1. < Digestive Health
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Severe Constipation

Posted by klk464 @klk464, Feb 28, 2018

I have had severe constipation for a long time. I drink lots of water and have had almost every test possible done and tried many prescription medications. These medications work for a little bit then stop. I currently take 3 docusate in morning and at night I will take 2 senna/docusate. I still dont have a daily BM. So i get bloated crampy and back pain from this.

I was told I could go to the Mayo Clinic as they may have ideas for me because they are out of options for me here.

Anyone else suffer from this?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

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Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | May 20 2:40pm
In reply to @teruya05 "My symptoms is when I have more meat or cheese with no vegetables can make me..." + (show)
Profile picture for teruya05 @teruya05

My symptoms is when I have more meat or cheese with no vegetables can make me constipation, I try to stay die with less meat or spicy food and eat the veggies that help me a lot, the best one are Beets, Broccoli, okra , carrots I am eating everyday, it helps me feels great.

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Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @teruya05. Thanks for sharing which foods do and do not help you with constipation.

For how long have you had constipation? Do you take any medication for it?

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Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | May 20 2:54pm
In reply to @mothermary1 "Hi, I have done everything you have and so much more. I’ve even gone on trial..." + (show)
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Hi, I have done everything you have and so much more. I’ve even gone on trial run with IBSRELA the last drug to hit the market and it didn’t work.
My situation is quite unique. I had a very long surgery in June 2020 on my cervical spine and after that my bowels never woke up. I went through two years of testing in Boston and the conclusion remove my entire colon because a partial removal with motility disorder won’t work.
I actually was scheduled twice and two weeks before both, I canceled. I was terrified. Now almost 5 years later, I’m 70. I’m running out of time and both my PCP and Gastro want to have Mayo look at me.
I take 25-30 laxatives nightly. My am routine is a suppository followed by an enema. My doctors are completely aware. They are concerned push will come to shove and what then. I moved to Georgia and I probably wouldn’t make the one hour drive to the best hospital if I needed emergency surgery.
I did everything from what felt like 100 tests in two years to every medication. Even off label meds that cause diarrhea as a side effect and still nothing. Every 10-14 days my gastrointestinal orders a colonoscopy cleanse but no colonoscopy. I do this to clean out.
I work with a dietitian for food. I also developed gastroparesis. I don’t know if surgery is what I need to do or just keep pushing this as long as I can. It’s becoming harder and harder.

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Hi, @mothermary1 - that sounds like quite a regimen. I personally do not have constipation, though I've had some of the opposite from weight loss shots. I've taken stool softeners after a surgery, but never laxatives. I am cranky enough each time I've had to do a colonoscopy prep, so I cannot imagine doing that every 10-14 days.

If you do decide to have Mayo Clinic have a look at you, you'd want to request an appointment through this link http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63.

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Joanne Narna | @mothermary1 | May 21 6:33am
In reply to @ltarashuk "Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to..." + (show)
Profile picture for ltarashuk @ltarashuk

Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to get yourself well. The decision to have surgery must be so difficult given what’s happened to you after your previous surgery. I feel for you. I am close to your age and this is not how I planned to spend my retirement after working my whole life. There is a virtual support group once I attend here in MA but it’s open to anyone with a motility disorder. It’s small and couple of members also have gastroparesis. If you want information I can forward it to you. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am hoping someone finds an answer for us. I am also in the Boston area.

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Hi, I moved to Georgia about a year and a half ago. The Mayo thing sounds fine which my doctors will set up, not myself. I tried everything in Boston. I had 3 cages put in my cervical spine by a wonderful neurosurgeon. His team was fantastic. I had folks who I knew at Beth Israel and he was highly recommended. I even spoke to his patients. Surgery was long and I’ll never know but my bowels didn’t wake up.
I kept seeing him for months and he worked with Brighams Gastro dept as well.
I went through every test possible, tried everything in med even combinations and nothing. At the beginning I would actually go to get cleaned out at the hospital.
I’ve learned a lot in 5 years. My situation is very rare and things like diet don’t help much but I have a dietitian and a women who cooks one meal a day for me. I eat no sugar or dairy and I eat a very balanced diet. I also have hypothyroidism so I must have that in check all the time.
All the foods that get recommended never help. My fiber limit is not high every day because I can’t digest it.
The only veggie I can eat is carrots. I measure and weigh everything . It’s not as simple as many think. If it was due to anesthesia most have no idea how to help me. It’s so rare if that’s what did it.
My thinking is I’ve never been checked neurologically. Could it be nerve related. It’s been a long 5 years and I really thought it would wake up but nothing.
My Gastro said if Mayo can’t find anything other than remove it , it’s back to me deciding. This is Emory in Atlanta sending me to Mayo. I just know things are not working and I don’t want some emergency to happen where I’ll end up locally for this huge surgery. I wouldn’t make the hour drive to Atlanta I don’t think.

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Joanne Narna | @mothermary1 | May 23 4:25pm
In reply to @ltarashuk "Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to..." + (show)
Profile picture for ltarashuk @ltarashuk

Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to get yourself well. The decision to have surgery must be so difficult given what’s happened to you after your previous surgery. I feel for you. I am close to your age and this is not how I planned to spend my retirement after working my whole life. There is a virtual support group once I attend here in MA but it’s open to anyone with a motility disorder. It’s small and couple of members also have gastroparesis. If you want information I can forward it to you. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am hoping someone finds an answer for us. I am also in the Boston area.

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Hi, yes I would be interested,thank you. I just feel that my circumstances are very different and I wish I could find someone who had this trouble after long surgery.
Thank you

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ltarashuk | @ltarashuk | May 24 10:10am
In reply to @mothermary1 "Hi, yes I would be interested,thank you. I just feel that my circumstances are very different..." + (show)
Profile picture for Joanne Narna @mothermary1

Hi, yes I would be interested,thank you. I just feel that my circumstances are very different and I wish I could find someone who had this trouble after long surgery.
Thank you

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There is an Association of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders. You can find them on Instagram and facebook. They have monthly support group and offer webinars in a variety of motility disorders. Hope this helps you.

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Joanne Narna | @mothermary1 | May 24 11:21am
In reply to @ltarashuk "There is an Association of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders. You can find them on Instagram and facebook...." + (show)
Profile picture for ltarashuk @ltarashuk

There is an Association of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders. You can find them on Instagram and facebook. They have monthly support group and offer webinars in a variety of motility disorders. Hope this helps you.

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🙏 thanks

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dcw | @dcw | May 26 8:06pm
In reply to @ltarashuk "Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to..." + (show)
Profile picture for ltarashuk @ltarashuk

Oh my… it sounds like you are a warrior and have been so brave trying to get yourself well. The decision to have surgery must be so difficult given what’s happened to you after your previous surgery. I feel for you. I am close to your age and this is not how I planned to spend my retirement after working my whole life. There is a virtual support group once I attend here in MA but it’s open to anyone with a motility disorder. It’s small and couple of members also have gastroparesis. If you want information I can forward it to you. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am hoping someone finds an answer for us. I am also in the Boston area.

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Hi Itarashuk - saw your comment about a virtural support group in MA. I have severe motility issues and would love to join - can you post info? Thanks

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ltarashuk | @ltarashuk | May 27 8:26am
In reply to @dcw "Hi Itarashuk - saw your comment about a virtural support group in MA. I have severe..." + (show)
Profile picture for dcw @dcw

Hi Itarashuk - saw your comment about a virtural support group in MA. I have severe motility issues and would love to join - can you post info? Thanks

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Hi it’s the Association of Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders Association. Monthly support groups and webinars on issues related to motility. Support group this month is today at 11 EST. Find it on instagram and facebook

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Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | May 27 8:56am
In reply to @lskoehl62 "I use to go to the bathroom and have big bowel movements. Then I would have..." + (show)
Profile picture for lskoehl62 @lskoehl62

I use to go to the bathroom and have big bowel movements. Then I would have severe cramps, throw up and then have a bowel movement and then diarrhea. I have pain just below the strum and to my right, I had my gallbladder removed. I do have a lot of scar tissue do to 3 C sections, complete hysterectomy and 2 incision hernias. Now I can’t go unless I take a laxative on Tuesday to poo on Wednesday. Doc has put me on Miralax 4 times a day, 2 stool softeners a day and now Linzess. Now I poo like a kitten every time I pee. I have had 2 colonoscopy within a month. Doc said because of my antonym he can go only so far. Now he said if I haven’t had a good poo, 2 laxatives every 3 days. Had a endoscopy he took 2 biopsies said my stomach was really red and bleeding, that’s why I’m anemic. He prescribe me 40mg of Prilosec, I don’t have heartburn. He also said my liver didn’t look great took 2 biopsies. I have been diagnosed with a fatty liver in 2008. I also have a 7cm hiatal hernia located behind the heart. I still don’t know what’s going on and I feel taking laxatives isn’t good for you and taking heartburn med. when I don’t have heartburn

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@lskoehl62, if you've not yet checked it out, you might consider following the new Liver Diseases support group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/liver-diseases/. There are a variety of discussions on different types and symptoms from fatty liver disease, and you can use the search within the Liver Diseases group to get you to the right discussion or discussions.

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researchmaven | @researchmaven | May 27 4:38pm
In reply to @jsp68 "I have had chronic constipation since birth. I am now 54 years old. I have ran..." + (show)
Profile picture for jsp68 @jsp68

I have had chronic constipation since birth. I am now 54 years old. I have ran out of laxatives to try. I went to a gastroenterologist a couple of years ago who did a marker test (nothing moved) and then attempted to do a colonoscopy but I told him beforehand that the solution did not clean me out so of course it came back inconclusive because it wasn’t cleaned out. He diagnosed me with colonic inertia and prescribed Linzess which sort of worked for a while then it started making me nauseous and not working. I started taking Miralax every day at the suggestion of a different doctor, that worked for a while and now it just makes me sick and doesn’t work either. I have an appointment with yet another gastroenterologist next month. I go weeks without a bowel movement sometimes 4-6 weeks and of course I feel miserable. Anyone else have the same issue?

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All those clean-outs do not work for me, and many make me sick. Focus on food and supplements that help you poop. Regular medicines seem like a blunt instrument/dull tool for some of us. Go beyond them.

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