serious bowel problems

I don't know how much i can take. I had bowel problems since day one which was the 8th of september. I can't poop i can't fart. I am home from the hospital cause i fianlly did poop there with the help of 2 supositories 4 laxative dose & 2 enemas. I'm in so much pain down there. The pooping from all of the laxatives stoped this morning could i be all dried up & just have gas it feels like i have to go but i sit & nothing. Tried another enema & nothing again. Please someone help.

Also off subject. I had a hysterectomy & have mess holding somethings up. I have to use a binder can i sleep on my side with it? It doesn't seem to "bind" when i'm on my side.

That happened to me - in the morning I take 3 stool softeners and 2 laxative pills (both the recommended doses) as well as drink a liter of water a day. So far that has cut down on the pain and kept things moving. It took a couple of days before it was 'regular' though. Next week I am going to try to go au natural and see what happens.

Could be related to the pain killers - those stop me up like nobody's business! Try cutting back, if you can. Move as much as you can, I know it hurts but it works. Keep a glass of water and just drink constantly. I drank the V8 juice that is fruity, ate beans and other high fiber but the only thing that really worked was getting off the vicadin.

Amen to getting off the pain killers! Although they certainly help with the pain and if you really need them...well then keep taking them but as mentioned - - drink, walk, eat high fiber.

aww hunny i was like that but only for 4 days after my op, i couldnt poop or fart my tummy blew up and i looked like 9 months PG the pain was awful, i had suppositries, laxatives and stool softener and loads of water and nothing seemed to help then i slowey started to manage little farts and then i pooped, i am now taking a stool softener twice a day and drinking plenty just to keep things moving, i hope you manage to go soon xxx

Prunes...prunes....prunes....

Seriously.... Prunes helped me immensely

Careful though that you don't get diarhea....

it sounds like normal post op bowels..lots of gas and pain killers can make you constipated. if you have to take a laxative, ask your dr about something like milk of magnesia, that wont cause bad cramping. once you can stop pain meds, it should get better.

It was 7 days before my bowels moved, and that was within 2 hours of taking Milk of Magnesia. I took the full dose, drank the 8 oz of fluid with it, and it worked. Now i take about a tsp of it to get things going. Can't seem to do it au natural yet.

And yes, the pain meds do stop you up! I stopped taking them the day before taking the MOM, now have cut back to only taking meds at night or when I seriously need them during the day, which isn't very often now.

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TAH 9-2-08

I stopped taking painkillers after three days....seriously, the pain in my stomach from not being able to fart or do bm hurt more than whatever pain came from my operation. I was constipated for the first 5-6 days, then finally went....then I was constipated for what I imagine to be 11 days. Despite tons of fiber and laxatives. I finally tore through town for an enema, I felt I would go totally crazy if I didn't get the stuff out of me!

Since you've just "off-loaded" a lot of stuff, expect there to go several days before your next bm. What you are experiencing may feel like you have to go, but it's actually "only" your gas trying to escape. It will....it just takes a little while longer.

I had NO IDEA that gas and bm would be such a huge deal after my surgery. And thank God for this website....this is not something I would have wanted to talk with a distracted nurse on the phone about!

I have the opposite problem. Had my TAH/BSO on September 3. No bowel movement until after I got home the following Sunday, and everything was normal. Beginning Tuesday, I have been having excruiciating gas pains followed by a bm, and since this past Friday horrible gas pains followed by diarrhea. This happens several times a day, and I am worn out from it. I have spoked to both my doctor and his nurse, and they tell me this is normal. I don't know how much more "normal" I can take! As this possibility was never discussed with me, I am caught by surprise. Am taking gas x as recommended, but it's of limited value. Hope this resolves soon....