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CONSTIPATION--problem with so many of our drugs

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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Good Luck Lily, hope it all goes smoothly in the end. XX back

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Okay , seems like they're is always one last thought. If the passing of the gas stops, and vomiting starts---the line was crossed to complete ileus.

    Once the vomiting starts, the stomach still produces fluid. Once it reaches max fill. The stomach well up chuck the contents. Relief will be felt, until it's full again and then vomit again. It's a continuing cycle. That's why the nasogastric tube is put in. Until the colon decides to wake up, then the NG tube would remain in place.

    You should get a copy of that report and the film done yesterday. So, it doesn't disappear when the trouble starts.

    Ileus's are strange. Sometimes it takes only days to resolve. Sometimes weeks.

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    I have a copy of report, the film is only on the system.........I cannot eat a real meal and feel lacking in energy....and really don´t want any time in a hospital but if I stop releasing gas and being sick I will be straight up there.  I note that it says common cause of this is colon cáncer...........this is my big worry...........

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Ahh lily, dx by reading signs and symptoms without dx tools, is like cooking with only a recipe and nothing else. Hmm is that a good analogy? Just made it up, may use it again.

    How you doing today?

  • minustwo
    minustwo Member Posts: 13,116
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    Lilly - Thinking of you. hope you are OK.

  • keepsake
    keepsake Member Posts: 25
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    Lily, Yet another one thinking of you and hope you're OK

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Hi MT :) again concerned. Generally, Lily posting times are between 1pm and 7pm. Need to hoot her out

    Main pic


    HOOOOTIEHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLILYHOOOOOOOOINESPAGNEHOOTIEHOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    hi thank you all for caring......made myself do an exercise class today and two hours later did a poop!! Drum roll please........it was not massive but mre than in last two weeks! Also felt hungry so ate more of a proper meal today, can feel something happening instead if a dead zone, farting a lot more tonight......hope for more poop tomorrow, really din't want to go back to hospital. Have eaten more food that has laxative effect this afternoon......here's hpping.....

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Please, Lily limit solid food until the body gets rid of the stuff. The fact that you did poop and are farting means somethings is moving. If you took both drugs recommended at the ED. and things are starting to move YAY. Used to be a thing when patients were farting when standing, we get them to the commode asap and assume the position.

    "The importance of a poop is never so valued till they're isn't one" a Sassy Confusius( pretending)

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Many were worried about your well being :) blessings for a wonderful & easy passing

  • Rosieo
    Rosieo Member Posts: 200
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    Sas

    I will say that this constipation thing is really a pain in the a-- LOL

    Last Thurs. I had chemo treatment so that day to get ahead of getting constipation I took a dose of Miralax and 2 Sennokat. Next day no bm so that night I took a dose of milk of magnesium. Well of course that worked with many trips to the loo with just lots of watery bm, I was not eating much so next day I only had some little watery stools and since then I really have not had a decent bm. Tonight I really feel like I would like to have a decent bm but I strained to no one end and only had a little bm and seemed like it could have mucous also. I am scheduled for chemo again on Thursday and would wish to get my intestines working right. Any suggestions. I just took a dose of Miralax tonight. I think my intestines are screwed up from taking all teh stool softeners and laxatives to overcome constipation. I dread constipation. Any suggestions would be really appreciative because I know you are quite informed.

    Thanks so much

    Rosieo

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    I am still farting more than pooping and todays poop was smaller, although did not cause bleeding, than yesterday yet I am still so full........and both days are still significantly less than is normal for me, is there anything I should be doing SAS?  You are my poop guru now!! xx

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Oh my, I can't legally tell you what to do. That's why the docs need to give you a constipation plan i.e.poop plan. I wrote one many pages ago. Any volunteers to go back and find it? Serious, it was a step by step plan. That I suggested to take and get approved by the doc. Pretty sure there was a post from pdgraham around the time b/c I helped her through a bad constipation time associated with chemo.

    Rosieo, I'm a big believer in Magnesium Citrate. It's commonly used for colonoscopy clean out and it's okay in an immunocompromised state.

    Mirilax is a less strong form of Nulytely and Golytely. They all are Polyethylene Glycol. PEG. The problem I have with the three is that I can't find why the caution is on the label that says "not to be used if there is a history of kidney disease". It implies that the kidney can be affected. The only way that can happen is if it's picked up by the circulatory system. PEG floating in the circulatory system doesn't sound right.

    But what do you do in an intractable constipation problem.

    Lily I'm the Poop Guru !, they used to call me the Enema Queen on my old unit. Guess this is consistent. Please, clear liquids until you get cleaned out. You aren't immunocompromised so in your case the Fleets enema is a consideration. Sure wish you had your docs blessing on it. In your case you sound like you have a mechanical problem i.e peristalsis has slowed or stopped. Peristalsis is the snake like movement of the bowel that propels food forward from the lower esophagus>>>stomach>>>small intestine>>>>colon>>>out through the anus.

    I have to pick up DBF. Look for posts on here around march to june 2 years ago as a start, to find the poop plan. BBL

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    Thanks SAS...........I think I am going to get some magnesium citrate........and take a big dose......

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Oh Lily, the Guru suggested fleets and you go to mag citrate. Ugh the Guru goes unheeded................

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Hope it all comes out in the end....................

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Looking for the constipation plan, found this old post of Jwoo's on the use of molasses, but this is how you take it orally.

    http://www.super-crush.com/blahblahblah/my-tmi-psa/ her woe with constipation

    http://www.safe-hemorrhoid-treatment.com/blackstrap-molasses.html


  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/6/topics/781867?page=12

    This post was to Minus two on page 12. Lot's of things covered. Constipation plan mention half way down.

    Suggest visiting page 12, some helpful posts.

    Feb 5, 2014 07:16PM sas-schatzi wrote:

    OH MY Minus Two I'm so sorry , I haven't been watching. God lord I hope you didn't rupture something.

    First thoughts, check in with your doc...reason you have had a new onset change. I'll think or try to think of what to ask and plan. But I do think wityh any new onset change the safe practice is a doc check in. In this case if you have a GI doc that would be good. But your PCP is good to.I would go first to my PCP, but I also call her Saint PCP. I don't necessarily think MO's are good for this b/c they may not cover all the basics. I'll type this so you can cut and paste or print and fill in the answers to take with you for doc visit

    History of present problem: New onset constipation

    When did it start?

    Description of stools ?

    How often? How many days between stools?

    Abdominal Pain with stools?

    How much liquid do you drink a day?(take a couple of days and actually measure)

    Location of pain?

    Does pain in abdomen remain after stools?

    What cause you to finely evacuate? (you've continued taking colace, but if you don't take it you have large hard stools--did I get that right?)

    other things used to promote evacuation?(prunes)

    Physical description of stools?

    Change in medications?when?what?

    Pain meds? Change? How many per day?

    Talk to PCP about following plan:

    1. Miralax daily.

    2.Stewed prunes/apricots warm with some lemon in am..

    3.Probiotics-tsp to a tablespoon a day for a week.

    4. Colace PRN

    5. Emergency plan: meaning what do you do if your regular plan isn't working and you need to poop.

    6. Develop a bowel retraining plan: basically using the 1-4 working it through overtime until your bowel functions again on it's own.

    This plan is a mix of recommendation from the gastroenterology guidelines--miralax daily. Stewed prunes or apricots-- common SUCCESSFUL method here. Warm water and lemon another common plan----so if you put them together it may make it all come out in the end very smoothly and easily :) Probiotics, something may have disrupted the good bacteria that you aren't aware of. Colace the common doc go to med, but you want to wean away from all drugs eventually.

    Have an emergency plan i.e. no BM in ____days what can you use? My go to drug is a bottle of magnesium citrate, but the aftermath is the squirts for a few days. Sometimes unpredictable. For me severe constipation can occur after I've used oxy for a couple of days when I have a bone/joint/ muscle flare.

    The key here is you 've involved your doc. Reread the first page on my posts about diverticulosis/itis. The doc is going to ask questions to assure you haven't got something going on. You said the thread is wonderful---tells me you've read it. Many wonderful ideas here. If there's something from here you like, add it to the plan above.

    What I like about walking into the doc's office with a plan, is it causes them to focus on what you are saying, They can see it in writing, this further focuses their attention. They then can say yay or nay to each item.

    You're then able to leave the office with a clear plan with all the bases covered. I'll cut and paste this to you in a PM. If you need me in the future and I haven't responded, please, PM.

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/constipation/GI-complications-hp-pdq

    Gastrointestinal Complications–for health professionals (PDQ®)

    Did we just do this?

    Yup, linked it on page 30, It was good then and I think it's good again :)

    What's nice is NIH confirms what we have been doing and saying. Who was first LOL. I like it so well I'm going to put it in the topic box.

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    I dont know what fleet enemas are, the only enemas here don´t blimmin work.......I am on the prunes and did a better poop this morning but still half a ton in there............

    Could not get any mag citrate..........feeling a bit fed up as this feels like an alien bowel to me and I am still worried it may be cáncer causing narrowing......as this has never ever happened to me before and I stopped the anastozole 10 days ago now....so is out of my system.....hate it.........

    Hugs to you Guru SAS  x


  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-7165/citrate-of-magnesia-oral/details

    Known as Magnesium Citrate or Citrate of Magnesia

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  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Lily how many days?

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    16 but I did go today, not enough but more than before and no bleeding.  My concern is size of poop is a lot smaller as tho there is not enough space to come out..........and I know most common colon cancer is in rectal area.............

    I will investigate those enemas but I think the magnesio liquid will be better...........as its stuck higher up than an enema will reach..

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    Lily encouraging to see your doc again. I have to. . I'm trained to do that chickie

  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    i have already made an appt for Monday at my normal Doctor, not ED, but I did my best and biggest poop for weeks today, its still narrow though but quantity today was normal for me. Am still worried thoug

  • sas-schatzi
    sas-schatzi Member Posts: 15,879
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    what have you use?



  • Lily55
    Lily55 Member Posts: 1,748
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    cinitapride three times a day, chia seed with coconut milk puddings, prunes......did second poop today! Still lots to go yet but i feel bit bette