# No BM's after several laxatives



## 15050

Hi--I'm a 52 year old woman, and I was diagnosed with colon inertia 20 years ago, and I've used senna regularly to have bm's. I haven't had a BM without laxatives for 30 years. I take senna approx. every 4 days or so, and that's how I go. I've seen several doctors, and both my GP and Gastrologist said they thought taking senna regularly was a better option than having my colon removed (which is what the colon specialist recommended).3 days ago I took my senna and had no luck...only very tiny little noodle looking squiggly stool. (Sorry). I had been taking antibiotics for a bronchial infection, and using cough syrup with codeine. Anyway, that night I got a fever and had horrible pains and felt very nauseous. The next morning my husband took me to the ER, and they took xrays and blood work and said there was no impactment or blockage, but that my colon was full of stool (no kidding!) and I had a urinary tract infection. I'm on more antibiotics for the infection. The doctor gave me a prescription for dulcolax (not sure why it was a prescription) and nothing happened...only very little squiggly things a couple of times. Today I called my gastrologist and he said to take magnesium citrate, and I took a bottle and nothing happened again. When I called him back, he called in a prescription for "half-lightly", the colon prep, and I'm takiing that now...it's been 2 1/2 hours and still nothing. My gastro. isn't in the office tomorrow and I don't know what to do if I don't go? Has anyone had anything like this happen before? I've had the senna not work well a few times, but never have I had any trouble like this. It's driving me nuts...I've made an appt. with the colon and rectal specialist for Jan. 15, but I'm not sure what to do next. If this prep doesn't work, what in the world would? Thanks for any input.


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## flip

ever have any luck? i too had to take a colon prep today. the first times i used the prep i immediatly went, but this time it took 4 1/2 hours. i was only backed up for 4 days though.


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## 15050

I did finally squirt out water several times, it was sometimes lightly colored. There's no way a week's worth of poop came out though. I haven't finished drinking all the liquid yet....I have a couple more glasses. The last glass ended up on my kitchen floor....I threw it up and couldn't make it to the sink! Should what is coming out of me be all watery?


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## R777

Half-litely is used as a colon prep following consumption of a liquid diet for 1/2 day. I'd not eat anything solid until I had have a real bowel movement. I'd also take Colace, a stool softener, 2 pills of 100 mg. each with hot water. Hot water helps a lot with bowel movements. The problem is that your doctor has not addressed your constipation seriously, but is taking pot shots to see what works.I take Ducolax 3 pills (5 mg. each) every night [stimulant laxative], plus 2 Colace pills (100 mg.) every afternoon [stool softener], plus take BeneFiber 3 times daily [fiber as functional food], to have a bowel movement every day in the evening.


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## R777

As soon as you started vomiting, stop drinking Half-Lytely.EDIT: it's watery because you have a fecal obstruction in your sigmoid or rectum so the water is going out and around the plug. Have you tried digital disempaction? Kind of ugly but it might help. Or lie on your left side in a fetal position to force a bowel movement. But you need to take Colace to soften the stool. Good luck. Signing off to go to bed.


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## 15050

Thank you for responding. I haven't eaten anything solid in a couple days, as my stomach feels so lousy that I'm not even hungry. I do take 2 stool softeners a day, and have for years. I honestly don't know if its made a difference or not because I don't go at all without the senna.How long have you been taking 3 dulcolox a day? I have taken it occasionally and 3 tablets usually make me have a movement, but it seems to stretch it out forever. This time it didn't work at all except for very very little.I have tried numerous combinations over the years, but nothing really worked for me like the senna granules. I haven't tried your remedy...not sure if it would work because my problem is a motility problem and enemas don't even work for me. I'm willing to try anthing though.


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## Nomie

How are you now? Have you tried Fleet Phosphate Soda? I mix a 3 0z bottle with 1/2 cup cold water and then drink at least a 9 oz glass of water. That should get things going. Once you start to go if it stops then drink more water. They say to drink a lot of water with this. Not good to do all the time but I have to do this about once a week. I also drink smooth move tea about 3 times a week. I have severe C and CI also I think.


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## lovecolours

Have you tried osmotic laxative like magnesium oxide? I read about milk of magnesia but not sure bout that, or you could try oxypowder,alternatively epsom salts which I heard tastes yucky.go to www.oxypowder.comHow about taking lots of water with Del monte prune juice 2 big cups? It works for me whenever I'm full of stool for days or a week. You might like to change your diet to HIGH vegetables content,be it soup,cooked, juice and lesser meat.For me, senna works better with agarol (a kind of suspension). Agarol cant be taken before you sleep so best to take next morning. I usually take 2 senna tablets 2 hrs after my last meal. Do a google search on their functions.Colon hydrotherapy seems to work for many but still requires your stools to be 'loosened up' first.


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## byron

My problem was similar to yours ...and what worked for me ....suppositories everynight ..that is right ....if you have stool in your rectum or anus ready to come the suppositories will bring it out ...I have gone from enemas to suppositories in the same night ...next thing is the er ...please stay in touch with me ...as I have the same problem.....miralax has to be used every day ..dr. told me to take it 2 times a day if needed ...sounds to me you might need a probiotic for all the antibiotics you are taking ...if you want more info ...e mail me [email protected]


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## 15050

Well, I'm still here and still full of ####. (Sorry, but at some point it's so sad it's silly). Nothing has made me go. I first tried on Tuesday with senna, had no luck, so tried the dulcolax on Wednesday. Nothing..nada. Called my gastrologist and he said to try a bottle of magnesium citrate...which went thorugh me, but not much came out except liquid. When that didn't work, he called the prescription for the half-lytely, which didn't do much either. We have a big charity function about 2 hours away that we're attending on Monday, so I'm just eating soups and drinking liquids until I get back on Tuesday and can figure out what to dver the years I've tried everything. Suppositories only work for me after the stimulant laxative has pushed the stool down far enough....my problem is that the colon doesn't work, and I have slow motility. Until now the Senna has usually worked, but I was on codeine cough syrup as well as antibiotics, and I think that helped screw things up. I've never had this much problem before.I tried Zelnorm for over a year and it never did a thing. I was on Amitiza, but got such terrible headaches that I really didn't give it a good try. Miralax made me run to the bathroom every hour or so and only liquid would come out.I went to the Orlando Colon and Rectal Surgery Center two years ago, and didn't finish all of the testing, but the preliminary tests showed that I basically have very little activity in my colon. The doctor said removing my colon was probably something that I'd eventually have to do, and when he said that, I stopped going to see him! Also, the senna started workiing better, so I thought I'd just manage. Now, however, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going back to Orlando on the 15th, and I'm at the least going to finish the testing and find out exactly what my options are.I'm so sick of this. My whole life revolves around when I have the time to take the neccesary medicine to help me poop. I have to plan a whole evening around it, or do it on my days off. I have a little 13 pound dachshund, and she poops more in a day than I do in a week.....and only because I take senna!I'm very active, exercise regularly, am not overweight. The doctors have told me it's just a problem I apparently was born with....as a child I can remember crying and sitting and sitting trying to go. By the time I was in college, it was a huge problem and I saw a Dr. who told me to use senna. I'll never know if the senna made it worse over the years or not, but I know if I didn't take it, I didn't go.Thank all of you for your advice. I guess I'm just worried about what I'll do if when I come home on Tuesday and try senna again and it doesn't work. What do you do when it just won't come out?? As most of you know, it's a horrible feeling. I'm not trying anything else until then, because last night when I drank the prune juice, it made my stomach grumble, but nothing else. It hurts more when I take a laxative and it doesn't work.


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## Kathleen M.

I'm worried you have a partial obstruction if the colon prep didn't get anything out.Have you called the doctor since then to report? This may be beyond self help at this point.K.


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## R777

Been taking Ducolax for 2 years now (15 mg. or 3 pills at 6 pm) 1-2 hour before bed time. Started taking D. after Senokot (senna) stopped working.


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## R777

Nomie said:


> How are you now? Have you tried Fleet Phosphate Soda? I mix a 3 0z bottle with 1/2 cup cold water and then drink at least a 9 oz glass of water. That should get things going. Once you start to go if it stops then drink more water. They say to drink a lot of water with this. Not good to do all the time but I have to do this about once a week. I also drink smooth move tea about 3 times a week. I have severe C and CI also I think.


Avoid Phosphosoda (sodium phosphate). It damages kidneys. There was a recent FDA warning about it, and plenty of medical articles published about the adverse effects of Phosphosoda on kidneys. It should be removed from the market. Same goes for Visicol, a tablet form of Phosphosoda. Visicol is sold by prescription only. Colon prep. instructions from several hospitals have been changed from Phosphosoda to PEG (Go-Lytely, Half-Lytely, et al.)


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## R777

byron said:


> My problem was similar to yours ...and what worked for me ....suppositories everynight ..that is right ....if you have stool in your rectum or anus ready to come the suppositories will bring it out ...I have gone from enemas to suppositories in the same night ...next thing is the er ...please stay in touch with me ...as I have the same problem.....miralax has to be used every day ..dr. told me to take it 2 times a day if needed ...sounds to me you might need a probiotic for all the antibiotics you are taking ...if you want more info ...e mail me [email protected]


Please post which probiotics you recommend for IBS-C. Keenly interested.


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## JayCatGuy

Hi, I relate completely...and also can''t had a BM wou/a laxative...until, even w/laxative (and combinations of RX/OTC/DIET/MOBILE)...nothing. I get the same grumbling...this nurse I know came bu, she say, "but you have great...bowels sounds, just eat more fiber" (the "fiber" line), she doesn't get that it's like a washing machne...just going round and round...not "OUT". I don't even try to explain to people other who don't know the deal themselves or when I'm seeking medical help (which hasn't been helpful). Colonic inertia...I to be taking that test...for me, it's just a formality because I know that during 5 days...there's no way any markers will reduced. There was a time when enemas worked for me...then one day, they just completely stopped working. I thought if I gave it a few weeks...my resistance would come back, nope...still doesn't do anything but make me feeel worse, as I often unfortunately retain some of the enema and get that salty mouth. Anyway, I feel for ya and I know the feeling because I'm going through it.. I pray for you and wish you the best, Jay


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## 15050

At was at the ER Wed am in pain, with a fever, thinking something was blocked, but they took pics and said there was no blockage....would it show up on an X-ray? Turned out I had a uninary tract infection...I'd like to think they know what they're talkiing about. I felt it could be a partial blockage because for awhile little skinny pieces would come out, but not enough to matter.Jay,I'm sorry you're going through this too. You said laxatives used to work...what in the world do you do now? Colon inertia sounds like what you have...I also had a motility test because I've had so much trouble with acid reflux in the last 2 years. Apparently the food just sits in my stomach and causes all kinds of problems from both ends!My gastrologist was closed on Friday, so I decided to just go on a liquid diet until I can talk to him on Monday. I'll be out of town until Tuesday, but I hope he has a plan for Tuesday. I'm feeling okay,,,,certainly not great, but I think I can handle it for 2 more days by eating very little. I really have no idea what else to do. If you go to the ER, do they have ways to get it out that we don't know about??


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## 19733

If you want to use your bowels then I suggest using epson salts. Add 1-2 teaspoons in 1 glass of luke warm water everynight an hour or so after dinner and you will go in the morning. This is very effective but does cause some pain for certain people. Iam only taking 1/2 teaspoon at night and eating a very low fibre diet and still going each morning. Normally I would not be on a low fibre diet but Iam travelling to sydney australia in two weeks to commence human probiotic infusions and a low fibre diet is part of the protocol.Pedro


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## JayCatGuy

Hi Doxie, Regular XRays...can determine how backed up you are...you might hear anything from fine to "you're filled top to bottom". Xrays showing such build up should lead them at ER to then have take a CAT Scan w/contrast (may even have you drink the contrast too, plus IV contrast). That test will show if it's a blockage/or partial. However, a Psuedo-Obstruction testing usually won't yield results. As far as myself...what do I do? I don't know. I have to go through this Colonic Inertia test and I will find out more tomorrow...but it's taking it's toll on me.Pedro, I do the same, when things get rough...I go to liquods until something breaks or can get some help. Good luck on trip....... Jay


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