Safety Of Bowel Medication Use

hi everyone...just a quick question...i'm sure most everyone has had this dilemma.

i had TAH, debulking surgery and part of my bowel removed and re-attached march 22. day 11 post surgery, had my first b.m. (to everyone's glee!)...it was liquidy for obvious reasons. i had been taking colace (stool softener) and senekot (laxative) to get things moving. i cont'd. for a few days after first b.m., but i started wondering if i still needed to take the colace and senekot as i was having b.m. at least once a day. i remember learning in college that it was not good to keep taking laxatives, etc. or to have a lot of diarrhea as it could atrophy the "sphincter" muscle which controls the movement of the feces thru the rectum (i realize i probably don't have that correct, it's been a long time since i was in college)!!

i am on heavy pain medication (hydromorphone and hydromorphone contin)...my family dr. reminded me that those drugs can be very constipating. oh, and i haven't had a b.m. for a couple of days now, but lots of "stinky" wind...lol...sorry t.m.i.!! i'm still eating small amounts of food, very nutritious and soft in consistency, so not expecting "hard" stools.

what does anyone think...should i start taking one or the other again...maybe just the laxative as i'm not worried about hard stool.?? or, just wait and see if things get back to normal (i guess that's foolish as i don't want to get blocked up)?

your opinions will be very much appreciated. thanks everyone. hope you are all having a lovely long w/e.

I think it would be a good idea to ask your doctors what you should do. For me, all of my doctors (including GI, GYN, GP) prefer that patients not use laxatives at all without talking to a doctor first, as they can cause long term issues. On the same token, my doctors also prefer I not use stool softeners continuously without talking to them so they are aware of what is going on in case we need to try other treatments or check for additional issues.

hi weiser...i forgot to mention that the laxative and the stool softener was prescribed by the surgeon due to the fact that i had part of my bowel removed and re-attached. the only thing is...he didn't say for how long, ie. until first b.m. or for a couple of weeks. i decided to stop on my own. you're right i should consult the surgeon...i'm seeing him on apr. 11. thanks for your reply...much appreciated.

Hi How much of your bowel was removed in the surgery? I had a colon resection four years ago in which most of my colon was removed. I never took laxatives (but also did not take any narcotic pain meds), had my first bm in the hospital five days after the surgery, and have taken stool softeners twice daily since the surgery (DR's orders). I am also required to take some form of fiber daily... I use Benefiber because it doesn't have a taste or yucky texture.

I do think it's best to consult with your DR about taking meds post op. Don't hesitate to call if you need to know before your next appointment.

s,
-Linda

thank you surferbabe...i can see now i should have consulted with my dr. about this when i was there last week; however, at the time i was so elated because i finally had a b.m. after 11 days! there were 2 other serious issues i had to talk about that took time, so i just touched upon this briefly. my family dr. actually wants me to continue the lax. and stool soft.; i decided to quit after having a few b.m.'s thinking i was back on track. as of yesterday i have started back on the laxative because no b.m. for a couple of days now; however, wind!

i see the surgeon next wed., apr. 11 so i will definitely discuss this situation. btw i don't know how much of my bowel was removed...will find out on wed. there is also the possibilty of a malignancy there as i know i do have ovca. my uterus was attached to my bowel via adhesions, hence, part of bowel removed along with uterus.

i see that you have had multiple surgeries...wow, you've been thru a lot! isn't it amazing how they can remove part of something, re-attach it, and it still works!!?? thanks for your reply.