Hello everybody, Simon messaged me to say his bowel nurse told him that long term usage of Laxido makes the problem worse. Help! What can I use instead please?
Hi Jaycee, yes, I have eaten two prunes and two dried apricots earlier because I took the 2.5ml of morphine, hopefully the two will balance eachother out. I couldn't bear to be constipated tomorrow. For a long time I wore no knickers and bought several cheap second-hand full length skirts from eBay and wore them with a petticoat under and that was really good, but of course when it got SO cold I went back into trousers, but still really prefer long skirts, but they can be a nuisance when walking the dogs. Do you think I should take one small spoon of syrup of figs this evening before bed? B X
He jester I know the fear of constipation but I don’t know anything about syrup of figs. It’s finding foods that will help soften stools but not increase bowel frequency. Dried fruit is full of fibre. Oatmeal is good as it’s slow release energy and gives bulk without causing diarrhoea. Changing your diet can sometimes increase flatulence until you get used to it. Julie
Hi Bee, bless you...sending a big hug your way! Agree with Jaycee's reply. Yes it can go from one extreme to the other and we've all been there so fully sympathise with you as we get so desperate to alleviate it.
I've attempted to make a quick list on laxative that stimulates a quick release & softeners that will help overall bowel movement. They can easily be mixed up & some fall into both categories so not so straight forward! I also found this comparison chart that I thought was helpful & explains it all a bit better - to note the softener can take a little longer to work 2 days (or more, although I haven't experienced it taking longer than 2 days) so patience is required!.
Comparison Chart
Stool Softener
Laxative
They add water to the stool which makes it easy to pass stool, without causing pain
They add oil to the stool which causes loosening or relaxation of bowels
It does not cause any dependence
It can lead to dependence as it is the quickest way to pass stool for people who have bowel problems
It takes up to two to ten days to act as it stimulates the stool naturally
It takes up to 2 hours to ten hours or even 24 hours to act as it contains medicines which stimulate the bowels
They make the stool less hard
They directly produce bowel movement due to irritation of the bowels
Stool softeners are the first choice to relieve constipation
Laxatives are only given as a last resort to get rid of constipation
The fruits are a bit of both, so I'd be careful with how much consume, especially if taken with another source of laxative.
The NHS have a link on laxatives - they categorise 4 laxatives. Stool softeners listed as one cat. but also listed as 'osmotic laxatives' in addition to 'bulk forming'. Think it can be a bit confusing but it explains what they all mean and what the purpose of each is, with examples of medicine.
Main points are to try bulking / stool softeners first with lots of water and try to be patient. As you've probably gathered it's best to just to try one at a time.
I've also learnt to try and not force anything too much when having a bowel movement. The info below was helpful for me, posture and breathing, and on following these tips I felt a difference in bowel movement. If didn't work first time I got up, walked around or massage tummy until felt ready to try again:
Find the best way to sit on the toilet for you, with these simple pointers.
Lean forward when you are sitting on the toilet with your hands resting on your thighs
Make sure that your knees are bent and are higher than your hips (it may help to use a footstool if your toilet is high or you are not very tall)
Make sure your feet are resting on the ground -(or preferably on a footstool as we naturally should squat)
Try to fill your lungs, breathing through your mouth to prevent straining and contracting your pelvic floor (diaphragmatic breathing)
Bulge your tummy muscles forward as you take a deep breath in. ‘Brace’ your tummy to prevent it from bulging further forwards. Do not tighten your tummy.
Relax your anal sphincter to open your bottom and let the stool out
Use your deep breath to increase the pressure in your abdomen and push down towards your anus.
Only try this a maximum of 3 times. If it does not work, get up from the toilet and walk around. It may help to try having a warm/hot drink.
I hope this helps! None of this is easy, trial and error unfortunately. Really hope it clears for you soon Bee Xx
Thanks so much Em44, you've really worked hard on my behalf, I'm so grateful. I just seem to have been in pain for so long that to try anything seems better than just putting up with it. B X
Hi Bee that is a very informative post. Thank you for the breathing tips. When I was early post treatment I had seen on here about singing in my head to distract from the pain when having a bowel movement and that also was a distraction technique. Thank goodness I didn’t sing out loud as that would have been painful for the listener. I deep breathe in my bed in the morning concentrating on expanding my tummy and feeling ready for the usual morning toilet routine. The early days can be tough for some but not everyone but believe me for most of us we greatly improve and learn to adapt with some changes in our bodies but don’t give up and learn to listen to our bodies and how we can repair it and get stronger
Hi Julie, yes what an amazing reply from Em. I feel so lucky to have all you guys out there, giving me advice. Today has been so good, being out of pain all day on just 2.5ml morphine, I hope my 2 prunes and 2 dried apricots will do the trick. I will have two more of each tomorrow morning with my fruit & fibre cereal. In fact I hoovered through today, the first time since about February! My partner's wonderful daughter who came to my rescue as a nurse (she's a Community Matron) and got me into hospital on 7th March, came back next day and hoovered through for me - what a wonderful woman she is. So today as I was pain-free I thought I'd hoover again and it just makes you feel better, having clean carpets. I have two dogs who both shed hair for Britain! Tomorrow morning I have a mobile hairdresser coming to deal with my dreadful hair. I haven't had it cut since September when I coloured it and it went navy blue!! So my partner cut it all off with his machine and took a huge chunk out right on the top so I've been wearing wigs for a while now, so am looking forward to being myself again. And all this is thanks to the incredible support I've received on here - I can never thank all of you enough XXXXXXX
