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 🫨🫨

Have you raised up your feet on something your knees need to be up level with your hips . Look up squatty potty step for the idea / position .
Can you try crouching down in the bathroom like if you were caught short outside to see if the position gets it moving before sitting on the loo to actually go ?

My daughter suffers with this used to go weeks it was awful made her very poorly.
You need to get movicol into your system and then sennakot. Take the senna before you go to bed as can cause cramping

Hope the lactulose helps, OP. I find combining that with a load of water and a nice warm bath usually helps. And keep fibre high for a couple of weeks afterwards

Do you have any epsom salts? A tablespoon of them diluted in warm water (tastes disgusting), then down it. Or 14 epsom salt capsules, washed down with some water. That'll relax the muscles, after 15-20mins, I'm running to the toilet.

Generally though walking really helps to get my bowels moving.

Three kiwi fruit with the skin left on or a big bowl of water melon and cucumber. It sounds as if you became very dehydrated while on holiday in a hot climate.

A pharmacist once advised hemorrhoid cream around the er area, to numb things and reduce the pain once things start happening. And that raising arms up can get things moving. Good luck OP, it's horrible.

I had this during Christmas and I feel for you. It was the worse I’ve ever felt, it did come out eventually 😅

I had terrible constipation once in my early 20’s, I hadn’t done a bowl movement for at least a week and nearly passed out at the doctors who sent me straight up to the hospital as they thought it could be my appendix, it soon transpired that I had IBS and they gave me milk of magnesium over a couple of days, my goodness did it work, they then suggested to use Senna which was good.

Agree with this , but I wouldn’t use my husband. I would get the spoon and Vaseline the area and get ina bath . Desperate measures I know. The water will soften your poo from the outside and the muscles will relax. Use the spoon to chip away at the poo ball until you can pass it. You will then need a shower, and industrial disinfectant but hey we do water births.

TMI but this is the only thing that worked for me when I hadn’t been for 11 days due to a different medical issue!

rubber glove, put one finger up there and try to break it up. It might take some doing but once you can break a tiny bit away it does start to break up and you can lever it out piece by piece.

absolutely not something I ever want to have to do again but the relief was unbelievable! Nothing else was working as it was so rock solid.

Do you have a trampoline, if you can jump up and down gravity will set in it has worked for me

Lots of dried apricots and prunes. I ate a whole (small) bag of apricots at work once, not thought properly through. 😳 Literally 3 minutes later, I ran to the loo and almost crapped myself 😬😅😅😅

Apple baby pouches - lots of them!!! It's horrendous, happened after an operation so completely understand your pain. Have you tried using a stool to put your feet on when you're on the toilet? It changes the angle of your bowel and can be a bit easier to push

Stool softeners - dulcoease rather than ducolax. Or liquid paraffin. As the stool sits inside the body it gets drier and drier as the body extracts the most liquid it can. So you need to grease the sides somewhat.

Also look on youtube - I had a problem recently and needed to help myself with this - there was a guy who had a little exercise routine which seemed to get everything moving.

So sorry you are going through this OP. I had this recently after c section i didn’t go for 7 days and was in absolute agony trying most the things that have been suggested. In the end I had to be re admitted to hospital and had the strongest enema they had at hospital and taken into a labour room. Not going to lie the pain passing was awful especially with c section but two big pushes and it was out. It was a lot too so be warned. I would personally go to hospital at this stage, over the counter stuff is not going to be strong enough when it’s all compacted at the entrance. You will be ok but don’t worry about work etc get it sorted you are priority! Xx

Also OP, please don't start pushing spoons, cotton buds or anything else up your bum. You could perforate your back passage and then you really are in trouble.

Oh, bore off.

I’m a nurse, I’ve used MN to ask about plenty of health-related stuff. If you’ve nothing helpful to add, why comment?

OP, I think you need to go the nuclear route of 8x Laxido sachets.

Camomile tea always works with me. Cover with a lid for 10 mins then drink.

If you are in that much pain then perhaps you should go to a&e, especially if it means you can work.

How dangerous could it be if left for too long?

I find a long walk helps, but if you’re in pain that might not be easy. Call 111 and call in sick

So sorry you're suffering! I had a similar situation out of the blue after a really stressful family hospital situation where I are worried food and wasn't drinking enough for a full week, and it was grim.

I also tried all sorts of things but what worked was using an osmotic laxative at the higher recommended dosage, and drinking plenty of liquids. It will take a day or so. After that many days you need to get everything moist enough to move again.

Good luck!

You poor thing, Magnesium citrate helps your gut retain water so on going this is great, also kiwis are fab and getting you going, but sounds like you have a blockage and you need another suppository. Phone 111 and get advice. Also you need a lot more fibre in your diet, wholemeal bread with seeds, fruit with the skin on like plums and apples, nuts, beans, if you don't like beans Aldi sell pasta made out of beans and pulses. Make sure you have fruits and veggies with every meal and nuts for snacks, you'll have no problem then, finish off with a kiwi before bed as they help you sleep and help you stay regular won win.

However desperate you are, please don’t put a spoon up your bum like you have been advised! I’ll report you to the NMC myself if you do any such thing

Picolax is available otc and is guaranteed to work.

Lots of water and yy to movement. Are you jumping up and down? I do that. Running and lots of water woukd really help here. I used to spend a lot of time constipated but since running I have opposite problem!