Ok, here's the deal......I've been constipated before, where I have the urge to go but can't but this is different. I don't even feel like I need to have a bm, but I haven't been in over a week and then it was only because I took MOM. It's truly aggravating because I used to go regularly before my surgery on 9-22-08. This can't be normal or even healthy but I don't want to resort to MOM every time I need to go. Do y'all think it is just from reduced calories...I'm eating around 800 calories a day right now. Does it ever get straightened out to where I'll begin going normally? How often do y'all go? Sorry about the delicate nature of this topic, but I figured who better to ask, right?

i have the same issue but i tell ya when its time to go i really go and seems like lose like 5 lbs going to the bathroom. and its usually like once a week or longer. sometimes i take exlax to help along the process. i think its because instead of us overeating like we use to our body is actually using the food that we eat and it prob take about a week to build up i know that might not be the reason but that is all i can think of

I'm still mostly consuming liquids so it doesn't surprise me that I don't go much.

No it's not normal. Well, it could be normal to a lot of bandsters because the same situations are happening to several of them.

I would be concerned if I hadn't gone in a week. Same thing happened to me when I broke my arm. I was taking loratabs for the pain. NO ONE told me that narcotics shut down your bowels!!!!!!! SO I never had the urge but when I finally did. I was IN TROUBLE!

Go take the MoM as soon as you feel you can. Don't get yourself in a bad situation. I would start taking extra Fiber or something you feel comfortable.

My Doctor's literature says to take MoM or prune juice.

Also, try some probiotics! That's what all the hub-bub is about with all the yogurt. For all those people who don't go everyday! If you are on full liquids or can eat, try some probiotic yogurt once a day. I bought some super yummy drinkable yogurt at my store. I'm saving it for my full liquid stage.

Pooping = normal

Not pooping = all sorts of bad stuff

Oh and drink lots of Water. That's always my MIL advice for constipation. She's a Nurse Practitioner.

I'm dealing with the same issues. The day after surgery the doc told me to expect this so to take stool softeners. I asked her if I should expect to be going since since I would be barely eating for a few days and she said that it didn't matter, I should still be going. My advice that since it has been a week, just put a call into your doctor.

Well same problem even now with 2 months since surgery and I am eating small meals. I take one colaice (stool softener) every day and that helps. I guess not eating as much processed foods and eating maybe a third of what I used to eat does it.

I also find a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning sure helps get things moving. LOL

I was going to ask this today! I had surgery Monday and haven't had a BM since. I have only been having liquids though, so I thought that that was the problem. I am just now weaning off of the pain meds too so I'm thinking that that must be playing into it as well. Collase sounds like a good solution.

They do have a liquid colace too... and it's not bad tasting, but you have to get it at the pharmacy counter (no prescription required in NY anyway). I had the same issues, now one month post op, and I'm going nearly every other day on my own. I can't do MOM as my body becomes dependent on it to go. So I stayed with colace, and when I got REAL despirate, with my dr's ok I used miralax (a powder you add to liquids). It wasn't bad. Didn't change the taste of whatever I drank it with. But for me it has gone away.

teri

This was from my post on Friday regarding BMs (or lack thereof)

To upcoming bandsters-some possibly helpful info regarding meds

Please speak to your doctor concerning the adverse effects that narcotic (at home) pain meds can have on you. Was banded 10 days ago and when I went for my one week post op had not gone to the bathroom. I guess in all of the excitement of finally being on the road to better health I overlooked the fact that I had not had a bowel movement since the day before surgery. No one ever mentioned to me that the medicine used during surgery and the viacodin/hydrocodone that was sent home with me could cause constipation. Believe me, it can and it does. So before surgery discuss w/ your surgeon what type of OTC meds you can use and when is a good time to start using them. I'd venture to guess that if I had realized the situation I was about to be in I would have started Miralax or Milk of Magnesia (acceptable to my doctor) on day 2 or 3. The pain that is associated with the introduction of gas during your surgery will be 10x worse if you can't go to the bathroom.

Just something to put out there so that hopefully no one else has to deal with it.

I didn't feel constipated either so maybe that is another reason I didn't think anything of not going...

Renee'

I used to be regular as clockwork, first thing every morning. Now it's every couple of days. I figure less in = less out.

In your case, ask your doctor, a week is a long time.

I think it's a combination of a variety of factors. One as Airkuhl mentioned, less in = less out; your body is adjusting to different food, different amounts, liquids, etc.

I find that if I drink a cup of Triple Leaf Detox tea every night, I go every morning. The tea isn't pleasant tasting, but it's a natural way to detoxify your body. You have to be sure to let it steep for at least 15 minutes.

I'm a FIRM believer in Colonics and probiotics. Where I get my colonics they sell a probiotic (good bacteria) made with cabbage, carrots and ginger. It's not really good but with pumpkin seed oil it's not bad. It's very good for the stomach. Search for your local colonic provider. It'll do your colon and world of good.

before the preop diet and surgery i went more than once a day. had surgery 16th, and started wondering about the fact that i have not went yet...knew about the meds causing constipation...so for my water intake, i have been mixing the citrus flavor benefiber packets in my water...i finally went today twice, no constipation, no problems, no pain...