I have been taking Ibrance for three years , And i'am always constipated i take stool softner / laxative so i can be releved. Is there something else that women take that is safe. Helena Zofchak
constipation: I have been taking... - SHARE Metastatic ...
constipation
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Hi Helena,
That’s a long time to be suffering from constipation. What does your oncologist have to say about it? Have you tried Epsom salts? They can help and offer you relief.
Sophie
Iwouldlike2knowmore in reply to
I have told him about it but he dosen't say anything and when i get my ct scan it says my bowel is full. Can drinking to mu black coffee be the cause. Helena
in reply to Iwouldlike2knowmore
I’m sorry to hear that. Your oncologist doesn’t sound very compassionate at all. He should be doing all he can to help you. I don’t know if drinking too much coffee could be the cause, but I would definitely try the Epsom salts. You add it to water and drink it. It tastes awful, but you could add some lemon juice to make it more palatable. I hope you feel better soon. I’ve only been constipated twice in my life that I can remember and it’s not something I would be able to put up with again. If you don’t eat much fibre that could also cause problems with going to the toilet.
Sophie
Iwouldlike2knowmore in reply to
Sophie, I will try the Epsom salts should i take it at night. Helena
in reply to Iwouldlike2knowmore
Hi Helena,
I would probably take it a few hours before you go to bed, as you will need to get to the bathroom when it starts to take effect. The last time I had a problem with constipation I took the Epsom salts during the day. I can’t remember how long it took, but the problem was resolved that same day. I hope you get some relief soon. You shouldn’t have to suffer any longer.
Sophie
Iwouldlike2knowmore in reply to
Thank You Sophie. Helena
Maludagui in reply to
Hi Sophie. All oncologist said :”drink a lot water “ I said I am camel 🐪
in reply to Maludagui
Hi,
Oh yes! I've had that conversation too about water, but it was with one of my oncology nurses. I had to call the emergency oncology nurse specialist line just after I started letrozole and the nurse told me off. I had only had one pint of water to drink so far that day, but had planned to drink more. She said that I needed to drink 3 litres of water otherwise I would end up with kidney failure. It wasn't about constipation, but she did scare me with the kidney failure comment, so I have been doing my best to stay well hydrated since then. I thought I was having a stroke (I wasn't; my right hand suddenly went numb and I was scared that it was the start of a stroke) but she thought I was dehydrated and had brought it on myself.
Sophie
My remedy is to drink 64oz+ of water a day, eat a apple/day, 2-3 servings of green veggies & fermented sauerkraut daily. Walking daily helps too. ❤️🙏❤️
I am on percocets. Besides taking stool softeners, I also drink a glass of water with two teaspoons of Metamucil. The orange flavor does not taste that bad. That really helps bc the stool softeners alone were not cutting it taking 40 mg. of percocet per day. I also try to drink alot of water.
Adding in the Metamucil has made a big difference. They also recommend prune juice but I cannot stand the taste of it.
Constipation also an issue ! Drinking a lot and walking a lot but not great!
MCBS, I walk alot buy i don't drink enough water. Helean
Hi 👋
I have suffered from constipation and hemorrhoids since I had my children 30 years ago. With the ibrance I get worse. The solution I have found and it is working for me
Cook a whole piece of chicken (thigh, breast) with a piece of whole onion, a branch of celery, salt, pepper and a large jet of olive oil. Bring to a boil and cook the chicken well. You will only need the broth.
Have a small cup of this broth ALWAYS before your dinner.
During your dinner have a juice and add 1 sachet of Miralax
Have your usual dinner
Before sleeping a glass of water
This is a routine
And I go to the bathroom without complication the next day
Cut back on eating carbohydrates at dinner
Hope it helps you
💕
Restoralax was the only thing that worked for me. You mix it in your water and it doesn’t taste or thicken it. Drink lots of water with it it draws water into the stool making it easier to pass. Stool softeners and laxatives don’t work for me at all.
Hi,
The best thing I have found is an organic tea called "Smooth Move". I purchase it at Walmart. Make a cup in the evening before bed and the next morning the constipation is gone. When I was taking pain meds I was severely constipated and drank a cup of tea every other night. Hope this helps.
Constipation? I'm an expert having had the problem for 5 years since I started Ibrance and Letrozole. I believe that as long as you are on one or the other of the two, you'll be constipated. My bc was found around 26-27 years ago and I was considered terminal (long sad story). I beat it until 5 years ago when I got mbc in the form of 2 types of cancer and 13 tumors. The Ibrance makes all foods and drinks taste like rancid garbage. However, it has made all 13 tumors disappear, so I will not change medications. I've been on meds for cancer for a total of about 18 years. Last Fall I had acute kidney failure. Doctors think it was from too many meds for too long. After treatment and dialysis I beat kidney failure to the low normal level. In my opinion, the kidney failure and treatment were worse than the bc. I have been constipated for 5 years, too. The kidney dr. said NEVER to get dehydrated. The worst thing you can do for your kidneys is to not drink enough fluids. He said to fill 3 water bottles (water flasks) with water in the morning and drink that amount EVERY day. I am still constipated but not as bad. I take 2 stool softeners and 2 laxatives every evening. I can't have a movement until I drink some water. Recently, I also use "Benefiber". It's a powder you use with water and it is delicious! I drink it any time I want to.
Well i better drink more water and i will try the two things you mentioned . It seems we have the same problems, I don't want to have the kidney problems. Thanks , Helena
I left out one very, very important thing. I also regularly use suppositories. Sometimes I have a movement with the suppository, but many times it's needed. I use it in the morning after I drink water. Then it works 99% of the time. It usually takes only about 15 minutes to be effective. The water is very important.
Laxido. When I had that problem my oncologist got my go to prescribe it. Worked a treat. Three years on Ibrance, amazing 😊
Ibrance for 2.5 years, from the very beginnning my doctor prescribed Lactulose Solution, USP 10 g/15 ml. It is a liquid that I get at the local pharmacy...sometimes takes a day or so for them to get it in. I don't need it often, but it WORKS!
Have you ever tried yogurt? It’s not my favorite thing to eat but thats what works for me. But you want to watch the sugar count - organic plain is what I eat. Add fruit and or wheat germ and it’s not bad!❤️
The Ayurvedic treatment for constipation is to boil a cup and a half of water with a tablespoon of raisins down to one cup (about 10 minutes) and then consume the whole thing. Do this at night or in the morning each day. It works but you have to stick with it.
You can take magnesium. If the bottle said 1 go up to 2. Also take kefir and walk. I have the same problem and I am guilty of not drinking enough water.
There are different magnesiums to take
I take magnesium from algae. Also, I have been taking Kefir and it helps me with the bloating and stomach pain.
OK, I'll try it. Thanks
I made my own kefir, not sure the one in the store is as good as the one at home.
I have the same problem, but I also have ibs! Lucky me! I take Miralax, drink alot of water and I eat spinach which seems to help.
Hi, I have been on Ibrance for 8 months and had trouble with constipation after taking 3 months. My oncologist recommended 200-250 mg of magnesium a day. I take in the morning along with Ibrance and letrizole and though it took 2 months, I am back to normal. At first, got too loose taking at night before bed, changing to taking after breakfast normalized my bowels.
Cathy
Just talked to my onc. about this last visit. Been on Ibrance 10 months. He said constipation typically builds up over time with this med. I have a good diet and lots of water but he suggested miralax before bed each night for about 2 weeks to get moving regularly, then switch to every other day. Only non habit forming route, safest. Good luck! So far its working for me.
My sister also did the Epsom salt bath soaks, sometimes Miralax.....
Hi Helena -
I'll chime in with what I admit are not very well-founded thoughts...
First, I think the coffee helps, not hurts? Maybe unless your body's too used to it?
Also, I experienced mild constipation for the first time in my life a few months ago. (I've been on Ibrance for more than five years, no issues...). At the time, I self-diagnosed (so grain of salt) a slightly too-high level of calcium in my blood (as seen on my lab reports), caused by the bone mets releasing calcium into my blood. In addition to the mild constipation, I felt queasy 24/7. So I started taking D3, which helps the body absorb the calcium and of course did not take any calcium supplements. My calcium came down about 15% and the queasiness and constipation went away.
I mention this in the unlikely event that the cause of your issue is not the meds...Maybe check your calcium level in your lab report? Mine had increased to about 10, which is borderline too high. It subsequently went down to 8.5..
Good luck with it!
Lynn
The chemo I am on makes me constipated. What i have found that works the best for me is Senokot. It's a stool softener and laxative. One of the nurses recommended it to me. Bless her heart!!
I take magnesium most everyday. That seems to help.
A pear a day will do the trick.
I’d like to support what Lynnfish mentioned about calcium perhaps being the culprit here. I’m on zometa and every time I get my Ibrance prescribed it comes with a large supply of calcium tablets I’m supposed to take twice a day. I am on other medication for a thyroid issue so always struggled to fit the calcium tablets into my day so never really took them. I felt guilty about the supply I had stashed away so decided I should try and take one tablet just before bed. After a few weeks I became constipated. My oncologist said my calcium levels are always fine so to stop taking it. The problem resolved itself, thank goodness. I’ve always been careful with my diet. So it might be worth discussing your calcium levels with your oncologist.
I eat 5 or 6 prunes every morning in my breakfast cereal and that helps me alot! I joke that Grandma was right!
There is a tea called Smooth Move, I haven't used it but my 55 year old niece swears by it. She has a cup at night & it works in the morning. Good luck, I hope you find something that works. Also, check on line for Heather's Tummy Tamer. This really helped me.
Constipation is indeed a considerable problem for many. Below from my book, "The Insider's Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer" which is also available as a complimentary .pdf, is a list of remedies patients have recommended, some of which have been mentioned above! For more information about dealing with side effects, treatment by subtype, finding clinical trials, and ore, please visit: insidersguidembc.com/about
•Drinking lots of purified water throughout the day
•Eating high-fiber foods such as prunes, prune juice, consuming All-Bran cereal, and adding 1 to 2 Tbsp. of freshly ground flaxseeds to a meal.
•“The Bomb” Recipe: Combine 1 cup high fiber bran cereal, one cup applesauce, and ½ cup prune juice. Add cinnamon to taste. (After consuming, do not venture too far from the bathroom!)
The following may also help to relieve constipation:
Aloelax Tablets (recommended by a patient on a constipating chemotherapy drug)
Bisacodyl (Dulcolax)
Coconut oil (one teaspoon in a hot beverage daily)
Docusate sodium (Colace)
Glycerin suppository
Lactulose (Kristalose, Enulose, Constulose, and Generlac), a prescription medication.
Linzess (a prescription medication)
Lubiprostone (Amitiza), a prescription drug used to treat chronic constipation, or constipation caused by opioid pain medicine
Miralax
Psyllium (Metamucil)
Magnesium citrate
Magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia)
Senokot-S, (a less expensive version is Equate Stool Softener Plus Stimulant Laxative)
Smooth Move Tea
Sorbitol and sodium phosphate (Fleet's enema)
Stool softeners
Swiss Kris Herbal Laxative
Traditional Medicinal Herbs Smooth Move Tea
Thank You. Helena
2 tbs flaxseed meal a day. In juice or cereal or anything else you like.
I take daily Magnesium and it has made a world of difference. I was very constipated and my oncologist just told me to take MiraLax and drink water. I thought I was a camel and it did not work. I found Magnesium myself and I feel much better. Good Luck!
Thank You Helena
Drinking is important, but my acupuncturist said that we also lose a lot of electrolytes in the urine. Besides water with lemon, I drink one coconut a day. You can buy a box with 9 at Chinese supermarkets . They are "fresh" ( at least one month old) from Thailand. During summer, I drink watermelon juice.
Gatorade has electrolytes in it so I buy the Fruit Punch flavor. Have 9 containers in my fridge now
I personally do not like the taste, but when I was younger as a child, I suffered from constipation so I had to drink a glass of prune juice every day. Now that I am on opiods, I find myself with the same issue. I do take stool softeners like you, but also, a glass of Metamucil (orange flavored, no sugar). Just add two heaping teaspoons to a glass of water, mix and drink. I am always amazed how quickly it works, but I try not to use it every day bc I do not want my body to get used to. Also look on Konsyl products. (Powder works similar to Metamucil but you are supposed to use every day).
Miralax
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