Severely constipated for years without knowing it- really slow colon transit

[ColonTransit]

Sorry in advance, poo thread, tmi and all...nc for this.

I have seen a gastroenterologist yesterday, had a colon transit study and the result is
Could see an awful lot of the capsule shapes all around the bowels.
I never ever thought I was constipated, I go regularly, but omg I am.
Xray looked awful. And I'm pain which for (get this) 12 years I thought was my gall bladder. Got suspicious when pain was still there after gb temoval.

So I got diagnosed to be on the IBS spectrum due to a really lazy bowel, no amount of exercise or food choices will make a difference according to the doc.
Have been given prescription for Laxido.

Has anyone got the same issues and does Laxido help? I will see a dietician as well.

Have to get over the fact that what I eat today is still there 7 days on. omg.

Dont know anything about this, but as it is a very interesting op, I will bump. Poor you. Not something to think about in too much detail.

Thanks trish, I honestly thought I had no issues with constipation.
No, I don't want to think about it in too much detail, but I have to as I suspect this is the reason for many more health issues.

Everything has to flow, right? Eastern? Indian wisdom? Hell, nothing moves within me, all stagnant.

Bump

So how often do you have a BM? Could you go for colonic irrigation to have a clear out?

BM Every day, Angelica,
I take 2 sachets of Laxido plus Colofuc (lovely name) for 4 weeks now and then see the gastro doc again.

I have really slow transit time. My all time record was no poo for 6 weeks! At which point my GP sent me for scans and the conclusion was a very long, convoluted and loopy bowel so that everything taking ages to work it's way from one end to the other. I get pain in the gallbladder area also and was sent for a scan for that years ago, but nothing was found. The pain in that area seems worse when I am really bound up and about a week before my period starts.

I could literally eat a bag of apricots and prunes, drink strong coffee and chug down industrial quantities of all bran and nothing would get things moving. The only thing I find helps are fibogel sachets twice a day and 15 mls of lactulose twice a day. I don't have a BM every day but when I stick to this regime, I go just about every other day which is good for me.

PC 6 week

Sounds like what my gastro doc said, no amount of drink or certain foods will shift a lazy bowel, it is very likely to be hereditary.

Doc said pain in gallbladder area is very common in our situation as the colon has to go against gravity in this area, which for a sluggish bowel seems an impossible task apparently.

I didn't realise how much of a problem I had with constipation until I had a rectocele repair. What I thought was normal was only a Bristol Scale type 2 (was told I should aim for type 4/5).
I have porridge every morning with linseed which also needs a kiwi fruit to make it work. I have just had a bunged-up phase and really the only thing to get it all working again is Movicol. It doesn't matter how much I drink and how much fibre I have, including fybogel, it just gets worse, until I have the movicol for a couple of days, then it works very well until the next time.
I am glad I read this as I have had dull aches in the upper abdomen, which have gone since I got my bowels working better.

Yup 6 weeks Colon! Actually it wasn't a scan I had then it was a camera up the rear end (sigmoidoscopy I think). My doctor friend also confirmed that pain in the gallbladder area isn't uncommon because a big bit of the intestines passes around there too. Colon I always have people recommending things like prunes and apricots and lots of water etc etc. Once on holiday we treated ourselves to room service for breakfast and I ordered 3 bowls of prunes :) Made NO difference whatsoever apart from I felt a bit queasy! I didn't realise that slow transit problems meant that no food etc is effective. Thought it was just my cast iron guts!

summertime Really glad your bowels are working a better. I found movicol just gave me chronic wind and cramps. I had to take them every few days instead of daily but even then they weren't great for me. It's a real pest this and very much trial and error as to finding things that help.

Just to add, I have a particular problem with progesterone - it slows my bowels right down. Being pregnant was a problem and progestogen only pills do it too.

Piratescat I have problems with wind on lactulose - turned me into an airgun rifle . My worst experience was Dulcolax - the one that restores bowel movements gently overnight - had me cleaned out in the early hours, and lying on the bathroom floor trying not to faint.

Has anyone else tried kiwi fruit? I was told 2 a day would fix anything. One a day helps keep things ticking over nicely but I am fed up of them

Have you tried drinking an espresso or two in the morning?

Or dried apricots.

Nope not tried kiwi fruit! But HAVE tried v strong coffee in the morning AND copious amounts of dried apricots on my brother's recommendation both to no avail.

PC, not all people with slow transit are immune to those mind of foods, the doc just said I probably am. When I saw my xray I was so shocked I bought and ate everything that would probably give anyone the runs, but nope, nothing happened.

Not surprising, the problem only came to light when I was preparing for a colonoscopy and the double amount of laxatives did nothing for me
I always drink espresso in the morning. Have done for years. I also love dried apricots.

Doc said I should never take over the counter laxatives as they slow the bowel down even more!

Maybe we just have to accept that our bowels are not doing their job properly. Doc also said it runs in families, if you start asking down the generations, people with the same problem will come out of the woodwork.

Colon it sounds like we're doing what we can. I've accepted that my intestines are sluggish and twisty and not to expect them to do what other peoples' do. When I saw the screen when they were doing the camera poking thing, I could see what the problem was. I'm 5'0 so pretty wee, and my intestines looked like a maze - as if there was way too much pipework trying to fit into too small a space.

PC, what I saw on my xray is how far the colon spreads out all over the place, going as high up in your ribcage as the 3rd rib up, and I could have developed pain anywhere from 3rd rib to pelvic floor really.

Doc said people sometimes come to him after years of pain going to various doctors thinking it comes from kidneys, gallbladder, ovaries, etc..

Yes, we have to accept our bowels are sluggish, won't ever be as efficient as other peoples'.
I'm 5'7 btw so not small at all.

"Colofuc"

It's Colofac

You're right. Still sounds the same

Same problem here.. I'm permanently on movicol, manevac (senna granules and isphygula husk) and usually suppostories.

It's that lot or no poo.

I have learned to live with it.

However having come out of hospital today after 6 days..no poo and an abdominal op, I'm wondering if I will ever crap again