Bowel blockages

Hello all,

First of all I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that the new year will find you all safe and well for 2012.

As I write this I am yet again doubled over in agony with another bowel blockage and the only way I can clear it is to take some awful stuff called "Picolax" which is what they use over here in Australia just prior to having a colonoscopy examination.  When I take it, it takes about 4 hours to activate and then I'm cleared out completely in about 2 hours afterwards.

I keep getting this problem and have ondo the whole "Picolax" run every 4-6 weeks.  No matter how much fruit I eat and water I drink I just can't go to the toilet on a regular basis since surgery. I've ended up in the ER so many times over this pain and they just give me the same clean out treatment.

I don't know what else to do?  Any suggestions most welcome.  

I'm so sorry you are going through this. ((hugs))  Do you have a daily routine to help you keep things loose? Or, does that help at all?  Have they talked about exploratory surgery to see if you have adhesions blocking or partially blocking your intestines?

--gina

There is a post on the VSG board now that talks about this and suggests some strategies, have a lurk there. Milk of magnesia seems to be a popular solution, or prune juice.

Thanks Gina for your reply,

 No matter what I do I never have a regular day of bowel movement. 😞 I seem to only in little bits and pieces and always feel "incomplete" it's just so painful every few weeks like it backs up to my chest and causes me agony like tonight. 

The doctor just says I digest slowly and to increase  fibre which actually makes me feel even worse. I see the surgeon agin on the 11th January and I'll ask more questions again.

Its just awful pain.  

I don't know if this will help but Vitalady posts it every now and again.

I had chronic constipation for 11 years. I tried: more fiber, less fiber, soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, no fiber, both fibers, stool softeners, Smooth Moves & Correctol teas and Metamucil wafers, together, apart, more water, less water, cut out anything bu****er (and protein), senna, cascara sagrada, everything one could possibly try until I was basically dependent on enemas for 3 yrs.

Miralax helped the stool be passable. It was rx and finally became generic, so went from $80 for 3 months to $20 for 3 months. Now it is OTC, but is about $8 for 5-6 servings. If you can get the rx, it is much cheaper, safe, daily, for life, according to my GI doc.

The stool softeners are store brand equal to Colace, not PERI-colace.

Word was that magnesium citrate was such a great thing. This is pills, not the green bottle, so I tried it and nothing happened, and so I kept increasing it. What DID happen is that my foot and leg cramps ceased. So, I kept doing that and tried magnesium oxide. This is small, cheap, found anywhere, like drug stores. And finally, it worked. Mine are 500 mg and I take 2.

My final formula:
1 serving MiraLax (rx) *
4 stool softeners at night
1 mag ox with lunch, 1 with dinner

In the morning, hot beverage first thing on empty gut

This has worked for several years yrs now.

* MiraLax was rx only until the end of 2007, and is now generic by rx. The original name brand is available at drug stores at about $20 for a large bottle. You might want to try one first, taken daily, at about the same time. If it solves the problem, then ask your doc for rx. It is NOT a laxative. It is safe, daily, taken for life, per 4 doctors I've asked. It was a pediatrician who introduced me to it. My rx plan allows me to have 6 of those big bottles every 3 months for $20. Check with your doc and your insurance to see if it's beneficial to buy it by rx. BTW, my doc writes for 2 servings per day, because they might SAY there are 30 servings per bottle, but somebody can't count. Me or them? I use only one, but if I spill or get too much, I still have enough to last til next refill.

Oh my Lordy! Vitalady has to do all that!!  Goshi hopes don't have to do a combo like that but if it works then it's worth it.

 Ivetried Milk of Magnesia and it certainly softens things up but i

My body just doesn't like to poop!  I have heaps of fruit which is no good for the excess carbs but that isn't even moving things along. 

I don't think fruit really has all that much fiber compared to veggies and veggies aren't full of sugar like fruit it. Have you tried eating a lot things like broccoli... which isn't called nature's broom for nothing!

I was afraid of the same thing when I had to add all these pain killers from my knee surgery.  I now do mirilax everymorning, hot decaf protein and all the veggies and water possible.  Benefiber made things passible but not comfortable.  I added stool softners and saw no difference.  Was already on Mag.  So now I do miralax each morning, stool softnerns 3 at night, mag at night and that seems to work even with the pain killers.

Good luck.  I hate being constipated.

I am going to give that a try.  Thanks

Thanks Price, looks like I need to stock upon some stuff from the chemist and give it a try.  The poor body has enough at the moment. 😖.