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Constipation after hemorrhoidectomy, but not taking pain medication?

Posted , 4 users are following.

Francesca008
Francesca008

Hi All,

My father had a hemorrhoidectomy last Tuesday and has refrained from taking any pain mediation in order to avoid constipation.

In addition to NOT taking any paid medication, he's been eating a high fiber diet since the surgery, yet he's still experiencing constipation.

He did take milk of magnesia a couple of nights ago, which caused diarrhea.

We seem to be going from one extreme to another, with no happy medium.

Did anyone else experience this following a hemorrhoidectomy and if so, any advice on how you managed?

Thank you in advance!

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • Arok675
    Arok675 Francesca008

    Posted

    oh boy!!! hydrat and deffinitley take pain meds, if you are hydrated you wont get constipated...IM talking over a gal of water or more a day... hydration, hydration, hydration it's the key to the whole recovery...

    • Francesca008
      Francesca008 Arok675

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply, Arok675!

      He's definitely not going to take the pain meds. He's handling the pain very well, under the circumstances, and honestly, based on what I've read, I don't know how he's managing the extent of the pain without taking any pain pills! My mind is blown.

      Do you know if constipation is typical of someone following this type of procedure even though they're not taking pain meds? My understanding is that constipation is a result of the anesthetics taken prior to the surgery (which doesn't last very long), and the pain meds following the surgery. I just don't understand why he's constipated if the anesthetic has clearly worn off by now and he's not taking any meds.

    • Arok675
      Arok675 Francesca008

      Posted

      the constipation is all mental after a Hemmerectomy, cause the mind knows how bad it is going to hurt to go to bathroom, some people dont go for weeks after procedure...

    • keshia57617
      keshia57617 Francesca008

      Posted

      I want able to go for days at a time. same thing arok said. I'd try and pain was too much. it eases but when I was healed enough... a little over 2 weeks after... I did a fleet enema.

    • Francesca008
      Francesca008 Arok675

      Posted

      Ah, I see. Makes sense! He did admit to dreading the idea of having a BM. Thanks!

    • Francesca008
      Francesca008

      Posted

      The thing is, he was trying to go, but couldn't. But, as of today, he noticed a difference after drinking tons of water and taking a couple of stool softeners. He was so relieved! And me too! And still, he's adamant about not taking pain meds, which seems to be for the best as they would only make the constipation worse.

  • keshia57617
    keshia57617 Francesca008

    Posted

    Hey. different doctors advise differently. so after mine I was on a "soft diet." I had no or little fibre for about 3-7 days. I was on white bread and jell-0. he said this was to reduce bulk to reduce pain. try a gentle stool softener instead of magnesia. or reduce the amount of magnesia. I hope he recovers soon. pain killers help. this is awful painful.

    • Francesca008
      Francesca008 keshia57617

      Posted

      Thanks, keshia57617!

      I'm finding that, based on my brief research, recovery for this procedure really seems to vary from one person to the next. There seems to be quite the learning curve here.

      It's been almost a week and I'm hoping that he'll feel some relief and be pain free soon.

      I realize healing and recovery can take quite some time, I'm just counting down the days until we reach that point in time.

  • valerie38106
    valerie38106 Francesca008

    Posted

    Has he tried fiber softeners or miralax they both work wonderful for softening bowels! Drink lots of water a must, it will get better with time i had mine 1 year ago its a tough recovery ! Best of luck for him

    • Francesca008
      Francesca008 valerie38106

      Posted

      Thank you, Valerie38106!

      He's drinking more water, after a lot of encouragement from my mom and I.

      I will look into miralax, too.

      Looking forward to his full recovery where he's no longer in pain.

    • Arok675
      Arok675 Francesca008

      Posted

      gonna be fully healed by month 6, he will do fine, especially that hes not taking the pain meds, should be a piece of cake..

    • keshia57617
      keshia57617 Arok675

      Posted

      I still have some swelling. waiting for that to deflate. anyone can tell me how long those took to go away or will it stay like this?

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