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I finally found a solution to 17 years of constipation

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Caybee
Caybee

This isn't a question but I just wanted to share this for anybody that it might help because it truly changed my life. I've had chronic constipation since I was 3 years old. When I was 3, I was molested, and (I was told by my doctor but I'm still not sure how the two are connected) I began holding my poop. I would only hold it for a few days when I was younger, but it became a habit, and by the time I was 10 years old, I could hold it for about 3 months. Some people say that's not physically possible, but trust me it is! My body began to work in a cycle. I would poop, then I would not poop again for 2 weeks, then I would become constipated and hold my poop in for 2 weeks, and then finally I would let one out the size of a softball. This often tore my rectum and cause hemhorroids. When I was about 15 years old, I finally began to realize how serious it was that I only pooped about once a month. So I tried to change it. But by then my body was so adapted to the cycle that nothing I did ever changed anything. I had already taken every type of stool sofener ever, and eventually even enemas stopped working for me. Constipation was literally controlling my life. I had no friends anymore because I was too uncomfortable to go out and do anything, and I often missed weeks of school at a time because I could not move or I would be in so much pain. Over my life I had been in the hospital a few times and they gave me an enema and stool softeners and discharged me. The problem always came back. I suffered with this problem all the way through my junior year of high school. I would come home at 17 years old my would be crying and searching the Internet for anything that could help me. Doctors didn't even know what to do anymore. One day, when I was 17 years old, my mom took me to the hospital because I had not pooped in about 2 months and I felt like I was dying. They gave me an x Ray and told me that I was completely impacted. No enemas or stool softener a could fix it, I was going to need surgery. I was transferred as to Neumors children's hospital as an emergency patient and placed in the icu for a surgery the next morning. Then my doctor decided that a surgery should be the last option. They gave me enemas and had me drink 2 gallons of mural ax in one night. It made me have to poop so bad but I couldn't. So here I was, a 17 year old girl in the icu on tons of pain medicine, crying and leaking poop all over the bed and floor, while my mom was in the same room. Not a pretty picture, I know. I was in so much pain and so depressed in the icu for four days before they finally did the surgery. I was put under anesthesia and when I woke up I felt great. They had manually removed all the stool from my body. I was told to take miralax twice a day and a stimulant laxative every morning. Doctors advise against taking these regularly, but in my case it was necessary. I was also put on Zoloft, for anxiety. I'm not 18 years old and I have not had any problems with constipation for almost a year. I've had this problem all my life and I honestly thought nothing would ever work for me. I thought I would never get married or have kids, I would be a virgin my whole life. But my entire life has been turned around in such an amazing way. For any moms out there desperately looking for a cure to their kid's constipation, this may not work for everybody, but it sure as hell did wonders for me. Fist you need to get ALL of the stool out so that you can completely start over. I had this done in a hospital, but you can do a simple intestinal clean out, just find one online. Then I took a cap of miralax every morning. When I got home from school, I took a stimulant laxative to give me the urge to poop. If you have done the clean out and taken the miralax, it should be almost diarrhea and it would come out easily. Continue this for a few months until your body get used to NOT holding poop anymore. And if you hold your poop, you may want to consider an antianxiety medication to relax you. The Zoloft did really help me a lot. I'm currently still taking Zoloft, but no stool softeners. And I haven't had a problem in almost a year. Sorry for all the nasty details and everything that was TMI, but it's worth it if it helps ANYBODY because nobody truly knows wheat this is like until they experience it.

14 likes, 50 replies

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  • kassey17252
    kassey17252 Caybee

    Posted

    I was actually abused off and on most of my life growing up, and I had almost the exact same thing happen to me. No one believed me that I would be constipated for MONTHS simply because I didn’t even realize how unhealthy it was for soo long. Every now and then things would work but often I would just poop out laxatives or things just wouldn’t work. I know I have anxiety but I didn’t realize how much it can actually affect things like being contipated. This is the first time of me hearing about a similar case to mine so thank you for helping me realize some steps I can take. 
  • whateveryo66957
    whateveryo66957 Caybee

    Posted

    This maybe off topic. I'm a guy, almost 40 and have been dealing with constipation since I was 21. Usually I would take a laxative or sometimes, 2. Usually 1 when I ate too much fast food or something I knew would back me up.

    In the past, a laxative would remove any bloating or discomfort I have had, until now. For almost 2 weeks now I have had bloating that won't go away. I have taken some laxatives and have had some ok bowl movements but the abdominal bloating is still there. It hurts. Things I can share are that I have had bright red blood in my stool, as of last week but haven't seen any since. I have had bright red blood in my stool before two years ago. Also I have felt dull pain in my left side and in my left pelvic area. I went to a Dr and they did an x-ray, they said it was constipation. I then went to a gastrointestinologist and he put me on probiotics and Linzess. I've been on them for a couple days and no change. I am thinking it could be my colon and maybe using a colon cleaner might be the way to go. Has anyone had this issue or could give advice?

  • Bbyblueyez
    Bbyblueyez Caybee

    Posted

    Thank you!!! Ive been dealing with constipation for 5yrs now and sometimes I feel like Im gonna die from the pain. Im going to try and research a cleanse!! Wish me luck
  • kameron06487
    kameron06487 Caybee

    Posted

    Caybee,

    I too have been suffering from constipation for 17 years. I've tried almost every OTC stool softener, laxative and nothing seemed to work. I had fecal impaction at 11 years old and at the age of 8 I had so much poop in me I couldn't even bend down to tie my shoes. it would just go on for weeks until I was able to go ( my record is 5 1/2 weeks, and not really something to be proud of) and I would develop this cycle where I go then nothing for the next few weeks...Your experiences are so much like mine and I am so glad to have found people that I could relate to because all I've heard my entire life is that its all in my head and I should just go, but its not as easy as it seems when you strain so much you feel like you're going to collapse or the poop creates fissures causing bloody stools. It's just so much of a struggle, but recently this past Friday I went to my GI and she gave me a set of instructions and they work like a charm. Hopefully, I continue to go well. Thanks Caybee for sharing your story and letting me know that I'm not alone.

    If anyone is interested in knowing what I've been doing to go as well as I do: 

    The first day should be the cleanse... No breakfast, 8am 4 ex-lax squares, 8:30 am 10 caps of miralax in 32 oz of juice, water,or gatorade; no milk or soda(it will clump) Drink within 4 hours.

    Once you drink the whole cleanse, then u can eat

    Stay near bathroom 

    Sit on toilet every hour

    Then starting the next day and each day after: 

    2 caps of Miralax and 2 exlax squares each in the afternoon

    High Fiber diet and sit on toilet each day 3-4 times a day for 5-10 minutes(this should help get your body to want to go more frequently)

     

  • Nettygal
    Nettygal Caybee

    Posted

    I am also suffering from constipation and have been for about 4 years. I have the same problem with 2 to 3 weeks go by and no BM. That's when I take the softeners, exams, and sapositories. Here I sit in so much belly pain and I'm guessing now that I have taken all the over the counter meds my body has just grown immunity to them. My husband and I are looking for something new or different as I look 8 months pregnant. I am a petit woman, I exercise even when this problem makes me so so tired. I do my exercising as I'm hoping it may help make a movement. One problem I do see from reading everything that I can on this awful issue is I definitely do not have enough fiber in my diet.

    At my wits end and I know this subject was posted over 2 years ago but I'm desperately reaching out to see if I can find a way to fix this.1. Has anyone heard of or tried the Dr. Tobias 14 day colon cleanse? It has raving reviews by the thousands. Over 12 thousand alone on amazon. 2. My husband went to Walgreens and spoke with the pharmacy and he came back with a 10 FL. OZ. of Magnesium Citrate. It's sitting right by me but after all the softeners, enemas, and suppositories my tummy is in so much pain I'm not sure about taking more stuff. Any advice about the 2 questions would be so appreciated.

    Thanks for everyone who shared. It's a difficult subject but wish more people would share as this constipation problem seems to be growing. As one person said. I believe we take these medicines and then our body grows use to them and no longer works. I also read where someone was prescribed or it was over the counter, I really don't remember but they chose not to take it as it was to strong and would make there system even more apt to have to take this everyday.

    Again, thank you. So happy also to hear about the people who feel better. I pray I can be that way soon.

    • tori95817
      tori95817 Nettygal

      Posted

      I have never heard of it but please do tell me if it works. I am wanting for a solution also 
  • tori95817
    tori95817 Caybee

    Posted

    I have been constipated for 3 years it started as a small thing only not being able to poop for 3 days so I talked to my doctor and he said take miralax once and I will be fine. So that is what I did, latter on that week I have have not pooped and in 5 days and was taken to the ER. Little did I know that it was going to be my first ER busy before the returning ones every three months giving me 4 enamas before I learned to deny them as they give nothing but pain anyway so now they tell me to take 4 cups of miralax when I can’t poop for a couple days. Then 3 months later I go to the gastorigist who is suppose to make me feel better so he gives me a gallon of a salty liquid to drink that is suppose to clean me put so I drink the liquid and nothing comes out requiring me to go back to the ER where they just send me back home to take more miralax. So now I have missed so much school and I can’t live a normal teenage life and I just need help so if anone has any advice please tell me because I have became down to the point where I am barely eating trying to not get anymore constipated by the food i acadioally do eat. 
    • pothos444
      pothos444 tori95817

      Posted

      Hey there! I know this is an old post and old reply, but by chance if someone comes across this info, I hope it will be helpful. First of all, I would avoid laxatives, especially stimulants. I've read so many times they cause dependency and exacerbate constipation.

      Some things I've learned while researching:

      Try yoga -- specifically for constipation. Or any workout, low or high impact.

      WALKING. It is so important to move your body to keep things moving.

      You can try abdominal massage, look up videos on YouTube.

      I saw a video by "Gut Feelings" YouTube channel where you can do an acupressure point massage to help relieve.

      I've read coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil, but coconut oil seems better) can be helpful when ingested.

      This one sounds odd, but you can try "retraining" your bowels through digital stimulation. Do some research for yourself.

      These are the things I have learned about as alternatives to laxatives. It can't hurt to try something new. I really hope this helps someone.

      If anyone else has any other holistic suggestions, please share to help others out!

  • steve_15304
    steve_15304 Caybee

    Posted

    I have a similar problem... when I was about 3... i couldn't control when I needed to poo or not it sometimes came out randomly without me knowing right now I am 16 and have problems going to the restroom to this day and I really don't want to be seen as a fool in front if my family so I haven't told anyone I don't know what to do

  • suzanne48062
    suzanne48062 Caybee

    Edited

    I have been plagued by chronic constipation all of my life.  I can remember my parents coming into the bathroom as a 4 year old coaching me on how to push it out.  Everyone assumed it was “in my head” and that going once a week was “normal”.  This condition caused me to self medicate with senna which stated on the bottle that it would lead to dependence so I felt extremely guilty.  Hot coffee would help stimulate peristalisis but caused me to have nerves and insomnia which made me too nervous to easily succeed as an instrumentalist.  Fast forward to 56 years old, and despite all of this I have prevailed in my career and still have constipation.  My first colonoscopy revealed the cause which the doctor fluffed off as nothing.  It was called a significantly redundant colon or a colon with too many feet of length and curves.  My daughter also suffers from this since birth.  It is dominating our lives and she is often late to school because I can’t let her hold it in and make it worse.  I am going to try the chia seeds in my smoothie today because I feel very full despite all of my regimens.  Sometimes it is fine and other times it is really bad.  No rhyme or reason that I can figure out.  It is a debilitating condition that is not taken very seriously by doctors.   
  • hank1953
    hank1953 Caybee

    Edited

    Hi suzanne, I was too told that I have redundant colon, and that explained my chronic constipation. I now am handling my constipation with:

    1. More fruits and vegetables in diet.

    2. More liquid intake.

    3. Add few prunes to any meals that are constipating.

    4. Take a small pill of magnesium oxide with any substantial meals.

    5. Give yourself sometimes each day, preferrably about the same time, to go to the bathroom. I found out that if you wait until you have to go bad, it may be too late.

    6. Learn how to do stomach massage, to facilitate bowel movement.

    Those seem to help me. I used to go once or twice a week with really dry and hard poop. Now I go every day, often more than once a day. Hope that they will work for you too. Hank

    • suzanne48062
      suzanne48062 hank1953

      Posted

      Hi Hank

      thanks for your help and list.  I am dependent on herbal lax pills from puritans pride, Metamucil and fiber gummies, and black coffee.  I also drink large green smoothies daily with soy milk and either fresh kale or spinach.  There is lots of fiber and water in my smoothies,  but not being a doctor myself, I still don’t understand my episodes of constipation.  I also take magnesium but not oxide.  In the past, I tried prunes and the juice but would not get an emptying relief.  Lately I have been consuming red meat at dinner and this may have caused my current difficulties but it is such a complex problem...one time something works and at another it doesn’t.  I will try some of your suggestions.  Thanks again

    • hank1953
      hank1953 suzanne48062

      Posted

      Too much fiber may make constipation worse. It's complex as you said. My suggestions worked for many people with constipation, even for men with enlarged prostate so I am sure it will work for you.

      I found out that doctors are not very helpful in dealing with constipation. Good evacuations ! 😀Hank

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