What can I take for constipation caused by my pain meds?!


Question: What can I take for constipation caused by my pain meds.?
I can't go off the pain meds due to the pain being chronic and severe, however I don't want to have surgery for the chronic constipation. I can't seem to find anything that works well. Long term or quickly. I need HELP.Health Question & Answer


Answers:
Two totally gross words that should to the trick: Coffee EnemaHealth Question & Answer

There is an all natural product available at mannatech.com called MannaCleanse that is wonderful for keeping the bowels functioning properly and is safe for ongoing use. A friend of mine who is a cancer survivor dealt with chronic constipation after her treatment was over. She used this product successfully for about 3 years before it no longer worked with the meds she's on. There are no side effects and it does not interact with any drugs..

The product is around $40 per bottle, but I would recommend to try to use it this way:
Take as directed (2 pills twice daily) until you feel complete relief from back-up in your intestine. This is very gently stuff, so it may take 2-4 weeks to get complete relief.
Once you get to that point, take half of what is recommended on the bottle to try to keep your system working regularly. Make adjustments from that point ie if it's working well, go down to 1 pill daily, but if you start to have problems, bump it back up to 4 pills daily until you get relief.

To help it along, try to drink 16 ounces of 'tepid' water (not warm, not cool) first thing when you get up in the morning. Do not consume anything else for 20 minutes. This will often trigger the bowel into action. Be sure to drink lots of water or herbal teas throughout the day.

For immediate relief, this works for most people.
Get vitamin c in 1000 mg tablets.
Take one tablet for every 40 pounds of body weight and wait about 30 minutes. Take an additional tablet every half hour until your bowels empty. Once you take the first tablets, do not leave the house until you have a bm!
This is called a 'vitamin c flush' - nearly every cell in your body uses it and taking several pills will allow your body to saturate in vitamin c. Your body cannot store it, though, and once you reach saturation, the excess vitamin c will loosen - or liquefy - everything in your intestines and you will have to go to the bathroom NOW! Once you go, you will be done for the day and you can carry on with your normal activities.

Another thing you can do is to eat yogurt every day for breakfast or a snack during the day. Chances are that the pain meds you're on upset the balance of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and the addition of yogurt may help keep everything working more normally.

Hope you find relief soon! Constipation is a big deal, especially when you're already suffering from other disorders.

God Bless.
Health Question & Answer

If your constipation is caused by opiate painkillers, then:

- Fibre or Bulk laxatives/agents like Psyllium, Bran etc. will *not* be helpful.

- Lactulose by itself would only be moderately effective. It has a similar side-effect profile to Senna.

- Rectal suppositories and Oral laxatives only alleviate some of the symptoms. They do not help with the issue of delayed gastric emptying (which is what opiates cause) and they will not help with cramps.

Best thing I can suggest:

Take a stimulant laxative like Bisacodyl (Dulcolax) or Senna, combined with an osmotic laxative like Magnesium salts.

(feel free to PM me if you need)


edit:
comparing Senna with Bisacodyl, Senna would appear more effective. The only drawback is Senna has side-effects (including diarrhoea).Health Question & Answer

ex lax,Metamucil fiber rich foods. you can get more fiber and drink plenty of water.fiber acts as natural cleanser if you get enough minimum is like 25 grams for women and the water acts as a lubricant for your intestines and bowel.to make it easier to work its way down and out.try 6-8 glasses. for more fiber try fiber one yogurt or whole wheat/whole grain breads.Health Question & Answer

1) fiber supplements, such as freshly ground flax seed, benefiber, etc
2) prune juice
3) stool softeners (dulcolax I think it's called.?)

Find what works for you.Health Question & Answer

Drink plenty of fresh water and go for regular long walks. Prunes are also very good.
Good luckHealth Question & Answer

cloxyel with senna. Its good!Health Question & Answer



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