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What was your daily lax/enema routine?

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Posted 9/22/2011 9:48 PM (GMT 0)
Hi-

I was diagnosed with colonic intertia and scheduled for a total colostomy on Oct. 10.  I'm just wondering what everyone has tried as far as daily laxatives, enemas, diet, etc--in other words, I wonder how far off I am.  I'm currently at 4 capfuls of Myralax per day, plus frequent Fleets enemas and about 1X week Mag Citrate.

Others?

Thanks!

Posted 9/23/2011 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Hi KVail,
for me, one type of laxative won't work on its own...so I take 2 doses of Miralax in the evening and then a few hours later I take several dulcolax, and then after that, (the next morning) I usually do an enema. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

I HATE this routine...it makes me feel so exhausted and nauseous all day/night the following day...and there are lots of times it doesn't even work and I have to repeat it the next day. This is what I currently do, but I have done SO many other things in the past to try to get relief. I started out with gentler things like special tea, then milk of magnesia, fiber, you name it I've tried it. I've even ordered crazy "cleanse" pills off the internet when I was desperate.

How do you take your miralax? Do you do it all at once or space it out? It is very difficult for me to take because I feel very nauseous for a few hours after taking it, even one dose.
Posted 9/23/2011 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
I went through everything. Ducolax or Dulcoease didn't do a thing for me. I started taking sennacot and got upto taking 15 all in one go in desperation. Docs suggested I took 2-3 per day but that did nothing. I was also on miralax (UK version, can't remember the name) but didn't really do anything either and like you alibee just made me feel sick.

I then was put on Prucalopride/Resolor - only just registered in the UK - which is meant to stimulate the colon. That took the edge off a tiny bit but mostly just felt sick and had headaches. Still didn't really do enough and started doing a dose of Picolax (don't know what the US equivalent is) but the stuff you take before a colonoscopy to clear you out completely - like the most powerful laxative in the world. That would do the trick, but was utterly disgusting and wiped me out for a day or so - not to mention the 5 hours spent on the loo as it all gushed out. I got to the point of having to do that once or twice a week. I never did enemas though.

Then I finally decided enough was enough. No way to live in my opinion and got my ileo. I took great pleasure in chucking it all in the bin when I got home from hospital :-)
Posted 9/24/2011 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
I'm currently taking the Miralax part of this whole ordeal as two capfuls a.m. and then two p.m., but the bloating/gas/and NOISE is really lousy. I do get nauseous (sp?) from it. The mag citrate is the worst, in my opinion. Trying to choke down a bottle of that is nasty. Ducolax makes me throw up every time, long before it can work on the constipation.
Alibee, is the routine you mention above every day, or is it a couple of times a week, or?
I'm so badly bloated and tired from the Miralax tonight I probably won't do my enema or bottle of mag citrate.
I really appreciate the input Alibee and Ironmum. I've read your previous posts across this board and I know you really care!
Kirsten
Posted 9/24/2011 3:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Kristen - if I am on "vacation" or something I have to do this routine every day. But regularly, I'd say I do it about 3 times a week. Dulcolax has also had me in the bathroom with my bum on the toilet and my head in a bucket! That stuff is violent. I had to drink a bottle of the mag citrate during one of my preps for a colonoscopy and I know what you mean, I could hardly swallow it.

It makes me mad that doctors always say Miralax has no side effects because holy cow, the gas/bloating/nausea I get from it is unreal. One doctor tried to get me to take it 4 times a day and I had to give up after a week. I was in school and could barely make it through the day. If you poked a hole in my belly I would've floated away like a balloon! Besides, since it doesn't work on its own for me I have to take something else with it anyways.

I know you wonder if surgery is the right thing, and I can't tell you what's right...but I am like you, I wonder every day if I really want to have surgery, but then I think: there is no way I can keep living every day like this either, so one way or another, something's gotta change!
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