I hate to even post this but I need some advice. Just a little background before I ask the question. I have a BM about every other day. My doctor said that was what I should expect since I am still only eating approximately 7 oz of solid foods a day. I am also supposed to take Fiber every day, and I do. I am taking Multivitamins, B12, coq10, Potassium, and a medication to heal the stomach (only 30 days left on that one). My BMs are pale brown, long, and very hard. A little uncomfortable as well. Is this normal? Is going to the bathroom after this procedure a process too? Ewe, hate even talking about it!

That sounds like my situation directly after surgery and for the first few weeks or so, maybe month? But it all gets back to normal eventually

16 months post op and if I don't take a stool softener with laxative twice a day, I don't go. I never knew how bad constipation could be.

Unfortunately this seems to be the worst part post surgery for me anyway.

Thanks for the feedback! Hopefully it will get better.

16 months post op and if I don't take a stool softener with laxative twice a day, I don't go. I never knew how bad constipation could be.

Unfortunately this seems to be the worst part post surgery for me anyway.

Me too. I have a cocktail of stuff I take to avoid constipation per the direction of my Dr because apparently not going for a week is bad.

16 months post op and if I don't take a stool softener with laxative twice a day, I don't go. I never knew how bad constipation could be.

Unfortunately this seems to be the worst part post surgery for me anyway.

Me too. I have a cocktail of stuff I take to avoid constipation per the direction of my Dr because apparently not going for a week is bad.

Yup, me too! I'm 4.5 months post-op and if I don't take 4 Colace and fiber a day, it is an absolute NIGHTMARE that involves the required use of surgical gloves and Vasaline. I'll leave it at that.....

I got in a little rut (not recommended) where I didn't take my Vitamins for a couple months. Once I started taking them again, I discovered that I also needed to incorporate a stool softener everyday. What's one more pill, right? :-)

I used to go to the bathroom multiple times a day before surgery. After surgery I am lucky if I go every three days. Of course I take meds to help that process!

Thanks for all the posts! I guess I'll have to look into over the counter stuff!

I haven't had this problem exactly. It took about 9 days after surgery to be able to go poop and it was the most painful Boulder I ever pushed out. Since then, I got back on my probiotics and I really don't have hard stools. It's pretty predictable too. Not every day regular, but close at this point. I read somewhere that using stool softeners and laxatives can over time teach your intestines to not work properly. They basically get lazy and you can become dependent on them to get the business done. I've tried my best to avoid that end and I really do believe the probiotics are what helped prevent my need for those. I take a double dose daily.

Hi! From experience I can tell you that you should be taking pericolace or Miralax. Long before the Opiod Induced Constipation commercials that recently came out, I was a huge sufferer! I'm talking worse than you could possibly imagine. For me at that time it was caused by the pain meds I took for my rheumatoid arthritis.

Now that I'm preparing for my RNY my nurse went over the do's and don't -s with me and those two are on the top of her list to use. I believe you need to stay away from a few like Metamucil or some such because they are gelatinous and can plug your stoma.

Neither of these will affect your body's ability to go down the road. Believe me- you don't want to deal with the horrid fissures that can occur from chronic constipation. Those do not go away and the best way to describe it is to consider passing razor blades daily. Sorry if it was tmi but really- help yourself now before it is too late!