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Constipation (I can't believe this is my topic!)



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So, I am now 5 days post op. Feeling pretty darn good. Stopped pain meds three days ago. My Fluid intake & exercise are where they need to be. Everything is great. EXCEPT, I can't . I have been taking Miralax for two days now and nothing. It's been five days...should I be worried? When do I call the doctor/nurse? We all , so I appreciate your sharing.

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It isn't time to worry, but time to take action. Get an enema. Immediate results while figuring out which oral med will work. I did an enema every two days for the first two weeks until I could start Fiber. My GI doc approved because it is just so important to not get impacted. I'm 6 weeks out and don't have trouble now because of the fiber.

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It isn't time to worry, but time to take action. Get an enema. Immediate results while figuring out which oral med will work. I did an enema every two days for the first two weeks until I could start Fiber. My GI doc approved because it is just so important to not get impacted. I'm 6 weeks out and don't have trouble now because of the fiber.

Thanks! I'll give my doctor a call on Monday! Here's hoping to healthy for everyone!


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The oral meds I was talking about are Milk of Magnesia, Smooth Move tea (I found it in the tea isle of my local grocery), and the Miralax. All over the counter.

Good luck!

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So, I am now 5 days post op. Feeling pretty darn good. Stopped pain meds three days ago. My Fluid intake & exercise are where they need to be. Everything is great. EXCEPT, I can't [emoji90]. I have been taking Miralax for two days now and nothing. It's been five days...should I be worried? When do I call the doctor/nurse? We all [emoji90][emoji90], so I appreciate your sharing.



Definitely get your doctor's/nurse's advice but this is what mine had me do in that situation: 1) one tablespoon of milk of magnesia every hour for up to five hours 2) take a stool softener (I now take one daily before bed) 3) add benefiber (or similar) to my daily routine. I use the dissolvable powder in one of my bottles of Water each day. 4) make sure you're drinking the amount of water they have told you to drink each day (my dr.'s requirement is 64 oz/day)


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I've added a spinach and fruit smoothie to my diet. I don't have to take anything anymore! (2oz spinach, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup berries, coconut water).

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I was in the ER for impaction. Not fun. Good luck to you.

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If you are on a liquid diet... you really don't have much poop being made. Honestly, if you are at least having some gas, you should be fine. I didn't have a bowel movement for something like 8 days after surgery...and even then, it was just a little bit. Give it time. As you change your diet, your body should respond accordingly

Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

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Ideally there will be a BM by 5 days post op, and at least every 3 days thereafter. Even if you're not eating, the body still makes waste. If that waste stays in there for multiple days, it will start putrifying, getting reabsorbed, and drying out. In short: nothing good.

I did an enema every two days for the 2nd and 3rd weeks post op until I could get fiber on board. This is not harmful for just a few weeks, but impaction IS very harmful.

I visited a gastroenterologist my 3rd week post op, and told them about the enemas. They were just fine with it, they just wanted to make sure I was GOING.

Now, there is a difference between doing this for 2-3 weeks, and doing it for months. It is good to move to dietary management, fiber supplements, and the like.

Even milk of magnesia, miralax, and Smooth Move tea shouldn't be used forever. But that's something that should be discussed with your doc.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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