I have IBS and I couldn't "go" so I took two of the exlax natural senna formula. They didn't work. The next night I took three before bed. They didn't work. Then I did a suppository. I got a bunch of leakage. I took correctoal for women at nine last night and it's 10 am now and it didn't work yet. Why won't these things work for me? I eat healthy and I get a lot of fiber. When I first got IBS I didn't have a bowl movement for two months but then it got a little better. Now I'm in pain from the cramps from the laxatives and I feel horriable.

Oh my! I strongly recommend you stop taking the laxatives and go to your doctor immediately! There is a very good chance you have an impaction since nothing is moving from your system. This happened to me and a simple x-ray in the doc's office showed the bowel was completely full. When you are that backed-up, laxatives will often not work and in fact cause even more problems.

Call your doctor!

Thanks for your response . I passed a very hard stool (kind of like rabbit droppings). That's all that has happened. The last time I got exrays for this (during the 2 months of no bowl movements) they just told me to try flushing out my system. I went to a colon doctor (I forget the actual phrase) and they gave me fiber which still didn't help. I don't know what else to do. I think IBS needs to become more well known and more researched. They treat us like a joke! "oh you can't ****? or you're shitting to much? IBS!" and they don't even try to find a different remedy or cause.

Wow, you really must be miserable! Have you ever tried magnesium citrate liquid? Comes in a little green glass bottle . You can get it at the drugstore. It is what they use in the hospitals to clean a person out who is going to have tests...you may have even had some in the past for tests on your system. Anyway, that willlllllll ............llll clean you out. But be sure to drink plenty of water too. Sounds like you're so behind on fluid intake also. The way that mag citrate works is that it pulls water into the bowel...so you need to have a good fluid intake. Works very quickly and you should have no cramping pains while going either. Hope the best "outcome" for you!

Thanks for the advice. I'm busy all weekend .. so I can't "go" all weekend. I have terrible gas to the point that I have to lay down on my left side for an hour. This happens so much. Is gas a big thing for IBS ?

Yah!!!! Gas is a problem with IBS.
Oh...the mag citrate...gets the job done pretty quickly. Shouldn't put off nature's needs. When you delay, the fluid that the bowel has...and needs...leaves the bowel making your problem doubly worse off. Anytime you defer, this happens which will contribute to IBS and cause those very hard and painful stools.

Thanks for the advice. I'm busy all weekend .. so I can't "go" all weekend. I have terrible gas to the point that I have to lay down on my left side for an hour. This happens so much. Is gas a big thing for IBS ?

Yes, it is. If you are that constipated, it will be much worse. Because your colon may be full of stool, the gas will accumulate, sometimes get trapped, and cause unbearable pain. Laying on your left side is a great trick. If you pull up your right leg to your chest, it will often get the gas moving so you can pass it.

Again, I would recommend getting another x-ray. Your doc can tell you if your colon is impacted. If that is the case, taking fiber will only worsen the problem. I agree that magnesium citrate is a great and effective product. But I would still get a doc's advice first. I would be concerned that if there is impaction, or worse, obstruction, laxatives could be harmful.

I think if you haven't gone today at all, you need to go to the ER and demand that something is done. I know how you feel when people say "oh. . . you have IBS. . .gotcha." and then assume all of your symptoms are connected to that.

it's very frustrating. after just a few tests this year, they diagnosed me with it. i don't think they tested enough.

So it's now sunday (still didn't go) and I felt it "there". (the next part is kind of gross)

I put a glove on and actually stuck my finger up there and felt a mound of it. So I tried to move it around, and it was to big to come out. So I pulled some terds out, about the size of a penny. I did this until I couldn't feel any more. It was very hard and dark. It was just very hard and small, but would not go out of my anus at all. I didn't feel any left that low. It was literally at the opening, and only half a finger up. Why was it stuck? What to do now?

Question for you: Do you take iron supplement?

So it's now sunday (still didn't go) and I felt it "there". (the next part is kind of gross)

I put a glove on and actually stuck my finger up there and felt a mound of it. So I tried to move it around, and it was to big to come out. So I pulled some terds out, about the size of a penny. I did this until I couldn't feel any more. It was very hard and dark. It was just very hard and small, but would not go out of my anus at all. I didn't feel any left that low. It was literally at the opening, and only half a finger up. Why was it stuck? What to do now?
Sweetie, you REALLY need to see a doctor! It truly sounds like you are impacted. You are going to need medical intervention to solve this problem! Go tomorrow!

Hello,
No, I don't take iron. I actually have an eating disorder that I'm trying to recover from and iron is probably the biggest thing lacking. I took two correctol's about a half hour ago. I'll see if they work. If not I'll have to go to a doctor. They treat me like a joke. "Oh haha she has ibs .. ANYWAY..." and when I went to the colon doctor all he did was say "you're the youngest person we ever had here!" (I was 16 at the time) and gave me fiber and heart burn medicine. I hadn't gone in 2 months at that point and I got a "goody bag" or pills and the title as the youngest patient who can't pass a stool. I "checked" up there again, and it didn't seem like anything is stuck and that I got it as much as I could have. What make it so hard that it won't come out? Should I take stool softeners every day? MY doctor put me on two stool softeners every day and when I stopped I couldn't go but I don't want to say stool softeners every day for the rest of my life!

"very hard and dark", you said in a prior post. My concern re: iron is that iron tends to cause both of these. Since that isn't the causative factor, I'd be worried that the dark color is old blood. Certainly could be from such irritation to the bowel. So...I'm out of this one. Go to the Doctor, get this resolved and go back on the stool softeners that you admitted have worked for you in the past. Don't mess with what works for your condition. And...you've got to drink and drink and drink water!!!