Hi Ladies/Gents,

I hope all is well with you all. I am in dire need of your help and suggestions. I am roughly 6 weeks post op and have not had regular bowl movements that I had prior to surgery. I am really starting to worry about this. Now, I go about every 7 days compared to every other day. And I know some may say, that it's because you're eatting less, but the thought of knowing that I have 7 days worth of food in my degestive tract and sometimes I still can't produce a bowl movement is troubling. I know I need to mix benefiber in my Water at all times that I drink during the day, and lately I've been taking miralax, which barely does anything. Does anybody else have any remedies or have had the same problems as me. Any help would be great. This is frustrating.

Ok I can help. I'm a nurse and what our doctors do for our chronically constipated patients is first. Stop the Miralax. You have to drink at least a liter or more of Water a day to be effective. Secondly, it produces alot of gas and bloating. Basically they think its a waste of time. Some people who have just slight constipation might think it works just fine for them. But for you, going once a week- its just not worth your time. What we do is start Senna S- not plain Senna- but Senna S- its an herbal stool softener with a mild laxative. It softens the poops then has a mechanical action to push it out. You could start with once a day and then go up to four times a day. Ask your doctor if he thinks this is right for you. Some doctors are Miralax fanatics- I think it's because the vendors for Miralax come by the office and tell them all these grandiose things about it and leave them good food and nice presents. That happens with alot of medications that become popular. Unfortunately, they end up not working and the patients come to see me in the ER later on.

Senna also comes in tongue strips in the children's medication area in grape flavor. My 9 year old is chronically in the hospital for severe bowel shut down syndrome and this is one of the things the specialist prescribed.

The next thing we try is lactulose- and it comes in liquid or powder. It's a prescription so ask your doctor about it. My daughter also takes this every night and she hasn't been hospitalized since November.

Activity is very important as is taking in enough fluids. In the children's department they sell Fiber gummies which also are a great idea.

Let me know how it goes. Just don't wait too long to call your doctor- if it's been 3 days its time to call. You could get a bowel obstruction from the stool sitting in your colon- because the colon keeps drawing out water out of the poop - and that turns it into cement.

I hope this helps!

I eat a vitafusion fiber gummie (from Target) daily and it has been a simple solution to this same problem for me.

Thanks to you both for the solutions, I will go to Target today and pick up the vitafusion, I am also going to get a little laxative pill. I called the doctor and they said I could take pills as long as they were smaller than a dime. I will also research the Senna S and other prescription as well, but I need something today because I've been cramping a little each day. Hopefully when I finally go to the bathroom, I'll lose like 4 lbs. Thanks again!!

I use benefiber every day. I have IBS with wild swings from constipation to diarrhea. Benefiber helps normalize.

My doctors first suggestion when I called thier office with this same problem was to increase my fluids. If that didn't work, take a stool softener - not a laxative.

I add benefiber to my breakfast yoghurt every day. I have always been a daily person and about 5 months out from surgery I started to have some issues. I am continuing benefiber, sometimes also adding it to drinks. I had been taking 2 gummy fiber chews with my vitamins but have increased it to 3 in the morning and 3 at night.

One thing that I have found that helps me is magnesium. I take a 400mg pill everyday, and I am much more regular. If I go for a few days with out a movement I take 2 at the same time. I have been told that the reason it works is that your body only absorbs what it is needs and gets rid of the rest, on on the way out the maagnesium attracts Water and then softens up your stool and everything comes out. But you still need to remember to drink lot of WATER.

I have told many of my friends about what I used, and they all say it works for them if they need it.

I think it takes many tries for you to find what works best for yourself, but be sure to give whatever method you decide to try an honest efford, not just 1 or 2 days.

Good luck

Tania

I have the same problem. I am 4 months out. Someone told to try magnesium and it works. I take a liquid calcium/magnesium at night and in the a.m. I go. I also use Flax seeds, have been mixing that in my oatmeal. The two of them seem to make me go regularly. If don't take either one then i won't go. Good luck.

I eat a vitafusion fiber gummie (from Target) daily and it has been a simple solution to this same problem for me.

I've been doing those too, not quite sure it's helping yet though

I eat a vitafusion fiber gummie (from Target) daily and it has been a simple solution to this same problem for me.

This is what I take. I don't think it is helping me get regulated, but when I do go it is a lot easier.

I have this problem now too but thankfully not as bad as it used to be. I take 2 gummie fiber chews, 4 stool softeners and miralax every day. This works for me and it took me months to get to the point of anything that worked. The miralax works good for me with only about 1/2 glass of water/juice to put it in. Sometimes I will still have to do Milk of Mag but that is rare....thank goodness! I got really bad at first and had to have an enema once. It was terrible and so painful! Haven't done that in awhile thankfully! I think everyone has to figure out what works for them and it is different for everyone. Hope all this info helps you and good luck!

I've been chronically constipated for years now, I finally asked my doc last year, and she recommended miralax. I take it usually 5 times a week. I do not take it when I have work early the next morning (which is twice a week), because for some strange reason it does not work on those days, which is really weird. It usually works, but not as much as I'd like it to. I may try that Senna S stuff recommended above. I am going on vacation on Saturday and will be up early most days, so not sure if miralax will work, or I could try taking it in the am and going at night, but we'll see. I have to go to the drug store anyways.

I was diagnosed with IBS a few years ago. The Dr prescribed a daily dose of miralax and I mix it in my coffee. It works everyday for me!! I do not have any side effects or problems at all and I use the Walmart brand.

Well i did 3 stool softeners and MOM last night. Was up at 5:30 this am and been going all day. Do not recommend this , my bottom is on fire. LOL. I did get some benefiber tasteless and put 2 tsp in my coffee this am, and put 2 tsp tonight in my supper coffee. I will try it for 2 weeks and if that does not work then I will try miralax.

I find if I use a bit of benefiber every morning with my coffee everything works out fine. Sometimes if I have problems I have to change my diet. I know what really gets me going is nachos ( bad I know but it works), nuts, and kimchi ( something you probably dont know).

Hopefully you can find some things that will work for you. It's all about relearning how to eat, live and poop lol