awkward question, on suboxone and only 1 bowel movement in 3 weeks

I started on the subs 3 weeks ago. I went the first 10 days with no urge to go at all.. But i was all kinds of bloated. Since i was no longer on the pills i had the urge to eat, so i did. but nothing ever came out o.O So i finally took 2 dulcolax laxatives before bed. and sure enough the next morning i was in the bathroom for an hour and a half i swear with the most horrible pains ever. I was even nauseated. Thought i was gonna vomit while sitting there. That was sometime last week. And again i haven't had the urge to go since. So i picked up some stool softeners. And i have been taking at least 6 a day for the last 3 days, and still nothing. I don't want to go back to the laxatives because of the pain they cause. Anyone have any suggestions. Again i apologize for awkwardness of this subject. But even on the pain pills i was never ever constipated. My husband who is also on the subs, has no problem with this situation. He's as regular as they come...

[ricart70]

You are on a high powered opiate and that is going to cause high powered constipation that eclipses the low grad constipation of hydro.
  Have you tried magnesium citrate. I can't remember if its sodium or magnesium because I have not had to buy it in a long time.They sell it at all dollar generals.It's in a glass bottle,it's liquid and drink two of them and stay home.lol

[EvolverU]

Hi & Welcome,

                   First and foremost, before you get really acclimated to Suboxone it might a good idea to get off of it for a host of reasons which I'll go into if you're interested. The stool softner thing, while I completely understand why you bought them, are also a bad idea because they're addictive. You won't be able to go w/o them and that's toxic. An alternative measure you could take would be either 'Natural Calm' which is a powdered Calcium/Magnesium/Potassium/Ascorbic Acid & D3 supplement or just take liquid Magnesium. This will take care of the problem if you  take a little more than the recommended dosage.It will also help you sleep. I would also suggest exercise and a lot of hydration -- just water, nothing else. Stop any caffeine, energy drinks & sodas. Try to add raw and slightly cooked green veggies and maybe legumes/beans to your diet.
                Could you tell me a little bit more about the kind of habit you had? - What you were on, how long & at what dose. Is it your first habit?

Hope this helps, Wishing you all good things

[ang_811]

I had that problem for years even on the subs. Do u c a Dr? Not to b gross or anything but that stuff needs to get out of ur body BC it can cause bacteria then that bacteria can spread into your body and even into your bloodstream causing all kinds of serious problems. How do I know all of this? BC when I was addicted for ten years I'd go a almost a month and even longer without having a bm. When I got sober I started having health problems. The bacteria had spread inside of me and has caused a lot of problems. Its no fun to wake up and not know if ur gonna b sick that day or not. Every other day I have flu like symptoms amongst other problems. My drs have been working on this for the past 6 months. I'm not saying this for pitty. I'm sharing this with u in hopes that one day u won't have fhs problems like I do today. See a Dr soon. Don't ignore it like I did.

[nursegirl6572]

That's REALLY not good.

Obviously, opiates cause constipation.

My recommendation is to add a stool softener, like Colace (docusate sodium) to your daily regimen.  They are available OTC, and what's nice about it is it isn't a harash laxative like ducolax, or magnesium citrate (that is some HEAVY HEAVY duty stuff, btw...I would steer clear of that!).

You can take one a day for a while to see if that helps, and if needed, you can take it twice a day (standard dose is 100mg per capsule).  It will keep you regulated by keeping the stool soft.  Also, it's very important to make sure you're getting enough fluids, that helps with constipation a lot.

Talk with your doctor, but I assure you that Colace is perfectly safe, non-addictive.  If you decide to try it, you may notice another product, called Peri-Colace.  That's also an OTC stool softener, but it has more laxative properties.  I would definitely try the colace first and go from there.

It's very dangerous to allow yourself to go so long without a bowel movement, and then take a harsh laxative to address the constipation.  You risk some very terrible side effects, VERY severe cramping, even fainting.  That's WAY too rough on the system.  Also, you're risking impaction and all kinds of other issues that could land you in the hospital.

Keep track, and make sure you are going at LEAST once every three days.  If you haven't gone by the third day, then you may need something a little stronger to get the bowels moving again...but hopefully the stool softener taken every day will prevent the constipation for you.  If you DO need an occasional laxative, ducoloax isn't a bad choice, don't overdo it...start with one or two and wait.  Miralax is also a good OTC laxative, not incredibly harsh.  PLEASE stay away from the mag citrate.  

Good luck, hope you find something to keep you regulated!

[ileanni]

My opiate habit goes back about 6-7 years. It started with just a couple lortabs a few times a week. And eventually over the years and my husband's and my tolerance increasing, we got up to taking 30+ hydros each a day. Everyday. There was a time where i couldn't remember a day when i went without any for years. Well of course with that kind of habit we were buying off the street plus going to doctors and the amount of money we were spending was out of control. My dad has been on methadone for 20 years for a heroin habit. He'd shoot anything up. Well me and my husband figured it'd be a lot cheaper to just get on methadone. I wasn't strong enough at the time to try and taper myself off the pills. So we went from one drug to another. We were on methadone for 8 months. He ended up in jail for 40 days and had to kick his 140mg/day habit. And i was stuck without the money for the clinic since he worked and i stayed at home with the kids. So i had to kick my 110mg/day habit cold turkey. I was staying at my dad's house at the time. And i was extremely sick for well over a month. I lost so much weight cause i couldn't eat or drink anything. I'd just throw it up. Well after the physical wd were managable i started dealing with the mental stuff. And that was almost worse than the first. I was so depressed and lost and it was like my mind had a mind of it's own if that makes any sense. It even got to the point i was having suicidal thoughts. Well my husband gets out of jail and probably no more than a week later we were buying a few pills. I figured just a couple wouldn't hurt. And then our daily habit returned. So we've been back on the pills since last august. We got on suboxone about 3 weeks ago and of course this dr wants us to take 2 8mg strips a day. And a 3rd one if we feel we need it. I only take 8mg a day. The first time i took just the 1 strip

[ileanni]

it made me feel normal. Not high of any kind. and i knew i didn't need to take anymore than that. but i'm not gonna lie and say the addict in me didn't try and take 2 strips just to see how i'd feel. but i didn't feel any different. So i've only been taking 8mgs a day. and today i actually cut down to 6mgs. we don't plan on staying on these for very long. We're using these to taper ourselves off opiates completely. i'm not saying we won't experience any wd symptoms just because we switched opiates, this was just a cheaper way to do it. and for me, mentally, i'm ready. we're making changes in our lifestyle to prepare ourselves for sober living. i just found a church we're gonna start going to. and they have NA classes at night that we'll attend. i know i've read horror stories about suboxone. but i've also read some that actually gave me hope. So i guess it's different for everyone. I just know this is a battle that i'll fight everyday for a long time if not for the rest of my life. and i'm ready!!

[ileanni]

And i'd really like it if you would share with me your experience or knowledge of suboxone...

[ileanni]

Thanks for the advice. I've been taking colace for the last 3 days at probably 3 a day. And still nothing. I know it's not safe to be in this situation.That's why i was seeking advice. Nothing like this has ever happened to me. I drink plenty of tea throughout the day. i don't drink sodas. But i have to have my 2 cups of coffee in the morning. I know one person said to cut out all caffeine, but i just can't do that.. i think i'm just as addicted to my coffee as i am to opiates.. and they said to exercise, which i do everyday. Maybe i'll try and drink more water even though i've never been a water drinker. And next time i'm at the store i'll look for the peri-colace if i haven't had any luck by then. thanks again :)

[YesLife4Me]

That's awful.  I don't have anything really to add that hasn't been said.  I hope you get some relief soon.  

[nursegirl6572]

And next time i'm at the store i'll look for the peri-colace if i haven't had any luck by then. thanks again :) .

Definitely a GOOD plan!!

[ricart70]

The only reason I mentioned the mag citrate drink was because during my using career I tried all of those others and they did nothing for my PARALYZED digestive system.They were a cruel joke lol  Then someone told me about mag citrate and it  "worked"  

[nursegirl6572]

Oh it definitely works!  It's like liquid dynamite!  ;0)

[ricart70]

lol  it is violent

[YesLife4Me]

What makes it work so suddenly?  Is it like the stuff they give people before they have a colonoscopy?   I haven't had one, but I hear that the  stuff you drink before makes you feel like you are going to lift off the toilet seat.  LOL!

[ricart70]

not sure but I read it pulls water from tissues into the intestine forcing it to evacuate.   I feel dirty now

[nursegirl6572]

LOL ricart.

It's some insane stuff.  We give people with severe constipation or impactions like 1/2 a bottle and it caused a firestorm of doo-doo, when you said 2 bottles, I was like 0-0!!!!

I thought, oh dear Lord....after two bottles, I could picture a person passed out on the floor.  

Yes....it's kind of like colonscopy prep, only worse as far as intensity goes.  Like hard hitting, and fast.  And ricart knows his stuff, it works by osmosis..drawing water (lots of it) from the tissues into the intestines.  Like a REALLY unpleasant water balloon if you think about it.  :0)

LOL....I feel dirty too.  I just know, as a nurse, anytime the docs would order Mag Citrate, we KNEW there was a serious, stubborn number 2 issue, and we prepared for war.

[nursegirl6572]

Oh, and to add insult to injury...the liquid prep for a c-scope is called "Go-Lytely".  Someone out there has a sense of humor.  ;0)

[YesLife4Me]

Thanks...now I feel dirty as well.  LOL!!    (I guess I asked the question, so I deserve it)  

[ileanni]

now i'm scared to take any of that... i know i have to do something. i took another laxative earlier this morning and still nothing... ugh!!! after the horrible feeling i had when i took 2 laxatives last week i can only imagine drinking that stuff. I literally felt like i was gonna throw up while i was in the process of going. the pains were almost unbearable!

[ricart70]

Maybe you need to go see a doctor .   Not trying to be blunt  but that's all I can think of and this could get dangerous soon.  

[YesLife4Me]

I agree...I think you need to see your Dr.  You could wind up with impacted bowels or an infection.  I think the longest I've gone is a week and that was because I ran out of opiates so my body went into w/d and forced me to go even though I was a little constipated at first it wasn't anything like what you describe.  

[hope6hope]

You could always try mirlax it's not to harsh but gets things going

[Fireby29]

You really need to get to a doctor ASAP.  Three weeks is entering dangerous territory.  I would consider the ER also.  Do not mess around with this.

Bryan

[ileanni]

i'm not the type of person that goes to the doctor or er unless it's a dire emergency.. or has to do with my addiction.. so i took 2 more dulcolex laxatives. If nothing happens by the morning, then you all have scared me into going to the ER.. i don't have insurance so i can't just set up an appointment with just any doctor. and i've spent all my extra money on my sub doc and medication already... i wonder why i'm having this side effect but my husband isn't having any problems like this. he goes on a regular basis... any ideas??

[nursegirl6572]

Yeah..I too agree a doctor is needed here.  Good luck, let us know!

[maria920]

I took the mag citrate before and let me tell u it works withing half hour. I'm on suboxone as well and I take a daily softener bc if I didn't I'd b where u r now.

[VICourageous]

Hi all what a s****ty conversation u all are having....Ha! Yes I would go to DR. I had used the Stool Softener when I was using alot. I also would buy little cans of sauerkraut juice (cabbage) it cleans the bad germs/bact from the intestines. I also got the fiber powder....Drink lots and lots of water.....
Good luck on your issue.
I hope it all comes out in the end........
Vickie.....Smiles to you girl...

[HadEnough0920]

My sister is a nurse, and she has told me some wonderful stories about digging out severely compacted rectums.  When I was taking Norcos, I would get severe constipation.  One time I had to go, but it felt like my back door was going to split open.  It hurt so bad.  I went into survival mode.  I filled up the bathtub with water, jumped in, propped my legs on the wall (I'm 6'2"), and proceeded to give water birth to a brown baby boy the size of a baseball.  I bled for a couple days.

I would strongly suggest going to the ER, especially after this long.  I was only without a BM for 3 days.  I cannot fathom going, or not going in your case, for as long as you have.  Don't worry, you can push past this :)

[ileanni]

lol .. thanks for making me laugh at least.. you guys are awesome... but i have great news... a few hours after my last post on here, the laxatives i had taken earlier finally kicked in! Yea!!! I've never in my life been so happy to go to the bathroom. and this time the stomach pains weren't as bad as they were last week. I started taking stool softeners a few days ago everyday. and i'm gonna continue to do that. as well as adding more water and fiber powder to my diet. hopefully this situation doesn't happen again. if it does, i won't let it go one as long as it did. some of you really freaked me out about how dangerous it could be. and i really appreciate the honesty in that. It did all work it's way out in the end, and i did push past it :) Thanks everyone for all your advice!!

[Back2Me]

You can take Miralax every day without worrying about it being addictive. It's not a real laxative but works very well it only draws fluid into your Bowles and helps you go. You can start it and stop it whenever you like. No dependency. If you buy it it's a little pricy but almost always depending where you buy it there is always a generic version of it sitting on the shelf right next to it usually a lot cheaper. Kroger, wal mart and all of those stores have the generic. And you can take as much or as little as you need but DO JOY MESS AROUND WITH THIS ONE MORE DAY! You can die from bowl obstructions. My friends aunt did.

[YesLife4Me]

This reminds me of a joke about how all the body parts were arguing who whas more important and in charge.  The brain said I send signals to all the other body parts to work.  The heart says I pump vital blood and oxygen to all those parts, the stomach says I nourish and feed the body, and when the bowell said he was most important the others laughed at him, so he shut down for a few days.  Soon the stomach was upset, the blood was poisoned with bacteria and the brain slowed down.  They all said to the blwel...we give up, you win.  The morale of the story is the a$$hole is always in charge!

[ricart70]

      
I guess my hopes of this remaining a mature conversation have been
  shat-**** to feces

[ricart70]

shat-terd  *

[VICourageous]

OMG are we addicts or what!!! Hey pooh I love that Joke I am laughiing so hard I better run to the BRM !! Oh you guys are sooo funnie. I guess this is how we become when we get CLEANED ha! ha! I mean from our drugs OM .We need more of these...
God Bless us all and the humor comes back....
vickie
Oh how funnie ricart....
Had Enough was it a boy or a girl....

ILEANNI I am glad it happen maybe it was the laughter......

[selfinduced]

You guys crack me up! Nothing like a modest bunch of addicts to down and uhhhh dirty! YAY, for a good pooh Ileani. Off to take a shower now haha!

[clean_in_ks]

Wow....this thread has gotten fun-ny.....so glad things are moving now for you, ileanni.

As I read thru everybody's comments I thought of two things I would definitely try before a medication to "assist" your cleansing process.  I'm in this new space where I'm desperately trying to learn about NEW ways to help this healing process without ANY drug of any kind, otc or otherwise.
Of course, that's just ME and a personal choice.

WATER.......preferably NOT tap water....but if you have to choose between not drinking water at all or drinking tap.....drink what you can get your hands on.  A basic rule of thumb (this was b4 opiates for me) that I learned was to take your body weight....and divide that number in half.....that's how many MINIMUM number of ounces of water your particular body needs.  Example:  if you weight 140 lbs......you need a minimum of 70 oz of water EVERY day.  
I keep two liter bottles disinfected/sanitized and fill them with water all day....I put them in the freezer until they have just a little ice in them.  Then I stick one in the fridge (my back up) and I put the other one in a koozie (sp?) and carry it with me wherever I go.  At first, you almost have to MAKE yourself drink water.....but after you get a habitual routine going.....your body will cry out for and miss the water.  Isn't that cool?  
Second thing I thought of:  increasing your intake of "uncooked" foods....whatever you like, whatever works for YOU.....I love dark greens or mixed greens in a salad....carrot or celery sticks, cucumbers, apples, etc.
any uncooked fruit or veggie will totally change your digestion and elimination.  If you add water......that will hydrate ALL your bodily functions;
not just your digestive system, but it will help will inflammation, back pain, the healing of your brain and neuropathways...on and on.

So....water, fruit and veggies.....the more of those foods I consume....the better I feel.  (now if I had the money to hire a personal chef.....of course I'd do a lot better with all of it....but for now.....even with non-stop pain and no money, I can get an apple w/string cheese snack or some water in me and it dosn't require a lot of moolah either.....just some discipline on my part(which is sorely lacking since coming out of this 4 yr medical crisis tomb of mine....but I'm working on it)
You're doing great!!!  Glad you're on the road to recovery~

[nursegirl6572]

YAY!!!!  Success!  Now we can't say you're full of sh*t anymore!  Ha!

You know what else I would recommend if you ever get that backed up again (although again, I wouldn't go past 3 days without an intervention), if you can handle putting something up your bum (lol, some people can't) is a ducolax suppository OR a fleets enema (or two).

Personally, when I'm constipated for any reason, I prefer the enema route, it's fairly quick, with little cramping.  On vacation last summer, I was bound up (mental thing from being away from home), so I did the fleets...took my two, but it worked so well.

In the nursing homes I have worked in, we always had a bowel regimen, as the older people were prone to constipation.  What we did was, on the third day without a BM, the first shift, we gave prune juice, if no results, the next shift we gave a dose of milk of magnesia, if still no luck by the third shift, we did a ducolax suppository OR a fleets enema.  This worked pretty well.

Just some more suggestions to add to the list of fun bowel interventions.  ;0)  I'm just so glad you went..hopefully the stool softener will do the trick.

And I agree...man!!!!  What a crappy thread!  ;-)

[YesLife4Me]

This is a Craptastic Thread!!  ;)  

Vacation...yeah, I always get weird about going someplace other than home (or work if I absolutely must).  

[ileanni]

you guys are awesome :) i was actually kinda hesitant to even post this question at first because of how personal it is.. but the way everyone has made me laugh with their hilarious comments and great advice, makes me so glad i did :) it's funny because when me and my husband first met, it took a long time for me to even let it be known to him that i ever went no2.. so for me to have this conversation with a whole group of strangers is a big step for me lol.. i feel a lot closer to you guys now :)

and i'm the same way when it comes to using any restroom but my own.. once i was detoxing cause i had ran out of pills but i had to go to the grocery store. i literally had to leave in the middle of shopping and pray i made it home in time.

again, thank you all for the great advice.. like i said before, i hardly ever drink water. but i'm going to start making myself do it. and i love salads. like religiously i eat a salad everyday..

[YesLife4Me]

Boy can I relate to the shopping situation!   Nothing worse than running out of pills and having to suffer with the symptoms and try to get on with your day to day business or put on a pretense.  

I think it's easy to relate to each other about even personal things such as this because we have all been through it.  Nobody understands more than this group of people.  Even terds.  

I'm like you in that I don't discuss things like this and don't want anyone knowing when I go or have to go.  Maybe it's a girl thing because my bf is so upfront about when he has to go.  When I was about 9 yrs old I had an appendectomy.  While in the hospital the nurse came in to check on me.  Asked when I last went pee, then started to ask me about going number two, but she paused, looked embarrassed and asked what I called it.  Being a kid I said 'poop'.  That situation really embarrassed me that young.  

Like they say, we girls don't fart, we fluff.  And we don't go number two!   LOL!  

[adexec181]

This is too funny, I laughed all day reading these posts...as I too, can totally relate!  Public restrooms were my bite fear during WD.  And Ricart70...-about your post the other day on how to gt your thread noticed...maybe including "poop" or "terd" in the title would help!  I haven't seen as much action since my first 7 days!,

[ricart70]

yes good idea  adexec lol.i am awaiting this thread getting shut down as the comments are becoming excrementally worse as it goes on

[SmilingBright]

You guys are hilarious.  Lol.

Hey ileanna,
I Love Zija tea.  Moringa premium tea.  It works amazing.   I drink a hot cup bf bed ev night and in the morning All things are Great.  Not so full of crap anymore.  Lol.

I'm being a little dirty myself. Lol.
I love it. All natural and it really works great!!!!

Good luck. Lol

[VICourageous]

OMG this is the only thread I like to go to...It makes me laugh sooo much.. I think you went because you laughed so hard Ha! Now lets not all run to the Bathrm at the same time!!!
Maybe we should add this to the to do list while detoxing......
God has to love us...