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Still no bowel movement, is this normal?

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platinum3karat
platinum3karat Posts: 66 Member
in Social Groups
Hello All,
I came home from hospital on Thursday April 3rd and I still haven't had a bowel movement. Is this normal?

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  • capecodgirl50
    capecodgirl50 Posts: 111 Member
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    running into this now - any suggestions - I am 10 days out
  • merobles827
    merobles827 Posts: 36
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    Do your protein shakes have fiber in them? If not get sugar free flavorless benefiber and add it to your drinks it will help you become regular.
  • teachren
    teachren Posts: 78
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    Yup...it is my "new normal" :-) Not a fun one...but it happens nevertheless.

    Early on you are not eating much of anything so it makes sense that our notion of being regular changes. You can take a stool softner which is what I did early out. I used Senokot once or twice a week not every day. Check in your package from the hospital to see what your surgeon recommends as they usually have a favourite.

    The suggestion of Benefibre or Miralax is a good one. Many people use it with great success. It didn't seem to work for me and ended up bulking up my stool even more. You can also buy FiberGummies which will give you about 5 g of fibre. I used them for about the first 4 months or so but don't anymore.

    I should likely give the Benefiber another go but now I am able to add a bit more fibre to my diet naturally. I was extremely low carb, under 40 for about the first 7 months at least. Now I am a bit more lenient so I think I'll start taking some bran cereal in the am.

    High protein diets tend to constipate. When you add that with iron supplements which also constipate it gets a little dicey!

    Some people are pretty regular. I go maybe 2 times a week but without any pain or anything. When it gets to be too long...I take a stool softner and usually go the next morning. You have to be careful though that they do not become habit forming.

    Don't worry...but stay on top of it. Just don't expect to go everyday.
  • Latse
    Latse Posts: 61 Member
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    Teachren is right on. Right after surgery nothing moves through, remember you might have been on a pre-surgery liquid diet and then took a cleans the night before surgery. So there wasn't must there prior to surgery. Now you have been liquids only for a week or so, so there still isn't much there.

    Once semi-solid foods are added back in most people still aren't regular like before, smaller amount going in = smaller amount coming out. (bigger problem with this when you follow a very low carb diet like i did in the beginning).

    Options my surgeon gave me, Miralax daily or every other day, or dulcolax daily. Once your having problems in the bathroom, warm prune juice, or "smooth move" tea, if its really really bad - suppository.
    I was told not to use benefiber because it can be rough on the new tummy (every surgeon is different with recommendations)

    On a side note I have found that sugar alcohols and a nice strong AM coffee do the trick too :bigsmile:
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
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    Weight management fiber gummies along with big cup of coffee every day help me go almost every day. You would think that with all the beans and celery I eat I would poo my head off....and maybe I will in a year. But I am only 4 months out. This is also an indication you aren't getting enough fluid. I hardly every get my 8 cups in.
  • capecodgirl50
    capecodgirl50 Posts: 111 Member
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    is peri-colace ok to use?

    I just bought miralax, peri-colace and milk of mag (just for emergencies)

    is this ok?
  • teachren
    teachren Posts: 78
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    I have never taken milk of magnesia but a lot of people on the OH VSG board talk about it. Many people take Colace as well. I personally haven't.

    You kinda have to find what works for you. I wish I was lucky and coffee did it like it used to but no luck. I suck back 2 coffees a day usually. Not huge ones...just a cup with light cream and it doesn't help. "=(
  • itsdreday
    itsdreday Posts: 60 Member
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    It took me a week or so to poop after surgery. The last 3 days I drank Milk of Magnesia 2x a day and it finally happened. I'm a month out now and it's still kind of random.
  • platinum3karat
    platinum3karat Posts: 66 Member
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    My doctor prescribed a liquid stool softner. The taste makes me vomit, I tried to
    mask the taste of it but I still vomit so I stop taking it. I will pick up some fiber gummed tomorrow. I get about 4 to 6 cups of water a day not to mention my protein shake. It tough getting it down but I try my best.

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