Severe constipation please help

[HazelnutLattePls]

Hi all

I'm sorry for the horrible post but I'm absolutely struggling here and need recommendations for what I can do/take/use to help me through this SHITTY time in my life. Currently 7w1d, only just had our first scan yesterday and luckily baby was there with a heartbeat, have now officially graduated from the infertility clinic 🤩 so this is now day 2 where I've struggled to do the toilet, yesterday wasn't as bad, I still managed to go but it was fairly difficult and left me with a bit of a sore bum but by the time I woke up this morning I was fine. Until I was not. Since maybe 11am I've felt like I really need to go to the toilet. I've tried to go I don't know how many times and it just won't move, I can feel that it's "close to the exit" so to speak but I physically cannot push down to get it out. I don't have stomach pain or anything else just when I'm trying to actually move my bowels I'm in so much pain. I had a small pile some years ago caused by constipation due to not drinking enough water/having a rubbish diet in general which was treated and whilst it has never bothered me since, it's also never fully disappeared, so I'm worried the pain is coming from that perhaps opening back up? Or a whole new pile forming? The pain in my arse (literally) is absolutely horrible and I'm wiping thinking that there's something there to wipe away but it's just small amounts of blood and tbh is actually sore to even wipe. I feel so blocked up with this and am fed up of constantly feeling like I'm about to shit myself but then being physically unable to do the toilet. I've actually just been sat on the toilet in tears for 20 minutes trying to just push through and get it out and I've given up. It's scaring me how painful it is, it's making me think how the hell will I cope potentially giving birth naturally in 7 months time. I was suffering with bad sickness for a couple of weeks after finding out and couldn't eat, but have since been put onto a new anti sickness therefore am eating and drinking normally. One of my cravings has been fresh orange juice and lemon slices (literally just plain fresh lemons cut up) and I've also taken a liking to brown bread toasted with a bit of butter and marmalade. I went to a local pharmacy earlier and was told I couldn't get any laxatives due to me being so early in the pregnancy and because I've got rectal pain, so I would need to speak to my GP or midwife and get them to prescribe something - I can understand this is due to licensing and OTC sale criteria given I work in pharmacy myself - but it's annoying all the same because I am just desperate for some relief now 😭 please any suggestions or advice as I'm dying here 😵‍💫

Movicol. Call pregnancy triage, or 111 and ask for movicol. In the meantime try prune juice.

Gp and midwife wouldn't help my toilet problems, both told me to go and buy lactulose.

I struggled that early on too. Every morning 3x weetabix with loads of berries in..a dark coffee and plenty of water. If that didn't help id have some lactulose. Fybogel didn't work for me unfortunately. You have to keep super hydrated and active to help. (From a fellow bleeder!) now 29 weeks and Ive got the shits instead for weeks - so it got easier atleast😂

Hi there
I was recently given an anti-sickness medication (Ondansetron) for CVS (am not pregnant), and it made me terribly constipated.. just like you describe.. so wondering if that might be contributing to it? I've not taken any Ondansetron for a good while now and the constipation has stopped. Worth looking into.
All the best x

Definitely Movicol. That what I was given in pregnancy. Ask for glycerin suppositories as well. Also use a foot stool so you’re in the right position.

Thank you for your comment, I'll ask for those 2 things, although the thought of using a suppository is making me cringe, perhaps best to wait until the pains died down a bit 😵‍💫

Thank you for your comment, that's a good point, it's not ondansetron that I'm taking it's prochlorperazine but it could well be that. I'm on 2 tablets 3x daily so it honestly could be that. I'll try a day or two without taking any and see how I get on x

Yep. Some scheriproct ointment for the pain as well if you can have it when pregnant.

Thank you for your comment! That's a bit annoying they wouldn't help you, did you find the lactulose worked? If so, I'll maybe just buy a bottle when I go back to work on Monday. Honestly my partner is weetabix daft and eats them everyday, never has any issues with the toilet, I will steal a couple of his each morning going forward. I can't drink coffee anymore as I've completely gone off it, but I'm willing to try anything at this point 🤞🏽

@anonny55 ps I'm glad to hear it gets easier, even if it does mean having the shits!! 😭🤣

Movicol definitely helps, as will hydration, prunes etc.

It’s unlikely this will last your whole pregnancy, so hopefully it clears up soon for you.

To ease your worries about managing pain: I’ve struggled with constipation, pain, and bleeding the last few days due to lack of hydration and fresh fruit/veg while I’ve been ill.
I have had two babies, both with just gas and air, and found that obviously painful but manageable, yet I’ve found going to the toilet so painful and have actually said to myself ‘you can do this, you’ve given birth twice.’ Just to say - finding this painful has no bearing on your ability to manage pain during birth.

Thank you for your comment! I will ask my midwife about movicol, she is meant to be ringing me tomorrow regarding my first appointment!

Honestly I'd use anything that will help even slightly at this point, I'm in bed and so sore. Going to ask dr about the scheriproct as I know that one is prescription only in the UK

Thank you for your comment, I'm definitely going to ask about the movicol, not sure I could stomach prunes but I'll try anything if it'll help! I do tend to drink quite a good amount of water each day, I only stopped a couple weeks ago because I was struggling so badly with sickness. Now that I'm back to normal in the eating/drinking dept I'll definitely be keeping my water intake up. Oh Jesus, I'm sorry you're also experiencing this hell but at the same time I'm glad I'm not just being dramatic 🙈 super painful, I'm really glad to hear you found your children's births manageable in comparison. I was genuinely panicking thinking what am I going to be in for come July 😵‍💫

I even went to a&e once because the constipation was SO bad i strained that hard i had literally blood clots come out of my back side. Delightful. She just gave a finger round it said no piles and go to the chemist for lactulose.
For me, it does work although takes a day to kick in! I found the weetabix every morning helped..I went on holiday for a week so couldn't have them and I knew about it!

@anonny55 Oh wow that sounds horrendous!! I will try the lactulose and movicol as others have suggested and see which works best for me, I'll definitely be doing the daily weetabix as well!!!! Thanks so much 🙏🏽

Once you get sorted, chia seeds are great. Sprinkle on yoghurt or weetabix( also works for me) or fruit or salad. They swell up inside you and really help to keep you going.

Also feet up on a stool(soz) always helps to get things moving.

This is definitely important. Also be careful with weetabix as it’s insoluble fibre so can make things worse for some people. Oats are better as they are soluble fibre.

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/macrogol/pregnancy-breastfeeding-and-fertility-while-taking-macrogol/

At the risk of being a bit TMI, I have IBS and have suffered with chronic constipation for a long time, often similar to what you've described. If you can manage it, as you say you can feel it very low down, you may be able to manually manoeuvre it out.

With clean hands, if you insert your thumb into your vagina facing your rectum, you may be able to feel the stool through the wall of your vagina. If you can, gently hook your thumb downwards to push it out. But, if you do have haemorrhoids, just do it cautiously.

Not the nicest thing in the world, but I can tell you as a chronic constipation suffered, this has "saved my arse", to coin a phrase, many a time... then, I think it's just about managing it more long-term - you've got some good suggestions here from PP to try, too, to keep you moving a bit more regularly, but this technique may help provide more immediate relief. Good luck! X

Once you get this à bit more under control with medication, I keep this at bay with a high fibre breakfast porridge every morning. Three tablespoons of whole oats, one table spoon of dedicated coconut, half tbsp of chia seeds, half tbsp of ground flax seeds and half a chopped apple on top. It’s delicious and constipation hasn’t been a problem for me (normally I am very prone).
Also make sure your diet is high fibre in general - lots of whole meal, pulses (beans, lentils etc) and high fibre fruit and veg (a salad of lettuce and tomatoes will not do anything for example)

Ah OP I feel for you it’s horrendous. I had it awfully in my first pregnancy after very severe sickness and not eating for weeks. I was then on ondansetron as well which is notorious for making it worse. I would agree about lactulose but you have to take it daily regularly or it doesn’t work. It needs time to build up and isn’t a kind of take it and immediately go laxative.

Re your fear on pain - I can honestly hand on heart say the constipation I had during pregnancy was much worse than giving birth with my first. I know that sounds mad, but seriously, the constipation I had was SO painful whereas I had my baby at home and was saving the gas and air for when I felt it was too much… but it never felt too much so I ended up giving birth with no pain relief (not from any plan to do so, just because I felt okay). And most of my labour was back to back too which is supposedly worse!

So please don’t worry about the birth bit, it’s a totally different thing and you’ll be fine. Hope you get the constipation sorted!