# Is there anyone that suffers from same constipation symtoms



## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Hi, Please is there anyone who suffers like this, any advice appreciated to improve my life. Please help im so desperate.

Suffered from constipation all my life (32 years) however the last 2 years my symtoms have got so much worse. I work hard to try and make myself go once per day if not the next day is aweful. I have no diagnosis for what causes my constipation ( not yet confirmed ibs-c however I always suspected)

My nightmare.....
Very dry BM especially first 6-10 inches
AGONY during BM, sometimes feel like I may pass out from pain
Can only push BM when squatting these days
Often spend hours in middle of night sat on toilet
After 3 days with no bowel movement I get intense urge to go and cramps, my whole body shakes during BM
(Sorry about next bit) My stools are lightly coated with a slight yellow mucus, hours after BM my anus is wet with light yellow mucus / discharge
I occasionally get light pain inside my lower right abdomen but I am not certain it is related to the constipation

What I have tried.....
Fybogel sachet everyday (small impact)
Lactulose (makes stool sticky, but does not speed things up)
Prunes and prune juice (small impact but does not soften)
Dulcolax (cramps only does not do anything)
Glycerol suppositories (worked once other times just causes pain without big BM)
Eliminated wheat and dairy (no impact)
Probiotic tablets (no impact but about to try another brand)
Coconut oil (just started but not significant changes)
Macrogol (worked ok for a while but im scared to take since some web pages suggest may cause cancer or worse constipation if long term)

I dont know what to do next and its really affecting my walking due to damage below. I have a hospital appointment next month. I'd rather have my bowel cut out than live like this, during some BM I literally feel like i'm about to die. I continue to cling to some tiny hope that there is a magic bullet.

Is there anything I should be asking the hospital to do? If so what type of investigation?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

so sorry for all your problems. it's hard struggling with chronic constipation.

have you tried taking magnesium supplements to help soften your stools? many people find this helps. the amount and which type of magnesium supplement varies from individual to individual. you have to experiment to see what works for you. there are many different kinds: magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium glycinate, chelated magnesium, liquid magnesium citrate (the supplement--not the stuff in the bottles you buy at the drug store) etc. a lot of people like powdered magnesium supplements like natural calm-or oxy powder. you mix in water and drink it .

Magnesium relaxes the muscles in the intestines which helps to establish a smoother rhythm and magnesium also helps soften the stool by attracting water to the colon which helps to make stools easier to pass. we've got a ton of magnesium threads on here.

have you tried a stool softener like colace (ducosate) not sure what this is called in the uk. that can help too.

and of course drinking lots of water daily helps keep stools soft as well. and you might want to try tweaking your diet. if your bowel moves slowly, often too much fiber--especially insoluble fiber-- is not beneficial. too many starchy foods and/or too many gassy foods can also aggravate constipation. there's a lot of good diet information here on the board..

there are medications available that help with constipation--amitiza, linzess (linaclotide--called constella in the uk) and resolor (prucalopride) ask you doctor about these at your appointment.

my gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeon have all told me that miralax (movicol, macrogol) is perfectly safe to take. and there are a lot of threads here on the board and elsewhere online that say the same thing. it sounds like it was helping you. if you have concerns about it's safety, discuss these with your doctor at your upcoming appointment.

good luck. hope you can find some relief.


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## Nuffa (Sep 12, 2014)

hi

it is absolutely save to take miralax long term. have you tried things like kombucha or kimchi? we all wish we had a magic bullet, i do too.HANG IN THERE!


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## Stephers (Jan 24, 2014)

I use Oxy-powder on a nightly basis, and have never looked back or had any constipation since. This combined with a good probiotic has been my "magic bullet" saving grace. Nothing, not even Miralax, was working for me anymore. I've been using Oxy-Powder for a little over a year on a nightly basis, no ill effects, no horrible cramping episodes like you get with laxatives. It is definitely worth a try.


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Thanks for all the suggestions. It is appreciated. It gives me a small hope to find there are many things I have not tried yet

@Annie7 I tried magnesium tablets 1000mg for a while however that had no effect, although what you describe seems a bit different, so I will try that. They sell 'milk of magnesia' in my local shop I think that is what you describe. I know a lot of my problem is stimulated by the stress of modern life, the only times I have had a break from my issues in last few years was during a vacation in spain so something which relaxes the muscles is worth a shot.

@nuffa and @stephers i have not heard of kombucha or kimchi or oxy- powder, is it a fibre supplement or softener? I find there is often not so many products available on the shelf in the uk so maybe I have to buy these online


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

no, actually milk of magnesia was not in that list of magnesium supplements i mentioned but yes, do try it. it's one of the things i take for my chronic constipation and it helps. it's an osmotic laxative not a stimulant so it's safe to take daily unless you have kidney problems. my gastro doctors and colorectal surgeons have encouraged me to take it since miralax (macrogol, movicol) doesn't work so well for me. you might have to experiment with the dosage to find out what works best for you.

yes, stress definitely makes constipation worse. it's especially important to relax while sitting on the toilet. if you are tense, that can tighten up your pelvic floor muscles (around your anus and rectum) and make it much harder to let stool pass. don't strain with your rectum. that is counterproductive and locks up those muscles so you can't get anything out. plus straining can cause hemorrhoids. make your waist wide and "belly pooch" when you push--in other words--push with your abdomen. this u tube video is a good one. it shows how to have a bowel movement without straining:






also--squatting--as you mentioned --does help in having a BM--as long as you don't strain while you're doing it. elevating your feet on a shoe box, foot stool or squatty potty etc--or just plain squatting while on the toilet seat--- straightens out the anorectal angle and allows a more complete evacuation. i've been doing that for years and it does help.

and yes--daily life can be very stressful. relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga etc or CBT etc can help. daily exercise can also help to relieve stress. walking is especially good for your digestive tract and helps with constipation. even a warm bath can help. some people say taking a warm bath before using the toilet helps them go.


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Thanks Annie7, above you recommended natural calm and oxy powder, I googled these and generally seems they work well for a lot of people, are they known to be safe long term? There seems to be a lot of controversy over what the product claims to do


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

i really don't know specifically about long term safety for either of those--that's a question best answered by your doctor.

i have read posts from people who have been taking natural calm for quite a while and were happy with it.

i do know that with any magnesium products--milk of magnesia, oxy powder, high doses of supplemental magnesium pills etc etc-- you don't want to take them long term if you have kidney disease or poor kidney function. and it's always a good idea to get your magnesium levels checked periodically when taking these even if kidney function is good, just to be sure. again, ask your doc he/she is your best source of information and advice plus your doc knows your medical history.


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

So update I have tried milk of magnesia for last 2 days .... maximum dose 45ml recommended on packaging and hurry i have had two excellent BMs however my feeling is 45ml per day is bit extreme long term, I will back off the dose over next days, anyone have any feeling for a normal dose?


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## sleek (Mar 16, 2015)

David, have you tried miralax? That was really the thing that saved my life. It's a very safe medicine - only a stool softener, not a stimulant laxative. It floods your colon with water. Say goodbye to hard dry stool. Just don't take too much for too long, it might make your colon sore, as it does mine.


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Hi sleek from what i understand mirilax is called macrogol in uk, and yes i have used it, it mostly works ok but i am a little concerned as both contain polyethylene glycol and if u google there is people who believe this can be a cancer risk eg http://www.healthy-communications.com/8polyethyleneglycol.htm so I have been scared to use it long term only for short bursts


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## sleek (Mar 16, 2015)

David, that's interesting. I'll have to ask my doctor about this. It's very surprising because miralax is frequently prescribed long-term as far as I know. My GI in the past always assured me miralax was an exceptionally safe medicine.


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## sleek (Mar 16, 2015)

Interestingly enough, the wikipedia entry says miralax *prevents* cancer in more ways than one (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_glycol#Research_for_new_clinical_uses):



> High-molecular-weight PEG (e.g. PEG 8000) has been shown to be a dietary preventive agent against colorectal cancer in animal models.[12]
> 
> The Chemoprevention Database shows PEG is the most effective known agent for the suppression of chemical carcinogenesis in rats. Cancer prevention applications in humans, however, have not yet been tested in clinical trials.[13]


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Yeh if u google most things u can find some problem or some scare story, so its hard knowing the truth, in general i want to try and find something natural long term as polyglycol is similar to plastic bags u buy shopping in,

Im gonna try magnesium but even that has risks i need to think about long term


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Sleek please post back when u speak to ur doc


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## sleek (Mar 16, 2015)

David, will do. I have an appointment tomorrow.


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## sleek (Mar 16, 2015)

David, my GP said he wasn't aware of any carcinogenic properties of miralax, but he's not sure. He's not a proponent of stool softeners or laxatives in the first place. He prefers patients exercise A LOT and eat fibery foods along with lots of fluids. I'll ask my GI when I see him again. That being said, when my constipation problems started years ago, my previous GI encouraged me to take above the recommended dose of miralax _three_ times a day. I don't think he would have recommended that if there were any chance of cancer.


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

Thanks for the update


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## No more suffering (Mar 30, 2015)

Hi David,

I can only share my misery. If nothing else, I hope you find comfort in knowing that you are not alone. I have not found an over the counter or prescription drug that has helped me long term. I know how you feel as I thought I was going to pass out this weekend from straining. I finally did a coffee enema and was relieved of approximately 5-lbs of waste. I only do them when things get really bad. I've just discovered the FODMAP diet yesterday. I have been GF and dairy free for sometime now. Those were obvious irritants, so I let them go. I have a major sugar addiction, which has been harder to deal with than any other substance I've given up.

I truly believe that my IBS-C can be minimizes with diet, good eating practices, plenty of sleep, and effective stress management tools. I am desperate, too. I am ready to be honest in my recovery of this dreadful syndrome and put into action the things i just wrote. I can't follow these practices for a week or two and then decide to eat what i want, how i want or when i want and expect to get away with it. The funny thing for me is that a bad diet day or weekend doesn't affect me right away. It usually takes a week before the suffering sets in. I return to good eating and can't figure out why i don't have a BM for a week or longer.

i am glad to know that you are going to know that you are going to the hospital. Nothing can be fixed until the problem is identified. Unfortunately, identifying the problem is going to take some work. I hit bottom this weekend and am willing to do what ever it takes to live without suffering.

take care and keep us posted on your recovery.

No more suffering


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## DavidH1982 (Mar 22, 2015)

@no more suffering, thank you for the kind words, your post made me sad cos I feel just the same as you, its so hard isnt it. No more suffering


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