Help! Constipation / Impacted stool

I have never in my life experienced what I have gone through in the past 24 hours.

Yesterday afternoon, I could feel something moving down the colon, so I took some Milk of Magnesium. At about 4:00, I tried to go, but the hard dry stool didn't budge. In the process, I gave myself a fissure. Ouch!

I kept trying every half hour, and in between trying I would lay on my bathroom floor and cry. My 20 year old son stood at my bedroom door and asked, "Mom, are you ok?" I sent him to the store and he came home with a Fleet enema. OUCH! With the fissure and the saline solution, the enema hurt. When I finally went, no hard stool would pass, only the liquid around it. At this point I am desperate, and I put my finger in my rear to try and dig out the hard stool.

Then I sent my son to the store for suppositories. 30 minutes later I could go, lots of liquid diarrhea. But the hard stool wouldn't budge. It hurt so bad I would literally fall off the toilet and land on the bathroom floor.

I managed to get some sleep, and called my surgeon this morning. He is on a 3 week vacation, so I got his new partner. All he said was, "Try the Milk of Magnesium again, and continue trying to remove the impacted stool. If you have no luck, you may have to go to the emergency room and they will dig it out."

Terrific. This is worse than labor.

Any advice anyone? I am absolutely miserable.

Follow the doctor's orders. And then head to the OR.

After this, start adding colace (often people take 2 pills 2x a day), I use 1/2 capful of miralax every day.

I'm sorry, I know the pain. Just know you're not alone.

Clean out your enema container and fill it with warm water a few times and hold the water in as long as you can, that may help soften the block.
Just an idea.

 mineral oil.  take a swig of mineral oil, maybe that'll help slide it out.  i am sorry for you :( 

Sending mineral oil up from the other end does help grease the wheels a bit, too. :)

I have had the same exact problem for years...especially now since RNY 8 months ago. I cannot count the hours I have spent in the bathroom, crying, on the floor, doubled over fixtures ..etc...and the silent screams..oh Lordy!  I've decided never again!!  If you haven't gone to the doctor yet, try this.  (at hospital they will either give you an enema, not a bad thing if they are gentle, or soften the stool with suppositories (or both) and manualy remove it as it drops.  In any event, your bottom will be in pain for quite a few days and you MUST keep your stool soft to let yourself heal.

If you are still at home, fill your fleet container with warm soapy water...a 1/2 tsp. liquid soap and very warm (not hot) water.  LOAD the applicater with petrolieum jelly, plus apply some to your bottom.  With care, keep doing this every 10-15 minutes after passing the previous enema's water....after the first 2-3 times, soap is not needed..but be sure to use the jelly to ease the path.  When you have passed the stool, drink lots of fluids (no milk or citrus) and begin that day with a dose of Miralax ( and capsule stool softeners for a few days) and continue every day with 1 full dose or a maintenance dose of 1/2 capful a day. Capsules also if needed.  It has been my answer following years of pain and pressure and ugh..hemmies!  Keep your dairy and cheese products to a minimum until you can gauge if it hardens your stool or not.  I didn't know until 5 yrs ago that I can no longer tolerate cheese in large quantities or liquid milk products.
Good luck with this problem...pottying should be a pleasure, not a fear. 
Kim

If you are that chronically constipated, you need to be very diligent about your maintenance regimen to keep comfortable, to avoid having to do any urgent fixes.  Talk to your doc about a sufficient daily dose of miralax and some stool softeners to prevent things from getting so bad.

I will say that I do medical transcription, mostly pediatric GI, and even SIX YEAR OLDS get a full capful of miralax!!!  I can't imagine that 1/2 capful doing you any good at all!

I use the lowest dosage that does the best job.  I include a proper diet (I sure pay the price when I get off track) and plenty of fluids.  I've been a nurse for 25 years and I always try to follow the less is best rule.  What works for one is not always the rule for everyone.  Chronic constipation is a common problem with many women in my family...I wish one answer worked for all of us.  I've found my answer and I sure hope all sufferes find their own ultimate answer.
Happy pottying!
Kim

Adult sized fleet enemas, one per night for three nights in a row. During the same three days, take Dulcolax laxatives (bisacodyl sodium, 5 mg) as directed on the box.  You will want to take Pepcid, Prevacid, or Prilosec with each dose of the laxative, as it can irritate the pouch.

Assuming that gets things moving nicely (which it SHOULD), half the dose of the Dulcolax for a week, but DON'T stop taking it - things will grind to a halt again.  Then stop the dulcolax but replace it immediately with a stool softener (Dulcolax makes that, too, but there are LOTS of brands) and take as directed for a week, without fail.

You will also want to, along with the stool softener, start supplementing the fiber in your diet.  You'll want to be getting at least 50 g per day.  If you can get this through roughage and beans and fruits and vegetables, great.  If not, slowly start adding Benefiber to your diet.  Do NOT start at a large dose.  Start at 1/4 of the recommended dose, and slowly increase it over the course of a week or so until you are at the full dose, and then keep it up.

 

You poor thing!  Get some mineral oil enemas and saline enemas from the store.  Take the MOM, and give yourself a mineral enema.  Lie down and holdit as long as you can. It will lub the way and soften things up.  Then do a fleets to clean yourself out.  Repeat until you are empty.  You definitely need the oil enema.  I wouldn't take a stimulant laxative - avoid those for now.  Then get on a daily routine of a softener and fiber.