# 18 yo and severe constipation



## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

Hi everyone!I am only 18 yo, just started college. I have to tell you that part of the reason why I choose a community college is becuse of my severe constipation. I figured that I wouldn't be able to treat it when living in a dorm with someone my age.I;ve had it for 4.5 years now. The only relief I found is coffee. But even coffee doesn't always work. Most of the time it works great! But sometimes, for about 2 weeks, it feels like my body takes a break and coffee doesn't have any effect.I don't want to depend on coffee.I eat a lot of fiber, drink water, everything that I need to go to the bathroom.. But nothing works.Even the laxatives don't work. I mean sure they may "soften" everything, but I never feel the need to go to the bathroom.I've been to a pediatrician twice before I turned 18. On the third time, she sent me to a Neutrition expert. I did what she told me to do. Nothing worked.I am thinking of going to a real doctor now, but I am afraid that he will do that colonoscopy (sp?). Will he?I thought that I may have IBS. Could I at such a young age?Help me. I am always in a bad mood because of my problem. I can't even eat when I'm constipated because I know it will cause more pain and more waste in my colon.


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## 19863 (Aug 13, 2005)

I'm 20 and have SOMETHING. I get a colonoscopy next friday. Just get it, tell the doc to put you under if you dont want to be awake, but get it done if it needs to be....You _may_ have something wrong with you, and IBS is a conclusion of exclusion. Which means a doc cannot find anything physically wrong with you, yet you have these symtoms... I have chronic diarrhea, random pains, gas, etc... It wreaks havoc on College and work...And with constipation, when you have things in your colon flowing slower than they should, you have a higher risk of colon cancer. Just do what the docs say


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

> quote:M


so he will definately put me under?


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## 19863 (Aug 13, 2005)

You have to talk to them. My GI told me right away he's putting me under, incase I have a bad time with it (which I will) and because most likely I will have to get one again...You need to get done what you need to get done. Why run the risk of being seriously sick? I cannot wait to get this colonoscopy done so I can start some form of treatment. I am getting cabin fever being stuck inside so much.


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

oh and how can you have a higher risk of colon cancer? I have read that constipation isn't dangerous to health.. I don;t have diarrhea unless I drink a huge glass of prune juice. So it isn't IBS then?


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## 15939 (Aug 21, 2005)

I have IBS Constipation and i too am dependant on coffee!!! I have to down so much in the AM to try to go before work or my day is ruined. And i feel the same way about not eating if I am clogged up. I am still recovering from a laxative incident over the weekend and its Thursday!I also take zelnorm. Talk to your doctor about that.


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## 19863 (Aug 13, 2005)

You cannot be for sure without going to a doctor lol. It COULD be IBS, or it could be an Inflammatory Bowel Disease, hell it could be anything at this point







You need to find out whats wrong with you before you treat it.


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

princessalliann, isn't zelnorm supposed to help with constipation?


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## 16138 (Jun 4, 2005)

It could also be colonic inertia.Check out my story:http://blogs.ibsgroup.org/blogs/Maura/index.html


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

I was 18 when I had my first 'procedure'--a barium enema and I was diagnosed way back then with "spastic colon". They did not call it IBS back then. I am 49 now and have worked to get this awful constipation condition under control. Yes I do think IBS can exist from very early years for some of us. Go to the doctor and get all the necessary tests run. That is really the only way to begin getting a handle on what's going on with your body. Zelnorm and magnesium have helped me alot but I had to have the tests run first. Good luck! You are not alone in this! Tiss


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

Mobee211, what did you do for that?I never vomit unless I get a food poisoning or take milk of magnesia. So maybe this is not it


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

Gosh I am reading too much on this topic. Stuff that I found scare me to death, such as ileostomy. Who knows what I have.. maybe it's better to drink coffee that occasionally stops working, but going to the bathroom through where you are supposed to go!also, does anyone know just WHY coffee sometimes stops working? Like for a week or more now I drink a huge cup of coffee, and I don't feel a thing.But maybe tomorrow or the day after that, I can swallow ONE SPOON of coffee and clear everything out! Then it lasts like this for a month or so and I am back to the "break"another question: Can a prune juice damage your colon? It is a laxative after all.I think I willl drink a glass of prune juice now. It helped this week already. But it isn't a permanent solution for me either. One time prune juice helped me to go for 3 days and then it just stopped and didn't work anymore.what about magnesia? Does it damage your colon like most laxatives? I was thinking of trying the pills. I think I threw up last time I took it, because it was in the "milk" form. It was sooo disguisting! After 2 years I still get a headache and sickening feeling when I think about magnesia. It was cherry flavored so now I can't stand cherries!


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## 16138 (Jun 4, 2005)

Sick of It-I went to a GI at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center here in Boston. After years of tests she diagnosed me with Colonic Inertia and sent me to a surgeon at Brigham and Women's hospital. I wound up having my entire large insteine removed. They spared my rectuma dn reattached the small intestine to my rectum and now I have BMs normally.As for your other questionsrune juice is perfectly safe. Milk of Magnesia is NOT safe to take on a long term basis. You definately need to see a GI.


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## 15939 (Aug 21, 2005)

Zelnorm does help. Was working wonders but now i feel like im back to square one. I have not been regular in 1.5 weeks. just horrible. Im thinking of haing another fiber drink tonight.


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## 13600 (Jul 22, 2005)

Hi Sick-of-it: A colonoscopy is no big deal. The doctor does the hard part, you just lie there and sleep. The worst part is the bill.Definitely get this checked out. I've had C for 35 hears, now under control for about 8 years, and loving it. You don't have to suffer.


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## 18723 (Jul 22, 2005)

10 years of it...finally something that works!I have the same problem. I thought it might be IBS too, but found out that IBS is always associated with PAIN. If you are not having frequent pain, it is probably not IBS.Here is my routine from years of experimenting:AM:1 peppermint cap (from ..)1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed mixed with an equal part of yogurt into a paste2 c. water1 liter water enemalots of water all dayPM1 acidopholus cap1 Tbsp. Milk of Magnesia1 c. waterI feel great now. My acne is almost gone. My appetite is back. I am so happy!I think the main key is the water enema. I got an enema bucket from http://www.enemabag.comThese are just ideas after you get testing done and exhaust med ideas, etc. My doc actually told me to do the water enemas. Even the colonoscopy prep did not stimulate my bowels. That was very telling.Feel free to write if you have any questions.Karenfromkansas###sbcglobal.net


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

alrighte. I made an appointment with a doctor for Tuesday.But for now..I haven't has a movement in about 4 days. Before that I had because of a laxative, but it did not get everything out.. You guys should know the feeling..I don't want to take laxatives again this week.Prune juice isn't doing anythingCoffee doesn't either.Suppositories don't help anymoreMy stomach hurts. It's not even gas. It's obviously because there is too much stuff in my poor intestines. I don't know what to do to go. Help me?I look like I'm 3-4 months pregnant. My stomach is totally flat when I'm empty.Did I mention that Constipation is taking over my life?I did not apply to colleges where I would have to live in a dorm.I get really irritated when I am full of **** (sorry for cursing)I can't eat....which causes my mom to always say that I can't go to bathroom if I don't eat. I feel that I am constipated. She doesn't know how you can feel it. When my stomach blows up to the size of a water melon, she says it's gas. Well ok part of it is gas but most of it is not!It is all so uncomfortalble. I don't want to go anywhere while I'm constipated. I am forced to wear only one pair of jeans because they are not so tight and are very low rise.I have no energyI cry all the timeMy parents think that I am a freak who doesn't respect anyone. Well if only I was empty, I'd love every single person in this world. Right now I hate everyone.I am supposed to be enjoying life! I can't even exersise because of this.I can't eat fiber because it causes too much pain! my life sucks so bad


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## 18723 (Jul 22, 2005)

Feeling that way effects your entire perspective on life. People cannot fully understand that. I really suffer from depression when I get bad. That is very normal. I mean, that's why they make so many jokes when someone is in a bad mood about being constipated.Have you tried water enemas? (Not the little bottles, but the bags?) I know that sounds extreme, but believe me, it had made me into a normal person again. (look at my previous post...) As far as you not eating, well, yes. It seems to make things worse to eat when I feel that way too. For most people, it starts a digestive response. But, if your digestion is off, it does not respond normally. It might just makes you sicker. You are not alone. There are not many who have experienced this, so you may feel alone. But, you are not. Many of us have been to the ER. You must be good to yourself and tell yourself you know you are doing the best you can do. You may not ever find a _complete_ solution, but you will find coping mechanisms. You will find a way to feel somewhat normal again and not have this take over your life. But, for now, just be good to yourself.


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

water enemas? Don't they make you dependant?I used laxatives twice this week. I seriously think that if I use it one more time, I'm going to screw myself up.And it's just great. I got my period today. For me, my period pain represents Diarrhea-like pain with even more severe Constipation. Don't ask me how. It's just is. I think I have no choice. I will go to a drug store to buy this enema or if I see some laxative that I haven't tried.edit: *I took a strong laxative that is used for cleaning bowls. It doesn't work. I am so worried now. When this happens, I think I will spend the rest of my days in diapers because the muscles in my bowls don't work, I think. *


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Where are you from?We know where to go.


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

Virginia


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Dr.C.:http://www.constipation.net/forums/index.phpMiralax:http://www.miralax.com/professional/faqs/faqs.htmlClinical trial on Miralax for C:http://www.miralax.com/professional/clinic...al_studies.html


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

thanks! Great forum thereMiralax. I tried it 3 years ago. Then my C wasn't this bad. I tried it for a few weeks and then quit. Didn't work like I thought it would. I think now is the time to try it again,


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

I feel like my intestines will blow upI feel like I'm dying.I used a suppositoy yesterday,an enema today.A very strong urge to go, but nothing is coming out. But there is definately a lot in there! I meqn I haven't had a mvement in one week! Only like a small success, but that's definately wasn't the amount you get after a week!!!


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## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Send me an e-mail at the adress below.


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## 16138 (Jun 4, 2005)

Sick of it...go see a GI specialist. She will run a lot of tests, but seriously this is taking over your life. You need to do something about it. My life was TORTURE for 5 years. I would go a month and a half without a BM. I went through a battery of tests and finally got things taken care of. DEFINATELY go see a specialist. The US NEWS and World REport lists the UVA Medical Center as one of the best hospitals in the country. http://www.med.virginia.edu HEre are some good GIs at that hospital:http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...l.cfm?drid=1184http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/inter...ail.cfm?drid=80


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

nono, there is a GI specialist at Kaiser, my insurance company clinic. I will go there. I have to make an appointment for a colonoscopy.Mobee211, you didn't go for a minth and a half? How is that possible? What did you have? If you don't want to tell here, please email me at zerofantasy###gmail.com I am glad that someone here is more like me. I haven't seen people here who don't get a BM even after laxatives and enemas. I only hope I won't have to spend the rest of my life in diapers.


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## 16138 (Jun 4, 2005)

I had colonic inertia. The nerves in my colon did not respond to signals in the brain to move the stool along. AKA Paralyzed colon.I always had a slow system. As a kid I went to the bathroom 1-2 times per week. Yes, it was slow, but not abnormally slow. Then at age 17 everything changed. I remember lying in bed and feeling horribly nauseated. My stomach was as hard as a rock and it hurt to even breathe. I could not eat and began vomiting up green liquid (which I later learned was stomach bile). My mom could not figure out what was wrong with me. After a few hours we realized that it was because I had not gone to the bathroom in over 3 weeks. No one keeps track of how often they have a BM so this never occured to me. I had to sit down and really THINK about when the last time I went was. It had been almost a month prior. We called my pediatrician who immediately ordered me to take a laxative. It didn't work. It took nearly 20 dulcolax to make me begin to pass some stool. I spent the night in the bathroom vomiting and crying and having horrible diarrhea.At first we thought this was a one time thing, but we were wrong. Soon after, I stopped going to the bathroom altogether. I would go 2-3 weeks without a BM, at which point I would have to resort to taking laxatives...a LOT of laxatives. My doc prescribed mineral oil, more fiber, more water, metamucil etc. NOTHING worked. Finally I was sent to a GI specialist who prescribed prescription laxatives (miralax and lactulose) which also did not work. She did a flexible sigmoidoscopy when I was 19 and it showed no gross abnormalities inside my colon. She told me there was nothing more she could do and I was back to square one.By this time I was 19 and in college. My life was hell. It is so hard to explain to friends what is wrong when you don't even know yourself! Plus, college dorm rooms are not ideal places to have bathroom issues! Finally my doctor sent me to a WONDERFUL GI at Beth Israel Deaconness Hospital in Boston. After 3 years of tests she finally diagnosed me with colonic inertia. We tried a gazillion different therapies and none worked. I was on Zelnorm way before it even hit the mass market. She finally decided that I needed surgery to remove my entire large intestine and sent me to a colorectal surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Both my GI and surgeon explained that since colonic inertia is not very well understood at all there are very few studies about the disease and few treatment options. They wanted to run MORE tests to make sure that surgery was the correct thing to do. Finally in July of 2004 I was done with tests and the surgeon sat me and my parents down and told me that yes, I would need to have my entire large bowel removed to get any kind of relief from this disease. I remember crying because I knew what a difficult surgery this would be, but I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. I had to go into work (I was 2 years out of college and working at the time) and tell my boss that I would need to take a leave of absence from work for 6 weeks. My work was incredibly supportive and I took a short term disability leave. I had the surgery on September 29th, 2004 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. My friends and family were by my side when I was wheeled into the OR. The operation took a little over 3 hours. They removed my entire large intestine except for my rectum. Then they pulled the ileum (the last portion of the small intestine) down into my pelvic cavity and connected it to my rectum. I did NOT need a bag!I had to move in with my Mom and Dad for a few months because I could not climb stairs or do anything for myself really. The first few weeks were rough, the pain from the incision (which runs from just above my pubic area to 2 inches above my belly button) was incredible. It was hard to walk, sit up and even breathe or laugh. I had a few setbacks and wound up in the Emergency Room twice - once for bleeding and once for an obstruction. But since then I have been doing great!In the end it was all worth it! I now have 3-5 BMs every day and I have my life back! I get teary when I think back about all that I went through but it makes me so thankful to be where I am taoday! No more vomiting, no more laxatives, no more drinking gallons of pedialyte because of severe dehydration! I am now a happy, healthy 25 year old who is working full-time and going back to school nights to get her MBA. I hope that other people with inertia realize that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!You probably do NOT have this, so don't let this story freak you out!! Inertia is VERY rare and usually responds well to treatment! Let me know how your GI appointment goes, okay? And trust me, colonoscopies are not that bad!







Maura


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## 18739 (Jul 22, 2005)

I used to have problems with constipation when I was younger but not anymore. I eat a piece of fruit before I eat breakfast. Fruit has enzymes in it that helps your disgestive system. I also eat something green everyday such as broccoli, green beans, salad, etc. Eating fresh vegetables is better for you. I drink water too I am still working on increasing it though.







You all might want to try Vemma it is also good for constipation and many other ailments. It has mangosteen, aloe vera and green tea in it. I also take it and it does help me with my digestive system. I just thought I would mention it to you all. I had put up the website in the products services and websites. It really does help but it's up to you all if you would like to try it.


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## 22406 (Aug 25, 2005)

Mobee211, wow. I'm so glad you are doing great!The stoty did freak me out though.. You didn't need a bag? That's great because I heard about bags being attached to the side of your stomach where everything comes out. I could have never agreed to this.I went to a physician yesterday and she told me to buy this laxative.. don't remember the name.. And it worked, though I doubt that everything came out.I took it today again... and I can feel a major diarrhea in my colon but I don't have that feeling when you want to go to the bathroom. Yesterday I had to drink coffee in order for the muscles there to start working. I told my mom about that I need colonoscopy, and guess what she said? "You don't need it!"I dunno why she said it. I guess she thinks that nothing serious can happen to our family.. I am only afraid that she will tell me that I don't need to be put to sleep during it.. Because she already forbid me to ask a doctor to put me to sleep when I get my wisdom teeth removed.I feel like I'm on my own with this. Mimosa, yea no one denies that beggies and fruits help healthy people go to the bathroom, but not when your mucles don't work.


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