Any ideas on how to help my DH?

[follyfoot]

....he's just out of hospital after orthopaedic surgery and his codeine tablets are giving him terrible constipation . He was sent home with Dioctyl and Senakot which he is taking regularly, and he's drinking loads but he's still really suffering poor bloke. Am thinking along the prunes/dried dates/dried figs line - do they work? Is there anything else he could eat to ....er.... help things along?

Fresh orange juice, dried apricots, porridge, bran flakes, high bran bread all help as well. Plus plenty of fluid.

I hope he feels better soon.

Lactulose - you can buy it over the counter. Also could you get his GP on the phone and see if there are any alternative pain-killers he can take.

Thanks for the ideas, off to the shops shortly. Dont think there are any other options on the painkilling front, its all a bit too painful for the paracetamol/ibuprofen type stuff so we're stuck with the opiate types for now....

Activia yogurt as well.

Dulcolax. 2 at night - they sort my morphine constipation out.

Peppermint water is great for the pain too - buy peppermint oil from the pharmacist and put a few drops in hot water and sip

Golden linseeds sprinkled on his porridge. Make him some flapjacks and stick chopped up dates/ apricots etc in them.

Lactulose. Lots of water and green veg, and bran.

Only use soluble bran, ie oats, oatbran, not wheat bran as that will just absorb loads of water and make things really, erm, difficult to pass. So soluble fibre such as fruit and oats is great. And lots to drink.

if he has been constipated for a while laxatives may be a bit harsh for him!

Get some prune juice - most supermarkets sell it. I guarantee after a good glassful of that he will soon go.

Steer clear of the senokot, whatever you do.

I had similar problems after my recent brain operation, and after an appendectomy 3 years ago

I think any operation involving a general anaesthetic makes your gut grind to a halt and everything dries up causing a physical blockage.

You need something to soften the stool, not senokot which works by kick starting the gut.

I caused myself severe problems by self prescribing senokot as this made my gut very watery and made it push, but did not shift the dried up stools which were causing the problem.

Get Lactulose and glycerine suppositories (make sure they are the 400mg size). These will soften the dried up stools "from both sides" and will give quick relief.

I agree with others - steer clear of senakot, go for lactulose and glycerine suppositories.

Hot water with lemon juice in it is supposed to shift things along, as are all the high fibre things bunbaker and other suggested. Warm baths can help a bit (but maybe he's restricted in his bathing by his op.) Prune juice is quite good (but mix with lemonade because its not that nice )

When I am on co codamol, I reduce the dose by having one cocodamol and one paracetamol - sometimes that is enough for the pain - might be worth a try, because as long as he's taking big doses of codeine, he's going to be struggling.

I always find peanut butter on toast or crackers works well as does strong coffee. no idea if they hold up scientifically though. poor dh hope he feels better soon.

Prune juice is definitely the answer. I hope he feels better soon.

A sprinkle of flaxseeds to go over each meal, they are good in a lot of ways, also don't overdo wheat cereals as that works in an opposite way.
Peppermint good for lessening the pain too.
I swear by arnica post-op for healing if you belive in homeopathy.