I need help- constipated

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Jer's Girl

Jer's Girl

Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Messages
872
I haven’t been able to go to the bathroom for a whole week, even using laxatives. What should I do? I feel pretty terrible. I feel the urgency to go, but I can’t.
 
I've never had that problem myself. I wounder if you could call your doctor and leave them a message about it and what they would suggest. I do it with both my GP and my GI (when I had a good one). I would usually get a response within a day or at most 2.

If it were me, I might try a home remedy like eating too many bananas. Always made me go. But I'd be more concerned if this were some type of blockage, which you would need a doctor for.
 
Thank you both for your quick reply. I am having pain on my left side (where most of my disease is).
 
Call your doctor. I hate to say this, and don't want to scare you... but just before I went in for my emergency colostomy I hadn't gone for 7 days. And like you, I had the urgency to go, was taking laxatives, stool softeners, and benefibre, but I had such constriction that nothing could get through. I wound up busting a hole in my sigmoid colon and distending my bowel with my efforts to go. Constipation for a day or two is ok, but a week is really pushing it.

Call the doctor! You don't want to really break anything in there...it's VERY painful! Mind you, the colostomy for me was the best thing that's ever happened...so I did have a happy ending in the end :)
 
Thanks Nyx. Your comment gave me the push I needed to call my Dr. I'm waiting for the call back now. When you were having your issues, was ANYTHING getting through? A tinny little bit is getting through for me every couple of days. I think that it has been a few weeks since I have had an actual bowel movement. Thank you all for you help. It is really hard for me to bother my Dr with stuff like this without a push. I know it is silly.
 
Make sure you keep drinking lots of water.

Where does it feel like the stool is stuck? If the stool is impacted in the rectum you might be able to work it out yourself with your finger (gross, I know but better than someone else doing it).
 
I was having wee bits going through, and like Wiles mentioned I even tried 'prying' it out with a finger. I was actually going to call my doctor when I got home from the weekend I was spending at my brother's house... wound up in hospital instead....lol...I told him I'm never visiting him again....lol
 
Not proud of it but I have tried the finger thing many times in my life, including this one. Man this is a lovely disease isn't it?

My stomach feels hard from so much stuff in it. I can't really tell where the block (if it is a block) could be.
 
Nxy, were you in a lot of pain before you ended up in the hospital? What did it feel like? Sorry to keep bothering you.
 
Please please keep us posted on how you are and make sure you are sorted out asap as nyx says!!!!

Thinking of you honey ((hugs))
 
Hey there Jer's girl...Have you tried a mineral oil suppository??? I have had to use them on my kids when they were really young...It just helps lubricate things and stimulate the process...Just a suggestion. I hope you get some relief soon.
 
I will Soup! Thanks for looking out!

I'm really not in constant pain or anything, so it would be easy for me to ignore. Like most Crohns symptoms, the pain comes and goes so when I am having it I am worried and when it subsides I feel like I might be making a big deal out of nothing.

I will for sure keep you guys posted on what happens with this.
 
I wasn't in any pain at all (hence I didn't think anything was wrong beyond being very constipated). I just felt like I had to go...and my stomach was as hard as a rock. The pain came when I was in the bathroom trying to go and I ruptured my sigmoid colon. Now that hurt! Never felt pain like that in my life! The surgeon said I was sooooo full of poop! I told him he wasn't the first one to tell me that...lol
 
Man your symptoms sound a lot like mine Nyx. Thanks a lot for your help. I just tried to go to the bathroom and got a sharp pain in my gut. Not as bad as what you are talking about, but scary.
 
I hope you get it sorted out and get some relief soon...good luck, I'll be thinking of you :)
 
CrabbyRelish said:
If it were me, I might try a home remedy like eating too many bananas. Always made me go. But I'd be more concerned if this were some type of blockage, which you would need a doctor for.
Click to expand...

Hmm...bananas always constipate me! Strange how everybody is affected differently from different types of food.

But yeah, def call your doctor. Have you tried miralax? My dr told me to take the reccommended dose on the bottle 3 times a day, instead of 1 time like it says. Helped me temporarily. But I always struggle with constipation. I have a bad stricture that's gettig snipped out in May, and I tend to get really really backed up in that area. So I'll go a week without going, then It'll alllllll come out, and I'll have D for a couple days...then I get backed up again! But calling your doctor is a good idea because it's better safe than sorry, leaving stool backed up for too long can be dangerous and could cause an obstruction to burst....nearly happened to me when I was 9. Not to scare you or anything, this is quite rare, but like I said, better safe than sorry.

Feel well soon!
 
Thanks mharvey90. I'm waiting to hear from my Dr now. As fa as laxatives go, I like miralax too. I took a whole bottle once before a colonoscopy (something like 14 servings) and it was the easiest prep I ever did.
 
Well the nurse said that i have to go to the ER so I am going. I'm not in much pain though so i feel stupid going. I hate this. I'm so embarrassed. Wish me luck.
 
One capsule of Cayenne Pepper will get things going quickly. I discovered this when experimenting with possible Crohn's treatments. That one did not work as planned.

Dan
 
It sounds a little bit like you might have a stricture. I had the same symptoms and my disease is in the colon on the left side. Do your bowel movements look a bit like worms when you pass anything solid? It took ages for the doctors to realise what was going on. Just don't take any fibrous laxative or food just in case, it may make it worse.

Hope you get it sorted soon though!
 
Good luck in the ER...don't feel stupid! It's better to go in there and it be nothing than to not go and have serious problems...keep us posted please!
 
Hope you got on ok overnight, was thinking about you constantly honey.

We are with you each step of the way.. just know we are there mentally holding your hand.

((hugs))
 
Hi guys! Still no pooping, but it looks like I don't have a block thank goodness. They gave me some pain meds and some enemas to take home and sent me home after about four hours in the ER. Still no answers as to why this is happening to me so I feel a little discouraged. I took another hand full of laxatives when I got home, but still no luck.

Thanks everyone for your support. I really would never have gone in if it wasn't for all of your encouragement, and even though they didn't figure me out, at least I don't have to worry about a rupture for now. Hopefully the enemas will help.

Any other ideas why this could be happening? I really am at a loss.

Thanks again. Having this forum has really helped me to deal with some of my hang ups about this disease. I just get so embarrassed and I hate to bother anyone with it-even my Dr. I truly have been getting Better care since joining this form simply because of all of your encouragement to ask for help.
 
Hi Jer, I had that blocked feeling and had bloat and major pain thought I was narrowed and blocking for sure, turns out it was just ulcered more colonoscopy confirmed that. Please be careful of laxatives, they make the bowels lazy. Give your bowels a rest and drink Ensure and plenty of water. Not having a bm in a week can cause bacteria galore. Keep moving, it makes the bowels move too. Stay away from Banana's and carbs, for now. The bind. Hope you get some relief soon. I know you discouraged feeling been there done that. Relax ok? Hugs!
 
Try to exercise. Cardio, jump rope, anything. I am guaranteed a BM after every workout. Even if I go right before my workout, I will go as soon as I'm done as well.
 
I'm glad they didn't find a blockage! I was thining about you all night and hoping you were get getting on alright. And only another Crohnie can say this - "I hope you have a good poop soon!!" lol
 
Feel better soon! Just a word of advice that I was told..my doctor has told me to steer clear of "laxatives" and stick with more gentle alternatives such as miralax, apple juice, lots of water, hot compresses, etc, because after taking laxatives, especially with IBD and strictures, etc, your body can become very dependent on laxatives and it will grow increasingly difficult to go without them. Good luck!
 
Still no go. I'm starting to worry about the possibility of rectal cancer or some other rectal problem causing this.

Thanks everyone for your advice and help.
 
Okay, so my Dr's office just called and said that they received my x-rays from the ER and their is a large narrowing in my intestines and a block caused by that narrowing. It also looks like it might be a bit twisted. I have been instructed to go on a liquid diet and continue taking laxatives until I go in to see my Dr on the 10th.

I'm glad that they found something after all-knowing is better than not knowing- but I don't quite know what this means. Does this mean that I am headed for surgery?
 
Sorry Jer, but you know surgery could be better for your situation. If they are sure all that is going on, you will continue to be in alot of pain and end up in emergency with serious complications. I had my first surgery done because of the same reason. Try not to worry, keep us updated and let us know what happens. Big hugs, I know it is scary.... been there done it.
 
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Sorry girlie.....I wish I could send you some kind of liquid plumber like, magic drink to unclog those pipes......If the pain gets too much, make sure you get it checked out again.....:(
 
Ha ha! Yeah, I'd like some pipe cleaner Imisspopcorn. STILL no pooping!

I'm okay with the idea of surgery Jettalady, just wondering if that is my only choice. No one has told me anything except that I have to go on a liquid diet and wait to talk to my Dr on the 10th.

It seems like I can't go until then without any BM's at all, even if I'm not eating.

I'll promise to keep you all posted. Once again, thank you all for your help and support.
 
No Poop?

Most people do not realize that Crohns is NOT a bowel disease. It is an illness of the small intestines. When the constriction is in the small bowel enemas and suppositories are useless. Laxatives can be a disaster by increasing pressure from above. That pressure will either release the blockage or possibly cause a rupture requiring immediate life saving surgical intervention. The best approach to constipation is a liquid diet until movements resume. The BMs may be dirty water as they start to unplug the plumbing but will eventually clean out the system.....:poo::poo::poo::sorry:
 
You are right phartologist. The liquid diet is what finally got things moving. I finally pooped today. Whoo hoo!
 
Great!

Never thought I would be happy to hear about a pooping event but the liquid diet not only gets things flowing, iy also can reduce pain... good luck
 
yay for the pooping! congratulations!

i love this place because you can actually get excited about poop....
 

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