Longtime Constipation Issues

Posted by samcal9977zz @samcal9977zz, Aug 28, 2024

Been an issue for me, for 20 or 25 years. Many problems. And was in the ER once with a diverticulitis attack. Almost had to have major colon surgery.

So, I used prune juice, a senna formula (Ex-Lax is senna, but I use a different brand), Miralax (very helpful. It's a stool softener. Until I started using it, almost nothing worked). I also, you know, eat meals like bran muffins and yogurt, I eat a soft food diet often, I also use Metamucil. Sometimes coffee seems to help. Of course, plenty of hydration, abdominal exercises too...

Anyway...a couple of things that have helped me.

And I have used that wooden stool, that elevates your legs. Well, we actually have a plastic one called "Squatty Potty."

have to get the height of it right. and if you have some problems with your knees or hips, can be an issue.

the Squatty Potty has a truly hysterical ad, if anyone wants to check in with it. A bit gross, you know, re subject matter. But if the scatological humor doesn't bother you, it is worth a look:

This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop

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

@fibropositive14

I buy these capsules & I’ve never known any product to be so effective! They work within 2 days but beware! You must be near a toilet whilst taking them lol
And to be able to get to it fast!! Ha

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Amazon sell these for £27 roughly…sooo worth it !

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I love my Squatty Potty! Also just discovered Mira Fast from MiraLax. I only found it on Amazon but after an 8 day struggle, 2 gummies worked right away .

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I have had serve constipation pretty much my whole life. I am 35 and also have crohns. My drs all say they have never seen anyone with such serve constipation. I have literally tried everything out there. Sometimes I have gone a month without having a bowel movement. Ill go 3 times a month if im lucky.

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@champ100

I have had serve constipation pretty much my whole life. I am 35 and also have crohns. My drs all say they have never seen anyone with such serve constipation. I have literally tried everything out there. Sometimes I have gone a month without having a bowel movement. Ill go 3 times a month if im lucky.

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It seems your Vagus nerve has been damaged somewhere along the way. You need to start to Relistor injection daily. You will have a bm each time you take it. I have the same issues following my massive surgery which I've written about in other post.

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@lake3031

It seems your Vagus nerve has been damaged somewhere along the way. You need to start to Relistor injection daily. You will have a bm each time you take it. I have the same issues following my massive surgery which I've written about in other post.

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Forgot..additionally I have to take a colon cleanse daily every night, along with varying doses of a simple stool softer. Then the relistor injection in the morning when you're ready to have a bowel movement.

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@champ100

I have had serve constipation pretty much my whole life. I am 35 and also have crohns. My drs all say they have never seen anyone with such serve constipation. I have literally tried everything out there. Sometimes I have gone a month without having a bowel movement. Ill go 3 times a month if im lucky.

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I went to a neurologist and had an MRI with contast .. I was in the machine 45 minutes.. it did show my Vargus nerve was ok and not the source of my nausea.. so we atleast.. ruled it out..prayers for you!!

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@standinginfaith

I went to a neurologist and had an MRI with contast .. I was in the machine 45 minutes.. it did show my Vargus nerve was ok and not the source of my nausea.. so we atleast.. ruled it out..prayers for you!!

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Have you had a nuclear stomach Emptying Study, and a small bowel series test? Have you tried reglan to help move things along?

Have you tried Relistor? Again, relistor is the only thing that will allow me to have a bowel movement.
I have to imagine you're constantly battling fecal impaction if you really are only going 3 times a month.

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@abdullahdev

I have tried laxatives, healthy food , prucalopride, colonoscopy, hypothyroidism, almost from stool to blood test all.

I empty my bowl using water enema by my own.
I want to know is it risky

I am unable to digest or breakdown vegetables. Vegetable pices comes out same as I eat.

I can digest wheet, chicken but it also slow.

My life is restricted mostly in my house and store.

I want to improve my life. Is there any one suffer lik me. Please guide me.

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You sound like you certainly have some pancreatic defiencency. Have you tried rx digestive enzymes like a Creon or Zenpep? What are your lipase numbers on your blood Labs? Potential bile duct issues. Do you break down proteins, like beefs, chicken, or raw nuts? And are they coming out whole in your stool, or you throwing them up whole?

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@lake3031

Have you had a nuclear stomach Emptying Study, and a small bowel series test? Have you tried reglan to help move things along?

Have you tried Relistor? Again, relistor is the only thing that will allow me to have a bowel movement.
I have to imagine you're constantly battling fecal impaction if you really are only going 3 times a month.

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Yes I did have the nuclear stomach emptying study..and one with the rings too (Stitz marker test).. the gastric emptying I took with oatmeal (they had either scrambled eggs or oatmeal..I don't like eggs.. but I had to tell them ..I can't do eggs and then they got the oatmeal) ..I have taken Reglan.. and it didn't work.. tries Linzess and Amtiza (sp?) and they did not work.. finally tried Trulance every AM and it works!! along with c cap of Miralax in the afternoon or evening.. and a VSL3 Probiotic (needs refrigerated. You can get it at your pharmacy or on Amazon.. ships very well .. dry ice packs) I also drink 2 Vanilla Plant based Ensures a day.. 5mg fiber each.. and eat 1 Thomas multigrain Englis muffin with plant butter.. EIGHT mg fiber.I don't take fiber supplements..drink lots of water..I'm going up to 3 time a DAY..which is wonderful..(they wheat have sucralose.. kills your good gut bacteria!! and has plugged me up so bad I had to go to ER.. watch out for it!!) I drink Kinderlite for hydration.. 3/4 8oz glass a day.. Pediatite and gatoraide have sucralose I really watch what I eat tho.. best of luck to you.. I'll pray for you!! I really think God turned on my bowel last Oct 15.. have almost died from Colitis.. sweated out all my fluids..b/p down to 60/40 and the ambulance driver took 10 min in the driver way to find a vein and it took 2 units of fluids on the 45 min drive to the hospital.. have had to get enemas in ER . all of that .. so I know constipation is real!! Praying for you!!

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@standinginfaith

Yes I did have the nuclear stomach emptying study..and one with the rings too (Stitz marker test).. the gastric emptying I took with oatmeal (they had either scrambled eggs or oatmeal..I don't like eggs.. but I had to tell them ..I can't do eggs and then they got the oatmeal) ..I have taken Reglan.. and it didn't work.. tries Linzess and Amtiza (sp?) and they did not work.. finally tried Trulance every AM and it works!! along with c cap of Miralax in the afternoon or evening.. and a VSL3 Probiotic (needs refrigerated. You can get it at your pharmacy or on Amazon.. ships very well .. dry ice packs) I also drink 2 Vanilla Plant based Ensures a day.. 5mg fiber each.. and eat 1 Thomas multigrain Englis muffin with plant butter.. EIGHT mg fiber.I don't take fiber supplements..drink lots of water..I'm going up to 3 time a DAY..which is wonderful..(they wheat have sucralose.. kills your good gut bacteria!! and has plugged me up so bad I had to go to ER.. watch out for it!!) I drink Kinderlite for hydration.. 3/4 8oz glass a day.. Pediatite and gatoraide have sucralose I really watch what I eat tho.. best of luck to you.. I'll pray for you!! I really think God turned on my bowel last Oct 15.. have almost died from Colitis.. sweated out all my fluids..b/p down to 60/40 and the ambulance driver took 10 min in the driver way to find a vein and it took 2 units of fluids on the 45 min drive to the hospital.. have had to get enemas in ER . all of that .. so I know constipation is real!! Praying for you!!

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Thanks for all the information. As per my constipation, the only thing that works for me in addition to 2 capsules of a colon cleanse plus stool softness every night, but the real reason I'm able to have a bowel movement each morning is because I take injectable 12mg Relistor. Within 10 mins of administration, I can go.

Here is just a bit of my journey and uphill I was facing, until I had the transplant and have all the possible complications and than some. So now unfortunately, am on borrowed time.

It's too much info to explain every event, but I'll try to give a brief synopsis. It all started July 27th 2016. I couldn't sleep at all and was in SERIOUS pain. Ended up having to go to hospital in the early morning hours bc it didn't subside at all. I was admitted and within 18 hours, I was in ICU, on life support, and in a medically induced coma. Doctors were literally betting how long I would stay alive before I passed (This part wasn't a joke, they seriously wore my wife said).

Made it through that and then spent the next 4 years living in hospitals from NJ, to PA, and Columbia. I eventually got a transplant at Columbia for an islet Cell Transplant. They also removed my entire spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, duodenum, 60% of my stomach, and had a wedge section.

Had 8 different feeding tubes, in and out of hospitals, multiple picc lines for tpn, fluids, infusions, coding twice on the OR table and had to be revived. Been on a vent 2 more times after my first time while in the coma. I'm now a brittle diabetic bc of not having a pancreas at all. Further, I can't get an actual pancreas put back in and have them completely rearrange all my internal "plumbing" again, to make everything work again as it would for every other human. I have been on the pancreas transplant list, but as "inactive" due to my respiratory issues (respiratory system failed twice) and mainly due to the 24/7 vomiting on an every day basis. Each day I vomit a minimum of 10 times, and up to over 25 times daily. So, I will not be able to keep the mandatory daily immune suppressants down for a foreign pancreas. I also am a rare match, and the wait is approx 2 years at the fastest.

My now brittle diabetes, lupas, and autoimmune issues are attacking my organs at an unbelievably fast pace. My doctors are saying my body won't make it (My endo said verbatim, "We're very sorry to have to say this, but you are already past the point of no return"), a side note, who the hell words that kind of information/message!?!? My wife and I were like what in the world?

So, I'm already pretty much a person with very limited mobility, malnourished bc I have been throwing up for the last 18 months, and no one can find out why. So in the event I get a miracle and find a pancreas match, I still can't get it bc I throw up everything and won't be able to get my immunosuppressants down for the foreign pancreas.

I've also just got another rt shoulder mri that shows more labrum tears from anterior around to posterior, and bone on bone requiring a full shoulder replacement now (already have had 4 surgeries on this right shoulder) before all this pancreas, etc. happen when I was fighting. Had an acl done for 2nd time. It's now torn again, along with lcl, mcl, and lateral meniscus. I have 7 herniations in my thoracic spine, 3 in my cervical, 1 in my lumbar, need another ankle surgery, a hip replacement, and am going on Wednesday to see how we are going to handle this next shoulder surgery.

There's more, but that should be enough to give you an idea of where I was for the last 9 year's, and what I am still currently managing. We have been talking about my end of life and I'm trying to get everything in line for my cremation, all my finances, belongings, etc. I just don't know how to keep waking up and fight an endless battle that no doctor has an answers on how to help my post surgery complications.

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