Help! Constipation

[carolinemom]

I have terrible problems with constipation anyway but things were moving along ok until my Dr. upped the Elavil from 10 mg to 25mg. Now, my intestines have come to a halt. I am taking 200 mg of colace a day to no avail. I am miserable today - I will probably do a laxative, but I am tired of this viscious cycle. I am considering going back down to 10mg. Anyone have this problem? I eat a relatively good diet and plenty of water... but am overly sensitive to medicine causing constipation. Help!

[kadi]

I use FiberSure, which is now packaged as "Metamucil: Clear & Natural". It's 100% inulin powder, which is a soluble fiber. Colace didn't do much for me, honestly. Several teaspoons of FiberSure is the only thing that works to keep me regular.

I got totally miserably constipated earlier this summer. What got me back on track was a full dose of Milk of Magnesia (and then spending the night in the bathroom from that) and then starting the FiberSure the next day.

[carolinemom]

Thanks Kadi - I'll try that... do you feel that Elavil is one of the culprits? It just seems too coincidental that when we increased the dosage I started having this issue that will not seem to resolve. I have the same problem when I take Ultram for pain - so I only take it when absolutely necessary - because then constipation just causes a cascade of other problems. I tried to take a 10 mg last night instead and ended up with a terrible headache today - maybe from decreasing the dose.

[kadi]

Yep, constipation is a listed side effect for Elavil. One thing that really helps the FiberSure to be more effective is to mix it into hot oatmeal. You don't notice it's there & you get lots of soluble fiber & water that way. I also mix it into cottage cheese, water, herbal tea... You can put it into recipes for baking also. I put it into my oatbran/pearsauce (instead of applesauce) muffins. You can also put some into homemade pancakes.

I hope your headache is better now, I hate headaches!

[OrlandoP]

I hear you, in fact, I personally gave up on the constipating drugs, because I already suffer from constipation in the first place, and then ended up with fissures, even on low doses. At 20 mgs of Tofranil, I wasn't getting any relief, and knew that if I went up, I'd basically have to be a laxative addict to boot.

Miralax works well. Be careful if you flare from bms--I do, and this really set me off. It does get you going, but the flares from that were a counteraction to whatever activity was happening (or not) from the drugs. My favorite is magnesium. This has basically cured me of a lifetime of constipation. 400 mgs a day does it for me, bad days, I'll up it to 800 (not recommended to exceed 600 over long periods).

Studies now show that idiopathic constipation has nothing to do with fiber intake, so beware of fiber supplements. I certainly have a fiber rich diet, and adding things like psyllium made me feel like the Goodyear blimp and was worse than the problem to begin with.

[kadi]

I was curious so I looked up the difference between psyllium and inulin. They are both soluble fibers, but inulin dissolves completely in water & psyllium forms a gel.
Might the body react differently to them? Perhaps a discussion with the doctor would be a good idea.

[carolinemom]

Orlando,

What form is the magnesium? Is it a vitamin supplement or a liquid? My symptoms sound like you - I don't think fiber intake has anything to do with it. I am very sensitive to drugs - even if I take sinus medication, my GI system comes to a halt. Narcotics are terrible, and the Elavil at 25MG has really made it bad. I have tried to ween down the Elavil back slowly to 10mg, because I did fine at that level, but I get terrible headaches from lowering the dose. Last night I took 20 mg, and headache is bad today.

[OrlandoP]

Orlando,

What form is the magnesium? Is it a vitamin supplement or a liquid? My symptoms sound like you - I don't think fiber intake has anything to do with it. I am very sensitive to drugs - even if I take sinus medication, my GI system comes to a halt. Narcotics are terrible, and the Elavil at 25MG has really made it bad. I have tried to ween down the Elavil back slowly to 10mg, because I did fine at that level, but I get terrible headaches from lowering the dose. Last night I took 20 mg, and headache is bad today.

I generally go with mag citrate tabs, 400 regularly, 600 - 800 when I need a travel booster, but the mag gluconate (more expensive) is less laxative-like, and supposedly more assimilated by the bod.

For me, 1/2 a perc (which is what I take now and again) is NOTHING compared to the tricyclics. Even at 10 or 20 mgs, I just couldn't get over it. And at that dose, no change in symptoms. Keeping regular with a wrench thrown in that way was just as bad, and caused more flares (and fissures, another nightmare).

[Dakota]

I generally go with mag citrate tabs, 400 regularly, 600 - 800 when I need a travel booster, but the mag gluconate (more expensive) is less laxative-like, and supposedly more assimilated by the bod.

For me, 1/2 a perc (which is what I take now and again) is NOTHING compared to the tricyclics. Even at 10 or 20 mgs, I just couldn't get over it. And at that dose, no change in symptoms. Keeping regular with a wrench thrown in that way was just as bad, and caused more flares (and fissures, another nightmare).

Thanks for that tip. I will be trying the magnesium citrate because this is a problem for me too. Constipation is something I've had for many years, and no amount of fiber seems to make a difference. :)

[scrambles]

My gut is very sensitive to the constipating side effects of meds too. I also found miralax to ease my constipation, but I did have a side effect from it(GRAPHIC)It made my bm so soft I reallly had to squeeze it out, which would worsen my PFD-thats just me. My pychiatrist recommended peri-colace 2-3 times a day and it has been a lifesaver. It contains senna leaf , which increases the movement of the intestine and colon, and colace, which draws water and fat to the gut to soften the school. There is also generic forms senna colace-differernt distributers have diff names. you just got to make sure you don't get the colace without the senna.

[kadi]

Just a note that stimulant laxatives may cause worsening of IC symptoms, which is why the regular Colace is usually prescribed for us, not the PeriColace.

[jeanababy]

This is a recipe for bowel regularity given to me by my physical therapist. Mix together: 1 cup applesauce, 1 cup oat bran or unprocessed wheat bran (you can find this at a health food store) and 3/4 cup prune juice. Begin with 1-2 Tbs. each evening followed by 6-8 ounces of water or juice. This should help to soften and regulate your bowel movements within 2 weeks. If no change occurs, slowly increase serving to 3-4 Tbs. You should plan on making this a part of your daily routine for the rest of your lifetime. This may be stored in your refrigerator or freezer. One to two tablespoon servings may be frozen in sectioned ice cube trays or in foam plastic egg cartons and thawed as needed. You may experience some bloating and gas but this should pass within a few weeks. This works great and eliminates the need for laxatives and enemas.

[Sheila6830]

What is an IC bladder friendly fiber? Metamucil, which I think is psyillium fiber?, really hurts my bladder. I wish it didn't. What is an alternative that won't hurt? Benefiber?

[Flowergirl]

Constipation is the wost for an IC'er. I take flaxseed oil caps three times a day with meals. This has helped immensely with my constipation due to the meds. Check with your doctor to see if flaxseed is Ok for you to take. You may want to try it. :smile tee