[trix]

Please bear with me for asking you all this.
I feel as though I am very constipated. However, I have had a bowel movement today. I am just past my period, and I am bloated, in pain, and feel constipated.
Is it possible to be constipated and still have VERY firm bowel movements?
Please forgive me, but I feel like something is stuck in there.
Gross I know. Please forgive me, but if you have any answers I'd love to hear them.
Tracy

[Triste]

Trix--I think it is possible. Have you been having bowel movements every day??
Impactions can happen--especially for those of us on lots of Pain meds or sometimes even a little pain med and more sedentary due to disablity. Also, I am having problems I am certain with my Vagus nerve--which is very dangerous. this nerve can malfunction from these surgeries and controls motility and much more. It is the MOST important nerve in the body. Not to make you nervous as that is my issue--and worry gets one no where--tho it is hard not to at times especially after they change our anatomy of such an important area as the NECK--god forbid.
Anyway--so far I take docolax to soften stool and seem to still be alive--tho I feel too that I have more stuff inside--cuz I eat much more than I excrete esp. lately.
what a topic huh?? but important. Happy BMs make happy people---(-: I wish it were that simple. Triste

[Nolina]

Hi Tracy,
Boy can I relate. I know it's gross but hey, it happens, & that's what this place is here for so don't worry about that. I'm sure you know that constipation goes with the territory if you're on pain meds. Even if you have a good BM you can still feel constipated - and the BM's you do have can be so rock hard as to be painful. Are you taking anything for the constipation? My neuro prescribed something called Miralax - it's a powder, i stir a big capful in my tea every morning and as long as I use it consistently it really helps soften things up and keep things moving (sorry to be graphic...) He also recommends tablets called Senakot (there is a generic version as well) that you can get over the counter. They also work well - perhaps a bit too well so be careful if you take those and then need to leave the house! Hope you're feeling better soon in that regard.

Nolina

[Jomar]

Most likely it is a mix of meds and constipation - but to be safe have you had your yearly exam lately?

And of course if it continues or worsens please get it checked just to be safe.

The RSD forum had quite a thread on similar topic too.

[DiMarie]

Do you have collace or stool softener. Narcotic Medications can so constipate. Sometimes a harden stool block happans and other matter will force around but a blocked part remain.

Maybe some here have diet ideas to help, bran, pruns, laxatives, maybe even a supository. Once after surgery and a sluggish bowel a my Mom needed and enama to get going again. It was three days.

I hope you feel better,
Di

[trix]

I have taken senakot, and it doesn't seem to help. I have more cramping now, and I have had a bowel movement, but I still feel constipated.
Jo55, I am probably the worst person to ask about that. I haven't had an exam since my daughter was born in 2000.
If things haven't cleared up my Monday, I will go see my Dr.
Tracy

[Wittesea]

Tracy,

There is something called "Mag Citrate" that you can get at any pharmacy. It is in the same aisle as the senna and other anti-constipation remedys, but it is usually on the very bottom shelf.

It comes in a bottle that looks like a small soda bottle, usually in lemon-lime and cherry flavors. The stuff tastes gross (it is very tart/sour) but it is very effective for relieving constipation.

My husband had to have 2 abdominal surgeries for cancer, along with chemotherapy, and he had a lot of constipation. The doctors tried the Miralax prescription along with several other things, but the Mag Citrate is the only thing that worked perfectly every single time.

My husband used to pour the bottle of Mag Citrate into a glass and mix it with some water and then drink it with a straw in order to remove some of the tart taste. If you like tart/sour tastes, then it may not bother you as much, but if tart/sour bothers you you can try mixing it with water to take the edge off.

Another thing that often helped him was glycerine suppositories. The Mag Citrate helped to get things moving in the right direction, the glycerine helped to get things out. Due to the abdominal surgery he had, pushing was painful, so using the suppositories helped to make the pushing easier and helped to make the whole bowel movement more productive.

One other thing that worked was massaging his abdomen. I would give him a belly massage, sort-of similar to a back massage. The chemo-nurses showed me some particular ways to massage in order to help stimulate his intestines to move (the chemo would slow his intestines). He used to joke that having the cat walk on his stomach was just as helpful as the belly massages... that might help you to better visualize the type of massage the chemo-nurses showed me....

But you should not massage or press on your stomach if you think you have a blockage or impaction because pressing/massaging the wrong way can make those worse. If you think that your constipation is caused by slowed intestinal movement, then the massage could help.

If you take pain meds on a regular basis they can cause constipation. A lot of members of the Chronic Pain forum have used something called the Yakima Fruit Paste on a daily basis to prevent and relieve constipation.

Here is the recipe for the fruit paste-
http://www.cancerlynx.com/fruitpaste.html

Yakima Valley Anti Constipation Fruit Paste
1 lb pitted prunes
4 ozs senna tea leaves (at health foods store)
1 lb raisins
1 lb figs
1 cup lemon juice
1. Prepare tea; use about 2 1/2 cups boiled water, add to tea leaves and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea and remove tea leaves.
3. Place 2 cups of tea, or amount left, in large pot.
4. Add all of the fruit to the tea.
5. Boil fruit and tea for 15 - 20 minutes, until soft.
6. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Allow to cool.
7. Use hand mixer/blender or food processor to turn fruit and tea mix into a paste.
8. Place in glass jars or Tupperware and place in freezer (paste will not freeze but will keep forever in freezer also very long in fridge).
DOSAGE: 1 - 2 Tablespoons per day Suggestions for use: Can be spread on toast, english muffin, bagel, bran muffin or rice cake. Good breakfast. lunch, or snack: toasted bagel or english muffin, spread with low fat cream cheese or goat cheese and topped with fruit paste. For a change of flavor mix in some raspberry or strawberry jam.

I hope that helps, but of course you should discuss this with your doctor.

Take care,
Liz

[Jomar]

Magnesium is what the chiro recommended for muscle aches and pains too and on other forum areas i think I saw it mentioned also.

It can cause loose stools at certain levels - so that would make sense in the case of the Mag Citrate and those type products.

[Wittesea]

I found Mag Citrate on the CVS website so you can see what the bottle looks like... it looks so much like a soda bottle that when my husbands doctor suggested it I had to ask the pharmasist for help to find it in the aisle... I had seen the bottle on the bottom shelf, but I paid no attention to it because it didn't look like a medicine product, it looked like soda.

anyway, here is a link to the product

http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/cvs/gatewa...6^subcatid=148

Remember, if you have kids to make sure to keep the bottle out of their reach - especially when you put it in the fridge - since it does look so much like a soda bottle.

[gibbrn]

My own battle with constipation has included many things, one of which has been a coffee enema to which there is much cramping but amazing results. I have also used a peppermint enema with the use of peppermint oil and warm water always warm water.

I hope that you find something that helps!! I used to take colace everyday as well as dulcolax which causes cramping but there is also amazing results.

best of luck.....also olive oil is good to drink google recipies for enemas as well as what to eat