Ongoing constipation

Hello everyone 

I am just over 4 weeks post RNY.

Coping with constipation has been an ongoing problem.

I am drinking 2 litres of water daily

1 litre of tea & 3 Premiere Protein shakes daily.

Colace 200 mg twice daily, Restoralax daily.  MOM every 3 days.

I started Heinz strained-Purée prunes daily.

I am very active.   I am going to start Mineral Oil daily to keep things moving. 

I know this is common early on. I know that once I progress to the "food for life" stage that maybe increasing fiber will help.

I am not in a very good place.  Spending hours on the toilet  is taking it's toll.  I considered going to Emergency yesterday.

Concerned about the damage it is causing down below.  

Please help 

Sandra 

Mahalo.  

If it's been awhile since you've gone, take your bottle of mom and take a dose every hour until you get cleared out.  Up your stool softeners daily too.  Up your water, I drink minimum 2 liters daiy, more often closer to 3.

once you get cleaned out, don't let yourself go more then one day before taking action

Good luck 

I would stop Restoralax until you are cleaned out.  1 tbsp of MOM every hour until you go.  Restoralax actually made me more constipated as did benefiber even with drinking 5 to 6 litres per day.  I never had luck with colace ever so can't comment on it as it just did nothing for me.  Most clinics will say 1 tbsp of MOM every hour until you go and then never more than 2 to 3 days without a BM before you do it again.  

I'm not constipated per se, but I do not go everyday.  I do take the restoralax daily but still no daily BM's.  For Birdie and Tracey, what would a good daily dose of MOM be?  Or would you only use it for a clean out?

I've only used it for a clean out. 

I have good luck with stool softeners in pill format - life brand.  I take one in the morning and one at night - sometimes two if necessary and it seems to keep me regular.  Keep in mind I am on daily T3 and Straight codeine for pain which are really constipating.  If I am eating normally then I don't have issues

If you really get backed up it can make you really anxious.  Sometimes you need an enema if its built up "below" VS in the upper GI tract.  If I find I am having issues - like when I eat straight beef for a week or something - I may need some dulcolax for a few days.  Its brutal and nerve wracking when you get too far gone

Not going every day can be your new normal.  As long as you don't feel constipated and you go what is now a new regular for you then you don't have to worry.  I don't take anything unless I get constipated.  Like Barb, I take narcotics at times for pain and they can be constipating so if I don't go and get that bloated, heavy, I have to go feeling then I usually take 2 Senokot-S at bedtime then I go the next morning.  I only used MOM when it was really backed up but now I just stay on top of what is normal for me then use the Senokot-S just when I need to and if that didn't work, I'd add in other stuff like MOM as needed.  If you are still under a year out, you likely aren't eating as much as I am who is many many years out.  I find as long as I eat a diet of meat and veggies that I go daily without issue.  I seldom eat cheese and early out we often eat lots of it so something else to possibly constipate.

It sounds like youre getting too much protein. Youre getting 90g from the shakes alone and my by now you should be on soft foods so getting more from food too. Yesterday the nurse told me too much can cause issues such as gout and constipation.... id reach out to your dietician about your 3 shakes a day.... at this point not needed. I dont eat meat fish or eggs and i only have 1 a day and am ALWAYS over 80g a day.... i cant imagine what meat and eggs and stuff add.... 

Good morning 

Thanks for your input...

I have been in daily contact with Weight Management Centre.

They are pleased with the 90 grams of shake & I get the other 30 with food. For a total of 120 grams daily.

I just started the soft foods... Still only 4 weeks in.

Experimenting with different foods and tolerances.

Hoping to drop one in the next week as food intake & variety will improve.

Thanks again

Sandra  

Mahalo   

Totally get it im 5 weeks and 1 day out and am still experiementing... im just letting you know what the nurse and nutritionist at the bariatric clinic have advised about getting more than 80-90 g a day... even the surgeon said that more can be detrimental as it can affect your liver.... you may wanna talk to your clinical team about that

I am at 6 weeks and no longer use protein shakes. They were making me ill. All protein from food now, just have to really plan.

I had a couple of really nasty constipation 'events'. I used Milk of magnesia to get thru it. NUT suggested that I needed to add a bit of carbs because I was protein only. (my energy levels were also getting low) I added baby spinach, bran buds, seeds and nuts, some fruit etc to diet and so far this has made a big difference. (more normal bowel movements)

I am still losing lots of weight (6lbs this week) and I feel sooo much better.

Good luck and if it gets worse, please call doctor. :)