Strange bowel problem.. help please? - General Health Message Board

Benit · 12-30-2008, 04:30 AM

It looks like severe constipation, which I had 8 months ago to almost a state of impaction, has returned this week. But there's a few oddities about it.

Here's the basic description:
1) Uncomfortable feelings of bloating and fullness down there, but almost no natural urge to have a bowel movement, even 3 days since my last movement
2) When I try to have a bowel movement, things feel blocked or "immobile" and straining seems to make it worse
3) The straining causes all sorts of weird pulling sensations especially in my back/neck/head, and if I strain too hard, my heartbeat increases and I feel as if I could faint... so I'm automatically prevented from straining

This time I tried bailing myself out with a suppository, twice in the last three days, and I STILL can't go. With the suppository I can only get rid of a meager amount. Again, the straining "prevents" me from going all the way, because when I strain my entire body has this muscle strain feeling which makes me feel faint and my heartrate gets rapid.

I have had constipation problems my whole life, but it's only gotten "extreme" like this in the last two years. I'm now 27 years old.

As mentioned I had an episode of mild impaction (like this one is beginning to look like) before, to which I went to the doctor for advice. He said to have high fiber cereals/grains every day and to take a stool softener every day, which I do. In this latest episode, I've been having two full bowls of oatmeal a day, a stool softener every day, and more fibrous foods at lunch and dinner. I tried the suppositories. Nothing is working out!

When I saw the doc 8 months ago, he said to use Milk of Magnesia if I get really constipated again. But i refuse because I hate stimulant laxatives that work over 12 hour periods. Not to mention stimulant laxatives usually just give me a feeling to go, and then I can't go.

The one similarity in diet this new episode has with the last episode, is that I was drinking excessive amounts of coffee both times. Could this have anything to do with it?

Please help. I'm out of ideas...

(Can I safely take 3-4 stool softeners [docusate calcium] every day? My doc said I should try 3 a day last time, but I settled on one per day, because the box says "only use until constipation is cleared up." I assume this is because there must be a risk?)

TEdds83 · 12-30-2008, 07:14 AM

Hi Bill! So sorry that you are feeling so poorly with the consipation. That is very frustrating. I have been there. I have found that drinking coffee for me is a natural laxative. It makes me go all day long. That is why I am curious to why it isn't working for you. What kinds of foods are in your diet?

I also wonder...have you had them look up in there. Like a colonoscopy? Sometimes there might be an area that is kind of closed that maybe they can stretch. Also sometimes the longer something is in there is becomes more compact. I think there are procedures where they can go in there and flush it out. Did you try metamucil? That is suppose to help.. I usually have the opposite problem so I don't pull out the metamucil very often.

Hang in there! You will get it figured out.

janewhite1 · 12-30-2008, 07:15 AM

For avoiding this problem in the future, you need fruit and vegetables, not just grains. Whole fruits especially are very good, juice is useless.

You want a laxative that works fast? Buy some sugar-free chocolate, and eat the whole package. Aim for 20-70 grams of sorbitol, (identified on the label as sugar alcohol), depending on your sensitivity to the stuff.

The weird reactions to straining are actually normal. There are people who've fainted from it, though, so backing off is a good idea.

ibake&pray · 12-30-2008, 12:10 PM

Yes, you can take 3-4 stool softeners a day. But they are softeners....Have you taken something like one of the overnight laxatives? Such as Duralax? It should help you overnight. OR use a Fleets enema and that should also help.

I would also suggest that in addition to adding fruits and veggies to your diet that you add Miralax daily. It is OTC and you can get it at Target, Walmart, Costco. It was by script but has just in the last year been released. You stir in water or juice and it has no taste or mouth feel. within three days you should start seeing results. Take it daily and it should help with you going poo every day.

Apples, broccoli, carrots. All good things to eat that will help with the fiber intact. The coffee has a natural laxative in it so I'm surprised that it hasn't helped you go also...And a good 64 oz. of fluid a day in addition to the normal intact that you drink with meals...

Oh, I have a friend who is a nurse who swears that in the nursing home they use a warm glass of prune juice. She says that they don't know what it is about it, but warming the prune juice in the microwave seems to do the trick. It's worth a try for you at this point....

Misty800 · 12-30-2008, 07:58 PM

At this stage you need to take Miralax and drink several glasses of water during the day. Like others said, it should work well and does not cause cramping like other laxatives do.

Miralax is what they gave me recently for the prep before a colonoscopy.

I have been taking Miralax plus a stool softener for the past 3 years and it works well, no more straining needed, back to normal again. There is no taste to Miralax. I had constipation problems all my life until the gastro doctor prescribed Miralax. Miralax is now over the counter, cheaper at Costco.

Avoid constipating foods and pain medications as much as possible.