Help! Constipation / Impacted stool

Glad everything is coming out ok. Yes, I meant that!

ok now time to buy stock in benefiber!!!

Pam
I am so sorry.  I can really identify with you. I just went throught the same thing. Sounds like we tried all the same things. I have hemmroids and boy did that agrivate them to bleeding and I am pretty sure I may have gotten a few tears too. That was on Thursday. I think I got it all out,  but the problem is I haven't  went since. I had taken benefiber since two weeks ago when things were almost this bad. So I have been adding fiber. I have eaten lots of foods to help like pineapple, salad, prunes, beans, greens, etc. but I still haven't went again. I have a doctors prescription of polyetheline glycol that I take when I am using a lot of pain meds, and I have been taking that since Thursday. I dont know what to do either but I sure dont want to go through that again. I am still so sore I am almost glad I haven't gone yet but I know if I dont go sone I will be looking at the same thing again.. ONE thing I can tell you is drink lots of water. Sometimes if you are a little dehydrated it will make the stool dry. I think I have drank enought to fill a lake. If you find an answer let me know. I am going to go shopping and buy colace, and mineral oil.

I know this is awful. I will be praying for you that you have the relief now and this won't happen again. Drink Drink Drink...and pray pray pray

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST!

I went through the same thing last night.  IT WAS HELL!  I have never had a problem with constipation before RNY and last night I was in so much pain and being only 3wks out, I felt like my staples were all going to rip out when I tried to push.  I was sweating, praying out loud, shaking, arms and legs falling asleep, crying, you name it.  Finally, after about 2 hrs of this, the Dulcolax suppositories started to work, which caused me to involuntarilary push, so I squeezed my pillow to my stomach and wailed and grunted until the wave had passed.  Then I would lay in front of the fan until the next wave it. 

This morning I am much better, just weak and shaky, but I DEFINATELY am going to do WHATEVER it takes to not go through that again!


Thank God there is a place where I can talk about this, and I feel so much better knowing I am not only person this has ever happened too.

Finally-- a topic on which I am a professional! ;)

Short term (meaning right now) here's what you can do--- in order (sorry, some of this is graphic but I know you need relief):

1) Use a suppository
2) Use a Fleet enema
3) Carefully insert a thumb inside your...um...other opening and push on the wall between
4) Find a chair or stool you can put in front of your toilet and push against gently-- think of a childbirth position
5) Do not hold your breath while pushing--- try to breathe normally. Visualize your intestines pushing the stool down and out. Panicking only tenses up your muscles and makes it hearder to go.
6) Rock gently from side to side.
7) Drink a lot of Miralax or magnesium...you can literally take a small bottle of Miralax dissolved in liquid in a night as a bowel clean out, it's safe-- I suggest the Miralax-- MoM and Magnesium can cause dependencies that make it hard to go on your own.
8) Go to a PCP or ER and have them physically remove the impacted stool

Long term, you need a plan. Again, in order:
1) Take 2 Colace a day, and try to get at least 30g fiber and 30% fat-- and drink a lot!
2) If this doesn't work, add a little Miralax to one beverage a day
3) If THAT doesn't work over time, talk to your doctor about prescription Amitiza. For me, this is the only thing that offered me reliable relief.

I too thank you for this post.  I just went through the same thing yesterday.  I never knew constipation could be such a horrible thing.   I am now stocked up on MOM, Colace, and Ducolax Supp. and if I don't go in two days I am drinking the MOM, no matter how bad it tastes.   
 I am also adding my 'poop' info to my journal!!
I was in the bathroom every two hours trying to go..all day.  After the max dose of MOM and a Ducolax I finally had success about 9 p.m. Then was up through the night with welcome diarrhea..HaHa!  I wonder if my poor bottom will ever be normal again..  On a brighter note, I guess my reward for the misery - I was down 3 more lbs. this morning.   Surg. on 7/9 at 226 lbs. and this morning 207...yoo hoo!

 Thank you!!

This brought tears to my eyes. I swear I have PTSD from having impactions dug out at the ER. It's humilating and painful, but MY GOD THE RELIEF is instant.

When I had a miscarraige in 2008, they gave me pain meds that stopped up the works for two weeks and I ended up in ER with a cantelope sized impaction. It was GOD AWFUL.

Then after my plastics last year - I again, ended up in there. Im sorry to say it but you need to stop at this point. If you haven't moved at this point - you aren't going to. Its humiliating and upsetting but the ONLY way this is going to get out - is to go to the ER.

Im so sorry :( Please feel free to email me after it's done, if you need someone to talk to. I hope it all comes out okay!

 i just recently had breast reduction surgery because of the pain meds i have become incredibly impacted as well. I am in alot of pain and am also searching for a way to make the bowel pass. I was using laxatives regularly before the surgery when ever i needed them or i felt i had eaten to big of a meal. i have been using all of the methods suggested except the enema and it seems as if it is beginning to work. any more ideas??

Glut

I also just joined to reply to your post. I am currently impacted. 1 week I've been trying to go. I've been impacted many times over the past 10 years, but this time tops them all. Usually I can take some miralax, 2x a day a part, and it'll soften things up and I can get it out. Or other times I am able to hold my thumb on the back of my vaginal wall and i can get the stool out that way. I have a rectocele, so that makes things harder. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm impacted or if it's just the stool not coming out the right way. But I've taken miralax several times this past week and I have to go, it just won't fit out. I've gotten about about an apple sized amount of stool out by manually "digging" but i had to stop b/c i felt like i was getting no where. I am gonna try your suggestion though of the knife, although i think i'm gonna take a spoon and use the non-spoon end to break things apart. plus use some KY or petroleum jelly, which i haven't done yet. I am afraid to take laxatives b/c i have the urge to go, it just won't fit out. Not sure what else to take though. I am gonna take the miralax, 2 doses, 12 hours apart with lots of water! i've been taking the miralax with apple juice all week and i'm beginning to wonder if that's the reason why it's not working for me this time. Dehydration and pain meds...that's what causes my constipation and impactions. i can be good, going to the bathroom on my own for weeks and then out of the blue i'll become constipated and impacted. So frustrating, but right now, I just want some relief!!!!