constipation or bowel obstruction

[dolphinlover112473]

hi i have a question.  i feel constipated and feel like i have to make a bowel movement.   my stomach hurts and i have so much pain in my back.  i'm on percocets and i know that can cause constipation.   about 5 yrs ago i had a hernia with a bowel obstruction and had to have emergency surgery.  alot of this pain reminds me of that situation.  i took milk of magnesia and still haven't gone to the bathroom.  i had a fever last night and also had the chills.  i was very thirsty also but not sure if it was because i had chinese food and that it was very salty.  i feel the urge to go to the bathroom but nothing comes out. i do have some gas but not alot.  i've also taken stool softeners but nothing seems to work.  could this be just plain constipation from being on the percocet or could i possibly have another bowel obstruction

[dolphinlover112473]

well i took milk of magnesia last night twice and i've only made one bowel movement but it was very little and very watery.  around my belly button is so tender and also i vomitted this morning.  i also have a fever.  is this normal if i'm just constipated.  yesterday i did not take any pain killers cuz i'm hoping that is why i am constipated.  if any one has had this problem with talking milk of magnesia please let me know.  

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

The constipation that you are having is not at all symptomatic of bowel obstruction.Most likely it is due to percocet(oxycodone) that you are taking.Had it been due to bowel obstruction then you would not have passed any gas.

Constipation is the most common and important side effect of percocet.Pls shift to some other pain killer and stop percocet. Increase the fiber amount and fluids in your diet. The best natural sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.If still the symptoms persist then pls consult a gastroenterologist and discuss other possibilities like hypothyroidism and hyperparathyroidism(by raising the calcium levels in the blood), intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Hirschsprung's disease, Chagas disease,colon inertia(nerves and/or muscles of the colon do not work normally) and pelvic floor dysfunction(the muscles of the lower pelvis that surround the rectum (the pelvic floor muscles) do not work normally).

Hope it helps. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries.Kind regards.