Complete de-bulk op, 5 mths carbo/taxol but the only thing worries me everyday is constipation.Have tried several stool softners but been told that if used too often the bowel becomes lazy so rather try diet options! Thought high fibre was the way to go but that seems to make things worse.Now wondering if home made high nut & seed muesli is also not helping 😬Any suggestions ...please!!
DeeX
HiAre you drinking plenty ( water!)
I have a quarter glass of Kifir milk every morning it’s brill you can get it at most supermarkets.oh and try to drink plenty of water, I’m the worst so I’m not preaching lol Christine x
Wowee, I definitely feel your pain, Dee. I finished chemo three weeks ago and my gut remains temperamental. I once let things get out of hand, and went eight days without any movement. MD Anderson.org has a patient booklet called Bowel Problems: Prevention and Treatment. It’s very informative. But it was the protocol set forth in the “Bowel Management When Taking Pain or Other Constipating Medicine” which I relied on to get things moving again. I am not an MD Anderson patient, but their constipation relief protocol really helped me. Milk of Magnesia finally got things moving again, but I only use MOM when all else fails. I don’t know if a small Fleet enema is recommended, but I had to clear the lower level before the MOM would work. I have since learned to drink more water. I alternate Colace (sodium Docusate) alone one night with a couple Sennakot tablets on the other night. Also, my doctor said I cannot eat raw fruits or veggies unless I can peel them. Going without raw veggies made constipation worse. But I discovered that I can Blanche cauliflower and broccoli 🥦 quickly in boiling water to kill surface bacteria, then chill in ice bath and get my fibrous veggies this way. A nice bowl of these barely cooked veggies with peeled raw carrots 🥕 helps me a lot. Good luck with this seemingly daily battle. Sashay
Thankyou so much Sashay all information gratefully received 🤗xx
The simple solution for me is a pear in the evening x
Ooo that’s interesting thanks will try that!
I have to take 2 sachets of Laxido softener everyday or I just don’t go at all. I have had a stoma and reversal. My colorectal consultant says this is ok to take long term. I avoid nuts, pips and seeds wherever I can. I guess we are all different and I don’t want to take softeners but it’s that or a blockage. I exercise, drink loads of water and eat fresh fruit and veg everyday but I guess it’s something I am going to have to live with. I think all our bodies are different and you just have to find what suits you.
Hi
Not sure about the Kefir when on chemo unless milk pasturised.
Anecdotal but drinking warm liquids is a great way to get more water into the body, staying hydrated and for easing constipation. Extra water in the stool makes it softer and helps it to pass more smoothly. In fact, being low on fluids is a common cause of constipation
The nurses at my cancer hospital told me to take as much as is necessary. If one doesn’t work take another with it. Laxido, Docusate, Bisacordyl and Lactose (as a last resort) but don’t leave house 😃 Prune juice is good too. Good luck. It’s rubbish isn’t it. An ongoing daily
Problem
Love from Angela x
👍XX
Hi Mammi I have a big slurp (not sure if you suppose to slurp it!!😂) of Senokot liquid always does the trick for me take it every night seems more gentle than some laxatives. Although at the moment there seems to be a shortage of it in the chemists but I get it on line hope you get sorted soon xxx
Seems to work for lots but senior gives me terrible cramps 😔xx
My GP thinks Senokot is useless. Not hear of the liquid before though. Maybe that’s better. Love Angela x
I agree the tablets are useless but the liquid works well xxx
Thank You I'll tryAngela x
Like Christine I have Kefir everyday . Keeps bowels healthy and has lots of good bacteria for gut health xx
Yeah that is the pits when you have that, whilst on chemo they gave me luxido which works better than the over counter laxatives, but you are right you have to let your bowel remember what they need to do, as i had a bowel intersection also I often wondered how long that takes to heal and get things going, I used luxido when I needed it but since chemo ended in July haven't had to take any, have eaten what I wanted to drank water and had few constipation issues that were tolerable and allowed the body to work it out, always and still have luxido on hand should I need to resort to taking that if need be ...still feel am healing after surgery and all that chemo took out of me. Wish you luck and just know it will resolve eventually but it's a real humdinger when you have that and Every thing else.
Hi Dee, I have had real problems with constipation but seem to have it sorted out with an in crease intake of fliuds and if I miss a day I take1 sod docusate tab at night.,if that doesn't,t work 1 tab in morning and I in the evening . .Last regime 1vtab in morning 2 at night.Beware of overdosing I did that with Laxido and I had horrific tsunami diarrhoea .Chris
Hi sorry you have these awful symptoms and side effects. Constipation can lead to piles/ haemorroids if not sorted. Please understand that a laxative and a stool softener are not the same. I have used Movicol here in RSA and it works. As suggested by others prune juice and lots of water also helps. Drink 500ml on waking up if you can and fill in the rest of the day. You need 2l to 3l of water a day. Not easy especially when you enjoy your cuppa as well.
I had bowel problems back in June and spent some time in hospital with a bowel blockage. I was also prescribed co-danthramer liquid which worked really well. After almost six months bowels are back to normal. Hope everything will be resolved soon. Ann x
Thankyou Ann glad your sorted .Dee x
Hello there I have had exactly the same problem. I have found prunes to be good, just a few a day, and linseed also. Hope this helps.Margaret xx
I recommend Movicol or Laxido, which was the one recommended by my colo-rectal consultant, along with plenty of fluid in a day. That consultant also told me to avoid senna because its too irritant. I used to take about half a sachet a day after my bowel resection, but now need more because it seems any drug I swallow makes me constipated (niraparib as well as painkillers). Otherwise I recommend whole rolled oats - if I don't eat those one day, I find its harder to go the next day, even with movicol. I do mix the oats with nuts, seeds, berries and a bit of muesli, but its the oats that do the trick - I've always been prone to constipation even pre cancer, and oats were like the magic answer when I started eating them about 10 years ago. As for fluid, yes, you need to drink 2 litres daily, but it does not all have to be plain water; most of mine is in the form of tea, of which I drink gallons if I'm home all the time. Which most of us are, currently... been getting through the teabags at a rate of knots, I've noticed...
My sister swears by fruit to avoid constipation, but I don't find it makes any difference to me. Prunes are often recommended, but although I love them, all they do is give me terrible wind... I think it probably depends on our own gut bacteria what works and what doesn't in terms of diet.
Good luck with it
Miriam
Hydration is soooo very important as everybody else has said, I eat prunes every day + lots of fruit and vegetables which is easy for me as I just love them and that seemingly does the trick, I’m 6 years on from completing my chemo but still have to be conscious of my fluid and fibre intake to stay regular, (great subject this one isn’t it? But a so very important one), some people though find a high fibre diet has a detrimental effect so it’s what works for each of us and we need to find a suitable balance. The important thing is to try not to get too constipated as reversing it can be difficult also I think we just need to be mindful but not obsessed with movements. Hope you find the best way that suits you and keeps you well ❤️xx Jane
Hi Dee,I recently had problems getting hold of the sodium Docusate from my pharmacy, so decided to try dried figs and am pleased to report that 2 or 3 taken in the evening have had the desired effect next day. I guess they work in a similar way to prunes, which I can’t stand, so might be worth you giving them a try.
Hope you manage to get things sorted out soon, you certainly have plenty of suggestions to try from other ladies on this wonderful forum!
Best wishes, Barbara
That’s v. Interesting Miriam. I used to have oats every day.Then after chemo thought I would try to be extra healthy and eat lots of seeds, nuts & fruit hence home made muesli & then today went back to oats with stewed apples & hey presto !! Won’t elaborate 😆So back to the oats it is & 🤞My consultant told me forget tea & coffee it’s water, water , water!! He didn’t mention red wine 😂Thankyou all for your help, lovely ladies 🤗Dee x
Hi Mammi. Constipation is the worst. Sounds like we’ve all been there and have tried a miriad of solutions. Things that helped me are drinking hot water with lemon, chewing gum (stimulates peristalsis), walking, avoiding anti-nausea meds as much as possible and applying Castor Oil packs to my abdomen (google it). The latter was recommended by my acupuncturist and is a relaxing way to end the day. Good luck, I hope that helps. Nadie
Wow Thankyou Nadie I’m getting some excellent advice. I’ll google the castor oil pack, never heard of that one !& the chewing gum is understandable.Does sound as though constipation goes with the territory for all of us😕 Dee x
I like the sound of a castor oil pack - going to give it a try myself. Thank you Nadie 🙏🏽
I use Laxido and a glass of prune juice every morning.Also taking probiotic tablets from health food shop every day.I was told to eat low fibre diet but that made matters worse hence prune juice as I can’t eat a lot of fruit as it causes more blockages and gut pain.It has helped but not foolproof.When I get bad discomfort I stick to soup and small portions for a couple of days.Good luck Vivxx
Since my op in 2013 I've been on 4 prescribed laxatives a day and able to take up to 8 if I need to. My doctor is still letting me have them and I was never told not to. I did have a lot of bowel damage and was told I must to go every day. I still don't. When I visited India last year I think I was the only one on our tour actually trying to go. The rest were having the opposite problem.
Drinking plenty of water and eating your fruit and veg should help.
Good luck as I know what an uncomfortable feeling it can be.
Best wishes, Zena
Hi Dee,
I have also read that the bowels get ‘lazy’ if you continue to take laxatives or softeners. However, constipation can lead to blockage and I feel it’s safer to take Laxido and Docusate Sodium than end up in hospital with a blockage.
We are all different but drinking enough water is universally useful to counter constipation. Fibre can be good, or bad, depending on your situation. For most of 2019 I was on a low fibre diet to prevent blockage ( I was hospitalised twice and the pain and vomiting was truly horrible).
I agree that hot water helps, plus chewing gum. Exercise is also important.
My last chemo was in 2018 but my oncologist and my GP have told me not to stop the laxatives. I take 2 x 200g Docusate Sodium twice daily and usually a sachet of Laxido morning & evening, if I feel I’m getting loose I stop taking the Laxido for a day or so. Should I leave it for longer I can have serious constipation.
Sennokot is an irritant for me, and in case it is for you too, I suggest you discuss this with your oncologist or etc before taking it. In fact constipation is a serious symptom which should always be discussed with a medical professional who knows your condition.
Good Luck Dee.
Iris x
A teaspoon of flaxseed with your breakfast on cereal or in a smoothie plus a daily probiotic works wonders!
Have you tried prunes or warm prune juice? You have to be diligent with it. I do 5 prunes every morning when I am going through certain chemo drugs and it has always worked. If things get especially bad, I add warm prune juice to the mix. Good luck!
Hello, I recently had a large malignant tumour removed from my small intestine as well as a full abdominal hysterectomy, ovaries, plus omentum removed. I had terrible pains with trapped wind, constipation and impacted waste. Despite taking laxatives and stool softeners in hospital nothing shifted it until I had an enema as well. It really did the trick! I've been out of hospital for 2.5 weeks now and just coming to the end of my course of laxatives and stool softener. I have been taking Movicol and DulcoEase 100mg twice a day which have worked well for me so far. Before becoming unwell I found that eating fresh coconut (the small ready portions you can get from most supermarkets) or veggie stir fries also got things moving.
Try a glass of prune juice, well chilled, followed by strong fresh coffee, then porage with honey. That should give it a good start. Worked for me!
Hi Mammi,I’ve been where you are. What worked for me was a mix of:
1 cup albran cereal
I cup prune juice
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
Start by taking 1 tablespoon in the morning for a few days then add one at night
All the best, I hope it helps
Constipation after chemo
Debilitating Constipation & misery
