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costipation

i have been constipated for about 9 years because of pain killers.  I have been off for over 3 years and still
constipated.  My stomach has enlarged nothing else.  I feel bloated every day (lots of discomfort).  I did see
my family doctor which prescribed  a IBS drug.  This has had no effect.  I have seen many docs with no answers
VERY EXPENSIVE!!

symptoms:

fatigue
dizziness
bloating
preasure in head
constipation
fast heart beat
anxious

Please help

THANK YOU

ps. its not fun going through life feeling bad
2 Responses
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Avatar universal
In the meantime, whilst you follow Morecambe's advice, which is always good, I would like to give you a few suggestions to help your situation right now.  I have been taking pain medications for five years that also give me constipation at first, but I've learned how to deal with it and it rarely bothers me now.  Even tho you've been off them for three years, keep in mind that lots of other medicines, supplements, and even sodas can cause constipation, so review everything you consume.  On the sodas, only drink brand names; and if you take vitamins, sometimes they can constipate so try taking them less often or switch brands; and look at the medicines for "dry mouth" which will cause constipation and perhaps ask the prescribing doc to offer alternative drugs.

To get your current stopped-up bowel straight, there are two fixes.  If you can feel the waste right there but it won't come out, then buy a box of Baby Lax from the pharmacy, it has a bunch of tubes of laxative ointment, you squirt in two back there, and the waste will come out in minutes, and you can repeat a couple times.  Also, after you bathe, always put PLAIN KY jelly on there, and it'll ease waste transition.  Now, if you do NOT feel that the waste is right there, rather it's just slow and difficult all the time, then enemas is the way to go.  You may have to do several of them a day for a week.  That's what they do in the hospital if a person's bowel is backed up a long ways.  Use an enema bag that has a real long tube, so the water will get way up in there and slowly chip away at clogged-up stuff.  Eventually by moving some of that, your old waste will move down, and so you repeat, until the clog comes loose.

As a daily thing, you must drink LOTS of water, around six glasses as a habit, like every time you brush your teeth.  See, staying well-hydrated keeps waste from drying out.  Avoid drinking lots of juice and lots of sodas with salt, they'll dry you out.  If you do not drink coffee, then try just a half cup once a day just before you usually go to the bathroom, and in about fifteen minutes or a half-hour, it'll help the bowels move more strongly.  You also have to get enough fiber foods every day, stuff like 100 percent whole wheat bread, oat cereal, and a handful of fresh blueberries as a snack.  And you must exercise regularly, anything from simple stretching to running, because that helps the bowels to move better.  Lastly, you can try getting some "probiotics" in your digestive tract by drinking Acidophilus milk or Activia yogurt, for example.  That helps restore good flora to the intestines.

For your bloating, an ordinary Alka Seltzer usually works real well, releases gas in the tummy.  But it's getting the waste to move quickly and regularly thru your intestines that will finally get the bloating straight.  There are also a few disorders that can contribute to bloating that may be going on, like a problem with the liver perhaps, or some of the stuff Morecambe brought up, so you may want to consult an internal medicine doc or a gastro specialist to do some bloodwork and maybe an ultrasound, to make sure your major digestive organs are working as they should.  Hope something of all this helps.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

There have been postings on Medhelp where patients who have suffered from chronic constipation have considered a total colectomy as treatment of last resort.  I underwent this operation about five years ago - not for chronic constipation but following torrential diverticular bleeding.  In response to another Medhelp patient I recorded my experiences on:-

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

You may want to print this off, find a specialist G.I. surgeon and ask:-

a) whether he/she agrees that this operation may be relevant for you - and
b) whether my own experiences would mirror the surgeon's own expectations.  Also now I believe that a total colectomy can sometimes be performed laparascopically.

The you can decide....but before contemplating surgery have you tried a very high fibre diet as a possible cure for your constipation?

regards
Morecambe
Helpful - 0
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