Severe constipation 4 years out
I had gb 4 years ago and have suddenly started having very severe constiaption. I have never had this problem before. I have had sharp pains in my lower & upper interstines the entire time. Sadly I lost my insurance righ after the surgery and have had little follow up care. Any ideas what could be causing the constipation? I have tried several types of laxatives and they wroked for a few weeks, but now nothing is working. Sorry about the gross factor of this post, but at this point I am beyond modesty. My belly is swollen like I am prego!
Are you keeping up with your protein and vitamins? I would really advice you to go to a doctor's. I would be concerned about not having any follow up for 4 years.
What I use for constipation is Miralax daily (my insurance pays for it if my doctor writes a prescription), magnesium oxide 500mg twice a day, lots and lots of fiber and occasionally stool softeners if needed. Even with all that I have gotten constipation once in a while and then I will take milk of magnesia and/or a suppository.
What I use for constipation is Miralax daily (my insurance pays for it if my doctor writes a prescription), magnesium oxide 500mg twice a day, lots and lots of fiber and occasionally stool softeners if needed. Even with all that I have gotten constipation once in a while and then I will take milk of magnesia and/or a suppository.
WLS 10/28/2002 Revision 7/23/2010
High Weight (2002) 240 Revision Weight (2010) 220 Current Weight 115.
How long have you gone without a bowel movement? Severe constipation that doesn't respond to laxitives is very serious. If you are going but it is difficult that is one thing and you just need to get onto a different regime but if you have taken laxitives during this past week and you have severe abdominal pains including the intestinal areas - this can be an emergency.
There are key questions - when was the last bowel movement? If nothing in 4 days and you used laxitives, no gas then you need to get to the ER since you have no surgeon. If you have a gastroenterologist - you can get there tomorrow and they can order an emergency CT scan but you are better off going to the ER
If you have had Bowel movements but they are difficult then here are some suggestions to make it easier that my surgeon recommended to me after my bowel obstruction - 2 colace at bedtime plus 2-3 senikot also at bedtime. If you find you dont need that much senikot, you can cut it to one. Others find using miralax daily in a glass of water and taking magnesium oxide 2 times daily. I really found the colace and senikot worked. I no longer need it as I have the opposite problem with chronic diarhea.
Please be careful to not let it go. Back in Oct. 2008, I was as regular as clockwork -everytime I drank a protein shake, I had a BM - this was twice daily which was amazing for me but I was happy. Then all of a sudden one day this stopped. I didnt know what happened but figured it was an off day, so I didnt think anything of it. Well the next day I didn't go and the next, so it was now 3 days and I was getting concerned. So, I remembered when I had my RNY, my surgeon had told us if we had no BM's to get milk of magnesia = so, I went out and got that (while out I got dulcolax and fleet enema because they were the final steps in case I needed them) - well the milk of magnesia did nothing using it twice. The next day I used the dulcolax and it again did nothing. I was totally blocked up. The pain was horrible but still didnt' realize how bad it was. Never going through anything serious - didnt occur how bad it was and by now it was the weekend. So, on Sunday I used the fleet enema and again nothing. I should have gone to the ER but I didnt and not sure why - it was a big mistake. First thing Monday morning, I call my Gastro doctor and he had me come in immediately. He called the radiology place and got me an appointment within the hour. I had the CT scan and before I could drive home the 30minutes, there was already a phone call saying I needed to get to NYC to my surgeon and the hospital where he practices which is an hour away - I NEEDED EMERGENCY SURGERY AND IT COULDN"T WAIT. I had a severe bowel obstruction - 18 inches of my bowel was impacted, I had an internal hernia, something called a volvulus, tons of fluid in my abdomen. I had to find a ride which wasn't easy - I tried to get an ambulance but none of them would go from where I live that far. It was crazy. I finally found a friend that was a nurse although she was afraid to take me in my condition in the fear that I could perforate -
thankfully I got there and had the surgery. Please dont put it off and get it checked out before it is too late. it may be nothing
As far as no follow up, do you have insurance now? It is really important to get followed up after surgery - you need to get labs done. I do hope you are taking your multi 2 times per day, calcium citrate, vitamin D, B12, iron with vitamin C, vitamin B1. If you dont get labs done, you dont know if you have deficiencies and it can be really serious. Without getting some of these things checked it can affect your sight, bones, anemia, nerve damage, and several other things.
I would be glad to help you with anything you need - good luck with your abdominal pain and I Hope youfind out what it is
There are key questions - when was the last bowel movement? If nothing in 4 days and you used laxitives, no gas then you need to get to the ER since you have no surgeon. If you have a gastroenterologist - you can get there tomorrow and they can order an emergency CT scan but you are better off going to the ER
If you have had Bowel movements but they are difficult then here are some suggestions to make it easier that my surgeon recommended to me after my bowel obstruction - 2 colace at bedtime plus 2-3 senikot also at bedtime. If you find you dont need that much senikot, you can cut it to one. Others find using miralax daily in a glass of water and taking magnesium oxide 2 times daily. I really found the colace and senikot worked. I no longer need it as I have the opposite problem with chronic diarhea.
Please be careful to not let it go. Back in Oct. 2008, I was as regular as clockwork -everytime I drank a protein shake, I had a BM - this was twice daily which was amazing for me but I was happy. Then all of a sudden one day this stopped. I didnt know what happened but figured it was an off day, so I didnt think anything of it. Well the next day I didn't go and the next, so it was now 3 days and I was getting concerned. So, I remembered when I had my RNY, my surgeon had told us if we had no BM's to get milk of magnesia = so, I went out and got that (while out I got dulcolax and fleet enema because they were the final steps in case I needed them) - well the milk of magnesia did nothing using it twice. The next day I used the dulcolax and it again did nothing. I was totally blocked up. The pain was horrible but still didnt' realize how bad it was. Never going through anything serious - didnt occur how bad it was and by now it was the weekend. So, on Sunday I used the fleet enema and again nothing. I should have gone to the ER but I didnt and not sure why - it was a big mistake. First thing Monday morning, I call my Gastro doctor and he had me come in immediately. He called the radiology place and got me an appointment within the hour. I had the CT scan and before I could drive home the 30minutes, there was already a phone call saying I needed to get to NYC to my surgeon and the hospital where he practices which is an hour away - I NEEDED EMERGENCY SURGERY AND IT COULDN"T WAIT. I had a severe bowel obstruction - 18 inches of my bowel was impacted, I had an internal hernia, something called a volvulus, tons of fluid in my abdomen. I had to find a ride which wasn't easy - I tried to get an ambulance but none of them would go from where I live that far. It was crazy. I finally found a friend that was a nurse although she was afraid to take me in my condition in the fear that I could perforate -
thankfully I got there and had the surgery. Please dont put it off and get it checked out before it is too late. it may be nothing
As far as no follow up, do you have insurance now? It is really important to get followed up after surgery - you need to get labs done. I do hope you are taking your multi 2 times per day, calcium citrate, vitamin D, B12, iron with vitamin C, vitamin B1. If you dont get labs done, you dont know if you have deficiencies and it can be really serious. Without getting some of these things checked it can affect your sight, bones, anemia, nerve damage, and several other things.
I would be glad to help you with anything you need - good luck with your abdominal pain and I Hope youfind out what it is
Thank you for your replies. I am headed to the ER this morning. I am fairly sure I have a blockage or something of that sort. I think it has been headed into this for a few months but is now totally blocked. I thought so far out it was all smooth sailing, it just goes to show that this is a life long commitment & we can't get lazy in taking care of our bodies. Keep me in your prayers please. Again thank you for your quick responses.
I hope all goes well and things return to normal.
A note to all - a sudden (unexplained) change in bowel movements should not be ignored (whether you are a GB pt or not). If it is not easily fixed with a laxative, you should be seen by your PCP. 4 years out and a sudden change may or may not have anything to do with bypass. We have to remember that we can get non bypass issues too.
Andrea.
A note to all - a sudden (unexplained) change in bowel movements should not be ignored (whether you are a GB pt or not). If it is not easily fixed with a laxative, you should be seen by your PCP. 4 years out and a sudden change may or may not have anything to do with bypass. We have to remember that we can get non bypass issues too.
Andrea.
RNY February 2012
starting BMI 40
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