5 Days Post-op Constipation! Help!

[mnmlst 249]

I haven't pooped in about a week! What can I do? I am pretty newly post-op so I don't want to do anything extreme.

Anyone else deal with this? What did you do to get things moving, so to speak?

[MommyMeghan 92]

You may not have anything in there to get out. Remember that going to the bathroom is a byproduct of eating & you're not. Make sure you are hydrated because dehydration fuels Constipation. I'm about 3 & 1/2 months out and I only go every few days. My Dr says that's ok

[McButterpants 2,846]

Same thing happened to me - my NUT advised me to do something right away.

Her suggestion for me was a good quality pro-biotic and metamucil. It worked almost immediately.

[Fab@Forty 24]

The best thing that I did was purchase Miralax. I took it for about 1 week and then my system got back on track!

[Beni 1,484]

My first BM was on day 6 post op. It was fine. Consider Miralax after a few more days. There is not a lot in the system at this point.

[RedDirtRoads 64]

Ditto the Miralax. It is very gentle, I had to use it post C-section.

[WL WARRIOR 692]

I am a month out and haven't gone in two weeks. I've been taking FiberCon the past few days and nothing has happened. You can't take it within 2-3 hours of your other meds, so I keep forgetting to take it more than once a day. You can take it up to four times a day. I guess that is what I will have to do. I'd like to switch to a different product, but the bottle was quite expensive.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

My surgeon's team has us use Milk of Magnesia for Constipation - the smallest allowable adult-size dose.

[Breezy31 30]

I had the same issue post op as well. My surgeons office suggests Milk of Magnesia too. It worked fast! I am 3 1/2 months out now and I have noticed hydration is the key! Also, Miralax is great!

[patsy1947 42]

miralax and lots of Water , also a stool softener everyday helps a lot

[Rogofulm 2,440]

As others have said, it's all about hydration. Get those fluids in! All stool softeners do is make it easier to absorb Water, and thus soften the stool. Miralax worked for me when I had a severe problem about 6 days out, but it can take a couple of days to do the trick. Now I take a psyllium husk capsule (Fiber Therapy at Wal-Mart) twice a day to stay as regular as we're gonna get, which is not necessarily daily...

[mnmlst 249]

I did Milk of Magnesia today, and HOLY MOLY did it ever work. Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

[patsy1947 42]

glad to hear everything came out fine haha

[JerzyTomato74 91]

I was constipated as well and yesterday I got the all clear to take a Colace (or Miralax). My surgeon said a stool softener as opposed to a laxative is more gentle at this point and that MOM and Dulcolax would be too harsh on the new stomach because they are stimulants.

Edited November 6, 2014 by JerzyTomato74

[KMCarlson 30]

I think I'm going to give the miralax a try, myself. I don't feel backed up, per se, but the two stools I've had since surgery a little over a week ago have been less than easy to accomplish. I'm drinking plenty of fluids, so I don't know that it's a dehydration issue. I was so regular before, but it's a small price to pay. haha