Constipation? ?

Question

I have been constipated for about 6 days, I try to poo, but nothing comes out even if I strain. (sorry, this is quite manky.)

My question is, can constipation be caused when you hold in a poo when your body is 'telling' you to go?

I was staying at a friend's house for 5 days and their toilet doesn't flush too well and it is right next to their living room!

So I held in the 'urge' to poo and now can't do it at all.

Does anyone have any advice?

I have started eating more fibre, but I can't eat cereal like weetabix, because I am lactose intolerance. (Cereal isn't nice without milk!)

Thanks.

Answer 1

Your problem came from holding it in and not going when you had the urge.

My Doctor recomended "Seneokot" sold over the counter in boxes of 20 tabs. Take 2 tablets and drink pleanty of water and it will work gently overnight.

Answer 2

drink some lactulose.  hot cup of tea with plenty sugar (that works for me).

Answer 3

Dude, you are totally constipated at this point and need to get it out before you become obstructed. Your large intestine absorbs all the water from your gut, so the longer that stuff sits in the large intestine (connected to your r****m) the more dehydrated it is going to be. I have totally done this before when I went to indian camp as a kid and had to use an outhouse that I thought had spiders (it did though!).

You do need to go, but should try something less aggressive as lactulose - they use that in the hospital and it makes the patient have intense cramping and abdominal pain.

Start with some serious water intake, warm tea, and such. Don't dehydrate yourself. I would not start any type of high fiber until you are actually able to go as the fiber will just make this problem worse at this point. Start it after you are back to your regular bowel habits.

If you are not able to go after just having tea and water, try some of those sugar free candies that specifically say overconsumption will lead to diarrhea or something like that. Don't just get any sugar free thing, they are the sugar alcohols like sorbitol that do it. If you choose this route, make sure to drink plenty of water afterwards.

You could try some over the counter docusate sodium - this acts on your bowel directly. The sodium pulls water into your bowel and prevents the bowel from absorbing water (in small scale though), so that your stool is a little more loose - hence stool softner! You still need to drink a lot of water though.

So drink up, and keep drinking. I personally had to stop eating and just drink water until I went and it took me about a day, actually a little less than that. Just don't over do it.If you are not able to go after a day of cutting out extra food and such, and drinking lots of water and the sugar free stuff as well as docusate - I would check in with your doctor as you could have an obstruction. Happy crapping! :)

Answer 4

Orange juice on an empty stomach! Does it for me every time!

Answer 5

Drink lots of water to loosen it up a bit, drink lots while eating too.  Do you like spicy things?  If so buy a jar of jalapeno peppers and pop them in what your eating,  sprinkle onto food.  Otherwise lots of fruit, dried prunes, etc.

Answer 6

you could try eating some liquorice or some diabetic sweets/sugar free polo's (my grandma told me about the polos)  

Answer 7

  Why don't you just take a one or two quart plain warm water e***a? You will be back to your normal self in about 15 minutes.