Constipation- someone PLEASE help me

[HelpMeMelpHe]

I have been constipated for 7 days. That may not sound like a lot but I usually go 2/3 times a day without issue. I was away on holiday and ate crap food and basically survived on crisps and pizza as I was so hot I had no appetite.

I am currently lying on the bed in tears, I have tried:
orange juice
4 suppositories
3 x enemas
putting my feet up
relaxing
black coffee
a special vitamin tablet which DP says always makes him go
Drinking loads of water
pushing from inside my vagina
actually trying to manually remove the stool (sorry for the way TMI)
sitting in a warm bath
massaging my stomach
dulcolex

ill be ringing my GP first thing in the morning but can ANYONE suggest anything else. I’m in a total panic, I can just feel the rock hard stool, I’m in agony, shaking and it hurts to walk. To top it off I’m on my period which I hoped would get things going but nothing. Someone please help I am desperate and I’m worried my gp will just prescribe everything I’ve already tried. I’m a nurse and working all weekend and at this point I can’t see how I can go into work which would leave my team in the absolute shit (pardon the pun). I don’t know what to do 🫨🫨

What im saying is fibre makes it worse, for me, not better

you need some bulk, actually not

OP, I would go to A and E. Matthew Perry got a burst colon from 10 days of constipation (think that’s correct re duration and which organ burst / exploded / got damaged). He was taking a huge amount of drugs which caused the severe constipation - I don’t think a week or two of junk food would cause constipation so severe. Scans or X-rays could look for an obstruction (I’m not a medical person so please don’t all moan at me if I’ve got that wrong!)

OP,
I was in this position a few years ago and I really feel for you.
I felt so desperate to poo, I would have done anything. I passed out on the toilet twice just trying to pass the stool, and that didn't include all of the other times I tried! I put surgical gloves on and tried to manually evacuate my bowels, I squatted and pushed, I took glycerine suppositories, dulcolax (which gave me horrific tummyache), dulcoease, drank prune juice, walked as much as possible, rocked back and forth, massaged my tummy, massaged pressure points on my hands, lay on my left side, drank litres and litres of water, took warm baths while massaging my tummy on the left side, and tried lactulose for days but nothing was helping. It felt impossible and it consumed all of my thoughts. I felt ill and sluggish, I could feel it there but no matter how hard I tried I could not get it out.
As the days passed with no joy, I became more and more desperate but also anxious to keep trying in case I passed out again, while also knowing that the longer it took, the worse it was going to be!
Eventually, I convinced myself I was in big trouble and then the panic set in! Once I'd decided I was doomed, I called a good friend and asked them to come over because I was so disregulated. When they arrived, I explained the situation and then for the first time ever, had a massive panic attack. I honestly believed I was dying, couldnt speak because I couldn't breathe and my friend thought I was having a heart attack. Yes, it was that bad!!
My friend called 999 and an ambulance arrived, took my vitals, asked my friend for the background, and explained I was having a panic attack and that despite my anxious state, they could not do anything to help me.
The ambulance staff advised trying microlax.
I did have a dose of Microlax from a previous bout of constipation. I was bloody Terrified of using it because despite wanting it to be over, I knew it was going to be very difficult and I may potentially pass out again.
My friend insisted on staying while i administered the microlax and then remained with me when after 15 minutes, I tried to go again. I was sat on the toilet for what felt like a long time, yes straining, yes, sweating, but after a while, I felt movement and with a gargantuan push, I actually went. 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
The relief when it came out was immense!!
I had no idea that constipation could feel so horrendous before then.
Since then, I take magnesium every single night!! I drink plenty of water and I eat much healthier and I have not suffered in years now!

So in short, microlax and daily magnesium thereafter worked wonders for me.

He’s a busy GP, he doesn’t have amnesia. The nurse that did it with him said she hadn’t done one since she did her training, so it’s not an every day occurrence. He asked me where my daughter was going to nursery in a subsequent appointment, he didn’t say ‘oh mine too!’ But he had mentioned his wife was preggo at the same time. I’m not sure what makes people think GPs done remember anything about patients.

I think it maybe too late for the over the counter remedies and need manual evacuation by a medic and then Lactulose or a suppository.
This could be done at an urgent treatment centre or A&E without the need for an admission.

If the constipation continued untreated it could lead to your body developing a toxic confusional state as your body chemistry becomes ‘up the way out of kilter or vomiting faeces.

Get yourself down to an urgent treatment centre asap. It won’t be pleasant but it’ll be fine and let this episode be a learning curve in eating a balanced diet. M

I'm thinking it's to do with the stimulant effect and that nicotine and caffeine are in the same category?
Or maybe it's something to do with serotonin receptors in the gut?

OP slight pressure to the stomach and rock your hips. I figured this out after the worse constipation after DD was born. I was trying to get her to sleeep in a sling and was rocking her using my hips. Has always worked since.

Hot water bottle and prune juice worked for me. So sorry you’re going through this.

I doubt they will do a manual evacuation, my son has chronic constipation and has gone fsr longer than 7 days without a bowel movement ,they will continue with movicol / phosphate enemas etc ,something will happen eventually.

It is the stimulant effect of the coke and this could act on the seratonin receptors in the gut just as there are opiate receptors in the gut hence people on opiate based painkillers and people who use heroin getting constipated. I am not recommending firing up a crack pipe to get things moving tho or doing a line of coke!

Once, I misguidedly ate an entire packet of Polos.
Jesus Christ, my belly and bum!
I didn’t know they had a laxative effect.
I haven’t touched them since.

That was lighthearted!

Prunes are dried apricots are great.
Ask your GP for that stuff that looks like sour milk. I can’t remember the name.
My husband was prescribed it prior to a procedure, and it just ‘fell out’.
His words!

Best of luck! 🍀

Lactulose Solution this works in 30 minutes and you need stay near a toilet - it’s fast

Since my Caesarean, i get bloody awful trapped wind.
These yoga poses are so helpful.

Smoke a cigarette. Absolutely gross for a non smoker but it might well work.
Years ago, when I did used to smoke but only lightly/nights out, I went on holiday and couldn't go at all. A diet coke and a cigarette in a bar and I had to move quickly to the loo.

I tell you what will do it but you'll wish you were dead from the cramps. Those sugar free hard sweets they sell in little cartons at the till in Lidl. Scoff three packs of those in one go and about 2 hours later you'll be inside out. Honestly it was so horrendous I nearly had to call an ambulance, I was sick on the floor from the force of every molecule I've ever consumed exiting my body.

I was going to say this. I've never been impacted but once you get everything cleared to keep things regular a serving of chia seeds everyday. I put mine in plain Greek yogurt with a cup of frozen mixed berries and it keeps everything moving smoothly.

I tell you what will do it but you'll wish you were dead from the cramps. Those sugar free hard sweets they sell in little cartons at the till in Lidl.

There really should be warnings about sweets with sorbitol in. In my day people woud take a tube of Polos or similar to suck in exams. Imagine the consequences...

I know you've had a million and one suggestions but I find anusol suppositories for hemorrhoids (not the glycerine ones) really helpful in softening the stool if it's got a bit solid.

I've known folks prescribed 6 sachets of movicol all at once for severe constipation, so u could try increasing the dosage, however as things seem to be at a standstill I would stop trying and get some medical help as you could be heading towards obstruction. With the best will in the world, you can't do home visits while you are shaking and in pain

my go to is warm water - or tea - i find that effective but it looks as if you may have tried these so go to GP??

I would go to A&E because constipation for 7 days is nothing to play with. The hospital will sort you out.

Sounds like you need something to move the whole bowel. I would either try the pharmacy or ring 111. You probably need something like picolax or klean prep x

Peppermint tea is my go-to. And kneel on the floor, shoulders close to the floor, head on the floor, knees up, bum out and wiggle your hips. This can help move gas and stools on.

I hope your absence means you're sorted.

After my labour and c section with my second born i was really badly constipated and obviously not allowed to push too hard because surgery. It was a nightmare, hottest day of the year, i had to be careful what i took with breast feeding too. In the end i was only allowed fibogel. Its lumpy awful stuff to drink but i drank one or 2 of those with lots of water and sorry tmi but had to manually try and squish it through vagina and other side of my butt even though i was bleeding like a b!tch from delivering my baby 😫 and im not sure if it helped but i finally managed to hug a pillow round my stomach and push it out and honestly it was round and the size of a tennis ball!! I hope you get relief and soon!! Afterwards i was so relieved and was back to 💩 just fine.
Traveling can bung you up. When i was due to have my third baby i made sure to have some fibogel already in and it was all good.