The poop thread.

Alright ya'll. I'm at my wits end. I can't get my digestive tract to cooperate with me. I've been taking probiotics and fiber and getting more than enough water... but I can't get things moving. Can you guys help? What's worked for you?

Stool softeners (any OTC should be OK), Miralax daily until results, Milk of Magnesia in event of REAL emergency.

This is not an uncommon problem, so don't panic.

First off--this is my favorite thread title of the day :)

I'm assuming that you're not immediately post-op. If that's the case, then everything MickeyDee said was correct. It sometimes takes Miralax 1-3 days to work if you aren't using it regularly.

As for me, I take Miralax once a day and have had no digestive problems. I know others have reported the same.

Good luck!

The other things you can add are gelatin suppositories and Fleet enemas.

I think of my system as being like a great running automobile that got in a wreck and never ran correctly again.

My stomach and intestines have been cut and put back together again and are never going to be as reliable as when they were in their original form. The problems with constipation and diarrhea are part of the journey to me. I do whatever I have to do to keep things as close to normal as possible.

The fiber that works best for me is Citucel tablets.

A capful of Miralax daily is the only thing that keeps me regular. It doesn't matter how much fiber I have or how much water I drink.

miralax every day for few wks. now 4 mths post op . use it everyother day

What works for me is avoiding fiber until I'm cleaned out, and LOTS of Miralax. Once you're no longer stopped up, start adding fiber back slowly to your diet. My surgeon advised me on this, but probably ask your doc just to be safe.

I also use Miralax every day.

I think what you eat is important too. Google food for constipation or something like that and you will get a list of foods to eat and avoid. I know beans are good.

I had such a problem with constipation. I tried everything. I am now taking a Probiotic (15 billion, 10 strains). A stool softener, and I make sure I avoid foods that are on the constipation list...dairy, fatty foods. Drink lots of water and get in lots of activity.

There is also one weird thing -the position you sit in. I read that if you sit with your knees up...so if you put a stool in front your toilet with your feet on top (Google it)....it supposed to help. The theory is that we were biologically made to "go" in a stooping position...like in the woods out in the wild...like our ancestors. But of course technology has evolved but our bodies have not. That is what the theory is...I have tried it...with a so-so outcome. Hey...I was desperate I was going to try anything!!!!

I will do anything but laxatives. My mom got hooked on them and couldn't go unless she took them. She would be in so much pain. I am afraid that will happen to me.

Thanks, everyone. I've been afraid of laxatives because I've heard that once you start them you'll always have to take them. But at this point I think the risk is worth it. I'm going to give MiraLax a shot. I'm only 10 weeks post op so I don't eat a lot of fiberous veggies yet, and definitely not much raw. I'm trying to stick to 40 carbs a day so that leaves beans and oat/what fiber off the table. But even with taking Metamucil every day and a probiotic, it's like I just can't get things moving. I'm going to have to go to a laxative. I think it's the logical next step.

My husband told me I should try a "squatty potty"... but I just can't go there. Not yet, anyway. If you haven't heard of it... Google it. Lol

How much fat do you eat every day? If I don't eat enough fat, I can't go. The average human needs between 30-40 grams of fat every day, If you had an RNY, you malabsorb about one-third of the fat you eat, so to get 30 grams you need to EAT 45 grams. And if you had a DS, you're only absorbing about 20% of the fat you eat---so you need to eat 150-200 grams a day.

I had the DS, and my go-to for constipation is raw cauliflower (lots of fiber) slathered in ranch dip (lots of fat.)