Severe Constipation - Please help

Sorry if this is TMI but I am desperate for help. I have a history of gastro probs and last november was in a out of the ER several times over the course of the week due to EXTREME pain in my ribs and back. They ultimately decided I had stool lodged under my ribs and gave me a laxative and it gradually cleared out. Well I did not sleep last night because the same pain came on yesterday evening and intensified all night. I cant even lay down and have difficulty breathing bc of the pain. I took 2 Dulcolax at 11pm and nothing (not be to be gross but even if I try, very little comes out and it's small and solid). My OB said last night to call my gastro so after paging him at 5am and 7am he finally calls back and says I'm not longer under his care and call her. I was hysterically crying and begged him that it took 5 days to diagnose last time and need some sort of input and my OB advised me to get it and he basically just said go to the ER and see her (not him). I spoke to my OB again and she said try milk of magnesia and then though it's not recommended an enema but otherwise come to the ER. after my last ER experiences where they told me and gave me nothing after as long as 8 hours, i'm afraid to experience this horrible pain in the hospital again rather than home. im going to try these other things now but has anyone had anything like this? what's helped you???? im so scared im going to hurt the baby bc im actually now vomiting from the pain (so forget eating) and it seems like nobody can help me

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I'm sorry!!!!

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

My friend took Milk of Magneisa during her pregnancy for constipation and it didn't hurt her baby. Hopefully you get some relief

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I've used milk of magnesia a few times- and it worked. I've also heard the girls on here mention Colace.

Were you pregnant the last time you were in the ER? I find that they move a bit more quickly to get things done when they have a pregger on their hands.....

ETA: I hope you get some relief soon!!

Message edited 3/24/2007 8:58:28 AM.

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I went thrub this really badly when I was taking Zofran for m/s - I find the following helped a lot:

dates
dried fruit - apricots, apples, juices - fresh squeezed - things like that...

good luck!

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I'm so sorry. I too have GI problems and things like this happen to be me often

Have you tried Plum Smart plum juice? It really does help. If you follow it with a glass of hot water or tea, it REALLY speeds things up. Colace is great too but it takes a while for me, too long.

I know this sounds crazy but can you get out for a quick walk? Even 20 minutes will do wonders for me. Keep drinking tons of water and please feel better

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

thanks ladies. i actually take the max does of colace daily so i tried that last night before the laxatives and nothing. does anyone know how quickly milk of magnesia works? i just took it and im giving myself another hour or two before i go to the ER. im hoping i do get a higher level of priority bc of being PG this time (i wasnt PG back in Nov when this happened). im so frustrated though bc the pain is SO intense but i feel like i cant truly express that to anyone and they may think the tears and vomiting are just from being PG.

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

What about prune juice??

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

hot liquids are supposed to be good, sort of melt things along . . . i'm majorly constipated too and am going to try this too -mine has been off and on

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I had this yesterday so bad I was almost in the ER as well. Mine was more closer to coming out...And I used a gylcerin suppository ...it worked within 20 minutes.

My Dr said they are fine to use along with MOM on emergnecy basis ....b/c you dont want to get impacted.

I would try the Suppository. See if it helps.

If it doesnt, then its further up and I would take Sennakot. Its a laxative, but milder and many PG women use it....

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

Thank you SO much for all of your responses. I thought I was going to lose my mind. The MOM didnt do anything so I took Fleet phospho-soda (the stuff they give you for colonoscopies) and it finally kicked in. The pain hasnt gone away yet but at least now I feel like things are moving and there's an end in sight. I'm going to wait to see how that goes (not that I can leave my apartment right now if I wanted to ) and head to the ER this evening if the pain doesnt at least improve. I'm nervous that I had to take all this stuff but at least the OB is aware and said it was OK if necessary. I read warnings that it may cause my blood pressure to go up but DH is a nurse so he's going to monitor it.

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I was dealing w/constipation (only not as severe) and I figured I'd list for you what has helped me:
2 collace every night before bed
Metamucil every morning (2 servings)
High fiber cereal (10 grams per serving)for bfast every morning w/a banana
at least 2-3 more fruits through out the day.
and so far its helped a lot.

I'm sorry, I know how tough this can be

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

How horrible for you, I hope you get relief soon

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I'm so sorry! I wish I had some helpful advice. Have you tried prune juice? Can you take a stool softener and laxative combination? I can't believe your gastro wouldn't see you after you OB told you to go to him.

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I had a similiar problem while I was pregnant with my son and was told to take Milk of Magneisa. It helped! Good Luck!

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I had the same problem as you, and I know how desperate for relief you must feel! I, too almost went to the ER. My doctor suggested Dulcolax suppositories. I tried it and it worked in about 15 mins....nothing else worked at all. I also stopped taking my prenatals. Turns out I am 100% better after stopping the prenatals. There is a lot of iron in them and iron worsens the constipation. My doc said he would put me on a diff prenatal once I get back to normal.
Prune juice, dried prunes, really only help after a week or so of using them (for me anyways) but I also discovered "FiberSure" by metamucil. I put a teaspoon of that in a small cup of o.j. every morning and have not had any problems lately.
I definitely think that stopping the prenatals helped the most in the long run.....

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

My friend recommended Frosted Mini Wheats, and it worked for me

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I have no advice, but I do hope you find an answer soon! This cannot be easy to go through at all!

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help

I use prune juice and substitute my prenatal with a Centrum every now and then. The prenatal has iron that doesn't help with the constipation.

Re: Severe Constipation - Please help