Chronic Constipation after Cholecystectomy. Anyone else?
I am more than one month post-op following a laprascopic gall bladder removal. I have been experiencing chronic constipation that has been really bad. I was very worried about developing the diarrhea problem that I have heard so much about but instead it is the opposite.
I have been using stool softener since the surgery. Five days later, I added Milk of Magnesia. It took one week to have my first stool which was very hard and difficult to pass causing trauma. Four days later, I had my post-op appointment and was told to add Miralax. I had an x-ray showing that there was a great deal of stool throughout my entire colon with lots of trapped gas. Another week went by with still no stool. I then added Senna without success. An MD friend then told me to get a enema and do that. There was only a small pebble of stool passed after the enema. The next day, I was at a museum with a friend and started to have very bad pale yellow, watery stools. It almost looked like urine.
Now another week has passed and I have yet to have any further stool. I now added Dulcolax to the mix. I am not passing gas. I do burp frequently. I feel full all the time and my abdomen is very bloated. I can not button any of my pants. I only had narcotics for one day in the hospital but never took any after going home. My digestive track seems very sluggish and it just feels as though things are not moving. I have been told by different physicians that my bowel sounds are not there or are very slow and distant.
I have never need laxatives in the past and I am worried that my bowels will become dependent on their use. Has anyone else experienced this after their gall bladder was removed? What worked to correct the problem? I don't want to keep going to the doctor, only to pay a $50.00 co-pay, to be told to try yet another laxative. This is getting expensive. Please help.
Re: Chronic Constipation after Cholecystectomy. Anyone else?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiwilily
I am more than one month post-op following a laprascopic gall bladder removal. I have been experiencing chronic constipation that has been really bad. I was very worried about developing the diarrhea problem that I have heard so much about but instead it is the opposite.
I have been using stool softener since the surgery. Five days later, I added Milk of Magnesia. It took one week to have my first stool which was very hard and difficult to pass causing trauma. Four days later, I had my post-op appointment and was told to add Miralax. I had an x-ray showing that there was a great deal of stool throughout my entire colon with lots of trapped gas. Another week went by with still no stool. I then added Senna without success. An MD friend then told me to get a enema and do that. There was only a small pebble of stool passed after the enema. The next day, I was at a museum with a friend and started to have very bad pale yellow, watery stools. It almost looked like urine.
Now another week has passed and I have yet to have any further stool. I now added Dulcolax to the mix. I am not passing gas. I do burp frequently. I feel full all the time and my abdomen is very bloated. I can not button any of my pants. I only had narcotics for one day in the hospital but never took any after going home. My digestive track seems very sluggish and it just feels as though things are not moving. I have been told by different physicians that my bowel sounds are not there or are very slow and distant.
I have never need laxatives in the past and I am worried that my bowels will become dependent on their use. Has anyone else experienced this after their gall bladder was removed? What worked to correct the problem? I don't want to keep going to the doctor, only to pay a $50.00 co-pay, to be told to try yet another laxative. This is getting expensive. Please help.
I haven't had my gallbladder out but I can tell you how to remedy the constipation problems without laxatives: Start by drinking at least 64 oz. a day of water,start increasing your dietary fiber intake to 25-35 grams a day, take a fiber supplement twice -three times a day. this part is the most important- sit on the toilet at the same time everyday for 30 minutes to have a bowel movement. At first you may need to use a glycerin suppository to soften the stools in your rectum and sigmoid colon to make it easier to go(try it for the first 2-4 days) Don't strain or force yourself to have a bowel movement. Instead take long slow deep breaths hold it to the count of 15 then slowly exhale through pursed lips and keep doing this continuously until you have a bowel movement. I have been doing this just a little over a year now and I have bowel movement everyday and it doesn't hurt to go and I am no longer constipated unless I get lazy and don't this everyday. I am almost 51 years old and have had constipation problems all my life until I started this routine on my own no doctor was even aware I was having a problem. I didn't tell my doctor because I knew they would just put me on stimulant laxatives. I found the program on the internet and it's called Bowel Retraining for constipation. I added the slow deep breathing exercises to it to relax the rectal anal sphincter muscles making it easier to the pass stool through the rectum and out the anus. To make it easier for me to relax and concentrate on the breathing I put on headphones to listen to relaxing music. For me I do this very early in the morning before anyone is up so I can relax and not feel rushed that I am taking too much time in the bathroom(4:30-5:00 am) and yes even on the weekends.
Re: Chronic Constipation after Cholecystectomy. Anyone else?
Thanks for the advice. I will definately try it! At this point I'd try just about anything.
I have been struggling with chronic constipation for about 4 yrs. now. I had my gall bladder removed about 4 1/2 yrs ago. I don't know if the constipation and the gall bladder removal are related, but I'm at a loss to blame it on anything else. I have been tested for celiacs disease twice now. My thyroid and hormone levels are normal. I had a colonoscopy that showed that my colon was "in perfect health". Over the counter stool softeners don't work, or they will work for a little while and then my bowel becomes resistant to them.
Recently the doctor put me on a prescription strength laxative which only made matters worse. For some reason it caused a lot of bloating and abdominal pain and before I knew it my stomach was distended and I had a bigger problem than before.
The doctor says that I'm just what we call a "slow mover". She put me on a daily laxative and said "see you in two months". Really? Given my health habits I can't believe she's okay with this. My diet consists of chicken and fish, and raw fruits and veggies. I drink a lot of water. I no longer eat any wheat products at all because they seam to bind me up, along with peanut butter, bananas, cheese, potatoes and beans. I get up at 5 am every morning hoping that I'll be able to have a BM before I go to work.
When I think about my life as a 44 yr old active mom I can't believe that my life has to revolve around whether or not I can go to the bathroom. I'm going to try your method. And in the mean time I'm setting up to see a different doctor for my problems. Thanks for the advice.
