Constipation... sorry might be TMI

I have had constipation pretty bad lately. As in I go once a week. And when I do it is very hard and it hurts (sooo sorry for the TMI). I am over 4 months out and able to eat some fruits and veggies. I know part of the constipation is my diet (I really need to get better what I eat) but is having a bowel movement once a week something I should maybe tell Dr. Barnes about now or wait until November for my appt. Now, I know I can call him for anything... I just don't want to call if it's something that is "normal."

Hey Lin, I used to go an average of three times daily prior to surgery. Now I'm lucky if I go at least twice a week. I heard it's one of the side affects. I do take a stool softenor every couple of days or take some liquid fiber. I've been told it's normal. Regardless of what I eat, my bowels do not change. I hope this helps a little just to ease your mind a bit to let you know it happens to someone else also! Christie

Hi Lin, while this might be "common" I wouldn't call it normal because the body is made to purge itself of toxins and waste. Getting thinner doesn't mean the body has to stop this valuable function. I've been focusing on fiber lately. Fruit and veggie (raw if possible) are good ways to get your fiber in, but since this is an area where you are limited, you might want to consider the fiber supplements out there like Benefiber or Metamucil. I do eat raw foods as much as I can like veggies, nuts and seeds. I've recently added Kashi Go Lean to my line-up and their cereals have been real fiber Godsends to me. People will warn you about the carb content of these cereals, but they are very low in "sugar" and some of that carb count comes from the 10+ grams of fiber that they offer. When fiber is a big part of the carbohydrate count, remember these are not digested and serve to only keep our intestines healthy. There's an RNY member here named Cindee who is an RNY postop. She's doing great on fiber and vegetables intake and she's burning rubber on awesome weight loss. I encourage you to look her up if you don't want to take the word of a lap bandster. But getting rid of waste, toxin and extra pain is an important part of your recovery. People with chronic constipation open themselves up to some very scary ailments. We don't want to be saved from obesity only to fall victim to something else. I wish you well and I hope you can work your way back to regularity. Onward! Frances

I had my surgery in December of 2005 and I take a daily laxative called Miralax. It is a powder and I put it in my coffee. I would not want to do without it. It is a prescription so you could ask your doctor about it. I had lots of problems with constipation and am doing much better with this.

I started having problems about a month ago. It was recommended that I take a chewable fiber tablet. I find that if I chew one Fiber Choice Sugar Free Orange once a day, I go on a regular basis again. Once in awhile I do end up chewing two but not often. These tablets taste good too, kind of like an end of the day treat! Peggy B.