Advice for helping my unwell son with constipation before GP appointment

[NeedAPoonami]

My son has come back home this weekend from Uni as he is unwell.

He has had abdominal pain, and hasn’t been for a poo in 2 days. He went to A&E where they did blood tests and examined him and found nothing. They did say he should get an ultrasound and he’s got a GP appointment on Monday.

He has come home and still has abdominal pain, and it is moving about from abdomen to pelvis. Monday is a long way off and quite frankly I think he could massively benefit from a big bowel movement.

He bought some laxatives from the chemist and took them. Said he hadn’t eaten, and then had some toast and fruit. He’s had a warm bath.

Any suggestions to help a bowel movement.

TBH, he has always had a sensitive stomach. During his A’levels he ate a frozen pizza and was violently ill. My DH is like this.

I’m really worried about him, but feel reassured A&E said they could find nothing! He has no temperature, and not been sick.

Since starting Uni he has eaten crap, ordered in regularly, drunk loads and started smoking whereas before that he had a very healthy diet at home.

Any suggestions? Of course I am keeping an eye on him and any vomiting or temperature I’m going to A&E.

Microlax mini enemas. You can buy them online and they work very well

Are you sure the pain is caused by constipation as 2 days isn’t significantly long.

What are the symptoms? Where in his abdomen is the pain? What was his reason for a&e? Bad pain or concerns about being constipated?

PRUNE JUICE. He'll go then alright....

Squatting (see image posted by someone else)

Tummy massage (gentle) - this really helps me

Walking/movement

Drinking plenty of water

Still no poo despite the prunes and kiwi

He is in less pain though

GP tomorrow

I don’t know what’s going on

Stomach massage as suggested above is really helpful. I get constipated after migraines as I can only take opiates which are notorious for causing constipation. Although nothing was worse than trying to poo after giving birth when I was prescribed oramorph and iron tablets and also had a badly stitched episiotomy. Massage gets things moving along to then come out the other end

Califig. Then don’t go out!

You could try magnesium - the right sort as a laxative, not the version for sleeping well.

And for those saying 2 days isn't that long - if you need to go and you can't and you are in pain trying, then the time is irrelevant.

Also try going out for a long walk - it may prompt something. Just make sure you have a route which goes via your house or somewhere with a loo multiple times.

I am taking codeine at the moment which constipates me. Turmeric tea works a treat. Not sure if it has that impact on everyone. I think some people are sensitive to it and it can cause loose stool/diarrhea. In the past I would have taken whatever laxative the doc gave me which were never that effective

I'm still going with a swig of lactulose. I take a few meds that cause constipation and am on the mounjaro which causes constipation. A swig of lactulose and within a couple of hours complete evacuation. You can buy it at the chemist.

Two days is way to early to be taking all of these laxatives. Fruit, fibre and water for a few days, if still nothing, then start meds.

Obv if pain continues or worsens then GP (I see you have an appt).

How much extra water has he been drinking?

This. Double the dose and drink +++ water

@NeedAPoonami 4 teaspoons of food grade Epsom salts in a glass of warm water will clear out the colon.
https://youtube.com/shorts/mLSWTN4Rcfk?si=GKv20WjeJHsy476v

If it's definitely constipation, a strong coffee might help, especially if it's made in a cafeterie/percolator.

If pain kicks in overnight, especially towards right hand side, that could indicate an appendicitis - if he's in agony on that side, put a thermometer on inside right leg/pelvis area - especially if that goes up, he needs A&E

Also exercise. Bending and stretching from side to side. Lying on his hack and doing leg cycling movements in the air. Have you got a small step stool , if he sits on the loo with his feet raised on the stool ( or a couple of bricks) he will be in a better position to poo. The shape of western toilets really does not help , squatting is a much more natural position for pooing so raising feet up a bit helps.

I would tackle constipation from the other end: glycerine suppositories. They soften up what's in the colon rather than forcing everything down through the gut. If his gut is sensitive, it is a much kinder treatment.

Lactulose at one end and + glycerine suppositories at the other - should shift it.

Keep an eye on him in case it’s early appendicitis and he has to back to A&E.

Add a suppository. It'll help if he's been dehydrated.

Buy stoned prunes and add them to a blender with some hot water to make a thick drink. Keep this in the fridge and have DS drink a glass of it daily, even a few times a day until he has a bowel movement. He can add hot water to make it more palatable but it’s a sure fix. For context I had terrible constipation in the years before I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and would come home from uni not having had a bm for over a week and this always fixed things and
got me moving again. I give my son prune puree after his breakfast every morning since weening him and it Keeps him regular too.

Another vote for glycerin suppositories. The movicol essentially draws fluid into whatever waste is solid in the colon, but it works from the top down so takes a while to work through. He needs to be drinking a lot of fluid to help this process. The suppositories will soften what's closest to the exit - it really is quite a rapid impact!

Hot water bottle on the abdomen too, and the massage previously described.

I wouldnt be upping fibre until everything is already out, but would go with prunes and lactulose

Also the position on the toilet doesnt work for everyone, I have to lean backwards. You have to get to know your position.

Look at moo to poo weird but it works in conjunction with laxatives.

I know DS is going to the GP who will hopefully rule out anything serious.

But for future reference, anything with sorbitol in will get things moving quickly enough that you don't want to be unable to get to a loo.

I once bought by mistake some jam intended for people with diabetes. That was quite dramatic.
I've also (at different times) taken cough mixture and eaten most of a packet of mints not realising they had sorbitol in. Not so dramatic, but still quite urgent.