Colonic interposition, impaction, laxative choices

Hi Minajo,
I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's constipation problems! That's awful to deal with. I can recommend a home remedy for constipation that my mom always gave me. I'm 78 and still use it. It's natural but may be a little harsh. It's a teaspoon or more, if needed, of baking soda (the kind you cook with – Arm and Hammer) dissolved in a glass of water. Drink the whole glass. You may want to squeeze a little lemon juice in it to make it taste better for your daughter. It tastes awful, but it works. Have your daughter stay near the bathroom. It works fairly fast. By the way, this also helps get rid of gas and bloating. After it works, have her drink a lot of water to keep from being dehydrated.

Prayer also works! I will say a prayer for your daughter.
PML

Thank you.

Many thanks!!

You could also try magnesium citrate. It's worked for me before, got me going again after surgery. I'll pray for your daughter, too!

Poor thing. I have had several health issues in last year and hospitalized many times. In the past year I’ve had constipation. I used to go everyday before all of this. Now if I don’t take miralax one full capful I won’t go for like 4 plus days. I’m told by all my drs it’s safe to take everyday for rest of my life if necessary. I mix with a Gatorade packet and put in 24 ounces of water. Works great! Good luck! 🙏🏻😊

Colace and Miralax draws water into the colon and softens the stool. There is no stimulant laxative in those products. Colace is often not enough for me and products like Miralax make me nauseous.

I use a food stimulant -- kiwi, preferably the golden kiwi, but either golden or the more common green. 1-2 a night. I need one a night unless they are small. Google "NIH" "kiwi" "constipation" to see a relevant study on kiwi.

I then add in another food stimulant, rhubarb (I either stew it with sweetener and water or do that and then add a topping for a fruit crisp).

Also on the food topic, some foods can constipate, like white rice and any white or otherwise commercially produced food item. I steer clear of gluten and rely on root vegetables for carbs and some non-gluten refined products (e.g. plantain flour).

Warm drinks around the time of normal defecation helps. It doesn't have to be coffee. I also eat liquidy, cooked foods. Raw foods are too hard to digest and slow down my digestion which contributes to constipation.

As far as an occasional stimulant laxative goes, a Gastro Doctor 30 odd years ago recommended what is now called Colace Plus (it is the Colace softener plus stimulant). I take the max dose when I need it. It is gentle but it works.

Regarding prescription and other drugs, check to see if some are constipating.

Exercise and stretching is also good for reducing the chances of constipation.

Magnesium supplements are also good for constipation. There may be some in gummy form.

Avoid tight pants. It can inhibit gut movement.

Have your daughter get her sleep; that helps too.

And sometimes too much fiber can be a problem too -- too much in the pipes to move.

Lastly, many people don't move their bowels on a daily basis. Also, it could take her gut awhile to get back to normal after that drug caused an impaction.

Keep trying to solve the problem. It is a process of trial and error. You will find a fix to this mechanical issue.

For me, prunes themselves work better than the prune juice. But the flavor is stronger than the prune juice, so that might be an issue for your daughter. Might be worth a try, though. Good luck and I'm wishing the best for her and you.

Yes, she gets prune juice in her carehome and I've suggested stewed prunes as i had success after hip implant surgery using warm prunes.. Thank you!!

Great suggestions!! She is in a 2:1 staff ratio philipino carehome which gives her fresh made ginger tea, not sure if warm.. kiwi, lots of veggies, steamed, Etc she gets magnesium, zinc, calcium supplements , has been on Seroquel for years and never had issue till the Zonisamide added two years ago( off now, on lamictal for seizures)
Her sleep never good with autism and takes Melatonin for that
She is getting more complicated as she ages, close to menopause, but the megacolon happened over time as the Zonisamide seems to have started the constipation.. being nonverbal i know it's hard for her to handle her physical issues, then the epilepsy recently was a 911 trip due to status epilepticus..
So a lot for her..
I so appreciate everyone reaching out to help me qith their experiences!
Thank you!!

Thank you, as another person wrote it might be making her nauseous, she gets several meds in morning for epilepsy and autism, daily vitamins,etc .and also the Colace and Lactulose 2x day..
Trying to figure all this out us hard but getting help from " normal" people not dealing with epilepsy/ autism too,just g.i.issues helps so much!!