Cronic Consipation with Methadone

[Barbara]

I am on Methadone and as all who has been on it know it causes constipation. Well I have extremely hard stools and it is painful to go to the bathroom. Is there anything I can take that will help me to have softer stools? Any foods,stool softners, etc that would help. ha ha this is no joke. I could build houses with my stools that is how hard they are. I dread that feeling to go because I know I will be in pain trying to get it out..lol...sorry for this ****** subject but I need help!
                           Barbara

[ambanhar]

ive been on methadone 7 years now and i still suffer the same hard stools with periods of  constipation as in going days with out a bowel movement but when i first started on methadone i took an off brand stool softner that worked very well until my body got use to it i guess and it stopped working after a while, now i have a routine to make sure that i have a bowel movement if its been a couple days since having a good one, i get take homes and instead of dosing early in the morning i make myself wait til around 12 pm or later, in the meantime, i usually drink a 16 or 24 oz. redbull or a large regular coffee, and either of those will make u need to pee, but i force myself to hold it as long as possible, and doing that usually kick starts my bowels and no matter the amount of constipation it cleans me out, fast, the caffine for whatever reason gets my bowels to move, i know thats not exactly an answer for having softer stools, but first try a stool softner, and all other over the counter remidies, if those things dont work and u find urself not having regular movements, then try the caffine approach, it does work.

[del677]

I know someone who's on massive amounts of methadone and she's been having extremely painful constipation for years.

We finally discovered that Probiotics and Omega-3 Fish Oil work wonders for her.

(I don't know if there are different kinds of Probiotics. Florastor is the brand she tried that worked. She asked the pharmacist for the best. It's a bit pricey but seems to work wonders. There may be a less expensive brand that also works)

[Qtncurlymom]

You need to take a stool softener and stimulant in one pill it is called senna lax and you can buy it over the counter.  I am telling you this bc I have experienced this as well on methadone and it was a quick fix also drink lots of water as well!

[Mamabear119]

I have been on methadone for 4 1/2 years. I have just been ignoring the constipation and have been having 2 to 3 BM daily with only balls of hard poo coming out every single time for the entire time Ive  been on this medication. And now I am scared I have colon cancer. About a year ago I noticed I had tiny amount of bright red blood in my poo but I dismissed it as my husband said it was probably from straining to poo. Now I have a pain in my left lowest part of my abdomen and lots of pressure. I am terrified . I have a colonoscopy scheduled for April 12th and Im terrified. Can anyone give me any insight or relate to this? Could it be something other than cancer? ive  began taking miralax as of 4 days ago and I had two seemingly normal BM come out they were long and pretty fat and now the past day and half I've had skinny long and skinny pieces coming out. Im so worried. Miralax has made it come out soft now but Im very concerned about the skinny ones (I know its TMI but its serious and I thought maybe someone could help?) any info would be useful .... thank you all... (IVe also read that Braggs organic raw unfiltered vinegar with the mother in it will help with colon cleansing ... add 2 tbsp of braggs apple cider vinegar organic kind and 2 tbsp of raw organic honey to 8 oz of warm filtered or bottled spring water and drink it ... I read you can drink it up to 3 times a day... I think.... hope this helps someone... miralax for sure helps. Look me up on facebook Vivian Dempsey Davidson if yall want ...

[pandasdaddylongdreadz]

I am right there with ya,I am currently in treatment at a methadone clinic&neighbors can hear me screaming

[tight_hole]

OMG It hurts so bad please someone help PLEASE. I'm sorry I'm sat on the toilet trying to stool and yet again its like its just jammed up there.... I've been on methadone for about 18 months started on 100ml a day now on 10ml per day. I'm from the UK and was hoping someone could help me thanks very much

[Chris1911]

lol is it the kroger brand stool softener?

[sharpetails]

I want to THANK ALL OF YOU who told me about the miralax and the flaxseed oil, IT HAS WORKED!!!!! Well I am no longer taking the miralax, only the flaxseed oil and more fiber, but I AM SO HAPPY to be able to go to the bathroom, NORMALLY again!! THANKS AGAIN :) :)

[sharpetails]

omg, I kno these comments are old, but I just had to comment for anyone else looking for relief!! I take 50mg of methadone a day, I was taking 130 a day, so trying to come off, but that's easy to say and , very hard too do!! Ivde been on some kinda opiate for 20 years! That's why I got on methadone, to get off the pills. I have been on methadone for 3 years and for the past 8 mths, omg I have been so constipated! I kno how you guys feel, i mean last night, it was so hard, it was not coming out!! I had to put a glove on, well you all kno wat came next! well, it was horrible, I mean I had blood on the end of my finger and was sooo scared! I just want to say thank you all for all of your comments, because now I kno I am not alone! From now on, it's nothing but Miralax, flaxseed oil and high fiber cereal! I wish you guys luck and easy, well you know!! THANKS AGAIN

[pokerking]

I agree. I am now on a diet of metyhadone since Sept 11, 2012 after years of on again off again Lortab use. I have NEVER experienced constipation like this with tabs(even at 10 to 15 a day). I am afraid I am at the point of no help without medical intervention as I have had maybe three bowel movements since then even WITH THE USE OF COLACE. ALL have been EXTREMELY painful. Please help.

[lynnalb15]

Oh my god I can't even tell you how sorry I am for you going thru this. A few months ago I had this problem and I swear to god it was worse than child birth. I had to finally go to the dr becaus the fear of going was worse than the humiliation of telling my dr. She gave me a numbing cream for the area and suppositories. They're no fun but they eventually helped me a lot. I remember that pain and it's no joke. Try goin to your de. It's your best bet. Or you can get some over the counter numbing cream which is amazing and suppositories. Try it and hopefully it works for you!

[wtf666]

what about milk of magnesia? i find it to work great if u take like 6 tblespoons at a time

[Mateo13]

If I know my MMT brethren correctly, there are alot more people out there using FLEET enemas than they say.  Since it is fast, it is the perfect option for having a bowel movement in a scheduled time i.e. before you go to the clinic, or before you take your take-home.  Unfortunately, I think I have become somewhat addicted to these things and I must say that even though I would like to act like Im some OG it is kind of scary.  Any help in weening off of the enemas into a Miralax routine or Lactulose.  But even those are not time friendly.  Uh Fu@k, what to do?

[Mateo13]

Is there any bad time or better time to take an enema.  I am on 135 Mg of Methadone and I must admit since alot of us do not like waiting for our dose we are on a time schedule.  So alot of us do enemas just to keep things moving.  And then in like 10 minutes I will drink my dose.  And I know enemas get in your bloodstream, and today it felt as if my dose was non-existent.  So I was just wondering if drinking your dose to quick after an enema can somehow bother the effectiveness of your dose.  But I do not think so, since the issue has never come up.  If someone knows please let me know

[MarcusAlan]

I didn't read all of this thread, but what I did read I noticed no one mentioned MiraLax. This is an over the counter powder that comes in various size bottles. My mom was told to try it for her constipation from her Doctor and she got me on it since I've been suffering from chronic constipation. And I do mean chronic.

When I goto the bathroom and produce a bowel movement which is about once every week, it hurts like HELL and I often tear up just trying to get 'it' out. It is terrible and the ONLY thing I have found to help me is MiraLax. I take two spoon fulls about twice a week and I'm good to go. It makes everything come out without any pain or heaving.

So yeah I would recommend to anyone out there who has terrible constipation from Methadone or whatever to get some MiraLax, it will make your life so much easier.

All you do with it is take two spoonfulls or so and put it in a cup of water(or soda/juice) and stir it up for about 20 seconds. It dissolves completely and I take it in water and can honestly say there is no taste to it at all. It just tastes like water which is a good thing for me.

[Back2Me]

Like someone said above MIRILAX is the ONLY way to go. It's powder you put in a drink no taste at all! And it does not cramp you at all either. And it's not really a laxative basically it forces water into your bowls and makes everything soft. Like the person said above it's fantastic and it's OTC now. Takes a day or two to work but just stay on it. You can take more or less when you need it and it does not harm you long term like laxatives. You can stop whenever you want
with no problems. Great stuff.

[lorab]

I have been on 150mg IM of Morphine for 4 years and about to go onto Methadone (pain management). I have very adhered bowels/intestines from surgeries and several places are almost closed off, so feces just dont 'fit' through those places without severe pain, vomiting and the risk of perforation. Add to that the chronic and severe constipation and it's a recipe for disaster. I use a purgative every 3rd day to ensure my bowel is completely clean so there is no risk of impaction or blockage caused by feces. The purgative I use is called Citro-Mag, it comes in liquid form in a bottle, I drink one superlarge glass of water then drink contents of the bottle, then another large water. Within 1 - 3 hrs my entire system empties, it takes about an hr to complete. Another on the same is called PICO SALEX its powder and its mixed with water too, it does the same thing. When its ALL OUT, especially without any forcing, you feel fantastic! Ps, my hubby and daughter both have very bad gas issues, they both take 1.2 a bottle once a mnth for a full clean and bowel heath, since they have been doing this their gas issues have almost vanished. GOOD LUCK!

[CrillyC]

I just wanted to tell you (or whoever may stumble across this), even though I know this post is super old... YOU ARE ADDICTED. If you're having any sort of pains, emotional issues (crying...) after stopping the methadone, then you are addicted darling. What someone else said, it is a very sneaky drug. It only takes about a week to become dependent. You can take one 10mg pill per day for a week and you will experience withdrawals when you stop. That's just how methadone works. It's not a drug people should take for "fun" even though the high is great. Being addicted to opiates is HELL. I've done about every drug under the sun except crack, and let me tell you.. NOTHING has grabbed me by the cojones like methadone (or other opiates)... I've been addicted now for about 4 years and I've tried to quit with various methods... Once cold turkey and I got the best results with that, making it over a month and passed the withdrawals. I then drank too much one night and let myself slip up, popped some morphine and went right back into the cycle. Eventually finding my way back to methadone. Tried quitting again with suboxone, spent thousands on that method... It worked, for about 5 months or until they tried to take me completely off the suboxone. About a week after I took the last suboxone I relapsed again. It's IMPOSSIBLE to quit this stuff on your own. BE CAREFUL PEOPLE. Smoke some pot or something, leave the opiates to the idiots like myself.

[rouzaud]

Hi Amzy; Your actually pretty brave to be asking these questions. A lot of us old farts on this site wish we could go back and not take any drugs/meds at all- period! When your older you just want to feel normal again. Methadone is one of the most dangerous drugs there is, simply because it is so sneaky. Listen to your body, let it be "normal" as long as you can. Anyone who has been there will tell you, this is the best course for you. Finally, self medicating for emotional problems is like finding an adrenaline rush playing Russian Roulette. Try to get counseling, or even better, go out and help a few people in anyway you can. You'll find life in normalcy is wonderful. God bless you.  Peter

[dres]

Ive been on opiate pain meds for 2 years.I eat a big bowl of grapenuts everyday and have never had constipation.

[amzy22]

This is a really hard thing to talk about... im one of those girls that freaks out if someone knows that I'm on my period. I feel like I can't talk to anyone because this stuff really embarrasses me! I take methadone off and on (recreationally)....I know I know. I shouldnt... I guess its been about two years. But I havent had any in about a week, close to it, and the constipation is horrible! Actually, it's the PAIN!!!! It feels like something SHARP is cutting me and today is the worst day it's ever been. I don't know what to do! I read that methadone doesnt completely break down in your stomach and peices can remain in your stool... I dont know if it's true or not but it sounds likely! to me!!! Once it starts hurting too bad, I just stop...and cry. I am not taking methadone anymore. Im not addicted...i have been occassionly taking it. (I would go about 3-5 weeks straight taking about 10-15 mgs a day and then stop taking them for 2wks -stimes 2 months at a time... I need help...today! My stomach doesnt hurt, cramp, or anything like that. I just can not use the restroom and I really really feel like I have to.

I'm about 100 pounds and I'm 22 years old. Ive never even been to a "woman doctor" or had any kind of stomach problems or health problems.... im so scared that I'm going to now.....

And im scared that these over the counter medications are going to make me have to use the restroom all freakin day or something weird! Ive never taken them.

Advice?? Please???

[oceanfamily1992]

I'm pretty sure i've tried everything "out there" to relieve my chronic constipation, and nothing has come close to Mirilax.  It's now over the counter. I've been using it for a few years now, and as long as I don't get lazy with monitoring whether or not I'm getting fully emptied, I stay out of trouble.  

Mirilax is a white powder that you mix into any beverage. I usually use gatorade, or soda.  It doesnt taste at all, but is quite sweet. It's not unpleasant in the least.  It doesnt cause cramping or gas. It can take a couple days to work, however, there is usually a lot of relief from the pain and cramping the same day.  My theory is that it gets things softened up, which causes less strain on the colon.

There is a prescription drug for this prob that is supposed to practially change your life (my doctor says that).  Ive forgotten the name, but will get it from my doctor in a week or so (the ER doctor told me about this drug, but didn't send me home with a prescription).  If you want to know the name, please feel free to put a reminder note on my page here. I will forget otherwise.

I hope you get relief soon!

Catherine Anne

[redrodeo]

Hey Barbara,
     Listen anyone who gets weirded out by this subject needs to grow up. Constipation needs to be treated agresively.
     Personally at 55 yo I am not going to worry about my bowels getting addicted to senna. But normally I take 3 senna tabs and 1 Amitiza capsule at bedtime and that seems to work. But even that doesn't always work so I resort to a osmotic enema like Fleets. And I do fine. Oh Amitiza is a fairly new drug, you need a prescription.
      Red

[Mhunt1488]

I am on 140Mg of methadone but I only take the whole dose once a week. The rest of the week i take 30MG twice a day. I'm trying to ween off myself. I have found that none of the other Laxatives or Stool softeners help except for Sanakot. I have been on methadone on and off for about 12-13 years and this has only been a problem for the last year or so. I also found that the Senokat can be addictive. So now I only take it when completely necessary. Instead I use Fiber Supplements with my drinks. I use "Fibersure" in the blue bottles for a few days then I switch to "Benifiber" for a few days. I've found that If I only take one brand my system gets used to it and it builds a tolerance so that i have to take more for it to work. So by switching between brands every few days it really make a difference. I still get the occasional stomach cramping from it but not nearly as bad as with senokot.