Chronic constipation and bloating, remove intestine?

[cc_579]

I have suffered from constipation for 12 years due to medication. Over the years I have been eating right, lots of fiber and careful use of laxatives.

Over the past year I have been getting blockage and been to the ER twice. They just do enemas, so I have been doing them at home.

Now I can not even go unless I use one every two days or so. Otherwise I get blocked.

I know this must not be good, but don't know what else to do. My mom had gastric-by-pass surgery and they told her she had a lot of extra small intestine, so wondering if maybe I have that also.

What if I just have too much colon? Is there a way to get just some of my colon removed to prevent blockage without having a stoma?

Obviously, I'm looking at something drastic. But would be nice to not look 7 months pregnant and be uncomfortably bloated all the time.

[Morecambe]

There have been postings on Medhelp whereby patients have reported that a total colectomy has been suggested to them as a treatment of last resort for chronic constipation.  In no way am I suggesting that this may be proper for you - but maybe it is a question worth posing to your G.I. specialist?

Anyway, in reponse to a posting from a Medhelp patient with this complaint and to whom a total colectomy had been suggested by her doctor, I described my own experience of a total colectomy which I had undergone some years previously - not for chronic constipation - but for torrential diverticular bleeding.

You can find this posting on:-

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/523166

Hope that this helps for whatever treatment you ultimately decide to pursue

regards
Morecambe

[mammo]

If you have "too much" small intestine they can remove some of it, without you having a stoma.  But I really don't think this is your problem.  Are you sure you're not eating too much fiber?  This can constipate you as well as bloat you.  Have you seen a GI doctor to get an upper and lower scope?  This is your first step, and I would get off the laxatives and try Miralax, which is not a stimulant and can be used indefinitely. It pulls water to the stool so that you can pass it. If you have been using laxatives for a long time, your colon gets lazy and has trouble going without the help from the laxatives, which compounds your constipation. You don't say what medications you're on that cause this, but have you gone back to the doctor to let him know what problems you're having?  Maybe they can give you a different medication.  Has anyone mentioned IBS?  I'm sure you're tired of this, but I think you need to seek medical attention and get this resolved.  A lot has changed in 12 years, and there may be more they can do for you now.  Try cutting back on the fiber, and using only Miralax (follow directions) and see if things improve.  Fiber can wreck your system if you are getting to much of it, causing all the symptoms you describe.  Best of luck to you!