[hma925]

My constipation has been occuring more often and more severely recently. (Stress level has been up.) I am increasing my water intake and fiber but what can I do for immediate relief? So far, I have unsuccesfully tried: a glycerin suppository, 3 colace stool softeners, some prunes, a fleets enema (an old fashioned water enema not mineral oil, or anything else), and just now another glycerin suppository and more colace (out of enemas at home). I did have a miniscule bowel movement from first suppository. I have trouble holding in enemas long enough to get much relief from them. I lie down in bed on my side to take them, start seeping a bit right away, and end up running to bathroom in fear I will have a bm on the floor on the way there if I wait any longer. (I am thinking of getting myself a bedpan. Then I could afford to wait longer and not worry about "messing". I could use bedpan if I couldn't make it to bathroom.) I usu. get to toilet and expel the water from the enema about 3 min after giving it with just a little flecks of stool. And that is what happened last night. I still feel "full" for lack of a better way to state it. And last night I didn't eat much because I am constipated but ended up with headache, in part from not eating much I am sure. Any suggestions would be very welcome. I will have to call doc (PCP) later today if nothing else works.

 

[alexandragirl]

I am sorry to hear about your tough time. We have all been there. I highly reccomend fleets phospho soda at this point. It doesn't taste good, but it works and will clean you out. I would take it on a very empty stomach and it should work pretty quickly 30 mins to 2 hours. I like to take a walk after I drink it to get it working faster. Good luck

 

[hma925]

I will look for fleets phospho soda at drugstore.

 

[hma925]

So far no luck finding that fleets soda stuff. Do other folks have suggestions??

 

[mirandafox]

Maybe try one or two Dulcolax? You will probably have a lot of cramping, but you also might be willing to deal with that instead of being overly 'full'.Afterwards, have a bowl of oatmeal for your next meal, and try to have some every day for a couple days until your system settles down.Good luck - I know how miserable being extremely C can be !

 

[mirandafox]

Oh, the oatmeal is a soluable fiber - good for those of us with C.Also, you could drink Ensure - all the vitamins and stuff you need, but your system has a chance to rest. Ensure is also lactose-free, as opposed to some of the 'diet' drinks.

 

[I'll B Snookered]

Try magnesium (500mg or so) and vitamin C (3000mg or so) at bedtime. Also, keep up with the prunes, and eat some fruit at every meal. The p fruits seam to be good--pineapple, pears, prunes, peaches, papaya. Also, you should look into digest gold digestive enzymes and papaya enzymes. I take them before and after every meal, and they help. Finally, take some sort of probiotics. I've done all this, and now I still have the incomplete evacuation, but once I have my last bowel movement (diarrhea-like), I am much better (not good or even ok, but better).

 

[I'll B Snookered]

forgot to mention I also take zelnorm, zoloft, 1 colace, miralax, and metamucil, the last three an hour or two before bedtime. It seems that the more time I give the stuff to work the better. Oh, and I also drink licorice tea and ginger tea in the morning along with eating some fruit and possibly taking some caffeine to get me going...My word, I do a lot of stuff (and spend a lot of money) on this ####. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!

 

[alexandragirl]

You can find Fleets Phospho Soda at Eckard Drugs and at Walgreens for sure. It is a small green box a little bigger than a deck of cards.

 

[Guest]

For a quick, gentle solution, try a glycerine suppository....that should help.

 

[loveholli]

I do hope you found some relief by now. However, I found strong stimulant laxitives to do the trick...I take 3 before bed and the next day my system is cleaned out. Its crampy and very inconveient but it works. Just don't abuse stimulant laxitives. I'm not sure how often is safe. But I do not do that more than once a month.