Almost 6 months - still constipated!

Did you do 2 oz at once or did you take it throughout the day?  I find that when I get that bad that I need to take a tbsp every hour and not just the dose before bed.  I ended up in ER here once with the same problem and they basically said I had no bowel obstruction and to keep trying things and if nothing worked to go back.

Yup - me too.

I'm religious about the stool softeners, otherwise it's like giving birth for hours.

So I have two sure-fire things that keep me running on time -

(1) Ducosate sodium or ducosate calcium. One a day.
(2) Senna tea. Bulk food store - usually in a blue box, called "Lax-a-day" or "Digestive Relief" or something similar (name varies). Twice a week, in the evening - morning emptying. (Senna is the active ingredient in Senokot - tastes a little like grass).

Constipation and/or hard stools come with the high protein intake - Greek joghurt and cottage cheese and the other cheeses are binding the material in our guts. Hence the massive hard stools. Of course lots of water, like they tell us, and lots of walking - that helps too.

But once you find your solution - stick to it.

Hi Nathalie - I have a similar issue - very hard painful stools but I take 2 colace (stool softener) in the morning and it seems to help.  My Nurse Practioner said I could go to 2 in am and 2 in pm when I am having difficulties.  Don't want to get into trouble with hemmoroids and fistulas. 

If you are going and it is hard, fibre supplements can make the situation worse.  A softener may be the way to go.  I would contact your clinic to see if a softener is an option for you.

what is your fluid/water intake like???

in order to help move things along an large amount of water/fluid is necessary becaus eyour body is absorbing so much...it needs additional fluids.

you may want to start tracking fluids and the items you eat...

there HAS to be something easier than 15 freakin capsules a day.....  I take only 5 small iron capsules and that's mor ethan enough

as far as the (tearing bit), try using vaseline around your rectum..and get some help from the doctor if you are tearing you are probably strainings as well and you don't want to end up with hemmorhoids

I track my food and fluids since day 1, and for fluids I consume from 6 to 8 glasses per day so I think for that part is ok.....for food, like I said, the only thing that can ruin me is the cheese curds..but I can't think that 4-5 bites of cheese per day can do so much damage...lol

good tip with vaseline.

Have a good weekend!
Nathalie

I have had a similar problem and as suggested but another fellow OH'R I now put in a handful (1/3 cup approx) of bran buds in my morning oatmeal. Early out I had some sugar free popcicles (lots of sugar alcohols) and got me moving a little to fast!

Nathalie, it sounds like the fibre capsules are making things worse for you instead of better.
Go to the Pharmacy or Costco and buy some Lax A Day. It is a powder but it disolves completely in any liquid when you stir it up. This stuff helps to draw fluid into the bowel to soften things up and make it easier to pass. Take it twice a day until things are regular and soft for you.
Also you can add Senokot S once a week to make sure that things stay cleaned out for you.
Constipation is horrible but so many of us suffer with it.
Try to get your fluids up as well. Six to eight glasses per day may not be enough.
My GI doc also recommended exercise that bounces you up and down like stairs every day will help too.

Linda

I'll go to the pharmacy and try this Lax A Day...Thanks and have a great weekend!

It really has helped me when nothing else did. It is safe to take long term. I took it twice a day for 2 weeks then cut it down to one dose a day. It has no taste and disolves completely in a minute or two when you stir it into your drink or shake it up in a water bottle.

Linda

My doctor advised against added fibre because she said it often makes the problem worse especially if you aren't significantly increasing your water intake.

I have been taking a daily dose of lax-a-day for about a year now (or miralax, or restoralax or the generic brand...all the same).  I mix it into my tea every morning.  I can't taste it.  It helps keep me somewhat regular.  If I am still somewhat constipated I take a double dose, if I find that my stools are looser than normal I stop for a day or two.  But otherwise I can't go without it or the constipation returns. 

It is an osmotic laxative, which means it doesn't affect the muscles in your bowels.  All it does is pull fluid into the bowels and the stool to make it soft and able to pass.

I would definitely recommend it.  It is a lifesaver!  Definitely talk to your doc...but seriously, consider giving this a try.

And to get things moving to start with, there is nothing wrong with taking a regular laxative like ex-lax or docusate as long as you aren't taking it on a regular basis.  Usually one overnight dose is enough to get things moving to start with anyway.