constipation and long term use of laxatives

[confusedbydocs]

hi ive been suffering from constipation for 10 years, and ive been taking laxatives for the past 5 years now. was taking senna for 3 years and found out i had melanosis coli as a result of it, so went on a strict fibre diet for a whole year and my condition didnt get any better, so now im taking dulcolax every night. my concern is that i want to have children in the near future, and i want to know wat are the effects of taking laxatives especially dulcolax on the baby and if there is a better alternative please i would like to know about it.  
p.s i tried movicol but didnt work on me.

[confusedbydocs]

hi thanx for your input, i will definately give it a go.the dulcolax is too strong and its not doing my health any favors.thank u all for ur advice. much appreciated.

[TracyGromley]

Hello confusedbydocs.  Boy have I been there with the constipation and all of the "natural remedies".  I bought product from the health food store and it did work.  However, when I had my colonoscopy last July, I too was diagnosed with melanosis coli.  One of my conditions is colonic inertia which means there is a part of my colon that isn't working.  It is not caused by the laxatives.  The doctor told me that the melanosis coli is from taking over-the-counter laxatives or products that have cascara segrada in them.  He told me that the melanosis coli is not dangerous, but to stop taking what I was.  He and other doctors have advised me to use miralax.  I use it 3 x per day.  That might be a bit much for you, but you could start with 1 dose in the morning for awhile and see how that goes or you could use it at night.  There is no cramping and it does work.  It might take a week or to for it to start working, but I would encourage this for you.  I mix it with crangrape juice.  Really it has no flavor, but the thought of it just with water (which I did do for quite awhile) made me not want to do it.

It is a safe method as far as I can see and like I said, I have had several doctors recommend this to me.

Good luck and I don't think it would be harmful during pregnancy.  I am not a doctor, but have several gi conditions.

Hugs:  Tracy

[confusedbydocs]

i have been tested for celiac and it came back negative, ure right doctors do tend to not look into it, i asked to be tested after a few people advised me about it. and yees one of my legs are shorter because i was born with club foot, i never thought it could impact my costipation. i dont suffer any pain in my leg or hips. how do i go on about getting that looked into?

[Caryopteris]

Because you are having GI problems and want to have kids, I think it's very important you be tested for celiac disease.  Docs forget you can have constipation with celiac disease because diarrhea is more common.  But with celiac you can't absorb nutrition, and that's a dangerous combination with pregnancy because babies have needs and will take all you've got.  

The medicine that helps me is MiraLax, and it's over the counter.  My GI docs say it's safe to use every day.  When you are free of constipation you will have a lot more energy and be able to exercise, and that will help you too.  
Second of all, do you have any leg length discrepancy at all?  I am getting great results from correcting my "minor" leg length discrepancy that is only 1/2 inch (a little more than 1 cm).  Nerve pain I was having in my hip and leg has gone and suddenly I'm not having constipation and bloating with gas.  This is amazing.  Please check to see if your hips are in alignment.  Look in the mirror.  Try putting one foot up on a book or something and see if your body becomes more or less symmetrical.  Getting a lift for your shoe is a simple thing to do that might improve many things for you.  

[confusedbydocs]

im sorry about your father.doctors ask me about my family history and when i tell them that no one in my family suffers bowel conditions then they just brush me off, im so fed up with this, so much that i have thought about going overseas and consulting doctors in another country. can i ask about your skin condition? because im 29 and i have acne like a teenager. i have so much breakouts on my face. i want to know if stomach problems could be a contributor to the acne.

[Theresa136]

Hi, I am sorry to hear about your problems. I have ibs with constipation as well. it is no fun, thats for sure. Drinking a lot of water helps me, shredded wheat, organic oatmeal, spinich, lettuce,and cabbage. Other than that nothing they mentioned helped me above. I take a correctol once or twice a weeh. i am 40 and have been cealing with this for ten yrs. They wont givev me a colonoscopy either. Now my Dad went for his 1st colonoscopy 2 weeks ago, he had diverticuliis so bad they had to do er surgery on him Friday to remove his sigmoid colon. Now i know i have to get a cosopy asap.

[confusedbydocs]

i did try herbal tea and was told to get off it by doctor it contains senna, i think i have to try a naturopath and see what they suggest for me. i have a really good diet and drink plenty of water and i walk a lot, at least 30-45 mins each day. but none of that seem to work. have also tried acidophillus, flaxseeds, probiotics, fish oil, dates, prunes, figs,tamarind, liqurice, kiwi fruit etc.. they only bloat me up and give me extra stomach pain, they dont seem to work on me.

[ciqala]

Nothing showed up on the test? She should be doing follow up tests then, to try and eliminate what it could be, one by one. Just to make sure it's nothing too serious. I think you have a right to find a doctor who respects your wishes of health, and you have a right to request tests. (Doctors should know that laxatives do not fix the initial problem and cause more health problems.)
The constant pain is vital enough for them to get something done as soon as possible.

If you can't get off laxatives completely, try herbal laxatives, or laxative teas, or laxative foods like dates, or dates juice (there's a whole list of them just google natural laxative foods.

Over use of unnatural laxatives in the long term eventually causes constipation to become worse.
You might have something like "constipation predominant irritable bowel syndrome."
Whatever it is, everything has a cure, even that ^.
I highly recommend you to try a homeopathy doctor, or naturopath. They tend to know all about digestive to bowel conditions, and have amazing medicine and practices, unlike doctors.  

Natural non laxative cures for constipation:
- Magnesium Citrate.
- Vitamin C
- Essential fatty acids, like fish oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, flax oil, hemp oil.  
- ground flaxseed into a smoothy.
- digestive enzymes
- probiotics
- stress management
- exercise (even though it's the last one i list it's the most important)
alternative medicine that is said to work, also includes Acupuncture, and hypnotherapy (said to actually have a permanent cure). Gut or bowel directed hypnotherapy has proven successful.

Also, look into "Acidophilis", it helps with all digestive things, and treats constipation. I'm not sure if it's a prescription or if you can just buy it in a drug store, but my mom and dad both take it, he just had constipation and random farts for awhile, and she has irritable bowel.
I think you should talk to someone who's into herbs and natural remedies though. I'm always amazed at what real plants can do.

[confusedbydocs]

thank you all for your advice. this problem is causing me huge grief. with the diet i went through, it cosisted of eating lots and lots of fruits and vegies, daily intake of metamucil, fibre granules and all bran cereal with psyllium husks. i cut off pasta, rice, white bread, potoatoes, cheese,  etc... however it didnt work and i was patient with it, i did it for a whole year. i have seen quite a few doctors (GI) and they all seem to be happy with me taking laxatives. they say that i could have been born with the condition and ill be like this for the rest of my life. i am from australia and i dont know if the doctors here are just plain lazy and careless or if really there isnt much that can be done for me. i have requested colonoscopy from 3 GI's and they dont want to do it, they reckon im too young to do that. only one GI has performed the procedure for me and she has no solutions to my problem. im suffering from constant stomach pains and i really want to start a family but i dont know if my body is ready for pregnancy. for the past 10 years i cant remember just one day that i didnt have stomach pain. it stops me from doing things, going out, enjoying myself, living my life, even wanting to be a mother or a wife. im always anxious and moody and wanting to be alone, and i know its the constant pain and no answer to my problems thats making me go through depression. i feel like no one around me can understand me, they think im exxagerating my problem. i just want to be free.

[ciqala]

Hello.
Laxative abuse during pregnancy can put your baby at risk for deformities and a wide range of other health problems.

Alternatives would be weening off laxatives.

You can't have a healthy pregnancy unless you are able to eat properly since you have to eat a lot to feed your baby as well, digest, and have normal bowel movements to get rid of the stuff you put in.

If your goal is to have a baby, you will need to stop taking laxatives. And no, the only other alternative is to do it healthily, which is weening off, just like you would with pills. Slowly.

Laxatives are highly addictive to the body, your body becomes reliant on them. Because of this you may suffer through, extreme bloating, malnutrition, constipation, stomach problems, digesting problems during the first long while of starting to eat again. Don't be afraid though, because it is very possible to recover through all of this. Also, if any harm has been done to your insides because of laxatives, which is common, you may need to wait a year or so before planning pregnancy, and give your body time to heal. The injuries you have inflicted on your insides can be healed. But it takes time.

The best way to do this, is to slowly cut back on the laxatives. For example if you are taking a whole bottle now, slowly cut back five tablets, then so on then so on. Your goal is to get off them completely.
Adjust your meal plans. You CANNOT eat anything that is hard to digest. This means, possibly, you may have to stick to food in liquid form as much as possible, such as smoothies, shakes, but try to get all the necessary food groups and nutrients.
Include lots of fibre, lots of greens, veggies, fruits.
Take enzyme vitamins. Look for all vitamins that help the bowels, and digestive system. Drink herbal teas that help the digestive system and bowels, but NOT with senna herbal in them.
When you can handle that, move onto small portions of food. Never sit down and eat a huge meal you know you won't be able to digest well.
It's best to start off with small, tiny snacks, frequently in a day.
Drink LOTS of water. Very important. You will need to drink more water than average people.

And I agree with the other person definitely, look into what was causing your constipation in the first place.

Best of wishes,
- Sabrina

[selmaS]

Hi...I agree with morecambe that u should be seen by a GI dr, but I wonder if u know the root of ur constipation issues.....there r soooo many reasons that can cause this, but, eliminating teh items listed in the above post, and adding fresh fruits and veggies is a help..I start my mornings with a glass of apple cider.....it has helped with my issue...drs have told me to take stool softeners and laxitives as well....I have a condition called tethered cord which causes both bowel and bladder issues....so even diet changes don't always help...but, I do stick with it to give it my best efforts.

Stress will affect u even on a good diet so try so relaxation techniques and drink plenty of water too.

I pray u get some answers that help : )

"selma"

[Morecambe]

Did your high fibre diet exclude foods such as white bread, junk foods, colas?  In other words did you eat only fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, wholemeal bread, organic bran etc etc?  If not, then it may be worth re-trying a "mega-high fibre diet".

Over time you can become addicted to - or ineffective from - chemical laxatives.  I can't advise you on their effect during pregnancy.

If your constipation is "incurable and chronic" then there have been postings on Medhelp whereby a total colectomy has been suggested as a treatment of last resort.  I underwent this surgery about six years ago - not for constipation - but following torrential diverticular bleeding.  In response to another Medhelp patient's question, I posted my experiences on:-

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

You may want to discuss this with your doctor (or preferably a specialist G.I. surgeon) if you really feel that it may be something you would like to contemplate.

regards
Morecambe