Best constipation remedies?

[kaypeeoh]

Had surgery and my leg is strapped into an orthopedic boot. Makes having a BM problematic. Was prescribed Percoset. This is a combo of Oxycodone and Tylenol. So PD can cause constipation and narcotics can make it worse. TMI but I was up much of the night trying to have a BM. Told you it was TMI. At this point I prefer the pain of bone surgery over constipation. This morning my wife could hear my efforts in the toilet--lots of cursing--and ran to the pharmacy for suppositories and Fleet Enemas. While she was out I managed positive results; Think baseballs. TMI. Having a recheck appointment later today. I don't know whether an orthopedic surgeon knows much about constipation relief.

[pdpatient]

You can be assured of positive results using a combination of the following:

1. Dulcolax

2. Miralax

3. Benefiber

Miralax takes time. You have to start out with an empty stomach so that it can prime your stomach. It will take a few days to start working and once it does, you never stop using it.

Dulcolax softens your stools. Commonly used in hospitals.

Benefiber gives you the fiber you need despite any other fiber you get from your food.

Note that all of the above have COSTCO generic equivalents.

[cshamb in reply to pdpatient]

Thank you for your post. How much of each do you take.

[pdpatient in reply to cshamb]

Hi cshamb. Just following the labels. I don't take dulcolax unless absolutely required and haven't had to so far since 2014. But I remember it for the extraordinary results at the hospital.

Benefiber recommends 2 tbls every meal. Miralax one capful a day.

I am vegetarian BTW.

[Enidah]

Oh, all my sympathies are with you. After having carpal tunnel surgery and extreme pain at one point the doc gave me gabapentin. I can't recommend it for its stated use but I could sure recommend it if you need your bowels to quit working. I found myself at one point giving myself an enema. Good Lord! Who knew life would come to this?! I wasn't limber before PD and it sure hasn't improved.

Judging from what's on your table it looks like you've got it covered. The problem didn't really go away for me until I quit taking the med and then I was able to go back to my usual routine which is just stool softeners. I hope you can get off the pain meds soon!

[kaypeeoh in reply to Enidah]

Thanks or the replies. The checkup went okay while he had no suggestions beyond what you guys already posited . A lot of pain from his manipulations so I broke out the pain pills and doubled up on Miralax and Dulcolax. Recheck and hopefully stitches out in 8 days. Right now sitting with an icebag under my knees. Yesterday fell asleep in the shade after taking Percoset but woke up four hours later with sunburn. No chance of getting out of the boot. As a kid I broke my ankle and was in a cast for two months. Dad was career Sargent Major and had me do 'Field baths' weekly: Wash your face, wash your armpits, wash your groin and lastly wash your feet. Takes 10 minutes; He said during VietNam soldiers feared getting "Jungle Rot" more than being shot at.

[park_bear]

The underlying problems here are twofold: Parkinson's dries out the G.I. tract, plus it reduces the strength of the peristalsis. That causes the kind of situation you described. I have used high-dose docusate sodium with good success – 250 mg or so daily. It merely causes the G.I. tract to add moisture to the stool. I am currently using high-dose calcium ascorbate which is working even better – 12 to 18 g daily mixed in with drink.

As to restoring peristalsis, I found that high-dose thiamine works very well for this purpose within a week or two.

[Enidah in reply to park_bear]

Hey, PB, You're the reason I started using stool softeners. Pretty weird thing to thank somebody for but I do thank you, great help!!

[kaypeeoh]

What's the opposite of constipation…..

[condor39]

Watch the Percocet, it is VERY addictive, take for 2-3 days max.

[LAJ12345]

What diet do you have? We have vegetarian every second day which passes through faster than meat. Most days hubby is regular each morning but today it was a no show which I put down to steak for dinner last night and chicken liver for yesterday lunch. Normally we would never have meat twice on one day. I think with the vege day every second day it flushes out the system.

[SilentEchoes]

Strong coffee! More fiber in your diet, eat raw vegetables and fruit. Hydration, drink plenty of plain filtered water. Reduce sugar and carbohydrates. Use plain Organic psyllium husk. Add a good probiotic to your diet. PS these lifestyle changes are good for loose stools too 😉

Metamucil was never intended to be taken long term.

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[Olddog9]

Try Kevita a very refreshing Probiotic drink that’s available in most grocery stores. I also drink it just because I enjoy it, but it’s great for constipation.

[docjleonard55]

Senna tea usually works for me, and it tastes pretty good too.

[BruceDavies]

I take optifiber and magnesium citrate ( one teaspoon each daily). I recently added Bio-Cult and it seems to help.

[gginto]

Lots of fruit- pears, apples..also veggies- cut out sugar and try more gluten free.. lots of purified water.. and cardio-exercise! I used to have some issues but disappeared as soon as I did the above..

[MichelleHarris]

Kiwi fruit! Its amazing x

[bepo]

Magnesium and high doses of vitamin C will do the trick. No side effects.

[Nitro53]

1/2 cup of prune juice before bedtime. If that doesn’t work the next day do 1/2 of a cup again with 2-3 prunes. The next day it’s always worked for me