Constipation

All tips on constipation while on chemo would be gratefully received.regards Carolyn x

[Hidden]

Hi there, well plenty of water if you can manage it. Try eating a kiwi half an hour before eating. Senokot is helpful or ducolax, probably available over the counter at the chemist. Waling around a bit even if its just around the house and garden. Warm milk of magnesia which is back on the market with duphlac. My neighbour told me stop stressing because what goes in must come out, the law of gravity. Prunes are also good.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I like that philosophy,I'm also partial to prunes so thank you.carolyn x

[Optimistic11]

My doctor said to take over the counter Magnesium. He said most people are low in Magnesium anyway....so I started taking a capsule every day like the bottle said, and got diarrhea. I now just take it 1-2 times a week to stay regular. Something natural for you to try anyway!

[Whippit in reply to Optimistic11]

wow that's useful advice. I've also been told pears can help along the way. xx

[Hidden in reply to Optimistic11]

I think il give the magnesium a try.have had a dreadful day with bowels.started on the senokot after my chemo last week as I was told.the cramps and the nausea were awful so I don't really want to go there again..thanks for the advice Carolyn x

[thesilent1 in reply to Optimistic11]

Didn't know about the magnesium. Thanks. Ann xo

[Samjane]

Plenty of water or flavoured water. Doctors and nurses can prescribe sachets that.mix with water, these too are good and also free!! X

[daisies]

I see lots of suggestions - it seems we all suffer from it at some times. For natural use when you do get back to normal eat pears, kiwis & prunes and drink plenty of fluids - but not alcohol as my Onc advised!!!! Anyway, to help me along also, as I need an additional aid - I use Senecot & Movicol - but ask your Liaison Nurse or Onc before starting on the latter.

Ladies - amazing how this subject keeps coming up.

Take care, Daisies xxx

[Boot1947]

Half a cup of dried currants or dried apricots (I hate prunes!!) with warm water mostly works for me. Also psyllium bark capsules at night. I was never constipated, even through chemo, but I am, six months on. Weird.

[sarah48]

Snack on Soft Agen Prunes (I get them from Waitrose and they are yummy!). Movicol 2 or 3 times a day too.

[Taichipat]

When things are bad I find only Movicol 2 to 3 times a day will do.

[Alex53]

Dried apricots before bed!

[MargaretJ]

Movicol or one of its variants like Macrogol (almost tasteless) I also called in the district nurses who were wonderful with suppositories and mini enemas (I nicknamed them Dynarod) I arranged it via my GP surgery the first time since then I call them directly and they come out the same day , or did until I had the colostomy! Now I irrigate so manage it myself!

I do not think I ever felt so ill as I did with constipation.

Good luck!

[valo in reply to MargaretJ]

I also have a stoma and following my last 4 chemo,s I have terrible constipation at about day 6 the pain is terrible. Stoma nurses have not been lot of help I have been taking lactulose and senekot post chemo which helped a little. Any ideas. THANKS

[LesleyGreengran]

I had this problem as a child* but very seldom since I became a vegetarian except when travelling or on a few other occasions when I'm away from home. I eat lots of beans, love chickpeas, cook with lentils often. I've read that those all help because they contain a different kind of fibre to the usual fruit and veg and that fibre absorbs water as it travels down the gut, so there's bulk for it to work on. If I do have a problem, and though chemo affects my digestive system I've avoided any medicines, I have prunes - I keep a few tins in the cupboard, pears and beetroot, or just lots of chickpeas, just from a tin with mayo if I'm short of time. I believe a modern diet is the problem, as we evolved eating lots of greens and roots and fruits from the countryside and less grains and of course no processed stuff, with fish and meat as an extra when someone got lucky. Though don't get me wrong I love a piece of cake or a few biscuits. I'm not trying to preach and believe that for us to enjoy what we eat is paramount.

*(dreadful diet and my mother's 20 stone but she's still around at 92)

[Sunfleury-UK]

Hi, this was a really difficult side effect, I'd never had constipation and like LesleyG above am mostly vegetarian and happen to love all of the 'good' foods! On Carboplatin, I had an immediate and long lasting problem with constipation. With support from my very lovely GP, I found a way to manage it better with each cycle- a lot of it similar to everyone above but think this ended up working ok for me!

Lots of water (sometimes flavoured), before during and after chemo.

Pears and kiwi often

Try to build in as much solvable fibre into whatever food you fancy!

Trying to walk as often as possible, even little ten minute strolls out of the house and back.

I used Movikil- one sachet the night before, one in the morning of chemo and then regularly after. There is an 'emergency' doseage which after a couple of days I sometimes had to use.

Senna at night- one if nothing had happened during the day, two the next if still nothing happening!

As an emergency measure, I also had to use gycerine suppositories a couple of times BUT these should only be considered if Drs agree and you are being very careful and are aware of the potential risk of infection!

Drink more water!!

Best wishes, Sxx

[thesilent1]

Drink lots of water. Some prunes on you breakfast cereal, exercise when you can and Dulcolax on a daily basis. Believe me, you do not want your bowel to stop a nd develop a blockage, happened to me, not nice! Ann xo

[Hidden]

Thank you all I have some ideas now so I'm going to put them into practice.you ladies are all so nice and you always have an idea.im pleased tobepart of the family.regards Carolyn x

[linja]

Glcyrine supposetries are a great help. But take 2 senakot or similar on the first night for a couple or so, don't let it go on too long and the suppositories will be prescribed by ones doctor.

[Flower19]

Does anybody know why you have to have an omental biopsy an what they are for any information would be really appreciated thanks x

[Alex53 in reply to Flower19]

Hi flower. Suggest you start a new thread to get more replies. They will biopsy if it looks unusual, what's your situation?

[Flower19 in reply to Alex53]

How do I go about creating a new thread I am very unfamiliar with computers gonna see if my friend will help me out with a crash course I'm desperately trying to find out Imformation , my mum as just been diagnosed with oc which as gone to her tummy so scared an tearful , they are doing a omental biopsy this week , following up with 3 months chemotherapy an then going to do a mri an then see from there . Why carnt they just cut it out do surgery first that seems more urgent so confused with it all our cancer nurse is on annual leave for two weeks so at at loss who to ask , thankyou for replying to me xxxx

[Sunfleury-UK in reply to Flower19]

If you look in the top right corner of the screen, you'll see a red button which says 'write a post'- click on this and then it's fairly straightforward! One thing to watch is that you need to click on the button at the bottom that says something like 'who do you want to see this' and choose the communities where to post, otherwise it is open to the whole world-wide Web! You'll often get a more open response if it's closed as obviously a lot of the content can be quite personal! Sx

[geekyandaloof]

I drink turmeric tea with milk. It has been helpful to me, plus also lots of water.

[Hidden]

I don't think the chemo as such produces the problem.

If you're not too much prone to nausea, don't take some of the anti-emetics they prescribe after chemo as they produce constipation, especially ondansetron. I also negotiated smaller doses before the chemo. Next time around, in addition to this approach, I'll have the sachets to hand: Fibogel/Normacol kind of thing.

Good luck!

[Hidden]

Hi Carolyn. Constipation was a big problem for me for around 6 days following chemo. Agony, it has to be said. I feared the straining might cause me to do an Elvis and die on the loo ! Apparently the constipation isn't caused by the chemo drugs but by the anti nausea drugs we're given. Initially, I tried Senna, pears, kiwi fruit, etc, but it laughed at those. What was needed was an industrial strength laxative. I used Actilax. Not sure if you have that (I live in Australia) but Movicol has been mentioned above and that was also available & it's probably similar. I had to begin on the day of the chemo - no time to lose. I took 20ml mixed with 30 or 50ml lemonade or lime cordial (something to disguise the taste). Suggest you don't choose a favourite drink or, like me with orange juice, you may end up hating it for a while. I took it after brekky and after my evening meal for 6-7 days. If I forgot, I was in for it. It's not much fun, is it, so good luck with that. Pauline