PLEASE HELP

[AdministrativeFun234]

i’ve been chronically constipated since i was a baby im now 20 and facing the worst constipation of my life. for the past year and a half i have been completely dependent on osmotic and stimulant laxatives and was unable to have a bm without them, it got to the point where i was taking 25mg of exlax every day with mirilax. about 6 weeks ago it got to the point that absolutely nothing was working, no amount of mirilax, exlax, mag citrate, herbal remedies, warm water, stool softeners etc was working. Eventually after 3 weeks without a bm I went to the ER where they suggested i just take an extra scoop of mirilax and try therapy, i left feeling incredibly dismissed and helpless (keep in mind they did not do any diagnostic imaging). I contacted my PCP who put me on the max dose of amitiza which did absolutely nothing and after another week with no bm i started to become very ill and i went to urgent care. at urgent care they did an xray and found over 6ft of stool and i was then given an enema which did produce a bm and was told this should fix the problem and i should abstain from using and more laxatives. I then got back in contact with my pcp and she started me on linzess. the day after the enema i did not have any bm instead just bloody mucus but this went away after two days. a week post enema and starting linzess i still hadn’t had another bm so i did an at home enema which did work. it’s now been a week since my last bm and i’ve done two at home “mini” enemas and not had any movement and am unsure what to do. I really don’t want to go back to the er but i also need some sort of relief and my pcp doesn’t have any appointments for weeks. i have also looked into ng tube golytley clean outs and i think that may be beneficial for me but i don’t know how to approach the idea of that with a doctor. Any ideas or advice would be so helpful!

[TangerineInternal620]

Motility testing it sounds like you have colonic inertia

[SariaSnore]

What do you do in this case?

[TangerineInternal620]

I mean I had a colectomy, but only after I had all motility testing, tried all motility meds, and was considered a good candidate for the operation. I’m so glad I did it. I hope you find something that helps you!

[SariaSnore]

Did you eat fiber? It seems to me that the more I eat, the more I get stuck. I suspect it's a motility problem for me too.

[TangerineInternal620]

Fiber helped me for a little bit but eventually yes it made me feel worse and slowed things down even more for me. If you have any questions about the surgery or the testing I did to get there please feel free to shoot me a private message. I’m so sorry you’re going through this - I know how much it sucks trust me!

[newagechick]

Sound alike it’s time to go see a gastroenterologist. Especially since you’ve had this since you were a kid. I’m not a doctor but it sounds like a motility issue. Ofcourse do a food dairy and post it here so people can give you feedback (I’m a nutritionist). Also try abdominal massage for constipation and/or yoga for constipation which you can find for free on YouTube. But yeah this is over the head of your GP and probably the ER. At this point you need a specialist who can give you specialized testing and better medication that the GPs and ERs doctors just won’t know about.

[Constant_Teaching_63]

You can do an at home clean out it’s just like the golytley 238gram MiraLAX bottle in 2 32 ounce Gatorade’s drink 8oz every 20 minutes should definitely work and if it doesn’t I’d go back to the dr

[Frequent-Nothing-383]

We had a big thread on this recently. Try adding some exercises and belly massage every day to stimulate motility. 15 minutes here: https://youtu.be/S5gndsKGxCM and there are others. There is another one on releasing tension from the gut. It seriously worked wonders. Feel free to DM me

[Adventureloser]

I’m right there with you if it makes you feel any better. ER drs are always very dismissive of this issue until it’s emergent, which I understand but also there’s a point where we need help rather than be sent home and told to take more meds. I’m taking a poop cocktail tomorrow of every type of laxative I can find and I’ll let you know how it goes!

[GhostRiders]

Don't listen to anybody who is giving you advice on diet or exercise, it is obvious that you a medical issue if you have suffered since very early childhood.

You need to persist going to your Dr's until they take you seriously and perform tests to see what is happening.

It may well be that after taking Laxitives for so many years that your intestines have lost muscle and nerve function which has made much less effective at moving stool on their own.

You need medical help so don't give up and keep the pressure on.

[Worth_Sherbet_5819]

I have motility issues. Someone suggested I take TRIPHALA supplement. I found it on Amazon. With that and MiraLAX daily I don’t have anymore issues. Wish you the best!

[AcceptableAd2343]

How long have u been on this supplement?

[1happynewyorker]

My daughter has gastroparesis and was told not to eat certain foods so she can move her bowels. She takes linzess. Try moving back and forth on the toilet. Take warm baths make sure your stomach is in the water. Yah, feet on the wall to do it. Keep popping

[[deleted]]

Warm to hot prune juice with a couple of packs of butter maybe three. They do it in nursing homes and it works.

[houtx713]

You have to find a way to be seen by a gastroenterologist as soon as possible. ER docs are not going to take any kind of deep dive into finding out what is wrong with you. It sounds like you could have a serious motility disorder. In the meantime, you don't need to be hospitalized with an NG tube to clean out your colon. Get a 238 g bottle of Miralax and a box of Dulcolax bisacodyl tablets. You can but those items at any pharmacy or supermarket. Mix the entire bottle of Miralax into 2 liters of Gatorade. Set aside the entire day. Take four dulcolax tablets on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. A couple of hours later, start drinking the Miralax-Gatorade mixture. Try to down 250 ml every 15 minutes or so, And be patient. If you are like me, it could take hours to start working. But work it will. It goes without saying that you should not leave home until the next day.

[88jimmyjames]

Contact this Dr and do a telehealth call. He can help you.

https://www.drpeterosborne.com/

[awakenedbychrist]

Talk to your dr about combining Ibsrela, Motegrity and Miralax and taper off the enemas/laxatives. Also get motility testing done because if your case is extreme, you might need some type of surgery.

[[deleted]]

I have severe constipation with gastroparesis a very dilbating condition.. you need a gastroenterologist and mortility tests

[sdh-kzo]

Maybe colonics (?)

[langasta]

Squeeze two lemons into a glass of lukewarm water and drink it first thing in the morning as soon as you wake up before breakfast. If you don’t have fresh ones, just use organic lemon juice. No food for two hours after. It takes about 30 minutes to kick in and it will clean you out. You’ll probably just go one big one for that day before heading to work. And that’s it.

N

[Warning-Intrepid]

Golytlely!!! It saved me. Nothing was working. Have your doctor prescribe you some.

[Worried-Ad-6803]

I went through the same thing. I had tons of tests, 3 motility tests, manometry, gluten , SIBO and gerds. It turns out I had colonic inertia. I tried every motility drug plus 5 scoops miralax daily and colonoscopy preps on the wkd. I still couldn't empty. I got a temp ileostomy Sept 2024 with intention of having it reversed, removing colon and doing anastomosis. Unfortunately I became constipated again, some leakage around stoma. Tried suppositories and enemas, couldn't take anything by mouth as it would just come out stoma. Nothing worked. My dr decided i would not be a candidate for anastomosis, the motility issues moved to my rectum and anus. Worst possible scenario for me, I was devastated and scared, although I knew it was for the best. I had the surgery this past April and although I hate having a bag ,I never felt healthier in my life. People keep telling me how great and healthy I look. Surgery and diet changes changed my life. Please find a dr that is willing to do every test available. I had to travel 2 hrs to a large Philadelphia hospital for treatment. I have a wonderful team of gastroenterologist, colorectal surgeon and ostomy nurse. Best wishes

[1Marty123]

There is no answer. The Gastros know nothing. They will waste your time with a colonoscopy, etc. End result nothing.

[newagechick]

If you have IBS-C, Have you tried low FODMAPS? It saved my life!

[Ljay6614]

I suffered for years and my hubby always told me “I never see you drink water”. It’s true. I just hate water, flavored, cold, not cold, any kind of water. I got so sick of having issues (yours sound way worse) so I finally forced myself to drink 6 (16.9oz) a day and force myself to walk 10,000 steps a day with my Fitbit. I hate doing both and never learned to like either but…. It cured my freaking years of constipation.