1. < Digestive Health

Chronic constipation

Posted by razelrosey @razelrosey, Jul 12 7:51am

For the past year or so my rib cage area is like really painful the other day I had a small backache that radiated around to the front and I went to ER and they discovered which I have had problems before that I had backed up constipation so I have been taking MiraLAX Fiber supplement magnesium citrate stool softener, and I still have not evacuated like I should have a gastrologist a new one in a month. I hope I don’t explode before the month is over. Any suggestions out there?

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

carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 24 5:27pm
In reply to @shelleyw "Carolinlv, we are not supposed to use the words, in these forums, that I would use..." + (show)
@shelleyw

Carolinlv, we are not supposed to use the words, in these forums, that I would use to express my feelings about our entire medical profession. I am in the process of changing all my drs, since I turned 65 and live outside of Kaiser Permanentes area. I'm been with Kaiser my whole adult life. Some good providers, a tiny few great ones and a ton of $&#* ones that don't even belong in medicine and a couple that, if I had the energy and money I would take action against them. My new PCP actually told me that less and less people are going into the medical field because they can't make the big bucks anymore. WOW, where does that leave us? Thanx for taking time to find my other posts. I have parathyroid surgery early next month. Talk about putting all your eggs into one basket... I NEED this surgery to be an overwhelmingly successful and productive surgery for several of my problems, including CIC...cuz it is my last shot at getting relief.
You said you are miserable too. Is it mainly CIC or is this just one problem that you have? Shelley

Jump to this post

I have an ascending aortic aneurysm that keeps me in check for a lot of activities. High blood pressure, like almost everyone else in my age bracket, peripheral neuropathy, my second rotator cuff surgery coming up if I can ever get rid of my stomach problems, a really bad back that makes me look like the far left ape on the Darwin chart and a pittance of other nonsense that keeps me in a different doctor’s office 2 to 3 times a week. I am currently waiting on bloodwork to see if an autoimmune disorder or diabetes show up. My youngest daughter is 37 and has a very severe auto immune disorder she developed when her six-year-old son was born. She is in misery a good amount of her days. I’m guessing autoimmune will be a likely culprit in my results-better at 72 and 37 though. Another waiting game. I have been lucky enough to find a good cardiologist, thoracic surgeon, and thank the Lord for my GP! That man steps in when everybody else fails me, and, as you, that list is really long! I always thought doctors were in it for the money, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious nowadays. I will be praying that surgery is the miracle that it needs to be! I haven’t always been a religious woman, but I’m getting there! It’s the only hope I have anymore! It’s OK to put all your eggs in one basket! Hopefully, this is the last basket you’ll need to fill!

REPLY
shelleyW | @shelleyw | Jul 24 5:28pm
In reply to @shaylyn4 "Hi Shelley. I have the opposite issue of you. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking..." + (show)
@shaylyn4

Hi Shelley. I have the opposite issue of you. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking Synthoid since my early 30’s. I have actually taken Citrate of Magnesium and that is a fast response but because of my EPI and Gastroparesis my GI is against that. I keep hearing about GI docs.that seem heartless or just don’t care because people have so many problems. I have a young GI now after the one I had for 40 years retired and he is open to whatever I think will help as long as it doesn’t affect me in other ways. I have really big problems having a colonoscopy so he did a much easier prep for a sigmoidoscopy which I tolerated and showed I had thickening of my bowel. He watches me carefully since Creon ( for my EPI ) can cause thickening of the bowel and obstruction ( which like you I had ) I now also have a new PCP internist who specializes in gerontology so he understands all the old age problems we have. I can call my GI in the morning and he will get back to me the same day even if he calls from home which he does frequently.
A support group is nice. You can talk to people with same problems and they don’t thick all you’re doing is complaining, etc.

Jump to this post

Shaylyn4,
I must have said it wrong... I have hyperPARATHYROID. Why the brilliant 👎🏼 drs couldn't think of a better name is plain ignorance. The one and only one thing that the thyroid glands and the parathyroid glands have in common, is they are in the same place in our necks. Like you I have hypothyroidism, it has been left untreated for many years, cuz the dr. said, " just because you are tired and have weight problems (I weighed 145@ that time) doesn't mean you have low thyroid. All women want to blame their thyroid for their weight gain and tiredness. They need to exercise more and eat less." I swear a Dr. said that to me years ago. Now my thyroid is so screwed up that I'm not reacting to 2 different medications the "right way ". If you are willing, I would love for you to tell me about: EPI, problem with colonoscopy, do you have a redundant flexure, thickening of your bowel wall, how did it get found and how does it affect your pooping process. Also, how did you get to a gerontologist? What all does this type of dr. focus on. No rush, older age and health issues can dictate just about everything in our lives. Shelley

REPLY
1 reply
carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 24 5:36pm
In reply to @helen1000 "No problem Carol, I understand. Did you do food sensitivity test? Or use Monash university fodmapping..." + (show)
@helen1000

No problem Carol, I understand. Did you do food sensitivity test? Or use Monash university fodmapping to see what food to avoid?
When we age, our digestive system also get older so we need to be really careful about the food. I have no issue any more since avoiding all milk products and wheat product. And I usually have a one time gas daily, and it is completely gone after i try Seed Ds01 probiotics. I hope you same good luck! 🙂

Below is much cheaper ( $200- $300 range ) but not as good as treadmill but it works if it rains or it is hot. And it reduces you stress as you do not need to compete with other users. I know you will recover soon! 🙂 knowledge is power and we have a lot of technology. It just takes a little bit patience, research and time to work it out. People in these groups are highly supportive and super knowledgeable!

Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical Peddler, Portable Foot & Leg Pedal Exerciser for Home or Work w Optional Magnetic, Electric Motorized, Connected or in Pink

Jump to this post

Thank you again, Helen. I have never done a food mapping test, but it’s probably another one of your great suggestions. My stomach never gave me this much grief until I had a UTI about four years ago which was treated with a far stronger antibiotic than was necessary. I ended up with Cdiff and I feel like my belly has never truly recovered. I’ve always had a lot of allergies, but I now have problems in all areas of digestion. My Gastro did a few tests for both celiac and gluten. No problems with either of those. I have not eaten dairy for many years. The discomfort that started to give me made me give it up without a test… I just knew better than to keep eating it. I will definitely look into all of your suggestions! Thank you so much for taking the time to help!

REPLY
helen1000 | @helen1000 | Jul 24 9:55pm

No problem. I also find a free/easy way to exercise. If you google "pulmonary rehabilitation exercise", you will find many videos with mild exercises so you can exercise at home at any time!!

Sorry for too many messages today. I hope they are not ovewhelming. Stay well and stay cool! 🙂

REPLY
waterlilly | @waterlilly | Jul 24 10:44pm
In reply to @carolinlv "I don’t know if you’ve already tried prune juice but it was, for some reason, my..." + (show)
@carolinlv

I don’t know if you’ve already tried prune juice but it was, for some reason, my last go to after 10 years of misery. Users made it sound so simple and yet I didn’t try it until recently. I was truly shocked at its efficacy. Like I said, I did a full 7 1/2 ounce can on day one and it was just like taking a laxative. It worked within about five hours and that was it. The next day, I tried the recommended 4 ounces, but it didn’t do much for me. so I do a good 7 ounces a day and it’s really doing the trick. Maybe give it a try?? I resorted to the laxatives far too often so I’m glad I found something that’s healthier and gets results. Good luck!!

Jump to this post

Would it be advisable to take at night after dinner or before bed? If taken in the a.m., I'd need to be around a bathroom when it works which would mean I would have to plan my whole day around it. That could be difficult.

REPLY
1 reply
carolinlv | @carolinlv | Jul 24 11:19pm
In reply to @waterlilly "Would it be advisable to take at night after dinner or before bed? If taken in..." + (show)
@waterlilly

Would it be advisable to take at night after dinner or before bed? If taken in the a.m., I'd need to be around a bathroom when it works which would mean I would have to plan my whole day around it. That could be difficult.

Jump to this post

From what I read, it seems to have different affects, depending upon how much people drink and how their belly reacts. When I drink the least bit too much, there is some serious gurgling and discomfort going on. That could really disrupt your sleep! Seems safest to figure out the amount that’s good for you, and once you do, how long it takes to react. Some are lucky enough for it to just help with motility. I’m still working on getting to that point every day. Luckily, I am retired so I have the opportunity to play around with quantities and times. Not everyone has that option.

REPLY
waterlilly | @waterlilly | Jul 24 11:45pm

Thank you! I'm retired, also. Even with Miralax, it takes many tries to get it exactly right and even then, I need to adjust it every now and then. I'll give the prune juice a try.

REPLY
rashida | @rashida | Jul 24 11:46pm
In reply to @shaylyn4 "Hi Shelley. I have the opposite issue of you. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking..." + (show)
@shaylyn4

Hi Shelley. I have the opposite issue of you. I have hypothyroidism and have been taking Synthoid since my early 30’s. I have actually taken Citrate of Magnesium and that is a fast response but because of my EPI and Gastroparesis my GI is against that. I keep hearing about GI docs.that seem heartless or just don’t care because people have so many problems. I have a young GI now after the one I had for 40 years retired and he is open to whatever I think will help as long as it doesn’t affect me in other ways. I have really big problems having a colonoscopy so he did a much easier prep for a sigmoidoscopy which I tolerated and showed I had thickening of my bowel. He watches me carefully since Creon ( for my EPI ) can cause thickening of the bowel and obstruction ( which like you I had ) I now also have a new PCP internist who specializes in gerontology so he understands all the old age problems we have. I can call my GI in the morning and he will get back to me the same day even if he calls from home which he does frequently.
A support group is nice. You can talk to people with same problems and they don’t thick all you’re doing is complaining, etc.

Jump to this post

Lucky you, @shaylyn4, having such a good team of doctors! I gather you don’t live in Canada, where there is a dearth of physicians and specialists …?

REPLY
misssuezq | @misssuezq | Jul 25 2:30am
In reply to @shelleyw "Misssuezq, 8/7...unless I jump off a bridge first (jk), A lot of my issues are flaring..." + (show)
@shelleyw

Misssuezq, 8/7...unless I jump off a bridge first (jk), A lot of my issues are flaring big time all at once 24/7. OMG, I hope it relieves or at least tamps down the intensity of my buckets of issues that can be related to it. Hey, thanx for asking about this. It felt like a big hug when I read it. Truly, I am way down the dark rabbit hole, useless and negative . So many 🥰

Jump to this post

Well you have a lil bit of time before your surgery hopefully your other issues that are flaring calm the heck down. I will be sending you positive vibes.

REPLY
1 reply
bkatz43 | @bkatz43 | Jul 25 9:15am
In reply to @carolinlv "Shelley, I finally found your original post and realize my recent post with hopes of you..." + (show)
@carolinlv

Shelley, I finally found your original post and realize my recent post with hopes of you "feeling better nowadays" seems unlikely. I truly hope there is a doctor somewhere that can help you. I am miserable but at no level that you must be feeling. Why is it so hard to get help for this problem? A good gastroenterologist seems impossible to find. They are readily available for endoscopies and colonoscopies but once those are done, I feel like they block my calls😭 I'm at my wits I'm just waiting for basic help. You must be ready to kill someone!😢❤️

Jump to this post

Oh my gosh! I have sent your above comments to several of my family/friends because this is my story as well. I am 1.5 years into G.I. madness. 5 G.I. docs later, with a large Amazon box of discarded pharmaceuticals and OTC drugs, I am working with a G.I. doc older and (wiser?) than me. We shall see. I am hopeful but extremely guarded. I now believe my contracting COVID (after 5th vaccine) had a role in my symptoms. So what? I need effective treatment to resume what used to be normalcy (pre age 65.5; I am now 67).

REPLY
2 replies
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.