BM problems after stopping stool softeners?

I stopped the stool softeners a couple weeks ago. I am still eating activia yougurt once a day for digestion. But now having a problem with elimination. Not so much constipation, but dry hard stools . Yesterday I thought I was going to have to have the bm surgically removed ! Wonder if anyone else is having this problem. I upped my water intake again. I might have stopped drinking so much once bm's were getting better. With all this going on, hemorroids will be my next problem!

Are you taking iron? Iron pills can make for tough going.

Oil daily! Olive and/or flax seed oil. Lubricates for ease of elimination. Strong coffee and salad a day. Honestly. And jandybee's right about iron; makes the going get tough.

Maybe a suppository would help get the less moist BMs out. I had to use one on my son (when he was about 4 months old, now he's a grown man) when he had a problem.

That will give you relief while you find out what you need more or less of. Maybe less iron and some PruneStart.

I've been on iron since 2 week BEFORE surgery and doc wants me on it for another 5 weeks. I was pretty anemic before surgery and lost quite a bit of blood during. I haven't had a problem until this week. No problem with constip but problems getting things out! Do you swallow the oil? and how much of it? doesn't sound too good but I would be willing to hold my nose. If I could get through the go-lightly stuff I could do this I suppose. On a lighter and happier note, I don't have any abdominal pain when going like I did right after surgery. It felt like a chain or glass going through me!! Thank God my insides have finally healed!

Oh, no, don't worry about taking in the oil. Use it in salad dressing. (My easiest, best salad dressing is: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, dijon mustard, tsp. of brown sugar. About 1/2 c and 1/2 c olive oil and balsamic, then about a two or 3 Tbsp. soy and dijon. Shake like mad.) Use it on steamed veggies, salads, on mashed potatoes...
Good luck, shaden3

If you don't like the flax oil, flax seed that is ground is a coffee grinder, and put in your yogurt or cereal or whatever. How about cooked prunes. I have been doing that, and eating more fruits. Water is a good friend too.

great ideas ladies! I have a little bag of flax seeds I bought at the health store a week ago. I will try grinding them and putting them in my cereal. The salad dressing sounds like it tastes good, and I love salads.
Right now suppositories are my lifesaver. Hope its not harmful to use long term. I wouldn't think so.

why not continue on with stool softner, as they are not like a laxitive and addictive? I still take softners and I had my surgery 9-11, I also had a rectocele repair and not ready to take a chance on having bm problems...just a thought?

Try some fresh fruit each day. It's good for you and has lot of fiber. I've been plagued with hard stools since my hysterectomy, and that's helped considerably. And don't forget lots and lots of water.