Hello all. Wondering if anyone has had any experience with constipation after surgery? I am 2 weeks post op and I ended up in the ER Tuesday with severe constipation (which I didn't think I even had due to the fact that I was on a liquid diet and some purées.) plus the fact I did a bowel cleanse before surgery. It was so bad that they had to give me morphine and an enema and countless other violating things. Worst day of my life. The nurse told me it could have been a build up of all the protein shakes I had been drinking along with not enough water. Which admittedly have been very hard to get down. I still don't feel very well and today is the first day I have been able to eat anything since Monday evening. Total set back in my recovery process. Anyone else experience constipation? I am taking a stool softener daily now.

@@jesswls what was your WLS?

Drinking Water is so very important no matter what your surgery is. Having an experience like that is not fun and I am sorry that you had to go through that. It is important to keep up your Protein but equally if not more important to keep up your hydration.

If you are having shakes, dilute them with water so you get the extra in. Between meals you have to sip sip sip that water. Don't even wait to feel "thirsty" because I didn't and I still don't ever really feel thirst. If I forget to drink I am in big trouble. Constipation can be only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dehydration.

It is also important to get some essential fats/oils into your body to help ah..grease the process a bit. They should be healthy, like olive oil or a bit of avocado some nuts which also help with Fiber if you are able to have those things. The best place to start is with water and a follow up appointment with your nutritionist to find out what foods to eat to help keep things moving smoothly.

I have this issue from time to time and it's usually because I have not taken in enough water or fiber. (I hate to drink water so it's a fight for me with every sip, I'd rather not but the consequences are enough to keep me reaching for water bottle:))

Feel better soon!!

Yep - it happens to a lot of us. I contacted the NUT 5 days after surgery to tell her I hadn't pooped since before surgery and she freaked out!

I had difficulty the first 3-4 weeks after surgery and needed "help" to get things moving....I took Metamucil daily and a good quality pro-biotic. Once in a while I would take Colace and drink a strong cup of coffee if I needed extra assistance.

I'm a regular kind of girl now at 6 months and really don't need to take anything.

I'm sorry you had those issues...it will get better!

My first poo was 13 days after surgery. When it happened, the sky got a little bluer, the birds sang a little louder, the sun shined a little brighter...

My NP said that while my "wait time" was excessive, it's not too abnormal to not make the poo poo when you are consuming nothing but liquids and a bit of Protein shake here and there.

Add to the protein shakes and not enough water most people are given some type of narcotic pain reliever in the hospital which does not help matters. My first BM after surgery was 8days. I thought I was going to die! For my plastics in July I am going to get ahead of the BM ball game and start taking colace a few days before surgery!

i take konjac root daily (its a type of fiber supplement that doesnt need excess water to work correctly), and i eat oatmeal (usually baked) several times a week. this usually takes care of things.

Jess I had surgery may 27 and I'm having problems with constipation. I had my postoperative today with the nurse practitioner and she told me to get senna-c and collage 100 mg tablets ant take once in the am and pm. I'm going to go get them now. Hopefully things will get moving over the weekend.

Don't forget the iron we are taking can be game changers too. Iron causes constipation for some. I am sorry for your issues too. Hope it is smooth sailing from here on!

I had the opposite problem until I had my fecal transplant 3 1/2 months out. Since then I have acquired my donor's BM qualities, which, unfortunately includes constipation. I would only go every 3 days or so and it was really hard. I started mixing 1-2 teaspoons each of Metamucil and benefiber in my protein shake everyday and it has really helped. If I miss pooing one day, I will take 2tbls Milk of Magnesia that night to make sure I go the next day.