Reading all these horror stories....

....about gas and constipation on the other forum. This is addressed to all those sister who have gone before us. If you did not have any issues, or very minor issues with gas and constipation, what was your secret? What can we do to prevent such misery?

I have the Gas X
I have the stool softeners and intend to take them with every pain pill.
I have the prune juice and pitted dates and shredded wheat cereal.
I have heard that dairy causes problems, but that yogurt is a good thing. Which is true?

Hi Walk100,
Before my surgery, I purchased 2 boxes of Gas-X because of what I read on here. I never opened them! I had very little gas and found that prunes, ginger ale, and Colace were all I needed. I tried to walk (in the house) as much as I could tolerate and that helped to get everything moving, so to speak. Dairy wasn't a problem for me, milk in cereal/oatmeal or yogurt. Everyone is different so what works for some, might not work for others. I tried to have enough items on hand in case something didn't work for me. Good luck with your surgery!

I haven't had a horrible time with gas pain. I take 2 colase capsules every morning and chew 1 gas-x tablet after every meal. I walk around my living room as much as I can. When I feel gassy, I lay on my left side with my right leg bent as high as comfortably possible.

I've eaten a few ounces of cheese and two yoplait yogurt containers (individual serving size ) in my 11 days post-op. I'm avoiding milk drinking.

I had green beans, turnips, and Cole slaw... I recommend avoiding each!

Some people report that chewing gum helps. I haven't tried it though. Oh, avoid sodas and don't use a straw to drink.

Good luck!

My gas pains were pretty bad, but walking around helped me to get rid of the gas. I found the more I moved, the more it passed. I also did my best to avoid taking laxatives and stool softeners. I ate (and still eat) at least one serving of dried fruit every day. It doesn't seem to matter what kind - apples, apricots, pears, etc. - all keep me going. Ask your doctor about how often to take stool softeners - you certainly don't want to give yourself diarrhea!

As you can see, not everyone has a difficult time with gas and constipation. I was one of the lucky ones who didn't have any issues at all after my TVH. I did walk and drink plenty of water and that probably helped a lot. I didn't use narcotic pain meds since I didn't need them and they are constipating. My doctor gave me a prescription for stool softeners and I only took one. I actually just ate my normal diet. For me, it probably was the walking and water but then again, maybe I was just lucky.

Best wishes!



Deb

I upped the fiber in my diet prior to my surgery and kept it that way afterwards. They gave me gas-x and a stool softener for the day I was in the hospital, but I didn't need anything when I got home. I drank lots of apple cider, snacked on peanuts and dried fruit, and avoided lots of cheese and meat. Some people say that carbonated drinks give you gas, but I don't know if that's the kind of gas we're talking about -- anyway, drinking them and burping seemed to help. I found that walking helped both with gas and bowel movements -- I had no real problems with either, a few minor gas pains, bowel movements pretty normal except that things felt sort of odd for a few days. I also got some Smooth Move tea from Traditional Medicinals (herbal laxative) and kept some original flavor Ricolas on hand (they also have a mild laxative effect), but didn't need either, even taking two iron pills a day.

Oh, and LOTS of water -- something that probably gets overlooked a lot, but it's very important!

I made sure I did everything I could to have a bowel movement by the end of the second day after surgery. Ate tons of fiber with lots of water, stool softener, MOM, and when things didn't get moving, I took the suppository that my doctor had prescribed. My next step would have been an enema. I wanted to make sure things got moving before I left the hospital. At home, I have kept up on the fiber, prune juice, lots of water and for the first few days, the stool softener. Oh, I also bough GasX but never used it. Hope this helps.

I too bought a box of GasX but never used it. While in the hospital, they had me on stool softeners and MOM. The first BM was difficult for me Everyone has a different experience although most of us (but not everyone) seem to have an issue with our first BM.

When I came home, I continued taking stool softeners, drank lots of water, drank prune juice, was conscious about adding fiber in my diet by the foods I ate, and walked a little even if it was just around my home which helped get things moving.

You will get thru it. Best wishes on your upcoming surgery.

im still having a hard time with gas and constipation. Dec 15th will be 3 mnths. i had TAH plus everything was attached together it is still pretty horrible for me. But everyone is different. I actually was being treated for back problems and think and pray it was my insides all this time which was over 2 yrs. i had 6 injections, discogram,MRI's and X-Rays. And had been on pain meds for 2 yrs befrore surgery so needless to say the pain meds didnt work when i came home cause my body is ammune to them. good luck with ur surgery hope it goes better for you!!