Question:
How do you know you have a blockage?

For the last two or three days I have had little or no bowel movements. I have taken Benefiber as my doctor suggested but nothing. I barely have gas (that is unusual). I am taking monistat for yeast infection, but I dont think that has anything to do with no having a bowel movement. I am drinking more water than usual but I still have symptons of dehydration. I am peeing regularly. I am concerned but not sure I should be. Should I give it a couple more days or call my doctor today? I have some ankle swelling and that concerns me as well. I may be overreacting or am I under-reacting? I feel kinda bloated but not sick or anything. I usually have a small bowel movement everyday so I guess this is quite unusual. I don't eat a lot of meat but lately I haev been able to eat more. What do you all think?    — neneburge (posted on April 6, 2004)

April 6, 2004
Call your doctor anytime you have a concern. This could be a bowel obstruction or just a coincidence. However, neither you nor I are qualified to make that determination. I have gone several days without a movement and also had some constipation. But youd situation sounds like it needs an evaluation by the Doctor. Give him/her a call. It can't hurt.
   — Ray K.

April 6, 2004
Ray is right, Call your doctor. As far as no Bm's and an obstruction, when I had surgery for an obstruction, my bowels were moving every day. The only symtoms I had was vomiting each time I ate or drank. I only had a partial obstruction, Still almost died.
   — Delores S.

April 6, 2004
My sister had an obstruction and had severe pain with it along with vomiting. Unfortunately she waited too long and went into the hospital on Tues. and died wed(am) she had had her surgery in St.Louis about 150 miles away and no surgeon here would do anything for her because they said they didn't know anything about the ryn and her Dr. said she wasn't stable enough to air evac. to the original surgeon (she went in at 11am tues and it took them until midnight to find out what the problem was ?????? :-( .) So please don't wait too long to find out what the problem is. Good luck and you will be in my prayers. Mary -54lbs Lapband
   — mary K.

March 30, 2007
I'm posting this reply in hopes to help someone who runs into this problem in the near future. I had roux-en-y surgery over a year ago (3/9/06). I did not have any complications until last week. I started getting very bloated and had SEVERE abdominal pain. I thought I caught a nasty stomach virus that was going around. Over the period of 2 hours my pain quickly turned into something unbearable. I couldn't relieve the pain no matter what I tried. I went the the ER screaming in pain (something I would've never done before this incident) and they ran some tests and an X-ray. They told me that I was severely constipated (even though I poop daily). They sent me home with a laxative script and told me I had to bite the bullet until the laxative kicked in to relieve pressure. I was not convinced. An hour later I started vomitting - horrifically. Every 5-15 min. First with dry heaves, then it was a ton of liquid. I endured the pain, etc. for 9 hours thinking it was all due to being "constipated". I went back to the ER at 5am and suggested further testing be done for an intestinal blockage. Low and behold, that's what the problem was. After 5 days in the hosptial (4 of them with an NG tube down my throat) I was finally released and just got home yesterday. They said the blockage was from adhesions (scar tissue) from the surgery; however, any type of abdominal surgery runs the risk of having adhesions impedeing on your intestines. So now I have to make sure I slowly increase my fiber intake and drink tons of water. I'm still not feeling well, but should increasingly get better over the next few days. My heart goes out to anyone who has ever experienced anything like this. I never hurt so bad in my life and I had several surgeries to compare the pain to. ADVICE: call your doc immediately if you have any concerns about your health, watch your fiber intake, and drink that water.
   — Natalie K.