Carafate - Chronic Constipation?

[ImmortaMoose]

I took Carafate last month in April for some suspected esophagitis issues.  I have had constipation and fecal impaction issues since then.  I used to poop 2-3 times a day, now some days I do not go at all.  I have taken oral laxative magnesium citrate during carafate and that only caused me to pass liquid that had little to smell, no feces.  I took milk of magnesia which causes paste-like feces or small feces, but nothing large or what I am used to.  When I have to go, it feels like I have a EXTREMELY large stool to pass, but it doesn't seem to ever drop into my rectum, it is like it is stuck from passing into a much narrower tube to my anus.  I am not sure what else to do.  I went to the hospital for suspected appendicitis and was told that I am just constipated.  I tried an enema, that produced a lot of gas, but again, paste consistency BM and small pellets, nothing large.  I had a CT scan at the hospital and reported all of my organs to be normal, so I'm not sure what is next for me to get this stool out of my colon.  Is it possible for carafate to have caused this issue?  I was going regularly until then.  And if it DID cause the issue, shouldn't it have worn off by now?  I was reading about a woman online who was still chronically constipated three weeks after taking carafate.

[dl2015]

I was taking Carafate plus Miralax at night.  Little by little I was becoming constipated despite a high fiber diet and 8 glasses of water.  Finally, I stopped having a bm.  It was as if my colon was paralyzed.  I was horribly bloated and miserable.

After 3 days of no bm, I took Milk of Magnesia and no Carafate that day.  Still no results the next morning.  It took 3 days of Milk of Magnesia and no Carafate before I was able to go.  Now I'm having bad heartburn and diarrhea.

I will NEVER take Carafate again.  Librax is just as bad - don't try it.

Why can't doctors find something to prescribe for G.I. issues that doesn't cause this problem

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hi, in therapy with carafate the most frequent side effect is constipation. So, your symptoms could be due to therapy. Now, you should try and shift towards natural ways to combat constipation. In the long run this beneficial. Laxatives help to tide over the initial acute phase when the constipation is severe and the lifestyle changes take time to stabilize the bowels. As natural ways take over you should wean yourself of the laxatives. As laxative abuse comes with numerous unpleasant consequences. So, try to limit its usage, but you can take to tide over this acute phase. Regards.