Constipation... Nothing is working!

[Bluestar23]

Hi,

I've been constipated for 3 weeks which is new for me and in my 40s.
I've hardly been to the toilet at all in this time.
It took me a few days to realise introduced more porridge etc then tried some paediatric movicol. Ended up with a gastro bug as did hubby but only had the cramps and nausea.
When I'd recovered still nothing so had 3 days on adult movicol. Thought I'd overdosed and had diarrhoea but realised it was overflow (sorry tmi!).
Gave it a few days then this weekend thought I just need to get things moving.
Friday I had 4 movicol
Saturday 4 movicol, prunes, porridge with chia seeds, lentil soup, all bran, fruit and veg, lots of water etc barely anything happened.
Sunday carried on with the same but had a dulcolax tablet. Monday morning 2 small bm.
Went to speak to a pharmacist they said tried senna. This morning again 2 small bm.
Spoke to Dr today who didn't seem bothered and said try more senna so I'm trying more tonight.
For the last week and a bit my meals have been light, trying to get fibre, water, veg, lentils, beans etc.
Any other tips please!
It just feels ridiculous now!!
I'm not in pain which is really strange but I do have bad back ache and I'm bloated.
Thanks!

Suppositories. No point putting more stuff in on top, when the bottom is blocked. Used a lot in Europe, for some reason not popular here

Are you on Semiglutide that new weightloss drug?
4 movicol is not enough - I am pretty sure it says you can have 10 for impaction which you have. movicol softens stool - something like sienna encourages bowel muscle movement which is why often both are used.
Plus also get suppositories.
Also switch to a liquid diet until you have cleared don't put anymore in needing to pass through
Also be very careful as if your bowel gets perforated its a medical emergency.

This happened to me, thankfully just the one time and hopefully never again. I ended up in a&e and two enemas didn't work because the blockage was too high up. Hospital sent me home with senna and lactulose with an appointment to see a consultant within 3 days. At this point it had been 4 weeks since I had had a BM and I was literally desperate. Nothing prescribed or purchased over the counter worked.

My Grandma told me the old "housewife" remedy was to take a glug of castor oil. THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE! There are some articles online about it and I was genuinely desperate - so I tried it and went to the toilet within two hours.

These are the instructions I followed, from an Indian homeopathic website. Just to clarify, I am NOT telling you to do the same lol.

"Add three tablespoon of medicinal/food grade castor oil to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, mix and drink up fast.
Wait for half an hour.
Have one glass of hot water.

Wait for 15 minutes, and drink two glasses of warm water.
Wait another 15, and have another two glasses of warm water.
Relax till you get the urge to go to the washroom."

My understanding is that there can be a risk of bowel perforation with the symptoms we have/had. I had an extremely bloated hard stomach on an otherwise slim frame and the first doctor I saw at a&e asked if I was sure I wasn't 6 months pregnant. They scanned me, saw an acute "faecal impaction", I waited to see a surgeon who wanted to try more laxatives and enemas for a day or two - so I figured the risk wasn't that high if they were still prescribing laxatives themselves.

Buy a coupe of packets of sugar free gummy sweets these made me explode

Usually I would suggest lactulose but this is far too long and needs urgent medical help.
Don’t wait any longer.

A change in bowel habit at your age needs a visit to the GP. Phone them/ do an online consult, but you need to be examined.

OP, when you say you “spoke to a doctor today,” do you mean that you didn’t see them and they didn’t exam you? That is really important now, because someone who is trained needs to feel your stomach and back and see if your stomach is still soft or hard, likewise your back (in the parts where it should be soft). You need to be examined, you definitely don’t need any more fibre (you’re way past that point), but with any of these products, and most especially the Movicol, you have to drink absolutely a ton of water. And it only works if that’s the “issue” - it works by pulling water into your stool, making it easier to pass, but if there’s some other issue, then it’s just not going to work. And I agree with others - three weeks when you have no history of constipation is very concerning. If you have no stomach “noises,” no passing wind, you MOST definitely need physical examination, BUT if you start to feel ill in any other way (nausea, fever, etc), then definitely be seen by a doctor ASAP at an out of hours center, or A&E if necessary, as a possible bowel obstruction is an emergency.

A banana mashed up with dark brown sugar & then the strongest hot black coffee you can stand with more dark brown sugar if needed. I got constipated like you when I was 5 months pregnant, the banana & coffee were the only things that worked. Take your coffee & sit on the toilet, have someone bring you another one if the first one doesn't work, try to relax your pelvic floor, blow through your mouth like blowing up a balloon, lean forward with your elbows on your knees.

Please do not add more fibre to your diet until the blockage is resolved, it will only add to the problem. I had a blockage and saw a practice nurse who gave me picolax which is often used for bowel prep.
chia seeds are the worse culprit for me because they swell in your bowel further exacerbating the movement of the stool.

Thank you for all the messages.
I wasn't expecting so many overnight as I don't post much.
So I have been 'a little' but nothing that constitutes what would be needed at all. The senna worked the best and yesterday was 2 small bowel movements.
Lots of gas and gurgling through my large intestine, no cramping the whole time (apart from when I had a 48 hour bug) .
I'm not in pain and my stomach is not solid so I haven't been too worried more puzzled.
I've been reading online and the instructions on packets so was just trying to follow them.
I spoke to a pharmacist on Monday who wasn't very concerned
I had a phone appointment with the Doctor for something else yesterday and they spoke to me about it and gave me advice and also wasn't too concerned.
I'm not in pain but feel generally tired and awful. Although I look don't look unwell.
I've been drinking coffee which I forgot to add as I am caffeine sensitive so would usually do the trick (and stop me sleeping!).
I already have the step, my DD has had issues when she was younger and I'm short!
I do think this week I've been more sedate but I did yoga last week and the weeks before quite a bit of walking.
I'd looked on here over the weekend and so many messages about dulcolax said it was 'brutal' I really thought it would do the job.

Thanks for all the advice. I think I'm going to the walk in centre today which is at the hospital.
After having more senna last night, I've had hot water and lemon this morning and nothing at all so far and I've been up an hour.

Thanks for all your advice.

Suppository. Glycerin type, pop it up, lay on side for fifteen minutes. They work.

Liquid diet
Glycerin suppositories
Laxido powders

I've just had a big operation and the morphine and codeine caused terrible constipation. Incredibly painful.

Once you clear the blockage you need to keep your diet light and full of liquid and try to stimulate the blockage otherwise the constipation will come back.

I agree with this. Only thing that ever works for me when I'm constipated.

Milk of Magnesia

I have to use laxido daily no breaks.

Any relief yet OP?

Hi,
I had 2 trips to a pharmacist and one to a doctor.
What seemed to do it was 6 movicol, 2 senna at night then 2 movicol and 3 expressos in the morning.
I still think I'm not quite there but things are moving and I'm feeling more normal.
I'm sure it'll take a bit to get back to normal.

I'm trying to be careful with my diet and still taking movicol for a bit.
Also going to keep a bowel diary as the doctor asked and go back in a few weeks.
Thanks for everyone's help.

I don't feel the pharmacists or doctors were particularly helpful. But hey ho!

It’s horrible - I’m sorry for you. To avoid future problems, a doctor I respect who also has IBS suggested a heaped teaspoon of pysillium husk dissolved in a half to three quarter glass of water or juice first thing in morning on an empty stomach followed by a full glass of water. Has helped me. You must take lots of water.