Problem with Chronic constipation

I’m writing about the constipation I’m experiencing. Earlier this year, I spent three weeks in bed and six days in the hospital for an episode of flu that knocked me flat. I couldn’t eat, and/or I couldn’t keep food down. After I started eating again, they had to resort to an enema in the hospital. I’m home now and doing physical therapy after the long period of being in bed, and I’m constipated again. I’m currently taking 3 colace tablets/day, drinking as much water as I can. I saw on this site I should try to get 64 oz of water each day. For five days in a row, I was able to have a bowel movement - not complete, but passing some stool each of those days.

Now I’m into a third day of not passing any stool. In addition to drinking water and taking Colace, I eat oatmeal, prunes, grapes, dates, walnuts and blueberries. Once when I was able, I oven roasted chicken and carrots and Brussell sprouts. Took two days to put that together since I haven’t regained all my strength. My husband doesn’t cook; I’m eating these foods because they are high in fiber and don’t require preparation. I’m considering using a suppository to help with getting things moving.

I take medication that has a reputation for causing constipation. We’ve decreased dosage, but stopping the meds isn’t an option right now.

Thoughts and ideas about getting through this are welcome.

I’m writing about the constipation I’m experiencing. Earlier this year, I spent three weeks in bed and six days in the hospital for an episode of flu that knocked me flat. I couldn’t eat, and/or I couldn’t keep food down. After I started eating again, they had to resort to an enema in the hospital. I’m home now and doing physical therapy after the long period of being in bed, and I’m constipated again. I’m currently taking 3 colace tablets/day, drinking as much water as I can. I saw on this site I should try to get 64 oz of water each day. For five days in a row, I was able to have a bowel movement - not complete, but passing some stool each of those days.

Now I’m into a third day of not passing any stool. In addition to drinking water and taking Colace, I eat oatmeal, prunes, grapes, dates, walnuts and blueberries. Once when I was able, I oven roasted chicken and carrots and Brussell sprouts. Took two days to put that together since I haven’t regained all my strength. My husband doesn’t cook; I’m eating these foods because they are high in fiber and don’t require preparation. I’m considering using a suppository to help with getting things moving.

I take medication that has a reputation for causing constipation. We’ve decreased dosage, but stopping the meds isn’t an option right now.

Thoughts and ideas about getting through this are welcome.

I’m writing about the constipation I’m experiencing. Earlier this year, I spent three weeks in bed and six days in the hospital for an episode of flu that knocked me flat. I couldn’t eat, and/or I couldn’t keep food down. After I started eating again, they had to resort to an enema in the hospital. I’m home now and doing physical therapy after the long period of being in bed, and I’m constipated again. I’m currently taking 3 colace tablets/day, drinking as much water as I can. I saw on this site I should try to get 64 oz of water each day. For five days in a row, I was able to have a bowel movement - not complete, but passing some stool each of those days.

Now I’m into a third day of not passing any stool. In addition to drinking water and taking Colace, I eat oatmeal, prunes, grapes, dates, walnuts and blueberries. Once when I was able, I oven roasted chicken and carrots and Brussell sprouts. Took two days to put that together since I haven’t regained all my strength. My husband doesn’t cook; I’m eating these foods because they are high in fiber and don’t require preparation. I’m considering using a suppository to help with getting things moving.

I take medication that has a reputation for causing constipation. We’ve decreased dosage, but stopping the meds isn’t an option right now.

Thoughts and ideas about getting through this are welcome.

I’m writing about the constipation I’m experiencing. Earlier this year, I spent three weeks in bed and six days in the hospital for an episode of flu that knocked me flat. I couldn’t eat, and/or I couldn’t keep food down. After I started eating again, they had to resort to an enema in the hospital. I’m home now and doing physical therapy after the long period of being in bed, and I’m constipated again. I’m currently taking 3 colace tablets/day, drinking as much water as I can. I saw on this site I should try to get 64 oz of water each day. For five days in a row, I was able to have a bowel movement - not complete, but passing some stool each of those days.

Now I’m into a third day of not passing any stool. In addition to drinking water and taking Colace, I eat oatmeal, prunes, grapes, dates, walnuts and blueberries. Once when I was able, I oven roasted chicken and carrots and Brussell sprouts. Took two days to put that together since I haven’t regained all my strength. My husband doesn’t cook; I’m eating these foods because they are high in fiber and don’t require preparation. I’m considering using a suppository to help with getting things moving.

I take medication that has a reputation for causing constipation. We’ve decreased dosage, but stopping the meds isn’t an option right now.

Thoughts and ideas about getting through this are welcome.

@pml I just started Linzess and after 2 weeks doing much better. Have you tried that? Do you know the cause?

@sjd416 i’ve read several times in different places lately that Colace does not work so maybe eliminate that, a suppository doesn’t do much good for me personally, my G.I. doctor said it’s better to get the food moving from the top and he suggested MiraLAX or Metamucil. Benafiber is another idea. Have you tried abdominal massage that’s been recommended here several times. Good luck!

About a year ago, I started having serious bowel movement issues. I never go daily, but when I do, my stools are like hard stones, or the opposite if taking a bunch of laxatives (foul, runny quirts). After pushing too much, I had to get several hemorrhoids banded.

Last summer, my gastroenterologist did both an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, and found two things: when I digest food, it seems to stay in the lower esophagus before finally entering the stomach/intestines - he said that the green mess (I only had a salad the day before) was still visible lower in my esophagus, which diagnosed digestive track issues - and from the coloscopy, that I have slight diveraticultis, so "lay off the seeds and nuts and fiber"!

One Dr stated I should increase my fiber (of course), while another said the opposite > if you have a hard time with your digestive track, eat LESS fiber and go with food that is "easier to break down" (pasta, rice, bread, ALL WHITE!.)..."do the opposite" (Seinfeld). To address my diagnosed chronic constipation, I tried stool softeners (of course), fiber powders (Benefil, Miralax, Bloom), and medically, a few prescriptions - Linzess (cannot tolerate due to horrible diarrhea), Ducolax, and the expensive Prucalipride, to no avail. The ONLY thing that helps (not 100%) is Milk of Magnesia, but that should not be a long-term solution, and it usually does the same thing: at first, hard stones have to be pushed to "get it going", followed by foul-smelling runs.

As for my protologist, he did a bunch of tests: Anoscopy, pelvic MRI with rectal gel, and X-ray with Sitzmarks® pellets (radiopaque markers test to measure colonic transit time). Everything came back NORMAL! The only finding, which was mentioned from a prior cystoscopy, was that I have weak muscles in the bladder floor (which is more related to my recent prostate post in here). BTW, I tried pelvic Physical Therapy (who knew that was a thing?) but with no improvement.

I am still struggling with constipation that is so chronic, it is upsetting my daily life. I do not know what to try next, and the Dr's do not offer any best, final solution. I continue to take MOM just so I can void at least every few days to get some relief. And yes, I do follow a healthy diet and drink a LOT of water.

That's my story, and I hope someone in this forum has had/is having similar experiences.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/prucalopride-oral-route/description/drg-20452343
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24993-anoscopy
https://www.sitzmarks.com