I Have No Bowel Movements and can't go to the restroom for weeks

[rosielucas]

I have been to several specialists and have had two, going on three colonoscopies. The first two, the doctor's said that everything seemed normal, but i continued with the problem of constipation and have dealt with it for 25 years. In the past i took a lot of laxatives. I took them once a week for 24 years, i depended on laxatives, or sepositories and tea's to be able to go to the restroom.  But in this year i feel that it has gotten worse, now it's not only the constipation with no bowel movements, i also feel bloated as if an intestine is to about to burst, sometimes i feel i have nothing in my intestines... i eat right and healthy and i question where all the food is going that has accumulated for weeks!!! In the past four months i have changed my way of eating. Fibers, fruit, vegetable, plenty of water, exercise... EVERYTHING you can imagine, i am in a program that the doctor recommended me to, they teach you how to eat. I have noticed a slight difference, my stools are not so dry anymore, but now i feel i have no bowel movements and in times that i push to go to the restroom i feel that my intestines swell and shut closed, and instead of pushing i have to deeply breath. The few bowel moments i get,  If any, are slightly light, i get them maybe once a week, and i have to really concentrate and try to feel the movement in my body, once in a while i will  have a slight bowel movement that will help me go to the restroom, and usually its in the morning after my cup of coffee. I practically force the stool out of me by pushing and breathing in and out and relaxing my body. The few times i do go to the restroom my stool is sometimes soft, and when hard it is full of mucous. I have had a swallowing problem for 20 years. I don't know if it's nervousness, or an actual problem that leads to my digestive problems. Please help me, the doctors are telling me if i continue this way, in the near future i  can choose death or have an incision in my stomach and go to the restroom in  a bag.  They say right now is the time to correct this problem before i get to that point. I don't want to live like that.

[patient915]

Please post your question as its own post because this one is so old.

[nikkywebba]

help,i have peptic ulcer now i dont seem to have a bowel movement except i take a laxzative,i also have upper left abdominal mild pain all day,plz help as i have become depressed and withdrawn

[nikkywebba]

plz can someone plz help me,i have cronic peptic ulcer ,but now i realise i cant seem tp pass stool excepyt i take a laxzative,i also have upper left abdominal mild pain plz help am lossing my mind as i have become depressed and withdrawn

[temo]

Hi!  Thanks for your quick reply.  You said you had emergency resection so I think you might have had it abdominally??  With mine being laparascopically what they said to me is that along with the holes they poked in my stomach...they also put this long whatever up into my anus thru the colon and take off whatever and then staple or have this round thing holding the colong together so what I find is that my anus is kind of tight and pushes out a bit..so I wondered if you had the same problem..but rereading your post it seems like you might have had the abdominal way.  But the diet advice is good...I have added the citrical I used before to my morning prune/miralax drink.  It seemed before that if I started with too much fiber..it was hard to expel..and I am eating salads, veggies and fruit too....yes...those who have not had the problems we have had do not know how much it means to go to the bathroom regularly.  It is truyly like winning the lottery, :-)  Thanks again for answering.  Have a great day!

[tking718]

Hello tem,


It took about a week before my stools actually formed.  You would've thought I had hit the lottery that day.  I hadn't had a solid stool in years, so it was exciting to me.  My Dr. placed me on a high fiber diet. 30 grams/day.  So I eat a lot of fruits and veggies.  Also, I eat the FiberOne brand cereals, granola bars, and yogurt.  They are HIGH in fiber and taste really good.  I still go about 4 - 5 times a day.  I asked my Dr if that was normal,  He said everyone's system is different, and since that has been consistent for me, that's considered normal for me.

Keep up the walking, that makes a BIG difference.  It helps speed up the healing process. I hope I helped a little.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

[temo]

I read your comments with interest. I just had a sigmoid resection on November 3rd. It was not an emergency but necessary as it had herniated badly and was obstructing defecation.  It was laparascopic.   I believe they took out approx. 7-8 inches.  Had some rectal repair and a small bowel enterocele reinforcement of mesh from an earlier surgery.   My doctor wanted me to stay on miralax and colace for a while and I did start to have bowel movements (day 4 after surgery)but was sore and slow coming out.  Today I had only a small amount and wondered how long it took you to have normal bowel movements?  and you say 4-5 a day?  Is it a lot that many times a day?  I am taking miralax and prune juice in the morning.  A colace in the afternoon.  I am eating well. Am a pretty healthy female and walking a couple times a day around the block to keep things moving.

[tking718]

Hello - I am 36 year old female. Your description of what is going on with you is very similar to what was going on with me.  I've always had problems with my bowel movements, so I would use laxatives (usually the tea with senna) at least twice a week for several years.  All of sudden my bowels stopped moving even with the lexatives.  I went to my family Doctor twice about it. He tried telling me that's just the way my system is.

I decided to try a colonic.  The session lasted 45 minutes, and nothing came out of my colon but the clear water that was being pushed in.  I asked the doctor if that was normal, and she said but it's probably because my colon was hardened and that it may take several treatments loosen it up.

After trying several natural home remedies and detox recipes, I woke up one morning bloated to the point that it looked like I had gained 15 lbs over night and my tongue was swollen.  

Finally my doctor ordered a barium enema.  The radiologist said my colon was twisted and that I should see a surgeon ASAP.  Went to  see a sugeon and had to have an emergency sigmoid colectomy the same day.  He said it was life threatening and that I may not have made it through the night. They removed about 12 inches of my lower colon and attached the rest to my rectum.  I also had to have my colon sewn to my walls because my colon is very "floppy" from the surgeon said, which may have caused the twist.

I had surgery 5/14/08 and now I am back to work and my bowels move at least 4 - 5 times a day. It is wonderful!! Oh and I did not have to get "the bag"  So for me the surgery was worth it.

[Morecambe]

Hi - there have been postings on the G.I. forums whereby it has been suggested to other patients that surgery is a final option for chronic laxative induced constipation.  The operation is a total colectomy.  Try to find a posting about a year ago from the patient mifegr (type in mifegr to the search box above and look for a posting dated (I think) ~20 August 2007).

I underwent a total colectomy for diverticular bleeding - but I guess the procedure is similar in the event that you and your doctors decide it is relevant for you.  I described it on one of my previous postings:-

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

I would suggest asking your doctors whether this (quite major) surgery would provide you with an enduring cure.  If they seem unsure or unfamiliar with the suggestion, then try another major G.I. focussed medical centre.

Good luck
Morecambe