# Severely constipated and scared



## HeyItsMe33 (Jul 12, 2016)

Hi, I'm new to this page but I have had IBS and bowel issues for literally my entire life. It has been the most annoying and scariest problem I have ever had.

Anyhow for the last couple month I haven't been able to get a handle on the constipation situation and had to use Dulcalax Suppositories a few times with relief by 1 or 2 BMs. I had been having some lower abdominal pain and pressure here and there for awhile but a couple days ago it intensified profoundly. I started feeling nauseous and very bloated, not to mention extremely uncomfortable and in pain. I hadn't slept in 2 days from how sick it made me so today I went to the hospital ER for it, scared that I had fecal impaction. The Dr talked to me and then just had an X-ray done to see if I was umpacted. It showed that I was just extremely backed up but no impaction. He had me drink an entire bottle of magnesium citrate before leaving ER and wrote me a script for colace and miralax and told me to drink some prune juice. The mag citrate made me very nauseous and I only have had one BM on it so far. Anyway I'm wondering what to do next. Do I take the colace everyday and Is it safe to take with miralax? I already take miralax but have no experience with the colace. How much prune juice is good to drink? So far just 1 half diarreah half hard stool BM and I'm worried I won't get it all out and I want to prevent stuff like this from happening again. Unfortunately this wasn't my first ER trip for extreme constipation but I hope to at least no have to go back. Any advice is appreciated so much.

I also have terrible anxiety over pretty much everything so I have just been scared out of my mind that my guts would explode and I would die. I do have a GI dr as I have a hiatel hernia as well but I am trying to change Drs so now t exactly sure what to do. Sorry for such a long post and thanks in advance for reading it and any input.


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

If you haven't done so already I would get a colonoscopy sometime in the very near future.

You should take something every day, same time, for your constipation. I take this every day, it works well (click on below link to read):

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


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yes, colace is safe to take with miralax.

if you don't think the mag citrate worked (you need to drink a LOT of water with it) and you are concerned that you are still backed up, really the best thing to do is call your gastro doc's office and ask them for advice although i know you said you wanted to change doctors. i always tell people that a doctor's advice is best in these situations because the doc know your health history and knows what to advise. if you don't want to call your gastro, you could call your regular doctor.

or maybe you could call the ER and ask them, since they saw your x ray and advised you earlier.

otherwise, you could try an enema--the large volume kind with the big red bag would be the most effective--not a small fleets. or try a stimulant laxative like senna or dulcolax (the dulcolax pills not the suppositories) or try drinking several doses or miralax and maybe take a stimulant laxative like senna or dulcolax with that as well.

but it's best to get a doctor's advice.

and yes, like Flossy said, it's good to take something everyday for your constipation if you need to so as to help you avoid getting this backed up.

we have a lot good information and tips about dealing with constipation here on the board, so you might want to take a look around.

good luck. hope you can find some relief.


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## Patrick ibs c (Mar 5, 2016)

good luck


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## HeyItsMe33 (Jul 12, 2016)

Thanks for the advice!!

I actually did have a colonoscopy a couple years ago which turned out good other than I had a polyp which the doc removed, hiatel hernia, and esophagitis from heart burn in addition to the ibs.
I ended up having several more bms from the mag citrate. I still have some stomach pain on the lower left side of my stomach and I'm wondering if it's just irritation.

I am wondering if I should take colace or miralax tonight or wait till tomarrow. I don't want to get this backed up again. I'm also trying to see what dietary changes I can make that would help me.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh that's great that you had some more BMs! hopefully you're feeling better by now.

and yes you definitely might want to take something on a daily basis to avoid getting that backed up again.

dietary changes can always help--good idea. there's a lot of good diet advice for constipation sufferers here on the board, especially in the "diet" section.

a lot of us here --especially those of us with slow colonic transit--have found that fiber--especially insoluble fiber--is not our friend. adding fiber to one's diet can be helpful if one's constipation problems are caused by a lack of fiber--go slowly with adding it since going too fast can make you gassy. but for many of us with very chronic constipation problems, fiber is not our friend and too much can definitely back us up all the more. if your colon is already moving slowly, adding more fiber just bogs it down even more. all of this takes some experimenting--we're all different. keeping a food diary really helps.

too many starchy foods and/or too many gassy foods can also aggravate constipation.

some people find taking magnesium supplements helps with their C. the amount and which type of mag 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- 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 too.

good luck


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## HeyItsMe33 (Jul 12, 2016)

Thanks for the info annie7. I've been reading several posts and thought the part about fiber is interesting. I have an appt with my GP soon and was going to ask him for a referrel to a new GI doc since the one I have is too busy to really treat me. He is a nice guy but is always in a rush and never explained anything to me about my diagnoses other than he thought my ibs was caused by my "psychiatric problems"

I ended up having to use a Dulcalax suppository today because I could feel that I had to go but couldn't. I am also taking miralax the last couple of days and hope it will help. I have been having lots of spasms in my stomach, especially the lower left quadrant where my sigmoid colon is. I ended up having to take a bentyl for that which helped.

Thing is I'm scared of not being able to have bms on my own again. I see people crack jokes on FB about ibs but it's not even remotely funny. It's a terrible experience to have. Even though I've had ibs for awhile, I'm just now trying to learn more about it and how I can help myself.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

yes you do want to get a better gastro doc. often gastroenterologists who work in the gastroenterology department of a hosptial--particularly a teaching (university) hospital-- are more proactive, up-to-date and knowledgeable about dealing with constipation than regular gastros.

bentyl can help relieve spasms but, because it relaxes the colon, it can also cause constipation especially if you take it frequently.

i know it's hard but please try not to worry so much. worrying never helps and it always makes everything seem so much worse than it really is. worrying about having a BM can also make it harder to go because it can make the muscles in the rectum and the pelvic floor muscles just tense up all the more. it's important to relax when sitting on the toilet.

yes you are right. ibs is no laughing matter.


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## VikingLuke (Aug 1, 2016)

It is very refreshing to hear your story because I can relate to the pain and the extreme pressure. I can relate and am flabbergasted that you have had only one or two BM's in the last couple of months, but not satisfactory. How do you eat? I'm suffering right now because of this and am in a psychiatric hospital because I've already reached my bottom by attempting suicide and I also obsess about wishing I can go and say the serenity prayer. I wish you balance and good luck.


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## Fromthegut (Oct 12, 2016)

flossy said:


> If you haven't done so already I would get a colonoscopy sometime in the very near future.
> 
> You should take something every day, same time, for your constipation. I take this every day, it works well (click on below link to read):
> 
> ...


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