4 days post hysterectomy: Constipation!!! How to get things moving?

Ouch! I am 4 days post total robotic hysterectomy….. they took it ALL! I am so bloated and things are NOT moving. I drink water all day, have use Colace the first two days home, then changed to Miralax.I’ve had one bowel movement that was pretty tough to move-Today I drank the magnesium citrate……nothing. Just more bloating and pressure. What do I do?

did your dr. tell you to drink the magnesium citrate? if you didn't have a bowel movement after drinking it, you need to contact your dr.

Yes, it’s on his instructions for day 5. It’s a Saturday night so I reached out here first.

Duralax worked amazing for me!! After i took it i drank with a whole bottle water and 30 mins later i was going number 2 without and with no straining!

I would actually recommend against laxatives like duralax or magnesium citrate, because your colon can become dependent on them, and forget how it's supposed to work. To help your colon to remember how it's supposed to work, I recommend squatting on the throne after every meal, with your feet elevated on a small footstool; this stimulates the gastro-colic reflex, in which the stomach tells the brain that it's full, then the brain tells the colon to empty its contents, to make room for the new stuff coming in, and the squat position properly aligns the rectum so the poop can pass through more smoothly. A few more tips to promote regularity and beat the bloat: walk as much as you're comfortable with; start your day with a hot cup of peppermint tea, or a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon; make sure your diet includes around 25-35 grams of fiber per day, but if you're nowhere near that, be sure to inctease your intake slowly, because top much too soon can cause bloating; as an alternative to the magnesium citrate, fill up on magnesium from dark chocolate, leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, and almonds; add ground flaxseeds to cereal, smoothies, and bake goods; avoid fermentable carbohydrates from legumes, onions and garlic, cruciferous vegetables, apples, pears, plums and prunes, apricots, cherries, and artificial sweeteners. Best wishes for beating the bloat soon, and for continued health and healing!

Castillo
I would take duralax once a week recommended by my doctor to help with the movement. Worked wonderful. Just my experience, just my advice. Also, since I do not like prunes, raisins, or peppermint; I do eat a bowl of bran flakes everyday and that helps so much with bowel movement as well. Good luck to you and thinking about you since I know all too well how painful constipation and gas is. I also take gasx chewable tablets after every meal. Helps tremendously!

I have struggled with constipation as well. I have been taking a stool softener, drinking lots of water and walking as much as I can. Today I added some Milk of Magnesia. I read something about sitting on the toilet with my knees up, so I added some towels on the floor and I just sat there. I relaxed and just started talking to myself (inside). Telling myself to relax, that it wouldn’t be painful and that nothing important was going to fall out. I just kept calmly repeating that. I was concerned I was letting fear hold me back. That all seemed to work! I hope that helps you a bit.

and

Our bowels tend to be wonky after surgery - anesthesia, a side effect of the meds we're on, any bowel prep we did which can empty us out, and the trauma of surgery all can contribute. It can take anywhere from 3-7 days to make the first BM. You've already made one in 4 days, so that's on target. If you're not eating a lot right now (loss of appetite after surgery is common) or eating a low residue diet by choice, there may not be much to exit. Quite a few of us have to actively manage our digestive tracts for a few weeks before we get regular again. Be aware that stool softeners aren't necessarily the kind of remedy which works overnight.

I definitely agree, though, that if magnesium citrate didn't do anything, let your doctor know.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since you've just joined us, you might find these resources helpful in knowing what to expect during these first weeks:

• Hysterectomy Recovery Videos on the Recovery Splash page
• Hysterectomy Checkpoints for a week-to-week guide (you can sign up to receive Checkpoints in email, too)
• Hysterectomy Recovery Tips
• Do This - Not That: Hysterectomy Recovery with additional links

I'd also like to invite you to connect with your Recovery Thread for women who had surgery the same week as you at Recovery Progress Reports for Oct 18-24. Recovery Threads are wonderful for getting support, comparing notes, encouraging others, and keeping one another company.

Thank you all for your replies. I was absolutely miserable when I reached out, even cried for a bit. I called my doctor's office, which had an answering service relay a message for me. I honestly did not want to call after hours, but realized that was silly. They called back about 45 minutes later and advised me to drink the magnesium citrate and water again. I did. Yuck. At about 4:00 am my stomach made big noises and things began moving fast. It was a relief, however, it continued for the entire next day. I so appreciate all of the suggestions given by you ladies. Thank you so very much.

Walk, little bits at a time but it all adds up. Walking around helps motility.