Hello, bma101187, Your problem sounds like you have a condition called Irritabale Bowel Syndrome . This is usually associated with abdominal pain, bloating and costipation or diarrhea, very rarely the alternating variety . This can happen more commonly between the ages of 15-35 years . A little more common on women but can occur in men as well. The cause is a disturbance in Brain-Gut function mediated through a hormone called serotonin. This changes the contractions of the intestines, either slows it down or increases it. The slow contraction leads to constipation and other symtoms that I mentioned above. There is also increased sensitivity to distension in the form of pain. Environmental factors including dietary habits can make this worse. Lack of fiber is the main culprit. Increasing fiber will be helpful in regulating. Try to eat whole grain cereals, fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds really help along with adequate fluid intake. If the stool is still hard, taking stool softeners daily will help break up hard stool. You can also take a PEG solution (Miralax or similar ) according to the instructions and this will relieve constipation and regulates your bowel. Make sure that your blood tests are normal and there is no blood in the stool. If you have a family history of colon cancer , you need to have a screening exam or colonoscopy. Hope this helps you. I wish you well.