HELP! Today is my one month surgery anniversary! YAY! My question is...when does normal digestion return? I take stool softeners every day and I have to take a stimulant laxative every 3-4 days to actually be able to go. The laxative kicks in, I go, then NOTHING until I give in and take more laxatives. This is getting ridiculous. This is definitely NOT a normal pattern for me. Pre-surgery I was a once a day kind of girl. I don't want to get dependent on these things...what has worked for you guys? Sorry to be gross!

Took me about 2 months to get back to normal. Only when I could expand my diet to include more Fiber containing foods did things "start to work its self out." Constipation has been far and away my biggest challenge. I still put a teaspoon of miralax in my morning shake. 9 weeks out now. I also take children's fiber gummies.

The first month was miserable with constipation, lots of Protein and very little fiber makes lots of hard poop. Keep up with the stool softeners, MOM or miralax, (for me it was a combo of all 3) but it will get better. I'm still not where I was pre surgery but things are working out in the end.

Gotta laugh about it!

Good luck!

I started taking a chewable fiber supplement per my drs suggestion, definitely does help, then you aren't taking meds so much.

Omg i am right there with you, i take a softener and a laxative and cant go ob my own im 14 werks out my dr wants me to just take the sofener and miralax twice a day but unless i take the xlax every 3-4 days i cant go ugh im glad im not the ony one

I'm almost 5 months post-surgery and this has probably been the biggest challenge. I take stool softeners daily, Miralax almost daily, and Milk of Magnesia once or twice a week. For me it hasn't really gotten much different -- it's about the same since the first month.

Please do a search on this forum subject of

pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

As I was saying, if you search the word "constipation" on this forum you will find a wealth of helpful information on this problem. This is essentially what caused me to join the forum. I was having MAJOR constipation issues. Sorry to get graphic but it was like trying to pass a piece on concrete block. I now take a stool softener every day, drink two big glasses of Water first thing then have my coffee. That usually does the trick. Sometimes I skip a day but usually I am very regular now. I also add chia seeds to my yogurt and take a probiotic capsule. As your food choices expand to include more fruit and veggies that also helps.

pre-surgery weight 325; surgery date 2/28/2013; surgery weight 307; 8 weeks past-op weight 281.4

People.. Don't forget you're food intake dictates your output. You are eating. Traction of what you did prior to surgery and so your BM routine will change also. It's not a bad thing to have a BM every couple days. As long as its not troublesome it's ok.

Also remember that eventually your system will become dependent on laxatives so if you're having an actual problem always go with natural assistance like the some listed above. Flax seed is also a good daily helper.

People.. Don't forget you're food intake dictates your output. You are eating. Traction of what you did prior to surgery and so your BM routine will change also. It's not a bad thing to have a BM every couple days. As long as its not troublesome it's ok.

Also remember that eventually your system will become dependent on laxatives so if you're having an actual problem always go with natural assistance like the some listed above. Flax seed is also a good daily helper.

I agree. I take fiber gummies at night but m checking out flax seeds too. I don't want to become dependent on a laxative either. It has gotten better since I've been able to eat more fiber and veggies etc.

I have been so grateful for threads like this one. Thank you all for being willing to share about our most private issues. I am four weeks out and suffering with constipation in spite of drinking my water. I am going to try adding 2 T of Benefiber to my morning protein shake. I am still unable to eat more than 1/4 cup at a time, so hard to get any veggies in. I do take Juice Plus vitamins (recommended by my surgeon and nut) which is the "next best thing" to eating vegetables but not helping me with the constipation. Best wishes to ALL!