CONSTIPATION--problem with so many of our drugs
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Sas, I have been asking about polyethelene glycol. It's a filler in some of our Letrozole pills depending on the manufacturer. What to do?
For instance - Breck/Breckenridge and Accord.
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mari, just as I said, shouldn't be used by those that have kidney problems. I'm attuned to that b/c my dad was a dialysis patient. His End Stage Renal Disease- ESRD was as a result of non compliance to blood pressure meds. He was opposed to conventional medicine. etc. etc.....I read labels as a result.
It surprised me how many OTC drugs had that warning.
The only way that warning can be made IS, it indicates absorption. i.e. through the GI tract or through the skin.
Next time at the store, read the labels of the deodorants. I didn't find a one that didn't have that warning. I rarely, have used deodorant since. Just normal washing daily. Hahahaha Used it for the sons wedding
How it's used in drugs, I'm ignorant at this point. Chit.
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bump never know when pooping advice helps
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Modern life is making Americans constipated: Western diets and desk jobs are slowing down everyone's bowel movements
- At least 16% of Americans - including a third of people over 60 - experience chronic constipation
- The number of people admitted to hospitals has more than doubled since 1997
- It can have major complications including anal fissures and hemorrhoids when not treated
- The huge uptick can be linked to the high-fat Western diet and lack of fiber
- It can also be linked to Americans' sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise
By Abigail Miller For Dailymail.com
Published: 16:47 EDT, 22 August 2017 | Updated: 21:50 EDT, 22 August 2017
View
commentsThe American lifestyle is making more people constipated than ever.
For many the condition is just an aggravation, but to others it's daily agony that in some cases can be dangerous and deadly.
A recent survey conducted by the American Gastroenterological Association shows that 16 percent of Americans - including one third of people over 60 - experience chronic constipation.
Constipation is defined as an individual passing fewer than three stools a week and straining to have bowel movement to a point as though there is a noticeable blockage.
It can be considered chronic when individuals experience symptoms multiple times in a three month period.
A recent survey shows that 16 percent of Americans and one third of people over 60 experience chronic constipation, and that it can be linked directly to the American lifestyle and Western diet (stock image)
THE WESTERN DIET EXPLAINED
The Western diet is loosely defined as one full of fatty and sugary foods, such as burgers, fries and soda.
People often eat foods that are high in
- Saturated fats
- Red meats
- 'Empty' carbohydrates
- Junk Food
And low in
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Whole Grains
- Seafood
- Poultry
Health effects have been linked to things such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, colorectal cancer and dementia.
A study conducted at Harvard Medical School shows that the number of people being admitted to the hospital primarily for constipation has more than doubled since 1997.
In the US there are more than 700,000 emergency department trips every year due to the condition.
Dr David Dunkin, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Mount Sinai in New York, told Daily Mail Online that when chronic, constipation can have major complications including swollen veins and torn skin.
Swollen veins can often result in hemorrhoids in older adults that can cause discomfort and bleeding.
And when untreated he explained it can also cause an accumulation of hardened stool in the intestines, or a rectal prolapse, meaning that a bit of the intestine protrudes from the anus.
When that happens it often requires surgery.
Dr Dunkin also said that occasionally the accumulation of hardened stool can cause encopresis, which means that impaction is so severe it causes an overflow of leaking fecal matter. This happens most often in constipated children.
'And occasionally children are so constipated that they aren't eating enough food and so they aren't growing as well. It's not that common but it does happen and can be serious,' he said.
The huge uptick in the United States has resulted in billions of dollars spent by individuals both out of pocket and in taxes on a problem that can often be fixed by simple lifestyle adjustments.
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No shit!
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Good article Mari. I couldn't resist. this subject lends it's self to being loose at times.
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Sas, you're on a roll!
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Hehehehehehe
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LOL!!!
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Oh my goodness, I don't want to go to ER for that! Thanks for the laugh Sas, the more laughter the better!
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Don't delay . It' get's hard after that
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Serious, not on drugs, .poop humor is just so much fun.
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Amusing
Five Constipated Men0 -
I don't get the one about Noah
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Who knows... I missed a lot, but still found it funny
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Just got my new Costco savings ads for the next month. They have a two pack of SQUATTY POTTY TOILET STOOLs on sale. Regular price $29.99. Sale price $19.99. Limit 10. Ten?? Who would need ten? There's even a picture of a guy in 'long johns' sitting on the toilet to show the position. Since this item has been discussed here before, I thought I'd add the description:
Get a better bathroom experience by comfortably putting yourself into a squatting position. Comfortable, ergononic, easy to use.
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Hahhahahahahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaa
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9 for Christmas gifts
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OMD, that's soooooooooooooooo funny. It's like getting socks and underwear for Christmas, but funnier
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Remember it's as pack of two. So if you buy 10 packages, you get 20 stools. Certainly enough for all your Christmas needs.
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Yuk Yuk! Don't forget, one for each bathroom.
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My husband made a stool (the word seems apt) for me to put my feet on in the toilet, it helps a lot. Now for some things to make you smile, and some to scare you.........
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Freya, always nice to have someone handy
Funny memes0 -
Some GI docs prescribe Miralax+Gatorade (yellow, green or orange varieties) for colonoscopy prep. I used to be a regular gal—not the big D, but 3-5 well-formed movements a day after that first difficult one in the morning to get past the 'rhoid. Then my doc noted a gradual decline in my hemoglobin, from 12.5 for my pre-lumpectomy bloodwork in Sep.'15 to 11.5 a month and a half ago, when my ferritin had dipped to 12. So I was put on a tab a day of 27mg ferrous gluconate (the strongest they'll sell OTC, and some pharmacies will sell even that low-dose by Rx-only), supposedly to increase to two a day “as tolerated." Well, even one stops me up to the point where I have to take two Colace at bedtime and use a suppository and hot black coffee in the morning to combat the constipation, not always successfully. Then a week before my colonoscopy (an EGD had failed to reveal any source of an upper GI bleed) I had to d.c. the iron—I quickly went back to normal and lost a pound and a half! Then my colonoscopy prep took off another 3 lbs. Now I'm back on the stupid iron and my abdomen is distended again and 2 days post-procedure I finally passed a little “rock" (not black enough—so I'm on enough iron to cause side effects but not enough to be well-absorbed, besides following dietary restrictions & meal timing, plus taking chewable C).
The colonoscopy was also negative for any source of bleeding (just a small 'rhoid and a couple of mild diverticuli). GI doc said go back on the iron, drink Miralax and use a Prep H suppository if the 'rhoid bothers me. But I'm afraid that unless I drink enough water to feel bloated, that soluble fiber will sit there like a lump of silicone and not make it out. Found some Ideolaxyl (aloe/senna) tabs I got in Germany when during a river cruise I had such a bad temporary obstruction that I thought I was dying—the homeopathic pharmacist in Rothenburg suggested it. It worked then, but I'm not sure if it's safe to take if on letrozole. Have a workout in an hour, so I don't want a, uh, “breakthrough" in the gym, but maybe when I get home…
I take several probiotics: Perfect Biotics (regular and Extra Strains), Perfect Flora, and Vital Biotics. Until I started iron, they worked like a charm and kept my weight steady (or even helped me lose a little).
I can't even contemplate taking two iron tabs a day, what with the constipation from it and the GERD from the Vit C or OJ I have to take it with. But after my workout, I think I'll go buy a couple of Squatti Pottis.
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Hi Chi, very nice to see you, but alas not for the problem you are dealing with. A true pain in the patuty. Your case has many interesting conundrums. I know from our previous contacts that you are a very good researcher. We are hunkering down for hurricane Irma, but perhaps I can come up with some ideas.
My first thought to check was what was the normal hemoglobin range for age. I found a nice page that had a chart with discussion on Hemaglobin.
http://www.medicinenet.com/hemoglobin/article.htm
Your Hemaglobin is 11.5 The reference states that 11.7-13.8 gm/dl for women after middle age.
Your Ferritin level is 12 with the normal range of 12-150 ng/dl for women. I decided to stick with medicine. net b/c it follows the same format for each discussion. This link is to medicine net's page on Ferritin.
http://www.medicinenet.com/ferritin_blood_test/article.htm
So, you are slightly below the bottom range for Hemaglobin and at the bottom normal for Ferritin. Your doc did the rule out work differential for anemia. Upper endoscopy and lower colonoscopy. Both were negative for bleeding. Generally, it's the usual work up and his treatment would seem right on mark.
I do have five thoughts.
First, is check in with the hematologist/ oncologist in your oncology practice. Many oncologists are also hematologist as blood changes are so intergrated with many cancers, or drugs used to treat cancers. So your oncologist may be hematologist and you don't even realize it. OR your onc may have been the one that discovered the low levels and sent you to the GI guy. What should be easy if your onc isn't a hematologist is getting an appointment with the onc/hematologist.
Secondly,the question for the onc/hematologist is, now that the GI tract has been ruled out as the source of your anemia, is there anything else that can be ruled out as a source. This is important for any patient, but for you particularly important b/c of the long history of constipation.
If the onc/hema doc, says no ask if there is a different way of managing your care b/c it's putting you at risk for diverticulitis b/c of the constipation. On the first page, I have a post about diverticulosis and diverticulitis, so I won't repeat the info here. I think it would be a fair question to ask to be followed with serial CBC and ferritin levels for say x amount of months. The x amount is arbitrary. Could be 3-6 months. In that time period abstain from Iron supplements and attempt to increase ferritin levels by diet.
The only page I looked at was Livestrong. Generally, I would look at several pages, but it's 12:30 am and in 24 hours Irma will literally be at my door. The point being is diet may be a winner for you. I learned quite a few things on this page i.e. the difference between vegetarian and non-vegetarian needs.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/82436-increase-ferritin/
Thirdly, you could study your drugs yourself by going to dailymed.nih.nlm.gov. Just b/c no one is seeing obvious problems with your drugs doesn't mean that YOU aren't experiencing something with the drugs. I have one friend on BCO where we did the drug search and two of her drugs had her symptom(s) and they were 1:1000. Medical folks study their drugs, but 1:1000 gets into the obsure range. I use her as an example, but over the years the number one thing I have done with folks is the drug check on daily med and YouScript.
Fourth, you could go to YouScript. It used to be owned by Genelex, but they spun it off to it's own entity. I haven't used it in awhile. YouScript is a drug checking site based on your genetics. But you can still use the drug checker function without the genetics. Of course, your checking won't be as accurate, but it will be closer than anything else on the market. The subscription at my last contact was 24$ yearly. I'm probably lapsed now, but if I'm not blown away by the hurricane, I have no problem renewing by subscription and then meeting you on the site under my user name and password. We enter your drugs and we can see what's up. Then we can play games by substituting drugs until better results of interactions play out. Done it oddles of time with folks. The realtime work with you on your computer and me on mine, with both of on the phone, can work some magic.
If you want to, you could pm me your list of drugs and If I'm bored and have electricity during the Blow. I could play with it.
Polypharmacy is a huge cause of problems for patients.
Fifth, you mentioned a worry about letrozole interacting with the aloe/________I can't see the drug now b/c of saving while writing the post. My suggestion on that is to contact the manufacture by the 800 number. All pharm companies have a help line. They have a help line for professional and another one for patients. You can have them even check all your drugs for interactions. BUT the best is YouScript.
Iron is a bugger of a drug.
Okay, that's all I have right now, if I think of something else I will post.
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Thanks! I read your PM and will elaborate in a second answer. The constipation is no longer a problem (and it was one only for a day or two after colonoscopy)—it’s the GERD that’s driving me nuts now. Think I’d rather treat it and have mild anemia, because un-remedied GERD will cause a GI bleed and aggravate the anemia anyway.
But priority one is getting out of Irma’s way if you can—my cousin is a Daytona Beach cop and has to stick around as a first responder. I’ve got plenty of time to figure out what’s happening & why. You, OTOH, have a limited time window to prepare and evacuate to a safer location. I remember how long it took before my mom got power back after Wilma, so I can be very, very patient.
Stay safe!!!!
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Bump
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I havent read through the whole thread so forgive me if this has been said.(probably has). Magnesium citrate in capsules from Vitamin store does it for me. Found out because I had been taking it for low mag levels for years. Magnesium oxide also creates loose bowels.
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Magnesium oxide doesn't do a darn thing for me
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