Constipation questions

OK so heres the 411 on my #2 problem.
I havent done the deed in 4 days and that was because I took a light laxative because I hadnt gone for 4 days before that. My question is should I be taking a stool softener everyday? I think I read somewhere that some post ops do that. Oh I should mention that before I tried the laxative I used MOM and it did nothing but make me want to puke. I found colace at the store but its a little expensive for me. At what point should I be concerned?
Thanks all!
Nicole

You are pretty early out, so likely not eating very much.  little in  = little out.  You need to talk to your Dr or nut about your concerns and see if at this point they are worth worying about.  Do not wait.  if you are consitaped for too long you can end up with hemmoriods or anal fissures (Those are not FUN!) you can also give yourself hemmoroids by trying to force yourself  go when you actually do not need to go.

Now with that said,  when I was at your stage I only went once every 6-7 days and it was so hard it felt like rocks and so large that i gave myself severe hemmoroids and an Anal Fissure.  When I finally talked to my Nut about the problem at 6 months out (I was embaressed to have the poo talk and let it go to long) She said that was not normal and eventually I was placed on 5 colace, 2 benefiber, and 1 dose of miralax a day.  We started with one colace and probiotics  and moved up from there.

Now I go (IF I am not lazy and take all my stuff Like i am supposed to) once every 2 days, although it is still HARD. 

I use the store brand of colace it is about $10.00 a bottlel cheaper than the name brand and works just as well. Check for store brands.  I get mine at King Soopers (Also know as Krogers).

My Gastro says to never go more than 3 days without doing your business. You can take the genetic stool softners which are cheaper. I get mine at Costco. You could try an enema if you are really backed up. Some post ops also do miralax or benefiber daily. Hope this helps!

I put sugar free Benefiber in one protein shake a day and take one Colace a day. It seems to do the trick. I plan on doing that until I am up to a more normal variety and amount of food. I do NOT want to get into a horrible, constipated, painful state - happened once already.

I use magnesium instead of stool Softener.. I take mag oxide, in capsules. I take 800-1200 mg mag oxide in addition what is in my multi. A lot? maybe.. but it warks like a charm, and my body need magnesium anyway for other things. 

My Doc told me to eat a spoonful of peanut butter a few times a day.  He wasn't too concerned about the sugar, but said I needed the fat to help move things along.  The sugar in it didn't seem to bother me, but some people have real issues with sugar.  My mom had this surgery a few years ago and takes a generic stoll softener everyday with all her other pills.  MOM also worked for me, but so nasty I only took it when the Doc told me they thought I was impacted and I didn't go I was going to have to go to the hospital.

I have the same problem - in fact, I ended up with an impacted bowel eight days post-surgery.  I take two colace stool softener pills a day, add two tbs of benefiber to my protein shake in the morning and drink a small can of v-8 everyday.  I am still slightly constipated but go about every two days.  I don't plan to change this routine until I am eating vegetables on a regular basis.  At that point, I will probably omit the benefiber or stool softener.

Thanks everyone! There's a lot of good ideas here. I have an apt. with the bariatric internist tomorrow so I will force myself to have the poo talk. Although I've already had roids for a while, I am not trying to get impacted! Once again yall saved my a$$! LOL

Ok you Colace/Stool softener people. I cannnot get constipated because of other medical issues. Do you take 100mg or the 250mg? I took 1 today and am 3 days post of and petrified of constipation. I think I will take 2 of the 250's I have right now and adjust accordingly. I would rather be too soft than too hard.
Thanks for the input.
Linda B