Opiate induced constipation

Thanks jenatsky!

I think anyone who uses an addictive medicine regularly will develop tolerance and ultimately need a larger dose. Most people though aren't addicts and so that cycle of ever more (opiates, alcohol, and on) never becomes pathological for them. With maybe a little discomfort, they can stop.

And I feel the same way about colonoscopy v cologuard. My wife had a colonoscopy at 70 and the Dr. said she wouldn't need anymore colonoscopies. I'm due for one more (I'm 71) and I'll have that done and that will be that.

We're about the same age and it sounds like you have a healthy philosophy about life. At 71, I'm very grateful for the overall good health I have enjoyed. I'm also 14 years plus sober now and a recovering alcoholic/addict. I am extremely grateful that I was able to attain sobriety and realize most people perish from the disease.

So life is good. All the best my friend!

Joe

Thanks Sunshine!

Excellent suggestions. Most people are chronically dehydrated. And you are right, adequate water intake, along with a diet that includes fiber, and some exercise, like walking, can help with the peristaltic motion that keeps things moving.

Joe

@heyjoe415
I have dealt with IBS with constipation and diarrhea for my entire life. Pain meds and muscle relaxers cause immediate constipation - even with only 5mg! I use Miralax, stool softener and sometimes laxatives. When on pain meds, I also use “Smooth Move” tea. It works for me every time!

I took that for years. Off of it now for 8 years. I suggest Psyllium husks. You can get them at a health food store or online. They taste kind of like mushrooms. start with about 1/2 tsp and mix it in water. It won't dissolve, but after a week or so, you will find that they help. Also, eating a lot of salad, and roughage helps as well. Also, if you decide you are okay to get off of the Suboxone, do it VERY, VERY SLOWLY...Seriously.

Thanks diverdown.

I can attest to your point on stopping Suboxone. I had been on it for a few years with a surgery pending. My Dr had me stop, and was going to have me take oxycodone to offset the absence of the Suboxone and be available for post-op pain relief. First thought wrong.

Do not do this, even if a Dr recommends it. On the third day and ahead of the surgery, I had vicious, vicious w/d symptoms - nausea, diarrhea, sweating one minute and freezing the next. I immediately went back on Suboxone, but I was sick for most of the next week.

I was fine by the time of the surgery, and managed post-op pain with Toradol for five days (the max # of days it can be taken), and then diclofenac for a week (I had laminotomies at S1/L5/L4 - a pretty tame back surgery as opposed to fusion, and it worked just fine).

I'm now on the lowest dose of Suboxone without any w/d symptoms. I'm still very reluctant to try and stop, and probably never will stop.

Joe

May I suggest researching on your own how prescription meds alter the gut microbiome? I did this. Plus changed my diet.

@heyjoe415 I understand that. I was down to about a 1/4 strip a day. I was fine for about 48 hours and then I was sick for weeks. Back and forth to the bathroom. It was truly awful but led to my rock bottom with addiction and I got sober about a month and a half later. Some people do stay on it and I think that is perfectly fine. I have used toradol as well as diclofenac for pain as well. They do seem to help and 800 mg Ibuprofen. Hope today is a good day for you!
Ginny

Thank you Nifty. Never heard of"Smooth Move" tea so thanks for the suggestion!

I've only been dealing with constipation, CIC really, for the last 5 years - I'm 71 now. It's incredibly frustrating to have to rely on stimulant laxatives, and not a good thing to do. But I've tried almost everything else. The Rx Motegrity seems to help and acts like a mild stimulant, but there is no generic and it's cost prohibitive for most people.

Thanks again. I'll definitely try the tea!

Joe

@kb2014a

Thanks so much for this great suggestion. Even in excellent health, at 71 I take quite a few Rx drugs. This is a great idea. Thank you! (This may also explain why I have found so few Rx constipation meds to be totally ineffective.)

Joe

Hi Ginny, and thanks for your thoughtful reply.

I'm so happy you got sober, and that's an accomplishment given what you went through. I take 1 and 1/2 of the smallest pills each morning. I think that's 6mg bupe to 2 mg naloxone. It's very small but quitting still scares me.

My Dr has said that no matter how low the dose, stopping Subx will result in w/d symptoms.

Your experience was like mine - ok for 48 hours, then whammo. That half-life of bupe is long and this is the cause for the delay.

Sometimes my inability to get relief from opiates usually used to treat pain can be, well painful. I had my right hip replaced in March, limited pain and recovered quickly. Too quickly, because one month later, doing a stretch I was now advised not to do, I dislocated the new hip. I was at the gym and in horrible, horrible pain. The EMTs arrived and gave me two, 100mcg shots of fenatnyl. The Subx blocked it completely. In the ER they gave me another 100mcg of fentanyl, Again, nothing. I had to wait four long hours until an ER Dr could help me (heart attacks and gunshot wounds come first in an ER, as they should.

After about an hour, the Dr ordered ketamine for me. I had never been given ketamine before. It definitely helped, but the experience was borderline hallucinogenic. I certainly forgot about all the pain. Sadly, ketamine only works for 30-45 minutes. It was one day where I wish I hadn't been on Subx and could have been treated with opiates. But that was the only time I've experienced that much pain.

I'm assuming you're completely off Subx now - is that right ginny? Good for you and well done.

(Ginny was my Mom's name - Virginia, but her brother always called her Ginny. It's a very sweet name!)

Joe