Day 4 and still no bowel movement

I had my /sah/bso on Monday morning and had my last bowel movement on sunday morning. I've been doing "all the right things" walking, eating lots of fruits & veggies and fiber, eating fiber tablets, taking colace & gas x and have passed gas but still no bowel movement and am getting very concerned. How long is it usually before one has a bowe movement. Thanks fellow systers!

Well I suspect the bowel movements differ for everyone, I had a TAH 15 days ago, and with 2 days of laxatives at the hospital I went once. But since I've gotten home I struggle to go, and the pain building in my stomach is just AHH!!! (for a lack of better words) but for me unassisted it took almost 7 days. Now I'm lucky if I go once every 2-3 days. I think it takes a while, some woman might go sooner but your body has been through alot. Just keep doing what your doing. Also, Ive read on here some of the girls suggest really pulpy orange juice helps?

I didn't have a BM until day 5 and I had to resort to laxatives to get it all started. It was SO uncomfortable!
If you are worried, give your doc a call before the weekend gets here.

I ended up going the laxative (suppository) route on day 5. I was afraid to keep waiting and then having to push. I continue to take stool softeners and eat plenty of veggies/fruits. Tomorrow is three weeks post op.

Try Miralax! it worked wonders with colace 3x/day and gasx 2x/day and tons of water/juice, fruit and vegies. Be careful with the fiber supplements....if you don't drink enough it will have the opposite effect. I continued this for several weeks then weaned off the miralax....i still take colace 2 tabs at night and eat lots of fruits and vegies...hoping to help my repairs last by keeping things moving....i had a TVH bladdersling/A&P repairs 6 mos ago. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Serenity3459 I had my /sah/bso on Monday morning and had my last bowel movement on sunday morning. I've been doing "all the right things" walking, eating lots of fruits & veggies and fiber, eating fiber tablets, taking colace & gas x and have passed gas but still no bowel movement and am getting very concerned. How long is it usually before one has a bowe movement. Thanks fellow systers!

Hi I use to suffer with not having a bowel movement for days. I went to see my doctor and he said to use MIRALAX. I gave it a try and now I have it in my medicine cabinet all the time it has worked wonders.I had suffered for years with constipation and I top of that i live with a hemmoroid because of all the constipation. It would flare up when I couldn't go. But now I ga all the time thanks to Miralax and its great because it has no taste. You need to give this a try. It's kinda pricey but better than taking any other kind. I have taken everything out there suppositories, metamucil, colace, and eating bran. Nothing work. Try this it really works. And it gives you no stomach cramp. Oh yeah colace is a stool softner it doesn't make you go. It just add more whater to your stool so you don't tear when you do have a boewl movement. I hope this helps and you go buy it. Take care. And sending well wishes.

@Serenity3459 - I had my surgery 8/19 and my first post op BM Tuesday afternoon 8/24

Elaine

I had to resort to laxative suppositories during the week that I was on pain meds. After I came home from the hospital, I tried everything else, but none of it worked. The constipation I had from the Oxycontin was just impossible. I only waited 2 and a half days to give in and use the suppositories, because my doctor advised me not to let it go until it became a more serious problem. I used one each night about an hour before going to bed and had a BM within 30 minutes.

It was definitely not the most pleasant thing in the world (it caused a lot of cramping while I was waiting for the BM), but it saved me a lot of discomfort for the other 23 1/2 hours in the day! After I went of the Oxycontin, things normalized after about 36 hours. I've had no problems in this area at all since then.

I remember all too well how painful the bowel issue is!

Looks like you have gotten good advice about what to take to help you. I want to add this. Try to be as patient as possible. If you stress about it -- you will only make it worse. I took me a while too.

There are a couple of contributing factors; starting with - your body has to get used to being in working order again - essentially, your intestines are still waking up. Second, pain meds have the unfortunate side effect of constipation. But don't stop taking them -- just take what your Doctor says you can take, eat/drink what you can to help, and relax.

We've all been there. So you are not alone.
Good Luck!!!

*** It may have just been me, but was having super bummed out (no pun intended) day and so I hit the chocolates.. too many chocolates..and within the hour I had to go! It was kinda more of a get out of my way and for once it DIDNT hurt! (I don't know but really there can't be a downside to experimenting with chocolate can there??)