Bowel Movement Help

I'm a 17 year old girl and have been struggling with this since I was a little girl. Currently I have not had a bowel movement in 1-2 weeks, I'm not sure how long it has been. It is painful for me to try to go right now, because the feces it to large to pass (I would guess about 3 inches in diameter). i have passed feces this large before, but it takes me a few days and i end up have to use a laxative that just pushes it right out without my control, which is very painful. Is there something I can do to pass this without taking a laxative? Laxatives scare me, and end up causing diarrhea for about a day so once i take a laxative, I cannot do anything or go anywhere for almost 2 days. This entire situation scares me to death... can there be some sort of 'illness' that causes me to not have regular bowel movements? I feel like I don't have to go until I got to this stage, where it is to painful to bare. Plus, I know that I have a lot of extra weight in my body just due to the fact that I do not have regular bowel movements. Any information can help, and going to the doctor is not an option for me. Maybe there is some products I can use to help me become more regular after this bowel movement passes? But right now, all I want and need to do is figure out how to pass this bowel movement. (By the way when I push, while im on the toilet, nothing is really happening, but the feces is trying to push its way out when im not on the toilet but I hold it in becuase I am scared to death to try and go) Please help!

If I eat prunes, I can usually have a bowel movement every day (which is incredible for me, because I've gone 10 days without going before). Make sure you increase your fiber, but do so gradually. If you suddenly eat a ton of fiber without gradually increasing your intake, your whole GI tract will become inflamed. Trust me, it has happened to me before - not pleasant.

If you are truly backed up for a week, then you are probably going to need some aid from a laxative. Laxatives should be a last resort thing, but it seems like you are to that point.

Dulcolax always gets the poo out of me, but I experience awful cramps. I can't stand, and I feel like I'm going to die. Worst pain I've ever experienced. But, if you're really desperate, you wouldn't mind putting up with 12 hours of pain to poop.

Hope I helped.

Stool softeners probably won't help, actually. They are designed to keep the stools lose AFTER one has evacuated. Stool softeners (SS) are not laxatives and won't help you poop if you haven't started already. The idea of SS is great once you start pooping.

Eat some prunes and Oat Bran cereal for breakfast. But, make sure you gradually increase your intake. Nothing is worse than suddenly packing in lots of fiber - it may even cause more pain, bloating, and constipation. Also, make sure you drink tons of fluid when you are on a high-fiber diet. If you don't adequately drink enough, the fiber will sit in your intestine and basically become concrete. That makes it a lot harder to get it out!

As flashinglights stated in the above post, you should take a laxative just yet. Laxatives are a last resort kind of thing, and you should only take them if you've gone 5 or more days without a bowel movement.

Oh, I understand you now, flashinglights. Yes, you are correct. If your mother had a slight urge to go already, then stool softness will definitely help. I thought you were saying that it stimulated her bowels to evacuate. ;)

Yeah, in the medical world it's not too appropriate to say "poop." :D

Yeah, that would be pretty funny. In med school (where I currently attend) when I was making my rounds in the hospital, some guy kept saying "I haven't gone two-two in a week." I almost burst out laughing!

I replied "You mean you haven't had a bowel movement in a week?"

His response was classic. "No, I haven't gone two-two in a week! What doesn't your med student mind not comprehend?"

Needless that say that this ruined my day.