For all you that suffer with chronic constipation, can you please give me some advise as to what has worked for you.

I had surgery (supracervical hysterectomy and sacrolcolpopexy) about 5 weeks ago, and I cannot get my bowels back to working. I have always had difficulty.

I have literally taken a bottle of colace, a bottle of miralax, a box of exlax, and a bottle of magnesium citrate over the last five weeks. I did go after the bottle of magnesium citrate....but haven't went again since (about a week)

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Interesting site. Hope it helps some.


http://www.livestrong.com/article/19...complications/

You absolutely do not want to strain to have a BM.

I am or was a chronic constipation patient. Poohing once a week was the norm for me. when I was in the hospital I ate all their yogurt and fruits, every day. One day I started to be regular. When I returned home, I continued the routine and I am no longer constipated.

Be careful though, too much yogurt and fruit in one day and you have diahrea. Some days I skip it and that helps.

It feels so good to be regular again.

Good luck.

Daisygirl,

Are you still on pain pills from your surgery? Most narcotics paralyze the bowel.

Drinking fluids, esp. water and walking if you are able should help.

Miralax works for me. If I haven't gone for 3 days I take it the third night. Works well (for me).

Hope this gets better for you- I know it can be miserable.
ANN

Once a week is normal for some people. Every few days for others or every day for some.

You say you were OK while on the Mag Citrate. I have taken magnesium in a better form than that for a quarter of a century, since a neuro put me on it for leg jerks and spasm.
I have only been constipated two times during that period. Once after surgery, and had to be manually evacuated by a nurse. once after a trip and eating bad food and worrying, then I had an intestinal block which needed to be relieved by an oil enema (you can buy oil enemas in the drug store). I use Twinlab Maxnesium oxide, which is one of the least expensive. I take 1000 mg a day.

I also second Sally's suggestion on eating fruit. Yoghurt I'm not sure helps me although I eat it often, so maybe it does. Without fruit and water one is more likely to be constipated.

I had decompression laminectomy Jan 22 this yr had ileus the day after n til day 6. Was in hospital 7 days. Every since I've had constipation. I'm also on gabapentin

Byoung - Have you discussed this with your surgeon or doctor? It may or may not be related to your surgery. MiraLax works well and you may want to try that. It doesn't cause pain or cramping like some laxatives. It's a stool softener and helps move the stool along.

Good luck!

I don't deal with MS, but constipation has been a SORE spot in my longlife..I even took my own magnesium into the hospital when I had hip replacement as I knew what the heavy duty drugs do....my BM's in hospital were very nice.

I use higher doses of mag, various types, extra Vit C thru the day and even take an aloelax supp like every other day, some days in a row too. Use aloe gel in my MSM drinks too. movements are TOO important. drink hot/warm waters with fresh lemon too. Calms mag powder is a good product too. A stranger told me about drinking hot water with lemon before bed....I do this sometimes....DO NOT drink a lot of cold liquids...room temp drinking water and no ice.

Years ago I had a couple bowel blocks and they are HORRID....had some other close ones with LDN when I tried it as I was trying so much to avoid a hip replacement. LDN is constipating. I had a script of tylenol with codine and the first tab messed me up so I have not used it since....crush up the tabs and add to some of my topical creams.

Have you tried Chia seeds? They work for me and they worked for my mother who had PD.