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Chronic Constipation Due to Meds?

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Posted 10/3/2008 8:31 PM (GMT 0)
Does anyone have to deal with chronic constipation due the medication they take? I an have a real problem (due to several of the meds I currently take) & I don't know what to do anymore.

I have tried Activia yogurt, Fibercon tablets, drinking more water, eating more fiber (salads, Fiber One bars, etc), exercising more, putting Benefiber in my food, etc. Nothing has worked.

Any ideas? confused

Posted 10/3/2008 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Wish I knew what to says, I suffer with this too...
And so hate it when all the doctor can say is drink more water!
If I drank more water I'd be the size of Lake Michigan, Geezee...
Sometimes Bananas help...Other than that I just don't know.
Soft hugz to you...
Keep us posted...
Posted 10/3/2008 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Bananas are actually used to treat diarrhea in infants so I wouldn't advise using them for constipation. Apple skins, grapes, raisins, the dreaded prunes (now politically correctly called dried plums), bran flakes, oat bran, psyllium fiber (Metamucil), these are the food based cures. Malic acid that we use to help with our fibro actually has a side effect of loosening the stool. More exercise, sit ups, walking, anything that physically stimulates peristalsis is good. The secret is to do this regularly to keep things moving. Eat prunes or bran cereal every day, not just when there is a problem because prevention is the best policy.

Opioid pain relievers like Tramadol have a side effect of slowing down the muscles of the intestines that move food along. If you can avoid using the med so much you may have an easier time of it. Adding water helps keep the stool from becoming compacted and "stuck". You really have to stay on top of this if you are on opioids.
Posted 10/3/2008 10:44 PM (GMT 0)

I have a problem with constipation from my meds.  My doctor has me taking stool softeners and they help a lot.  I take two in the morning (after I have had food, otherwise I get sick) and two at night.  The doctor said it was perfectly safe to take but I would check with your doctor first.  Also, make sure there is no laxative in the pills.  Walmart has a generic brand and I have used it for a couple of years with no problems.

Like I said though, please talk to your doctor first.  I hope you find a solution that works for you.

Meggie

Posted 10/3/2008 10:56 PM (GMT 0)
Meggie,
You are so smart! I forgot about those.

MominMI,
The stool softeners that you want are the ones with docusate (colace) in them not ones with a laxative in them. You don't want to become laxative dependent and colace type stool softeners help retain water in the stool so it's easier to pass. Good luck with this.
Posted 10/4/2008 1:23 AM (GMT 0)

Jeannie143 said...
Bananas are actually used to treat diarrhea in infants so I wouldn't advise using them for constipation. Apple skins, grapes, raisins, the dreaded prunes (now politically correctly called dried plums), bran flakes, oat bran, psyllium fiber (Metamucil), these are the food based cures. Malic acid that we use to help with our fibro actually has a side effect of loosening the stool. More exercise, sit ups, walking, anything that physically stimulates peristalsis is good. The secret is to do this regularly to keep things moving. Eat prunes or bran cereal every day, not just when there is a problem because prevention is the best policy.

Opioid pain relievers like Tramadol have a side effect of slowing down the muscles of the intestines that move food along. If you can avoid using the med so much you may have an easier time of it. Adding water helps keep the stool from becoming compacted and "stuck". You really have to stay on top of this if you are on opioids.

As I said in my original post, I have tried all the well known, conventional treatments with no help. I can not give up my pain meds (I would be useless to my family), so I will have to find a solution. Thanks.

Posted 10/5/2008 4:15 PM (GMT 0)
I have a question(unrelated, sort of)...Jeannie

You stated that Tramadol was an opioid pain reliever in your original post. I was under the impression that it was non-narcotic. I know that one of the side effects is still constipation but I don't think that it is an opiate. Can you clarify?

I also use the stool softeners and magnesium works well too. I take the malic acid supplements but the plain magnesium works better for constipation for me. Just a side note. Hope that you will find relief soon.


Posted 10/5/2008 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
I eat a bowl of branflakes every night and that really helps. Also moving around a lot. Take daily walks.

There is an herbal supplement called 'cascara sagrada'. That along with the stool softeners will work. You can also get some stuff that is really yucky called 'colon cleanse'. It is like eating grass, so it has to be added to something. I think that the cascara sagrada will help you, but you also need the stool softeners and drink a lot of water.

Good luck, I hope that you can get some relief.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 10/5/2008 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
CindiO,
Tramadol, also known as Ultram, is a synthetic analgesic that binds to the opioid receptors in the brain and this is thought to be the possible mechanism for pain relief. It is classified as a narcotic. You can read lots of good stuff about it including things to watch for in the following sites:

Ultram, Information from Drugs.com

Tramadol, Drug Information

MominMich,
You can use a Brown Cow for really bad times. It has never been known to fail but it can't be used on a regular basis. The fiber and stool softeners should be used on a regular basis and the brown cow in an emergency.
Posted 10/5/2008 5:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Jeannie143!
Posted 10/6/2008 4:38 AM (GMT 0)
Im on a narcotic patch and suffer colinitus which means my bowels are basically sleeping rather than constipated and it take s  me three different types of laxatives to go and it took months of experimenting to get it right.  My specialist says to take whatever moves me and has recommended things as I cant stop the patch the pain  is unbearable.  sue2z

Posted 10/7/2008 5:29 AM (GMT 0)
Pls.Clarify. What is a "brown cow? All the brown cows around here are too big to swallow. Constipation, well the Activia works for me but I take two per day, religiously. It took about a month to get things going though.

Posted 10/7/2008 5:00 PM (GMT 0)
Saw the DR today & he wants me to use 2 Fleet enemas to clean things out & then to use stool softeners and Activa to keep things regular.
Posted 10/7/2008 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Brown cow is an old nursing cure for constipation. I've never known it to fail.

2 Tablespoons of Milk Of Magnesia stirred into 8 oz of warmed prune juice

Cherry flavored MOM is easier to drink in this mix.
Posted 10/7/2008 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds yummy!  Mmmmm  Mmmmmm, good!  shakehead

 

Sherrine

Posted 1/21/2014 2:42 AM (GMT 0)
I was on tramadol for a long time, then got switched to vicodin which made the constipation issue worse.

There are also teas that help the system going.
I've tried triple leaf's ultra slim & laxative teas, and Traditional Medicinals' Organic Smooth Move after lunch.
I also drink hot lemon ginger water before going to sleep.

I've had to change my diet overall and have incorporated a lot of liquidy elements, like a breakfast smoothie with 10g of fiber in the morning.
Posted 1/21/2014 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Bananas are also used for constipation.

If I didn't take pain medications, I'd have diarrhea most of the time. My body switched between diarrhea and constipation before I started on pain medication. Now I only get diarrhea when I eat certain foods, and only constipation sometimes. I also have interstitial cystitis, so I drink a lot of water.
Posted 1/22/2014 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
My Dr suggested Miralax.it is a stool softener . It is a powder you just put in a drink and it is tasteless. Even my son will take it.

It is very gentle on the body and can be taken for longer periods of time. It doesn't all the sudden make you run to the bathroom if you know what I mean!

This with water, fiber supplements and exercise all seem to help. I have been on narcotics for so many year and have had this problems for a very long time. Constant Constipation can cause problems in the future so do your best to get it under control!

Good luck
Posted 1/22/2014 8:51 AM (GMT 0)
I perfer to take mineral oil. You can take it with no side effects or interactions. There's no taste and it moisturizes your lips. ;-)
Posted 1/22/2014 1:09 PM (GMT 0)
I use coconut oil. Works good...

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 1/22/2014 3:09 PM (GMT 0)
I use Green tea. There is a Chinese tea to help with it (my friend uses it she has contipation issues). Not sure where you live but its a green box with a ballerina on it, found in any/all chinese grocery stores.
Posted 1/22/2014 3:25 PM (GMT 0)
I drink senna tea before bed when it gets bad (not producing a stool for more than 3 days). I try not to take it regularly. I also find that water and fiber does not compete with pain meds ability to decrease production. So annoying.
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