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 🫨🫨

Call in sick. You can't work like this. You have gastro problems. Even when it starts working, it could keep on working and you may never get off the loo! Loads of empathy from me.

Inulin is a bloody wonder. I was suffering until using it. Got it from Holland and Barrett

edited to add. It doesn’t cause diarrhoea it just makes things normal again

Manual extraction was the only thing that worked for me once (or twice). I was absolutely desperate and panicking. And sobbing. Did you have any luck with that at all?

Sounds horrendous OP….hope you get sorted soon. Can you ring 111 and ask their advice?

Thanks for the sympathy everyone. If I rung in sick it would truly cause holy hell, I’m the only nurse on (there should be 5) for the whole weekend so already unsafe and if I rung in sick… but not sure what else I can do, I can’t even straighten up properly 😭

Glycerine suppositories

It doesn’t sound like you’re in a fit state to work.

I’ve tried manual extraction (🙈🙈) and it’s so rock hard it’s hard to actually get anything moving. I tried pushing gently on my perineum , I’ve tried putting a small amount of lubricant inside, I’ve tried putting 2 fingers in my vagina and gently pushing…. I’ve explored more of my body this last week then I have in my whole life

I’ve had 4 of them 🥹

Also try lying on your back and pulling your knees up to your chest with legs apart.

Keep using the suppositories as often as you can as it will help to soften the stool, keep drinking water and sit on the toilet when you feel the urge, ideally with your feet resting on something, don't push but let gravity slowly do it's job.

I totally know where you’re coming from it’s sooo painful. I found lactulose and lying on my left side eventually worked. I hope you get sorted soon.

Take at least two pouches of Ella’s Kitchen prunes. You can probably get them deliverooed tonight.

I was recently very constipated after an operation and was guzzling Laxido, taking Senna, drinking water, having glycerin suppositories, and various other things. It was awful and took days to resolve. Picolax finally did the trick, sweet relief!

Also, and I say this as a former community NHS worker myself, CALL IN SICK. I know it feels impossible when your team is short staffed and you will have a tonne of guilt about it, but you are unwell and need time to get this resolved. Stress and not having access to your own toilet will make matters worse, believe me. Put yourself first for once - no one else will.

And call 111 for advice while you’re at it because you could be looking at an impacted bowel. If you let this carry on you’ll be off work longer than 1-2 days!

Another one for lactulose to draw water into the bowel and soften the stool. Can take time though.

After I gave birth I couldn't go for a week and this was what helped me.

Also Fybogel if you've not tried that already but it might take another couple of days. Drink lots of water too.

Have you tried coffee, OP? I know it’s not great for sleeping at this time but it can often have a laxative effect. Maybe worth a try? Hope you feel better soon, it sounds awful. Definitely call in sick for work. I’m also a nurse so appreciate your situation but you’ve got to prioritise your own health at times - this is one of those times! 💐

If you don't call in sick and the enemas, suppositories and everything else you've tried suddenly kick in and gang up on you when you're with a patient, what then? I don't say this to catastrophise. I've had IBS since I was about five and I'm now in my 60s, so I know exactly how unforgiving a problematic bowel can be. The only one who knows whether you can cope or not is you, but it may be that you'd save everyone, including yourself, a lot of misery if you took tomorrow to get yourself sorted.

Califig syrup, probably can get it in a good supermarket
lactulose, chemist purchase

if you take either of those don’t leave the house as when you do go you’ll need to be near a loo

Ah I see you say the glycerine hasn't worked,

Whatever they give people for colonoscopies will work - eventually. I had one last year - I didn't have picolax but something similar - edited, I had Plenvu. Although I was way into the second dose before it worked.

Also when you have been, get Symprove or something similar to repair your bowel. It is expensive but it works.

It’s awful and frightening when it gets to this stage. You can next day delivery of Movicol and Dulculax from Amazon. And prunes.

Was just coming on to say to try this!

Sounds awful OP. I’d be getting advice from 111 because it doesn’t sound like anything is working for you.

you need to drink a bottle of sparkling water and smoke a cigarette

I’m a bit doubtful about this thread from a trained Nurse.