Constipation - Need Help

[jansid]

Comment by ICN Donna: If you have taken laxatives and they haven't resulted in a bowel movement, taking additional laxatives can be extremely dangerous. If you have either a bowel obstruction or a fecal impaction, you need medical attention.

I am totally lost and don't know what else to try.
Because of the pain meds, thyroid issues and who knows what else, I am experiencing horrendous constipation.

I have been to the gasterenterologist and everything he has told me to do has not worked.

I have tried Miralax, laxatives, stool softeners, amitiza magnesium citrate, enemas, suppositories, fiber in my diet, enulose, MoM. You name it, I have tried it and nothing works. After 2 weeks I will take a dulculax (sp) and it will help to partially empty the bowels...sometimes.

I have so much discomfort and look like I am 4 months pregnant. Has anyone tried something different that works for them? I think that I have now totally screwed up the bowels and I don't know what to do.
Thanks and Happy Holidays to all!

[dverba]

janice,
I am just starting to have this problem and am still trying all the things you have tried. I tried Correctal but it caused sever cramps. I to am feeling and looking a little pregnant. Let me know what works so I can try. I hope you feel better soon.

[SharonA]

Drinking enough water to keep yourself hydrated can help with constipation. I forget that all the time.

[jansid]

I drink so much water I could float. I am so amazed. I took the liquid you take before a colonoscopy, then drank lots and lots of water and absolutely nothing happened!!! Not even a cramp. My doc is out of town and I have to wait another 3 weeks to see him. AAAARRRRGGG

[humpieumpumkin]

Milk of Mag (Phillips) is the only thing that helps me. :bow: I would ask your doctor before taking it if your pregnant, but is a life saver for me when the others don't work! Good luck!

Erika:hi:

[Claredale]

I drink Mild of Magnesia every night. If I happen to forget, I know I will be in trouble. That is the only thing that seems to help without causing cramps. I still get cramps from time to time, but nothing that is too much to deal with. I also drink apple juice as often as I can.

Hope you find something that helps!

Hugs, Tracey

[lisabar36]

I also take milk of magnesia, it has been the only thing that has worked for me, I also take a ducolax stool softener daily. If nothing is working, I would for sure call the doc, even your primary doctor, just to make sure everythings ok, and maybe they can suggest something. Good luck.

[verdicries]

janice, how long has it been since your last bm?? if you've taken the liquid you take prior to a colonoscopy (go-lytely) and still haven't had a bm, PLEASE CALL YOUR DOC ASAP. depending on how long it's been since your last bm, you could be impacted. they can take care of this easily @a hospital. meds slow down your system so much, i just restarted lyrica and take just 50mg/day...BOOM. no matter how much water i drink, fiber i use, how well i eat...i HAVE to take 1 1/2 doses of miralax or i'm completely stuffed up! :( have you tried amitiza? it's a drug for constipation, prescription. if your doc is away, see if another in the practice will help. explain the situation.

good luck hon.

[ICNDonna]

I absolutely agree that if you have an impaction there is no medication that will move it. If it's been several days since you had a bowel movement, you need to go to emergency room.

Donna

[ABliske]

Hope you find something that helps. I have bad constipation too. It's so frustrating when nothing is working.

[jansid]

Thanks all.
Well, I take amitiza and miralax and I was taking MoM. I just saw my doctor last Friday. He was adamant about me not taking anything with docusate sodium. He also wanted me to cut my blood pressure medicine back (norvasc - it is constipating) and try not to take the morphine. I saw my internist on Monday and she okayed the norvasc. As for pain killers I always have to decide which is worse and it is usually the pain so I take the pills.

I am hoping that maybe when I see the new endocronogist next week he will discover that my thyroid (or lack of it actually) is what is making the constipation worse. I am up to 200 micro of synthroid and my numbers are way too high!!

I used to laugh at my husband because his daily dilemma with constipation was so foreign to me. Guess who's not laughing now. :(

[dverba]

My husband was laughing at me last nite about this because he battles bathroom issues alot. He has irritable bowl. Last nigt I went into our bathroom and he had a candle lit and novel sitting on the vanity. He kissed me and told me good luck pooping and not to come out untill I did. (so funny because we use to tell our girls to sit and read a book if they could not go)

[Claredale]

I remember that was always my "thing" with my hubby and most men (oh, the days of my grandfather visiting!!! My brother and I knew not to occupy the bathroom when he first got up in the morning or right after dinner for any reason! LOL! Why do they need so much "time" to go to the bathroom? It was such a ritual!!! I would just feel the need, and go and be done with it. Just that simple! It was like a big ordeal with the closed door, etc. I can remember my kids trying to look under the door and talking to their dad to see when their dad was going to come out. In our early years of marriage, I even found it a great time to go sit on the side of the tub and discuss my day (wasn't that a dumb idea!) since I had a captive audience!!! I know TMI!!! but it's funny to remember now! I never knew the reasoning behind magazines in the bathroom. My SIL is over 10 years older than me, she used to tell me that I would find outwhen I got older!! Luckily the MOM works for me, but it did take me a few other remedies before I discovered it as solving my bathroom dilemmas.

[NanaB]

I hope you found something that helps. I am a suffer of IBD (Chronic Constipation :toilet:), and was told by my GI to use Colace twice daily with one dose of Miralax 17g. It worked after a couple of days. After a week of use I was told to take 1 Colace, and 17g of Miralax. I still continue to take it, and have no problems. I hope you have found some relief by now.
I hope your feeling better:)

[SandyRN]

I drink so much water I could float. I am so amazed. I took the liquid you take before a colonoscopy, then drank lots and lots of water and absolutely nothing happened!!! Not even a cramp. My doc is out of town and I have to wait another 3 weeks to see him. AAAARRRRGGG


It's dangerous to take a laxative like that, and as strong as that is and have it not work at all. I would call any doctor to make sure you don't need to be seen ASAP for it. You could have a bowel obstruction and it's better to be safe than sorry!!! Don't wait too long, ok?!?!

[ICNDonna]

Sandy is right. If you haven't had a bowel movement by now you need to be finding some help.

Donna

[sue041]

Hi, I have the same problem and that makes the hemmorrids rupture all the more, I drink apple juice and lots of water and use the fleet suppositories. Lately all I have to do is eat cereal, the milk sends me going fast.
I hope you find something that works for you. One time the milk will work and then the next time I am bleeding because nothing is working. I just get a big lump down there and the hemmorrids are blocking so the stool cannot come out. When I finally come from the bathroom I am sweating and look like I was laying in the sun all day.
Prayers that something soon gives you relief.
Sue 041

[yarnia]

ok from my limited experience with my mother and her heavy use of pain meds - you don't need a stool softener - you need something to make you bowels "move". Her doc prescribed a stimulant laxative - which IS addictive btw - but she will def be on the pain meds for life. Right now she has a patch.

But yeah, if you took that pre-enema stuff and didn't go you need to go to the emergency room. You could most definitely be impacted. That's what happened to mom. She kept trying to handle it herself with more and more stool softeners - then of course losing control of her bowels, but still not getting the impaction out. Luckily for her she had a nurse friend that was not afraid to "go there" and took care of it without going to the hospital.

[bladderGirl]

Last year I had the worst bout of constipation, I couldn't go for 3 weeks, I went to my family doctor who gave me some senokot and something else. They didn't work, so I ended up in the hospital because I was puking up black stuff and my stomach was killing me.
The hospital gave me a liquid, I wish I could remember the name of it. I mixed it with orange juice ( the directions said water, but the nurse said to use anything) I mixed it with pear juice, and half hour later I was able to finally go.
I know it is used to prep for colonoscopies.
Maybe you could try some of this?

[SandyRN]

Taking more laxatives on top of laxatives that haven't worked can only worsen the problem. Again, if you haven't gone after all of that, you might have a SERIOUS problem and should NOT take any more medication. Go to the ER ASAP. It doesn't matter if you have no stomach pain right now or not, if colonoscopy prep didn't make you go you could have a serious bowel obstruction and it's nothing to take lightly. If your intestines rupture you're going to be deathly sick...no exaggeration.

[lisabar36]

I totally agree with that! I would not wait, I would go to the ER. Its not normal to take all that stuff and not go. Please don't wait, its better to get checked out.

[tahini16]

I think you might want to consider going to the hospital. That is not normal. I take high dose pain killers and suffer from constipation all the time. My doctor has me on a prescription that works. Have you ever had adhesions? You might have a blockage. If you let it go on any longer, you could suffer from toxic shock. I don't want to scare you but it's really serious and a qualified doctor should take a look. Don't wait until you can see your doctor. Your body is trying to tell you something, check it out! Please!