New constipation issues

Posted by barbaradh @barbaradh, Apr 4 9:03am

I am a 68 year old female of normal weight, active and w/o new health issues. In January my bowel movements changed overnight; there has been no change in diet or hydration, activity level, meds (only Rx is beta blocker for a PSVT that appeared 3 years ago). I went from having normal looking stools to passing small “stones” (Bristol scale image 1). I went to see gastroenterologist who said, “Let’s start with colonoscopy.” That sounded reasonable as it was almost ten years since the last one which was 100% normal. Well, so was this one. I am almost two weeks past thar test, and my stools went right back to small stones. I poop on a regular time schedule, and there is no-strain to pass the stools. I am scheduling a follow up with the same doctor, but I am curious if any one has lived through this. Probiotics change nothing. Thank you.

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celia16 | @celia16 | Apr 4 9:49am

I did. My experience was very similar. Right now, I’m doing really well. I’m off daily miralax. But, I never know when it will return. I’m scheduled for a SIBO test soon. I tried all kinds of remedies, prescription meds, etc. not much helped, except daily miralax that gets old…..my body returned to almost normal on its own….no idea why. I have been under gastroenterologists care for several years. I eat right, focus on veggies and fruits, exercise, sufficient water….but I don’t think that is my problem. Not sure what caused it. It’s frustrating.

Good luck to you in finding relief.

graceym1 | @graceym1 | Apr 4 1:43pm

Going through the same thing. I have different health issues. My dr started me on mirakax one to two times daily. My log poops are back no more ball poop. I was very constipated prior to treatment. I have uc and usually go the other way when it’s active. Not used to constipation. So much better now. I was straining. No more. Good luck!

part | @part | Apr 4 11:10pm

Not convinced you will get any answers to this issue but will be delighted to hear if you do get answers. Drink 16 oz of water when you wake up daily is the recommendation (I can force 12 oz most days).

barbaradh | @barbaradh | Apr 5 6:35am

To @part: I posted my comment because I am curious if there are other medical conditions that create this situation I have been experiencing non-stop since mid-January. If it’s not medically significant, I can just move on, but I don’t want this “change in bowel habits” to be a symptom of something significant and ignore it. Hydration is super important to the body. And I try to force myself to drink water all day long, especially when I wake when the body has had nothing for 6-7 hours. Thanks for your input.

h8bigbiz | @h8bigbiz | Apr 5 7:41am

I've heard that the small hard "pebble poop" (also skinny "pencil poop") can be caused by diverticulosis/diverticulitis which isn't always detected by colonoscopy, sometimes an abdominal CT scan is needed.

barbaradh | @barbaradh | Apr 5 2:44pm

Hi, H8b, My gastroenterologist mentioned that this could be from diverticulosis in my first visit. But I reminded him that I have no pain. He educated me that the majority of it is pain-free. I had no idea. Although I have not seen his entire report from the colonoscopy, he did not mention after the procedure that he saw any. I probably would refuse an abdominal CT scan. Maybe I am wrong, but I think they expose the patient to a lot of radiation. I will have to see what he says at the follow up visit. Question: Is it worth the exposure to confirm a benign diagnosis in my case? Thanks for your note.

part | @part | Apr 8 3:42pm

In reply to @barbaradh "To @part: I posted my comment because I am curious if there are other medical conditions..." + (show)

Gastroenterologist don’t have many answers when it comes to constipation. They will certainly recommend fiber, miralax, water, other drugs but root cause seems mostly unknown. The newest research that is bringing excitement is related to microbiome. I can suggest that if you started any new medicines - even over the counter- prior to your issues then investigate the medication. Best of luck

barbaradh | @barbaradh | Apr 8 4:35pm

Thanks for taking time to comment. I certainly have some hesitancy in going back to doc with my complaint, but I also don’t want to ignore that my digestive system just went through a major readjustment—unless it’s not uncommon for these things to happen to some people. I have no way of knowing about any of this. Physicians aren’t train to day, “Ah, it’s probably nothing. Just forget about it.”

creondave | @creondave | Apr 14 2:57am

I am undergoing the first part of a SIBO treatment at the moment and have struggled with conistaoation since starting Cron for EPI.

So far the constipation and diarrhea overflow issues and gas have been the best since 2019. I changed back to a strict low FODMAP diet, but this time, I broke it up into six meals, with one capsule of Creon 36,000 each meal. The hardest thing is making sure I don't overeat portions; that takes vigilance and pretty much eliminates sharing a meal with anyone, but it has been worth it.

My energy levels have improved, but I made the mistake of dining out, and while the meal I had was supposed to be OK, it wasn't. This seems to have resulted in bloating, energy loss, even feeling feverish 5 hours later, with some bowel urgency. It seems that for now I have to stick to this, but my constipation at least improved.

heyjoe415 | @heyjoe415 | Apr 15 8:02am

Hi Barb,

I sympathize with what you're going through. I'm 70 y/o now, but started to suffer from Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC) when I was 68.

I too am very active, in the gym everyday, 5x/week spinning along with resistance training. Weight is normal. Anyway, I meet the "keep moving" part of the advice to deal with CIC. (And CIC is fancy medical jargon for - we have no idea why you are constipated.)

I've tried different approaches, some prescription drugs (Motegrity seems the best, but it is now cost prohibitive and there is not a generic). Now I rely on Dulcolax (bisacodyl) - an OTC stimulant that is not supposed to be used very long, or to only relieve "periodic" constipation. I know I shouldn't be taking it as much as I do, so please don't take this as advice for you. It isn't, just wanted to share my problem with CIC.

I'm sorry I don't have better news. I do take Miralax every night, and eat a diet with a lot of fresh fruit and a lot of fiber.

Please let me know any progress you make. Did your GI Dr have any suggestions? (The good news is the clean colonoscopy.)

All the best my friend. FWIW, you are not alone.

Joe