Laxatives :-/

[froggie25]

Not a poo troll, MN can verify etc.
I've been taking codeine and other painkillers this week and they have left me not needing the toilet. Haven't been since Sunday which is unusual for me. I'm not particularly uncomfortable but I am worried that the urge to go will come on suddenly and I have an important meeting tomorrow afternoon.
I have some dulcolax but I've never taken it before. I'm wondering if I take it tonight will it leave me 'cleared out' by the morning? Or is it less predictable than that. Obviously the last thing I need is for it to strike mid meeting. It says it takes 6-12 hours to work so I'm thinking if I take it tonight I should be clear by the afternoon (need to leave at 1pm). But I e never taken them before and don't know how they'll work. Help!

It’s too late now I wouldn’t do it. I would take it 4pm
tomorrow

Oh really? I thought it might work overnight

I take codeine often, you need dulcoease not the other one.

Please trust me. I had quite a serious dulcolax dependency and it is extremely inconsistent.

What’s the dose say? I’d probably take 2 now and they should have worked by mid morning. I’d also drink some strong coffee in the morning too.

And when you take it my advice is don’t eat after and drink a LOT of water to ensure it works in a timely fashion.

there is honestly nothing worse than it just not working and then suddenly working out and about because it’s pretty serious stuff and you will get the shits/cramps v badly.

Ok probably best not to risk it then. I'd just feel better if I could go before the meeting.

Do you have prune juice?

if not just drink a lot of water, orange juice and have coffee in the morning.

honestly don’t risk it!

I once took some at 8pm and then my ex called to get back together. Went for a night out and stayed over and it kicked in at 5am. Bad, bad bad bad times.

equally there’s been times it just hasn’t worked and I’ve had to go about my day knowing danger was incoming.

Oh god I had hoped it would be more timely and reliable than that

The first 2 times I used it it didn’t work at all!

The reason codeine blocks you up is because it takes all the water out of your stools so you can either drink 5 pints of water tonight, and/or take dulcoease, which puts water back in your stool (you must drink water with it too). In my experience you can take 3 x dulcoease spread over a day and then it'll ease things up the next day. Nothing sudden about it.

just to be clear this is dulcoease though - do not take dulcolax and expect this!

Definitely do not take 2 if you’ve never used it before . I take it a fair bit and if I take one at 7/8 pm it usually works at about 10/11 am next day .

Or I suppose I continue taking codeine tomorrow, prolong the constipation long enough to get me past the meeting then drink loads of water after.
My issue is I get a very nervous tummy when I'm anxious and I will be anxious before the meeting as it's important. And now im anxious about being anxious and potentially needing to poo mid meeting!!

Glycerin suppositories - godsend recommended by my midwife.

Don’t take the dulcolax. It’s like Russian roulette. Only safe to take if you are going nowhere for the next full day in my experience. Awful stomach cramps too.

If you want something that’s going to work quickly it’s suppositories all the way. Dulcolax make one that’s pretty instant (within half an hour). Think it might be a pharmacy only product. Glycerin suppositories are gentler. Keep good and hydrated too.

I wouldn’t take it tonight if you’re not used to it. I’d start taking one of the stool softener types after your meeting and if you need to take codeine in future take stool softener too each day to avoid a huge buildup.

Good luck with the meeting. Similar here with anxious tummy, known to rely on loperamide for important events/meetings.

Agree not to take it for the first time tonight. If you can hang on one more day I would take it tomorrow night.

Long term Laxido style medicines might help- I've just had it prescribed for similar issues.

I find these extremely filling and bloating.

tbh nothing I’ve ever used has been as effective as a glass of prune juice before bed

Dulcolax can give you awful colic, especially if you are blocked up with hard stool. Why people are not advised to take osmotic stool softeners with codeine, I can never understand.
I would not recommend taking dulcolax at this point. It would be better to buy some lactulose, or a box of sachets to mix with water - ask the pharmacist - there are several brands. Drink loads of fluids and see if that gets things moving.