Constipation??

Im 4 weeks post op and on phase 3 diet. Is constipation normal?

Simply answer NO, at list not what I experienced or have read on this forum from others.

If you're still on pain meds and/or not eating enough fat...yes.

Eat more fats - Avacado, butter, sour cream, ice cream, etc

I had the dickens of a time fighting constipation although things are easier now that I've switched to maintenance mode and added carbs back to my diet.

The thing is, you have to be SUPER proactive when it comes to constipation.  It can put you in the hospital and I would hate to think just how sucky and demeaning a visit that would be.  It isn't that unusual to hear of people on these kind of forums going to the hospital a few times for this issue.  I know I didn't take it seriously enough at first.  I failed with the "Just eat more fat" method and I would either give myself the squirts (this only happened during the first two months) or just wouldn't be consistent enough to really solve the issue.  I had to rely on pills.  Though I seriously recommend snacking on nuts about as much as you can take. 

Remember that calcium supplementation has a direct line to constipation.  If you are bringing up your level of calcium supplementation, you will need to fight hard with poop management techniques to have a chance at staying regular.   If you are on your second or third day of being constipated, stop all calcium pills until you get back to normal.  This goes away once you get all your vitamins levels settled. 

But, if you are going to have to fight here, try the wonderful world of poop manipulation before you reach for a laxative.  Laxatives can be habit forming and we don't want to start down that road, especially now when you are trying to build a foundation for your honeymoon year.  

Products I use:  (I do almost all generic from Cost Co)

• Kirkland Stool Softener  - a salt that attracts moisture to you colon, one to four smallish pills a day.  
• Mirilax (generic) - glycerin, which can not be digested, so it pools in your colon making everything slippery.  This is a powder that you almost don't (but not really) even notice in your drinks. 
• Aloe Vera Gels (or liquid) - a very, very gentle laxative.  Not habit forming, probably good to help heal your surgery as well.   
• Magnesium Oxide - too poorly absorbed to count for your mag intake, but it attracts moisture to your digestive track
• Swiss Kriss - a laxative that seems to work overnight for me.

So, every day I take the first three.   I change my dose depending upon what's going on.  Say I just boosted my calcium pill amounts, then I take 1.5% of a full dose of everything for a week.  Then I will drop it to full level and maybe keep reducing it, slowly, if things are too liquid.  Watch out for calcium in your multi-vitamins!!  If you need a brand that doesn't have any calcium, look at Celebrate. 

Most DS people absolutely rely on Magnesium Oxide and that worked well for me my first three months, but I didn't like what was going on with my overall magnesium levels in my blood, so I decided I would try to find a way to keep all my magnesium intake far, far away from anything to do with poop.  I still take this if I do not poop in the morning.   You may not need to worry about anything here at all, but since I know the least about this method, I included it last. 

Swiss Kriss is just a brand name of a laxative that seemed to work well for me.  I take this if I haven't pooped on the second morning.   It's an old herbal formula and I've only taken it a few times and everything was moving the third day. 

One controversial thing I would do was to eat fruit if I was constipated.  I chalked it up to "HEALTH before diet."   It took me a few months to get everything consistent and balanced enough that I didn't need some extra fruit now and again.  My BMI is 25 now so it didn't cause me to fail and might have saved me from the hospital a time or two, but you need to decide things like this for yourself.

Good Luck.  Don't settle!  Keep coming back for ideas if the above doesn't work for you. 

I was constipated off and on the first month or 2 post-op. I eventually added magnesium oxide to all my calcium and that seemed to take care of it. I use benefiber now along with some occasional mag oxide but I have no constipation problems any more. Just being pro-active.

Don't be worried to use Colace, Miralax, or anything else to get past a rough spot ( no pun intended ).

Pete