impacted stools

First, let me say I am humiliated to be asking the forum this but I am having a problem and would like a solution tonight!!! I will be twelve weeks out from Open RNY on Wednesday and I've had no dumping or good tolerance of all foods, basically. I have had two occasions, however, where I have experienced feces that is impacted and I have tremendous difficulty passing the stool. Like, today, I've been working on eliminating since 9:30 this morning. The only way I've gotten any relief is to ...er...help myself. I still have more to eliminate but I cannot manage to...er...find it. (I apologize for the gross nature of this inquiry!) Any advise? I see my doc on Thursday...so I am interested in getting relief tonight! Teresa

Teresa, I have had problems with constipation since my surgery. My doctor told me to start taking Senna when I had problems. I take a Senna about every other day and have had no more problems. I did have an issue about 2 weeks out where I couldn't go and gave myself an enema. I get my water in which helps to. Keep things moving, you don't want a bowel obstruction. I hope things work out for you (no pun intended). D.Pearce

For prevention my surgeon suggests taking stool softners daily ie:Colace. Which has worked well for me. For faster relief Milk of Magnesia might work or maybe a suppository??? I really don't know, I would call your doctor tonight don't wait until Thursday. Good luck, I know it's miserable. Hugs, Dru

Suppositories always got me started. Good luck. luvitsunnyvB~lo/goal

Believe me, we all go through it. Here's a suggestion that has worked for me. When I couldn't go, or got 'stuck', I realized that there was a noticeable bulge just below vulva, just above the anal area. Take some toilet paper and carefully press that in, while you're trying to 'go' at the same time. This pushes the harder stool back as the softer stool is expelling from the anus. Again, do this carefully and don't push too hard - take your time. I still use stool softeners (I take a laxative once a week), but I haven't had an obstruction of any kind for months. If this sounds confusing, email me and I'll explain it again Grace

When I experienced this problem for the first time I ended up rupturing my backside and causing bleeding, discomfort, etc etc, so I feel for you, hon, I really do. While the suggestions of stool softeners and the like are wonderful for preventative, they really do nothing for the stool that is just inside and unable to be evacuated. I consulted with my pharmacist after remembering something I used on my daughter as an infant and she explained that using them wouldn't hurt me and to give it a try. It worked after about ten minutes, but it's both gross and uncomfortable. Glycerine suppositories for infants. You may wish to consult with your doctor/surgeon before giving it a try, but they work for me.

Oh, my God have I had problems with impacted stools!!! I understand completely what you are going through. I had a prior surgery on that area as well, and I thought I was going to split myself open and nearly had to go to the ER. It took several weeks to heal up!!! But boy do I have a solution for you: Both iron and calcium have the combined effect of causing constipation. Even with taking a daily Colace, I occasionally had trouble until I added the following item to my diet: a bran muffin. I have one of these daily or about every other day. If I even suspect I might be getting ready to have a problem, I eat one or two of these puppies during the day, and I'm just fine! I'm not talking about the mega-muffins at Panera. This is a recipe I came up with myself after looking at a basic bran muffin recipe on the back of a cereal box. I changed the sugar content to keep from dumping, and added other ingredients to it to make it more interesting. The recipe makes a gajillion of them, which you can wrap in saran wrap (keeps them from drying out), toss into a zip loc bag and keep in the freezer. Nine seconds in the microwave warms them up. They are delicious, quick and easy to whip up, and the extra fiber helps to keep constipation at bay: Aliana's Cinnamon Apple Nut Bran Muffins 1 1/4 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. sweet & low granulated baking sugar substitute* 1 Tbs. baking powder 1/4 tsp. salt 2 cups All Bran cereal 1 1/4 cups skim milk 1 egg 1/4 cup canola oil 1/2 apple, grated** 4-5 Tbs. raisins 1/3 cup walnuts 1 tsp. cinnamon Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In large bowl combine cereal and milk and let soa****il softened. Add oil, apple, and egg, beating well. Add flour mixture, nuts, and raisins, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into 4 muffin pan trays and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yield 2 dozen muffins. * If you don't want to use sweet & low, you can use the Splenda equivalent for 1/2 cup sugar for the entire sweetening in the recipe. ** If you prefer just plain bran, you can omit the apple, raisins, spices, and nuts. Or you can substitute a banana for banana nut bran muffins.

Oh yeah!! I am 5 months post op and have alot of trouble with that. Protein is a great stopper upper! My dr. gave me an rx called Miralax that you mix with a drink. It takes a few days but it works! Also try some veges and greens. That helps too.

I had to be in the hospital for several days due to a bowel obstruction. My surgeon told me to take Benefiber...and I take Correctol once every 3 weeks. I haven't had ANY problems since. Good luck!