How does impacted constipation clear when stools are mostly liquid?

[Liz1tummypain]

I'm having treatment for breast cancer but I don't think constipation needs to be treated any differently with cancer so am asking in the Health section for some more advice.

I don't understand how impacted constipation sorts itself.

This is the background-

Not long after the last cycle I developed a fever, nausea and diarrhoea and was in hospital for a few days. This may or may not have had a role in the constipation I developed a few days later, but I don't know for sure.
In any case I didn't poop for several days and so I believed it was constipation and started to take movicol twice a day. At this point, I've sort of lost the plot. Chemo brain etc. We're now about 8 or 9 days on and the oncology 24 hr phone line people first said to start taking senna in addition to the movicol, then for one or 2 days I just took the movicol ( was having bad tummy pains at night). On Friday I was told to see my GP as the oncology people were so busy. My GP said to go back to taking both senna and movicol but to take the senna fairly early in the morning. The nights are really bad with sore tummy and cramps. Various people have felt my tummy.

So if it is impacted ( is that the word?) constipation, I don't follow how the real blockage will ever clear? In fact how do I know it really is there? My poops are sort of closer to liquid than solids but not as liquid as they once were- is that progress?

I'm finding it hard to believe it will ever sort itself out. I hope I've expressed my question clearly. Just can't imagine when it will get sorted. Am I meant to wait and check for bits of solid poop?

Thanks in advance.

Hi, I had bad constipation due to taking codeine. Laxatives didn’t help as they simply gave me the urge to go but the poo was compacted and not coming out. TMI but I ‘manually extracted’ enough bits of poo that eventually I was able to clear the blockage. However, I see that this method is absolutely not recommended online.
Safer suggestions are a saline enema or a suppository.
I hope you get some relief soon as it’s truly miserable.

@Bigviking hi, thanks very much. I realise now that I've not really been drinking enough. Although I don't think even allowing for that would be moving things for me.i gave up and came to A&E..Hope to find out more at some point. Thanks again..and I've done what you did occasionally before now but that won't work for me now, darn it. 😄

The liquid is overflow diarrhoea - leakage around the impacted stool. Get Movicol and read the instructions on obstipation. As I recall, you need multiple sachets over just a few hours. It contains a detergent-like ingredient that breaks down the blockage.

The disimpaction regime basically works on the principle that the liquid stool working its way past the blockages erodes them away.

I’d continue with the sachets, I’ve had full impaction about three times now. For me, three sachets a day for three days seems to clear it but you can take more. The most important thing is to drink as much fluid as you can. The sachets work by drawing water from the bowel to soften the stool. It’s bloody miserable so I do completely sympathise. Stick with it and increase as needed but do it gradually over a few days until it works. After that, try a maintenance dose.

Thanks for this. I like to understand the principle in all this. Cheers