magnesium vitamin called Mag07 which is the best I’ve ever tried for this problem.
I get the opposite problem. I constantly want to poop for a few days afterwards. I usually have loose stools, which I guess fiber would help with, but I'm curious how to NOT constantly want to poop. When I travel, I feel like I need to poop every 3 hours the first few days. Usually it's a full poop too. Like my bowels went thru decompression and don't know what to do.
Yes, and my body can’t deal with supplements for some reason. Fortunately I discovered something that works. Every day for breakfast, I have muesli and yogurt. Two fistfuls of oats, plus some dried fruit and maybe some nuts. Sugar-free, unflavored yogurt. Can use lactose-free yogurt (or non-dairy milk) if you need to. Add some fresh fruit if you need the sweetness. Tastes great, healthy, filling, keeps everything movin’ and groovin’ down there, no discomfort, and can find the ingredients pretty much anywhere.
Definitely hydrate more then you typically would. Also I'd consider skipping the electrolytes unless you're sweating a lot. I've noticed I get constipated if I use electrolytes and didn't sweat enough to justify them. Also fiber gummies make things emuch easier when traveling. It's reccomended people need 25-38g of fiber a day which is very hard to reach if you're not specifically eating super high fiber foods like legumes, black beans, chick peas, chia seeds. Even foods people associate with high fiber don't necessarily have that much. To hit 30 g of fiber a day would be 7.5 cups of cooked oats, or 6 apples, or 6 cups of broccoli.
I down Gatorade or the equivalent while traveling. You tend to be moving more and doing more, and it's easy to forget to drink.
Besides, I worry exactly zero about calories or sodium while traveling. I still lose a pound or so when I do normal travel so I'm apparently doing something right.
Thankfully no
Drink water
Travel packets of miralax. I take one every night so I don’t become miserable.
Eat light meals like soups and simple stuff during the first days and the local fruit and milk. Fiber and local bacterial in healthy doses. Before you travel you can get some Kefir to boost your bacterial gut. Minimize stress if possible. Good ol bottled water. I found out the hard way even certain waters are "heavy" and can make you bloated.
Drink even more and walk lots more, in the airport pre-flight and very short walks during the flight when possible. Also, limit alcohol and food. Works for me.
Metamucil
I take a teaspoon of psyllium powder every day, even when I travel. Helps keep my cholesterol down, and is really good for digestion and bowels.
I use Senna Plus. It’s gentle and effective and easy to regulate.
High quality electrolytes to mix in your water daily. Sipping water throughout the day. Digestive enzymes with each meal. Avoiding too many carbs, bread, heavy breakfast foods, those types of foods. If possible, try to eat a Cobb salad or large salad with grilled chicken every other day. try eating fruits and veggies as much as possible. I know it’s tough trying to eat when traveling. Especially if you’re prone to digestive issues. The last time I traveled, these things helped to prevent constipation or diarrhea. That was a first time in a few years that I was regular while on a trip. Hope you find something that works for you.
If you dont think you're hydrating any less when you travel, check if your eating habits are any different when traveling to see if there could be some kind of medical issue -- my friend experienced this and it turned out to be undiagnosed Celiac Disease. I guess eating at more restaurants led her to eat more gluten than she usually did at home, which exacerbated the problem when she traveled.
Aloe Vera pills! The slimy liquid part of the aloe Vera plant when you cut it is the original laxative, and mainly what was used in laxative pills until the 70s. My mom would always get horrible constipation not matter what she did when traveling, but she started taking Aloe Vera pills a few years ago and they really have made a huge difference. She gets them on Amazon.
Carry packets of nuts. Can also be bought most places in the world. You won’t be constipated if you make sure you include nuts in your diet.
Coca Cola is great for dehydration ( I assume you know to drink water). It’s also easily purchased everywhere. The caffeine, sugar and salt mix in a can of coke sorts out most dehydration symptoms imho