Awful constipation- usual stuff not helping- TMI obvs

[healthwoes]

I take cocodamol to manage pain from various health complaints. I'm working as hard as I can to get myself in a position where I can come off the painkillers but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Of course, constipation is a common side effect. I'm careful with diet and hydration and do pilates most days but I'm so sluggish all the time. I don't/can't open my bowels without some sort of intervention- usually a few sachets of laxido and a bit of lactulose sees me right but it's quite an ordeal and I generally only go twice a week.

Every so often the interventions just don't work! I'd say once a month or so I just can't go and am so so uncomfortable - today is one of those times so I'm hoping someone will have an idea I haven't come across.

I'm dosed up on laxido and lactulose, have used a glycerin suppository because it felt like it was blocked from the bottom iyswim. I've been but not much and still full/a bit of gurgling and very uncomfortable.

This is way beyond a coffee/cigarette or a few prunes a day but I'll give anything a fair go! Thanks in advance, and apologies for TMI.

Hopeful bump!

I once ate a bag of sugar free sweets and they had the effect you're after. (think they were chocolate limes).

Regular senna (15mg), every night,.might stop this happening. Increase daily fluid intake if you can.

Have you tried dulcolax? That always works for me

Up the dose of laxido.

Sounds like you’re impacted. You’ll need to keep increasing the laxido daily until you’re empty. It could take days.

I would have thought it would make sense to take daily laxido alongside the painkillers. Rather than intermittently.

My son has taken movicol (same as laxido) daily for years.

Hi
I don't have your issues so this is probably too simplistic for you....
I was suffering with constipation for a while but I read that you should go to the loo when you feel the first 'whisper' of needing to go and not wait at all.
Also I find a distraction helps (reading something?) so you are more likely to linger and aren't putting yourself under pressure to go quickly.

Drink drink and drink some more! Not alcohol (Obvs) but water or anything really. I get bad constipation at times (don't go for 4/5 days) but whenever I force myself to drink lots of water then I hardly ever have a problem. I'm talking 3 litres a day at least.

My DH gets constipated regularly from all his cancer meds and was like this recently. Do you have access to a district nurse for your health complaints OP? The only thing that sorted him was having the nurse come round to give him an enema (bottle of liquid with attachable cap that has short nozzle on it - no pipes etc). It was quick for the nurse to administer and it worked within a couple of hours.

Senna tablets also help.

A friend swears by her toilet stool

Beetroot. Buy it raw, roast until al dente. Cool. Peel. Chop into chunks. Add to food.

I also suffer due to medication I take long term.

I take lactukose twice per day or more of I'm compacted.

Sorry if this is TMI for some people but this is what helps me:

Going as soon as I need to
Foot rests (available on Amazon) each side of the loo, pooing in normal seated position not ideal
Oranges
Phsyllium seeds soaked in water bulk up stools
I insert regular anusol after each bowel movement so stool is coated in waxy white chalk which helps them come out without pain/ causing piles
Prune juice (Waitrose do a good one low in sugar)
Dulcolax glycerin pessaries for when I'm totally blocked

My mother in law also uses something called oxytech which is good/ natural? but it's very expensive

Hope this helps!

A friend of mine does lengths and lengths of front crawl. She firmly believes the motion of her hips helps with the problem.

Dulcolax ( bisacodyl) is what you need , try 1 and if you don’t get a result try 2 and make sure you don’t go too far from the loo a few hours later . Do beware though that they can cause very painful cramping while they work .

Prune juice, a few prune a day won't cut it, but the juice is much better.
Drink only hot or warm water, and lots of it.
Papaya Smoothie:
Ingredients

• 1/2 of a medium papaya
• 1/2 cup of warm water
• Thin slice of fresh ginger
• 1/8 tsp of cardamom
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp of flax or coconut oil
• 1 tsp of honey

Blend everything together in a food processor for 2-3 minutes. Drink a cup of warm water first thing in the morning, followed by this smoothie, then no food for an hour. Papaya is very good for digestive issues!

1 teaspoon of chia seeds in a cup of warm water, let them soak for a few minutes so they get that jelly thing going on the down the hatch.

Smints, a full packet or two if needed. The xylitol in them is a laxative.

Sounds daft but I’m also on daily opiates for a long term pain condition and used to suffer like you and although it won’t help right now and you may need a suppository for the current blockage I completely cut out caffeine and I’ve never had a problem since. You may have already tried this but if not it might be worth a shot.

2 kiwi per day with the skins if you can stomach that. DH and my dsis both suffered from awful constipation. I had seen this recommended on the IBS support groups I’m on mentioned it to them and they now consume them regularly. I’m ibs-d so it wouldn’t help me but I now pass that info on to all my constipated friends and it’s really helped them all.

Half a tin of prunes always works for me

Movicol is good for impaction but it can take a couple of days.

Thank you all so much for taking the time out to reply. There's definitely things on here that I haven't tried yet!

Sadly I am not a kiwi fan- I will see if I can give them another go because I have read they are really good for constipation!

Also hadn't thought of papaya- fits with the P fruit thing though! I like dried prunes but not tried tinned ones.

@Bacardi101 that's really interesting because usually the caffeine stimulation is recommended- I haven't been without daily coffee for easily 25 years but I'm willing to trial it for a bit!

Dulcolax is when I'm really desperate. The cramps are hideous- but I agree it is generally effective!

I'll up the regime of laxido and keep on top of it daily. I was hoping not to rely on them as I worry about getting a lazy bowel but needs must for now. Drs aren't interested in helping beyond laxido just because of the meds..

Oh and I always use a footrest!

Strong coffee and a fag, then a walk round the block?