Severe Constipation

I developed severe constipation after having a large sarcoma remove
from the posterior side of my left leg. So, after trying most everything
on the drugstore shelf I experimented and came up with this: I take
2 Colace before bedtime, nothing happens the next day. That night
I make a cup of "Smooth Move" , an organic tea with Senekot as the
base as well as other organic herbs.....The next morning it's go time!
That night I do not take Colace, I decide to rest my colon and start
the process again the following night. When I said rest I didn't mean
for it to sound like this is a harsh or uncomfortable process, it's not.

I developed severe constipation after having a large sarcoma remove
from the posterior side of my left leg. So, after trying most everything
on the drugstore shelf I experimented and came up with this: I take
2 Colace before bedtime, nothing happens the next day. That night
I make a cup of "Smooth Move" , an organic tea with Senekot as the
base as well as other organic herbs.....The next morning it's go time!
That night I do not take Colace, I decide to rest my colon and start
the process again the following night. When I said rest I didn't mean
for it to sound like this is a harsh or uncomfortable process, it's not.

I've been taking opioid pain medication for over thirty years now, I have had trouble with constipation as a young man, but after adding in the opioid it's gotten out of hand.Does anyone have any good remedies for constipation, or at least stool softening?I naturally only have a bowel movement once a week, the doctor said some people are like that, but add in rock hard stool, and constipation and you have a great deal of pain to deal with.I think straining on the toilet is what caused my current spinal cord problems, I have two shunts, so I'm not supposed to strain, but I just can't help it, any help will be well appreciated!Thank you.

After reading all the comments regarding constipation, I can see that everyone has their own recipe to become a "regular guy/gal". When I was regular, my BMs came every three to four days, but the front portion was very hard and the stool was VERY large...like an anaconda. Since I had a pain pump implanted with hydromorphone implanted about a year and a half ago, my movements have been more difficult to expel. I went to an enterologist who told me to take Miralax twice a day. That helped for a while until my stools became very loose. So, I cut back on the miralax, and the stool became reluctant again. I tried Fleets glycerine suppositories. They helped for a while until they didn't. I then tried the Laxative suppositories. They have worked, but I have to strain quite a bit for a long period of time to rid myself completely. Now, I don't even get any signal from my bowel telling me that "It's time to go". I'm thinking of just letting things go for as many days as it takes to feel the urge. I'm just fearful that my stool will be extremely hard. Oh, I just started Tramadol about a month ago. I'm sure that it has contributed to the problem along with the Hydromorphone.

Pelvic PT helps strengthen the diaphragm and other "down there" muscles (PT is like Kegel on steroids). This helps with constipation, incontinence, ED, bike injuries (me), prolapse, post-pregnancy, and who knows what else. I have celiac, collagenous colitis, and am 70, so a trifecta (trifecal?) of GI problems. Mine was controlled by a couple of TBSP/day of psyllium husk (fiber and feeds GI bacteria), walks, morning coffee (caffeine ramps up GI muscles), and slightly increasing my hypothyroid medicine. I got covid on a bike tour March of 2023 followed by 8 months of long covid and minimal exercise; my bowel movements looked like large elk droppings. Now, at least my GI tract is fairly normal.

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like you have a good GI regimen going. Unfortunately, I am in such intractable pain that doing any kind of exercising or walking is virtually impossible. I have read the psyllium husk is supposed to help get things going. I am going to try and up my intake of Metamucil and see if that helps. I guess psyllium husk will be my next option. Tired of spending fifteen minutes on the toillet waiting for thing to get moving.

I've been taking opioid pain medication for over thirty years now, I have had trouble with constipation as a young man, but after adding in the opioid it's gotten out of hand.Does anyone have any good remedies for constipation, or at least stool softening?I naturally only have a bowel movement once a week, the doctor said some people are like that, but add in rock hard stool, and constipation and you have a great deal of pain to deal with.I think straining on the toilet is what caused my current spinal cord problems, I have two shunts, so I'm not supposed to strain, but I just can't help it, any help will be well appreciated!Thank you.

Magnesium citrate powder in water or baking soda and you will go in an hour or so.

After reading all the comments regarding constipation, I can see that everyone has their own recipe to become a "regular guy/gal". When I was regular, my BMs came every three to four days, but the front portion was very hard and the stool was VERY large...like an anaconda. Since I had a pain pump implanted with hydromorphone implanted about a year and a half ago, my movements have been more difficult to expel. I went to an enterologist who told me to take Miralax twice a day. That helped for a while until my stools became very loose. So, I cut back on the miralax, and the stool became reluctant again. I tried Fleets glycerine suppositories. They helped for a while until they didn't. I then tried the Laxative suppositories. They have worked, but I have to strain quite a bit for a long period of time to rid myself completely. Now, I don't even get any signal from my bowel telling me that "It's time to go". I'm thinking of just letting things go for as many days as it takes to feel the urge. I'm just fearful that my stool will be extremely hard. Oh, I just started Tramadol about a month ago. I'm sure that it has contributed to the problem along with the Hydromorphone.

I seemed to remember my grandmother taking Citrate of magnesium. She called it her "Cathartic". I guess that meant it would really "clean her out. I think it was in liquid form in a bottle. Thanks for jogging my memory. I just wish I could get by bowel to get on its own regular schedule without resrting to all these "helps".