Hi partytown -

Sorry to hear about all your constipation woes. The lesson to be learned here is you should take something every day to help you go so this doesn't happen again.

Also, you should be having at least one BM per day.

I take and recommend Dr. Schulze's Intestinal Formula # 1. There is the regular I.F. # 1 and also the I.F. # 1 maximum strength. You should probably buy both.

Click the below link for more info:

http://www.ibsgroup.org/forums/topic/239065-finally-a-product-i-can-recommend/

You might want to try drinking prune JUICE to help unclog you... If that doesn't work? Go to emergency and let them 'get it out with a tube.' What else can you do?

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

so sorry for your problems.

agree with Flossy. when you have chronic constipation, it's best to take something daily to help you go. going over three days without a bm is not good. that can lead to impaction or, even worse, obstruction, which is an ER situation.

i was diagnosed with colonic inertia via the sitz marker test (also called a shapes study in some countries). other tests dx'd other problems as well. because none of the available constipation meds worked for me and i tended to develop impactions (as well as obstructions) rather easily, my gastro docs told me to take laxatives daily. i took a combination of stimulant and osmotic laxatives.

fleet enemas are ineffective for backups as bad as yours is because they are too small and don't go up high enough. the big, quart size bag enemas are what's needed.

the same thing with glycerin suppositories--they only work on stool in the rectum. not higher up.

the fodmap diet helps with gas and bloating but not with C.

that's good you're taking high-dose movicol as directed. it would be a good idea to add a stimulant laxative as well. you can take senna, cascara sagrada or, like Flossy said, intestinal formula #1 if dulcolax gives you too much cramping. one thing important about dulcolax is to be sure and follow the intructions on the box and don't take it within an hour of dailry products or anticids or you'll get cramping.

since you're backed up, stop taking psyllium husk. adding fiber to a backed up colon only adds to the back up and makes it worse. you definitely don't want to do that.

if you can't get unplugged, go back to emergency. you don't want this to develop into an obstruction.

that's good that you are going to see a gastro doc. there are medications available that can help with constipation.

good luck. hope you can find some relief.

 

Thanks for the help, both. It's been extremely useful.

Interesting you mention about the colonic inertia, Annie. I've never heard that term, but interestingly, my doctor said if the colonoscopy comes out okay, it'd confirm the IBS-C or perhaps "slowed motility disorder" - which kinda sounds like the same thing? I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned a sitz marker test at any point, but I will definitely ask him about it.

I've taken the Movicol for 2 days now...no relief so far (except for 4 tiny mucous-y stools). Not sure about the Dulcolax, the pain was almost unbearable last time I attempted it. I'll stick to the Movicol and go to the ER tomorrow if it doesn't clear up.

Also ordered the Intestinal Formula #1 - I'll let you know how it goes

 

yes, i imagine by using the phrase "slowed motility disorder", he's referring to colonic inertia.

the siiz marker test (colonic transit study) would be a very good diagnostic test for you to have. it measures colonic transit plus the placement of the markers will show if there are any particular trouble spots in your colon . i didn't have a bm at all during my test so all the markers were still inside of me. quite a few of them were in my rectum which told my gastro doc that i might have pelvic floor dysfunction so then he ordered a defecography.

https://www.sitzmarks.com/how-to-interpret

if dulcolax gives you too much cramping, you could try other stimulant laxatives like senna (exlax) or cascara sagrada.

that's great you ordered intestinal forumla #1!

hope that by now the movicol has worked some more and that you don't have to go to the ER.

yes, please do keep us posted. good luck.

 

I'm curious and perhaps someone knows, but do the rings from the sitz marker study ever come out? What are they made of? Is it ever possible for them to be stuck inside a person and if so, what is the prescribed course of action to get them out of oneself?

I am undergoing a sitz marker study right now, single capsule and x-ray on the 5th day to measure the progress. Thing is, I don't like having anything inside me that's foreign and could get stuck, thus causing more issues.

If anyone could provide some insight on my questions above, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Steve

 

yes, the rings do come out--they pass through your digestive tract, end up in your stool and pass out of you when you have a bm.

the rings are very small. they don't get stuck.

this link lists the ingredients of the rings in the bottom of the box on the left.

https://www.sitzmarks.com/ingredients

you can read the rest of that website to find out more about the rings and the test.

you can also call the company, too, if you have questions: 800-356-6795 (or call your doc's office).

 

Hi Annie7,

Thanks so much for posting the list of what those rings are made of. I couldn't find it to save to my life!

Thanks for saving me the headache of doing more hunting.

Steve

 

oh thanks--you're more than welcome.

i've had two sitzmarker tests. good luck with yours. i was completely laxative dependent so both tests were kind of miserable since i couldn't take any laxatives and therefore had no bms the entire time but i survived lol... i was sure glad when the test was over and i could do a cleanout.

as for the rings--i've read a lot of posts from people who've had this test and never read that anyone had the rings get stuck inside of them. i know none got stuck inside of me because i've had a number of abdominal xrays over the years since i took the test and none of these xrays ever showed any rings still in there.

 

Well, tonight I had my follow-up x-ray and apparently I have 23 out of 24 markers stuck in the ascending colon which concerns me quite a bit. I had my EGD yesterday and I have a small hiatal hernia, two ulcers, one of which has swelled tissue, and the entire area just looks "angry" on the slides, way more irritated than it should be. Tissue samples were taken for evaluation and results will be back in 1-2 weeks.

As for the markers, will they eventually pass or do I need to have them surgically removed? I feel relatively uneasy having them inside in one place fearing they may cause a blockage and is there something I should be doing to make them move? Mind you, I'm still doing magnesium citrate, milk of magnesia, and LaxaClear (Miralax equivalent) and only one has come out.

Any advice would be appreciated and if anyone else has ever been in this situation, please share that experience if you would.

Thanks so much for everyone's time,

Steve

 

i didn't pass any of the markers when i had my sitz marker tests because i didn't have a BM the entire time during the tests. all the markers were still inside me when i had my final xray. and, like you, a lot of my markers were all in one place , too.

i did a big cleanout (stimulant laxatives, enema) after both tests because i was so backed up and i did not want an impaction to develop due to all that backed up stool..

yes, the markers will pass out with your stool, when you have a bm. you may not see them when they pass (they are very small) are but they are there in your stool. i didn't see my markers when they passed but i know they passed out of there because, like i mentioned before, i've had to have several abdominal xrays over the years since i took the stiz marker test and none of the xrays ever showed any markers in my abdomen.

the markers are harmless. they are very small and will not cause a blockage. you do not need to have surgery to have them removed.

really--you should call your doc's office and ask them about all this. maybe that will help reassure you.

 

Thanks for replying this morning. What concerns me is the fact my BM is all liquid as it stands. The doctor didn't want me to change anything to establish a baseline first. That being said, those things aren't coming out.

I'll call the doctor's office today and post later today with the advice I get.

Many thanks,

Steve

 

oh, i see--your doc didn't take you off laxatives for your test.

if the markers are still in your ascending colon after all this time, it could mean that your small intestine motility is slow.

yes, do call his office about all this. thanks for keeping us posted.

 

All the markers passed through my small intestine already and they're stuck in the ascending colon which concerns me a lot. I know that they are stuck there because the X-ray tech told me so, along with the doctor who actually read the X-rays at the facility.

 

this is what you should talk to your doctor about.

 

Yup, I completely agree with you.

 

I'm in a similar situation. About a month ago, my Linzess simply stopped working. At first, I had enough bowel activity, although not "normal," that I wasn't concerned and thought it might be temporary, and I occasionally supplemented with MIralax to help things ago. But things got worse and worse. I couldn't get an appointment with my GI doctor for 6 weeks, and he was very slow at responding to email via the patient portal. He suggested alternating 72 and 145 mcg doses of Linzess but hasn't ever submitted a prescription for the higher dose. That's probably irrelevant at this point. In the last week or so, things just seemed almost completely shut down, so I went to the urgent care center run my my insurance plan yesterday. They tried an enema, but nothing came out; two doses of lactulose (I had taken 2 tbs. on my own earlier that day and the day before), and ordered first x-rays then a CT scan to get more detail. They confirmed the presence of a substantial amount of stool but said there was no blockage, so they advised me to continue using lactulose every six hours until something happened and discontinue the Linzess. They also recommended suppositories. Well, I've had three more doses of lactulose to no effect and am about to try the suppositories. I've also been able to get that doctor's appointment moved up to tomorrow due to intervention from someone in another department. I'm quite frightened by this turn of events, puzzling over what caused it (probably impossible to know) and how to keep it from happening again, once I get over this crisis one way or another. I guess there's not much I can do but continue using the lactulose, which all the urgent care staff swore that it would, with a knowing smile as if to tell me the way it worked wasn't exactly going to be fun, and wait for the appointment tomorrow morning. I'm also annoyed that the GI doctor I was emailing because I couldn't get an appointment seemed clueless as to the severity that I was describing and apparently doesn't read his mail very often to keep up with patients' urgent queries. On top of that, when I called the insurance company's advice line, I got "terrific" advice like drink prune juice! I know the nurses who staff these lines aren't allowed to give very specific medical advice, but when I'm describing what's close to an emergency situation, to be offered suggestions that might help someone who's just having a bad day is insulting. I got what I wanted from the call, though, in being told I could go to the urgent care center and also that they contacted the GI department scheduling office and got my appointment changed. So at least something positive came of it. In the meantime, I'm hoping for some progress later today.

 

Displaced why haven't you tried stimulant Laxative like Bisacodyl or Senna it will not hurt at all in your situation , when i was in this situation ( 6 times ) i always had another option to go like try those they will definitively move things along i had been in worse situation and iam telling you that it helps as long as the obstruction is not caused by other things .

 

My situation has sort of been addressed now. After the urgent care visit, I emailed my GI doctor, and he eventually called the next evening. He had reviewed the records from my visit and suggested that first I take four doses of Miralax over the course of a few hours and try a few more enemas; these were things I could do immediately at home. The enemas did nothing, the lactulose had not produced anything but cramps and gas, and a suppository also didn't have any effect. His other suggestion was that I take the colonoscopy prep solution, which I could pick up at the pharmacy the next day. I've had colonoscopies several times and knew that the solution would really clean me out, although it certainly isn't a pleasant experience, so I agreed. I did that yesterday, and I'd say that by now, the build up of stool has certainly been reduced, although without another round of imaging I can't be sure if it's all gone. I've had a few episodes of diarrhea today, and despite all that have a nagging feeling that there's still some stubborn material that hasn't come out. My body was hit with so many things over the course of a couple of days that no wonder I'm miserable even if I'm not sure it's because of the buildup of stool or all the treatment attempts.

The unanswered questions are why it happened, will it happen again, and how do I proceed from here? The doctor is keen on upping my Linzess to 145, while I am very reluctant. I hate the daily, violent diarrhea I used to have with Linzess, trapping me in the house every morning and making travel a challenge, but at least it more or less kept things moving. I only agreed to use Linzess about a year ago because other approaches, mainly using Miralax, weren't working very well either. We're having a follow-up phone consultation next week, and I will definitely ask about alternatives. I'm not really sure Miralax is very effective for me any more, but I have no idea what else is safe for long-term use-maybe a combination of Miralax and lactulose? This past month has shown me that my body isn't likely to function well without intervention, so the million dollar question is what can I do that won't have as many or more side effects than benefits, is safe, and hopefully won't cost an arm and a leg like Linzess. The physician's assistant I saw at the gastro department after the urgent care visit talked about the FODMAP diet, which had been recommended to me before, but I've never been convinced that you can determine what particular food, seasoning, condiment, etc. caused problems for you when the foods you eat every day undoubtedly have so many ingredients, and you may not even be aware of some of the minor things, especially if it's a packaged food or you're eating out. And if you have chronic, slow transit constipation, how can you pinpoint "when" eating a particular food made it worse? If there was strong evidence for someone like me that never eating X or eating a lot of Y would help, of course I'd try it, but other than that I don't think dietary changes are going to make much difference.

 

Thanks for the help, both. It's been extremely useful.

Interesting you mention about the colonic inertia, Annie. I've never heard that term, but interestingly, my doctor said if the colonoscopy comes out okay, it'd confirm the IBS-C or perhaps "slowed motility disorder" - which kinda sounds like the same thing? I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned a sitz marker test at any point, but I will definitely ask him about it.

I've taken the Movicol for 2 days now...no relief so far (except for 4 tiny mucous-y stools). Not sure about the Dulcolax, the pain was almost unbearable last time I attempted it. I'll stick to the Movicol and go to the ER tomorrow if it doesn't clear up.

Also ordered the Intestinal Formula #1 - I'll let you know how it goes

 

Hello Im sorry your suffering. I take Dr.Axe collagen and have for over 2 years and it worked wonders. I could even eat nuts! I take digest gold enzymes, 100 billion probiotics by garden of life.

I have scare tissues that have my intestines in knots so I really have to be careful what I eat when things back up. I also drink Smooth move tea works great and quickly.

I hope your feeling better soon. The gastro thing I forgot what its called , they pump you full of air to make room for the scope. They give you a sedative but your awake. Its not too bad I just didnt want to do it but Im glad I did.

Dont worry, that tightens things up so it makes the whole thing worse. I know Im familiar with extreme anxiety myself so I rest in my room as much as I can to calm down.

Lord bless you with the power of the knowledge of His Will to help you know that trusting in Him He gives us the ability to get through things allot easier. His grace like a lubricant in the right spot 💗

 

I take motegrity aka prucalopride 4mg morning and 4mg at night. Working well. You might want to try it. Check with your doctor for dosage.

 

Yes! Get some liquid Magnesium Citrate and drink the whole bottle since you're so backed up. It'll work. Just relax. Another osmotic laxative that works is Mag 07 which can be bought through Amazon (and possibly many other places?) Take 4 the first night with water and it should work in the morning.
Trust me. I've been there. (And still as>).
Also ask your GI doctor to test you for a pelvic floor disorder. You very likely have that. I think I read about 50% of all constipation (that's not due to a medicine, or operation, etc. is due to a PFD.)