AIBU to go to A&E??

[Namechange1922]

I am extremely constipated to the point where I simply cannot go. I have been this way for maybe 3 years.. Numerous trips to the doctors and sent away with different meds, diet change (tried wheat free, gluten free, dairy free, all of the above free!), prune juice etc, movicol, laxido, different toilet positions, every single type of 'Dulco' form, senna tablets, sennocot etc. You name it, I've tried it! Some laxatives are effective and work within a few hours but as soon as the next day comes I am back to being constipated to the point I feel sick and have chest pains. A few months back my doctor finally referred me to a clinic, I moved house around the same time and apparently a letter was sent to my old address of my new appointment which was back in September so obviously I missed this, i phoned the hospital I was due to have the appointment who told me I will need to get back in touch with my doctor and ask them to refer me again. I phoned the doctors, explained the situation and arranged a telephone appointment.. Waited until late evening and still no phonecall, arranged another call, I answered just as they hung up (phoned back within seconds couldn't get through). Constant phone tennis and all I need is to be re reffered to the hospital! This issue is really affecting my life, I'm in pain all the time, miserable as I constantly feel full up and needing to go to the toilet, I can't lie on my stomach or back as the pressure is too uncomfortable, sex is out of the question as it has become painful. The tablets are now having less of an effect and I have to overdose on laxatives to get anything to come out and even then it is just watery and the relief only lasts a few hours (sorry way too much info) I am fed up quite frankly and I most likely will not get another appointment now for a good few months. WIBU to take myself to A&E? Would they be able to do anything? It's been a good few days now of passing nothing.. Please help!

My son has asd and one of his problems is severe constipation. He got ambulanced to hospital two years ago, massive temperature,.fast heart, shallow breathing. He hasn't been to the toilet for 16 days we were already prescribed movicol (8 sachets a day) but he couldn't tolerate the taste at all. Tried hiding it in everything. Spent four hours with nurses thinking they could make drink it before he had his first enema. From his toileting phobia he's stretched his bowel to a rugby ball shape that's unlikely to.go back. As soon as he'd been his temp went down, heart rate back to near normal. I hope you get it sorted soon, and definitely take the movicol everyday

Oh yeah we used suppositories aswell and they worked really well

My constipation got so bad it blocked my bladder off and I couldn’t pee! A catheter, 1.5 litres of urine released and two enemas later was good to go!
Defo try and enema! Not pleasant but god do they work!

Have you had a colonoscopy or any type of MRI or scan to check for obstructions? I knew someone with a similar situation caused by a tumour partly in the intestines. I would ask the GP to investigate this possibility if they haven't already just to rule it out.

I'm a nurse, you need to take movicol etc regularly ie. Daily. Probably along with senna tablets. Suppositories for when you haven't been for a few days. Usually I would recommend A and E if you literally hadn't been for a week or more and were in a lot of pain etc but because of Covid it's not a good idea unless it becomes an emergency. Push harder for a re referral from your GP. Good luck.

I would call 111 and a gp might prescribe you some suppositories or sort an enema.

Obviously YABU if it’s “just” constipation. I know how miserable it can be. If you develop a roaring temperature or something then there’s more point to A&E (I say this as someone with chronic constipation who developed sepsis after not passing anything at all for 12 days).
You need to call your GP again and just follow the system. Tell them your symptoms and what you’ve tried. Do you ever pass anything solid? Do you get any leakage? Be as graphic as you can with your GP so they get a complete picture.

In the meantime, I find sodium picosulfate works best for me (I think the brand name is dulcolax). Although I’m not sure what laxatives you’ve been taking that work within a few hours - pretty much every one I’ve ever taken takes several hours/overnight. Or as others have said, glycerin suppositories or enemas can work well for some people.
And then once you’ve cleared out with dulcolax (or picolax) or whatever, you need to maintain by taking movicol or similar every day.

Try doing gentle cycling on the bed or floor (a bit like you do with a baby when they get constipated OP) . Here's wishing you lots of GOOD LUCK x

[quote whitewineandmagnums]@Staffy1 that is most definitely NOT what A&E is for [/quote]
No, but when you aren't getting help elsewhere after 3 years...
Also, just saying, as they did them for my DS when we went (advised by GP, as always, because they don't have a clue what to do with a non-verbal ASD child).

[quote whitewineandmagnums]@Staffy1 that is most definitely NOT what A&E is for [/quote]
No, but when you aren't getting help elsewhere after 3 years...
Also, just saying, as they did them for my DS when we went (advised by GP, as always, because they don't have a clue what to do with a non-verbal ASD child).

[quote whitewineandmagnums]@Staffy1 that is most definitely NOT what A&E is for [/quote]
No, but when you aren't getting help elsewhere after 3 years...
Also, just saying, as they did them for my DS when we went (advised by GP, as always, because they don't have a clue what to do with a non-verbal ASD child).

call 111 for advice, watery stool while still constipated can be a sign of a bowel obstruction which can be very serious.

call 111 for advice, watery stool while still constipated can be a sign of a bowel obstruction which can be very serious.

call 111 for advice, watery stool while still constipated can be a sign of an obstruction which can be very serious.

Seriously we are in the middle of a pandemic, hospitals are struggling to cope and you're asking if you should go to A&E for something that's not an accident or an emergency. Don't you have to ring ahead to the A&E dept these days anyway?

Have you tried the disimpaction regime with movicol where you build up the sachets daily until you’re passing rust coloured water. Movicol needs to be taken every day, not just as and when.

Has anyone done any bloods or scans on you to find out if there’s a cause?

Suppository works well or I find a venti oat milk latte with an extra shot, Nando’s extra hot burger then I wait 45 minutes to one hour and go for a 5K run and I usually beat my PB on way back as I get runners guts.

Usually a coffee and a run get my bowels moving

I suffer from my migraine meds but I would not go to a&e unless it was over a week especially in covid times

It sounds more like impacted / bowel obstruction rather than normal constipation

I had a bowel movement on Monday after 9 days. There were a few feeble attempts after day 6 but nothing significant. That’s quite normal for me, although not what I want. I just try to ignore it as I know stress makes it worse. All the reports here of the danger one can be in though have me a bit worried

No don’t go to A&E try some more remedies like exercise, lots of water, yoga etc. Stimulant laxatives will work but as you have found, only short term

Hi op,

I used to work as a staff nurse in a surgical receiving ward. We'd admit patients directly from A&E for a multitude of reasons, and we frequently admitted patients with constipation.

Most were severe and who had tried everything, and the pain at home had got too much. For some (not trying to scare you), they had to have manual evacuation as the impaction was so great. Most were given enemas or suppositories.

It's absolutely not daft to go to A&E for this reason, as it was run of the mill to see similar patients. We wouldn't have seen them if they'd simply been sent away with laxatives.

People who haven't experienced chronic, enduring constipation wont understand just what it's like. It's not just "being bunged up". It makes you irritable, can cause pain so great it causes back ache, urinary retention, vomiting and nerve pain in the legs.

And a lot of standard laxatives will either do nothing, or cause horrific diarrhoea with crippling abdominal pain. So it's a catch 22.

Wishing you well OP

@LemonPeonies please can I PM you?

My last resort will be to phone 111

Thanks everyone for your replies.

@youareanobody - this is what the laxatives are doing to me at the moment. I took 3 Laxido sachets yesterday as I had it really bad causing chest pain and a huge stomach. All that happened was I passed rust coloured water and had horrible cramps. I also followed the guideline of faecal impaction which is 8 sachets, this worked for a few days and produced soft stools but now back to constipated. The rust coloured water would normally be a sign of all being cleared but now today I am stuck at work 8-6 with a horrible chest pain, uncomfortable ache in my stomach and the urge to go but with no luck!!

Would like to add, prior to taking the 8 sachets a few days in a row and then 3 yesterday, I have been taking them daily as advised by my doctor. I was prescribed 3 boxes!

My husband has a similar problem. He eats tinned prunes and soft ready to eat figs, and they help. When desperate he uses glycerine suppositories, and he drinks a lot of water.

You need to seek medical advice ASAP x
My daughter had issues and we ended up in A& E X-ray showed how impacted it was , very frightening and extremely painful.