A new experience, constipation

[Heaveho]

Other than an expected reaction from prescribed meds after an op a decade ago, I've been fortunate enough never to have suffered from constipation. And I hope never to again. I woke up early yesterday morning and found myself unable to pass liquid, solids or wind. Having no experience of this scenario previously, I didn't initially give it much thought. The day progressed with no improvement, and having tried a couple of off the shelf remedies without success, by 8pm I was in agony. I put my symptoms into the NHS Direct site, and was rewarded with the suggestion that I treat it as an emergency and to dial 999!

I live over the road from my local hospital, so with walked there, no easy task by this stage. After about 3 hours of standing in reception, as sitting had now become too painful, a scan took place which indicated an extremely full bladder. This was drained ( 600ml drained off ), and half an hour later I was able to pass solids. I came away at about 2am this morning and still have a catheter which will have to remain in for a week. I'd forgotten what an unpleasant experience these things are and just trying to walk is extremely difficult.

I was concerned as to why this had happened. The hospital took a blood test and nothing untoward has come back other than a slightly high urea reading. They reckoned I was just unlucky, but they are still awaiting the results of a urine sample test. I asked questions about avoiding eating anything particular, but they weren't concerned that it was anything relevant. I really want to avoid being in this situation again. Anyone had anything similar with a more explainable outcome?

I'd like to say that every member of staff at Newcastle RVI that dealt with me last night were superb.

[Wacky Racer]

I had the same last week, I put it down to painkillers, co codamol etc, after a knee replacement five weeks ago.

Horrible experience, had me very worried.

Now taking laxatives, and eating plenty of all bran and am thankfully back to normal.

[nuyorican]

My tried and tested cure for constipation:

Six to ten pints of lager the evening before. Followed by two pints of very strong proper coffee the next morning.

[Siko]

Having gone through the full gamut of cancer a couple of years back, surgery, feeding tube fitment/removal, radio/chemotherapy, every scan/biopsy known to man etc, the worst bit (apart from the mental side) was two occasions of constipation due to the massive quantities of pain killers. This was despite taking loads of laxatives, but it didn't always work unless I almost OD'd on them.

Honestly just agony and immense frustration, I won't go into details but if I could have managed to have put something up there and scooped it out I would have done, it was the most extreme relief I have ever experienced when the plug popped out.....you have my sympathy OP.

[Heaveho]

Siko said:

Having gone through the full gamut of cancer a couple of years back, surgery, feeding tube fitment/removal, radio/chemotherapy, every scan/biopsy known to man etc, the worst bit (apart from the mental side) was two occasions of constipation due to the massive quantities of pain killers. This was despite taking loads of laxatives, but it didn't always work unless I almost OD'd on them.

Honestly just agony and immense frustration, I won't go into details but if I could have managed to have put something up there and scooped it out I would have done, it was the most extreme relief I have ever experienced when the plug popped out.....you have my sympathy OP.

Thank you. I'm lucky enough to have got to the age I am without serious illness, although 3 cancer scares, a broken neck and blocked carotid artery from a bike accident have kept me guessing, but the pain I was in last night is something that doesn't happen often and I hope not to have to relive it. Sorry you've had so much experience of it.

[geeks]

nuyorican said:

My tried and tested cure for constipation:

Six to ten pints of lager the evening before. Followed by two pints of very strong proper coffee the next morning.

5 pints of Guinness and a bag of peanuts the night before and you can skip the coffee if you need to

[RoadToad84]

Can't offer any help, but do empathise. Was on morphine recently following a cycling related broken neck, and had the most extreme constipation as a result - doubly unfun with a neck brace on and no means of "straining" without causing severe pain to my injury.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I ended up manually assisting the bd thing out of myself, and at the risk of a ban for TMI, it was fully 14" long and thicker than my wrist. The sense of agonised relief as it finally burst free will live with me forever. As will the memory of having to take a high pressure hose to the toilet bowl to get it broken down enough to flush.

0/10 would not recommend.

[speedyman]

Yep, got the t shirt. Ended up straining to hard and bleeding. Not good when your on anti coagulant meds. Mine was caused by taking codeine. I now take one/two transi Soft laxative drink during the day then a senna tablet before bedtime if required.

[Heaveho]

RoadToad84 said:

Can't offer any help, but do empathise. Was on morphine recently following a cycling related broken neck, and had the most extreme constipation as a result - doubly unfun with a neck brace on and no means of "straining" without causing severe pain to my injury.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I ended up manually assisting the bd thing out of myself, and at the risk of a ban for TMI, it was fully 14" long and thicker than my wrist. The sense of agonised relief as it finally burst free will live with me forever. As will the memory of having to take a high pressure hose to the toilet bowl to get it broken down enough to flush.

0/10 would not recommend.

This quite literally deserves the description " holy st "! I thought I was having trouble when it got so painful that sitting down was becoming intolerable and even straining a minute amount was making me nauseous and sweaty, but I'm clearly not even in the game. When I have to consider virtually fisting myself to get some relief, I know I'll have real problems to contend with. It's a no from me as things stand but I'm starting to realise I may have had a lucky escape compared to some, so thanks for sharing!

[Heaveho]

speedyman said:

Yep, got the t shirt. Ended up straining to hard and bleeding. Not good when your on anti coagulant meds. Mine was caused by taking codeine. I now take one/two transi Soft laxative drink during the day then a senna tablet before bedtime if required.

Oh yeah, when the heavens opened so to speak, there was blood, puss, mucus, nuclear waste and all kinds of toxic fallout appearing. I haven't had an empty out like that since I had to take Moviprep before my bowel cancer scan.

[Oilchange]

Mmm, carefully adding 'avoid morphine' to bucket list...

[popeyewhite]

Strange you couldn't urinate. Keep an eye on that in particular.

[Heaveho]

popeyewhite said:

Strange you couldn't urinate. Keep an eye on that in particular.

Thanks, yeah, strange. I initially thought it must be the pressure from the bowel stopping the flow. Yet once the bladder was drained, it was no time at all before I could pass solids. The Dr. I saw didn't seem to think it was anything unusual, and I asked him specifically about it. He simply commented that if one became full, it might impact on the other. I hadn't had any sense that my bladder was filling up beforehand.

I had an op to reduce the size of my prostate a decade ago. That was a very different experience and it was typical in that I felt I needed to go constantly, but couldn't. Maybe it's the start of a relapse, but it doesn't feel like that at the mo.

[sir humphrey appleby]

A very apt user name OP

Glad you’re better.

[croyde]

RoadToad84 said:

Can't offer any help, but do empathise. Was on morphine recently following a cycling related broken neck, and had the most extreme constipation as a result - doubly unfun with a neck brace on and no means of "straining" without causing severe pain to my injury.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I ended up manually assisting the bd thing out of myself, and at the risk of a ban for TMI, it was fully 14" long and thicker than my wrist. The sense of agonised relief as it finally burst free will live with me forever. As will the memory of having to take a high pressure hose to the toilet bowl to get it broken down enough to flush.

0/10 would not recommend.

I gave birth to one like that once I was strangely proud to see it sitting there defying countless flushes. I really wanted to take a picture of it.

[Heaveho]

sir humphrey appleby said:

A very apt user name OP

Glad you’re better.

Can't believe I didn't make that connection, very good. Thanks, yeah, relieved in more than one sense!

[blue_haddock]

I regularly take codeine several times most days due to rheumatoid arthritis and have done for years and yet i've never suffered from constipation.

[gotoPzero]

Well that's tonight's nightmare sorted then.

[Mr.Chips]

You can always spot when someone has constipation, there are teeth marks in the toilet seat!
I was an occasional sufferer, ending up with an anal fissure, not very pleasant! GP prescribed stool softening meds which helped, but it still took ages to heal. Also found that high fibre cereal and plenty of fresh fruit made a significant improvement. Good luck OP

[Heaveho]

Mr.Chips said:

You can always spot when someone has constipation, there are teeth marks in the toilet seat!
I was an occasional sufferer, ending up with an anal fissure, not very pleasant! GP prescribed stool softening meds which helped, but it still took ages to heal. Also found that high fibre cereal and plenty of fresh fruit made a significant improvement. Good luck OP

Thank you. I'm on to stage 2 of my " living the A&E RVI dream " adventure now. Those madcap funsters at the NHS appear to have furnished me with a catheter with which the inserted tube seems to have been designed by a medical torture S&M expert, and liberally coated with a combination of Veet for men and industrially heated Turtle Bay Hot sauce, the result being that trying to move causes me to consider self flagellation with burning thistles as a form of pain relief. I may consider running face first into a spinning propellor, or spending the night naked locked in a phone box full of wasps as a way of taking my mind off things.

Just for the avoidance of doubt, I'm in no way ever guilty of any form of exaggeration!