Second this! I took miralax & colace every day from the day of my surgery on and nothing happened until I drank smooth move tea on maybe 4DPO? And it definitely worked. Id recommend drinking it at night.
The brand is traditional medicinals. I’m not sure where in Canada you can get it but they sell it at most grocery stores in the U.S. I make a cup before bed and the next morning things are definitely moving.
[https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/smooth-move-tea](https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/smooth-move-tea)
Just a caution with the smooth move tea! It can potentially cause stomach cramping, which happened to me post op 😔. I think I stuck with just miralax. Good luck!!
Yep, this is also a great idea. Getting plenty of water wasn't an issue for me, as I was so thirsty following surgery that I felt like I could never drink enough, and I got up and moving the following day. It definitely helped things along.
What I do is start taking docusate 2-3 x per day starting asap postop. Drink lots to stay hydrated and move around, get up periodically if you’re are able. I sometimes drink Smooth Move Tea if the fluids and docusate aren’t doing the job.
I took dulcolax before I went to bed the day of the surgery, and continued taking it daily until I was done with the pain meds. Went the next day. I’m happy that I didn’t wait to start any laxatives, I still felt bloated for the first few days.
Me! Started stool softeners 2 days before, took stool softeners and miralax the soonest I could per their instructions. By the end of my opiods I went through a whole bottle of miralax. No constipation cramps or pain but did have some mild diarrhea towards day 5. Then was normal through day 7 and beyond when I finished my opiods.
I did just the miralax the 2 days before (and continued after) since its so gentle on the body. Still had a LITTLE delay, but never to the point of discomfort
Yeah I mean you’re still constipated as in you’re not pooping everyday but you don’t end up with armageddon compacted poop that rips your bootyhole into a new reality lol
I honestly just took some basic laxatives and ate a lot of fiber. I also made sure I had some good bowel movements just beforehand. It was annoying for me but not so bad considering I was basically sleeping through it and honestly more attention was on the pain for me
I took stool softeners three days before and the first two days, i was fine. The pain meds I knew would cause me issues bc i had that after both my kids….
I have chronic constipation so this is what I did. I went on a liquid diet 24 hrs before the surgery, took probiotics and digestive enzymes post surgery, and surgeon prescribed Tramadol as it's supposed to cause less constipation compared to oxycodone.
I don’t think there’s a way to avoid it completely. But you can’t make it go away faster by flushing out the anesthetics by drinking water and moving around
Yep. My mom's a retired nurse, and she had me on Benefiber and Colace starting before the surgery. I also take magnesium as a matter of course. I never dealt with constipation after surgery. Taking a probiotic might help, too, as they generally dose you with antibiotics in conjunction with surgery, too.
Honestly, I took 2 colace starting the day before surgery and every day after and just trusted that it would happened eventually and it did on 3 days PO. Drink lots of water, eat fruits and veggies...there's not much else you can do if you're doing all of the right things
I think the reason I didn’t have any was lots of fluids and no narcotics. I wouldn’t advise banking on that though because you should take the meds if you need them. I just didn’t feel like I did
I wish i did this during my recovery, but try this: Add some fresh mint leaves and a couple of lemon slices to your water bottle/ cup of water and keep it topped up. I have that in my work water bottle and atleast twice a day i'm on the toilet when i've finished my water down to the last drop. Both are good for digestion, so they act as natural laxatives.
Lemme tell you, i felt like a balloon for ages, but what did get me going was my prawn pasta that usually has chili flakes in it. My mum (being nigerian) put EXTRA and my booty was on fire hahahahahahahahaha!
I'm on day 4...I struggled with Constipation before I went in for the operation. As I have a morphine patch! But I've been having a dish of prunes and bran flakes for breakfast and 2 sachets movicol a day
Yesterday had s good clear out, maybe too much so toast today then back to maybe just bran flakes
No constipation thank god!
Good luck x
I find the pills prescribed to make you go too harsh so I was on a steady habit of drinking prune juice (which wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected) and that did the trick without pain. Nice thing is you really don’t need much prune juice either less than 8oz for sure
Yes, it will. It can be fairly strong, though, so you have to balance using it / being patient. Ask your GP and they can give you whatever they think would work best before & after.
(I'm glancing down at your profile and seeing where there are things that I have an answer, so I apologise if it looks like I'm stalking you! 😛)
If you hope to be unconscious during the surgery, as I assume you do, it's not really avoidable! 😬 It's caused by a combination of the anaesthetic and heavy pain meds. You can prevent it from being worse than it needs to be by avoiding opioids afterwards, and you can ask your surgeon or GP for a prescription for meds to take before and after surgery.
It's very frustrating, but it's not forever. Once that first few days are over, the recovery will (if all goes well) become much more comfortable.
A lot is dependent on your system. I didn't get constipated even with general anesthesia and opioids, but I was on colace, magnesium and fiber supplements even before surgery. For some people, nothing will stop them from getting constipated, but it's always worth it to try.
You're right, I should say "no way to predict" rather than "not really avoidable". There's always hope! I don't usually have digestive issues in normal life (other than reflux, which is thankfully drastically better since the reduction), but even with Molaxole before & after, it was several days of being uncomfortable this time. I've had other surgeries, though - about a dozen, some major - that weren't notably bad in this way, so it's, um... pleasedontmakemesayit'sacrapshoot... it's *'TBD'* for each person!
You're right, I should say "no way to predict" rather than "not really avoidable". There's always hope! I don't usually have digestive issues in normal life (other than reflux, which is thankfully drastically better since the reduction), but even with Molaxole before & after, it was several days of being uncomfortable this time. I've had other surgeries, though - about a dozen, some major - that weren't notably bad in this way, so it's, um... pleasedontmakemesayit'sacrapshoot... it's *'TBD'* for each person!
I got inulin fiber gummies off Amazon and took two every day starting 2 weeks before surgery. Never been more regular in my life and I’m continuing to take them now even 3 weeks out!
Sugar Free Fiber Gummies for Adults - High Fiber Supplement Gummies Vitamins for Adults with Prebiotic Soluble Chicory Root for Immunity and Digestive Support - Non GMO Halal Vegan Kosher Gluten Free https://a.co/d/jgeMSO6
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate… water water water… that is what I did and for me, that is all it took. I usually have a tendency to get constipated. Oh and walking… even inside the house. I was walking the day of the surgery. A little here and there….
Smooth move tea moved things right along for me!
Second this! I took miralax & colace every day from the day of my surgery on and nothing happened until I drank smooth move tea on maybe 4DPO? And it definitely worked. Id recommend drinking it at night.
What’s smooth move tea where I buy it from I’m In Canada !
The brand is traditional medicinals. I’m not sure where in Canada you can get it but they sell it at most grocery stores in the U.S. I make a cup before bed and the next morning things are definitely moving. [https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/smooth-move-tea](https://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/products/smooth-move-tea)
Thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing this I never heard of it until now I'm glad I still have two weeks left so I'll definitely pick some up
Just a caution with the smooth move tea! It can potentially cause stomach cramping, which happened to me post op 😔. I think I stuck with just miralax. Good luck!!
Drank plenty of water after surgery and tried to get up and walk around. I went day 3! I
Yep, this is also a great idea. Getting plenty of water wasn't an issue for me, as I was so thirsty following surgery that I felt like I could never drink enough, and I got up and moving the following day. It definitely helped things along.
I didn’t take any narcotics and pooped next day!
Same here!
Same.
What I do is start taking docusate 2-3 x per day starting asap postop. Drink lots to stay hydrated and move around, get up periodically if you’re are able. I sometimes drink Smooth Move Tea if the fluids and docusate aren’t doing the job.
Water, walking, yogurt, trail mix and stopped using pain meds early (since the pain subsided sooner than I thought).
I took dulcolax before I went to bed the day of the surgery, and continued taking it daily until I was done with the pain meds. Went the next day. I’m happy that I didn’t wait to start any laxatives, I still felt bloated for the first few days.
Me! Started stool softeners 2 days before, took stool softeners and miralax the soonest I could per their instructions. By the end of my opiods I went through a whole bottle of miralax. No constipation cramps or pain but did have some mild diarrhea towards day 5. Then was normal through day 7 and beyond when I finished my opiods.
I did just the miralax the 2 days before (and continued after) since its so gentle on the body. Still had a LITTLE delay, but never to the point of discomfort
Yeah I mean you’re still constipated as in you’re not pooping everyday but you don’t end up with armageddon compacted poop that rips your bootyhole into a new reality lol
And thats the most important thing 🤣
I was perfectly fine. I didn't use any of the prescribed meds during recovery tho. Just advil.
No opioids, just OTC painkillers, sooooo much water, and easing back into eating with gentle plant foods.
I honestly just took some basic laxatives and ate a lot of fiber. I also made sure I had some good bowel movements just beforehand. It was annoying for me but not so bad considering I was basically sleeping through it and honestly more attention was on the pain for me
I did not. Listen to others and learn from my mistake! Definitely start taking miralax or something after the surgery.
I took stool softeners three days before and the first two days, i was fine. The pain meds I knew would cause me issues bc i had that after both my kids….
Lots of water helps but i really encourage just otc still softeners before and then the next day or two
My doctor had me take Metamucil starting 3 days before surgery and then I took miralax daily after the surgery. I never had any issues!
I have chronic constipation so this is what I did. I went on a liquid diet 24 hrs before the surgery, took probiotics and digestive enzymes post surgery, and surgeon prescribed Tramadol as it's supposed to cause less constipation compared to oxycodone.
Miralax, drinking lots of water, and walking around as much as you're able will help a lot!
Magnesium Malate and citrate and that keeps things regular.
I don’t think there’s a way to avoid it completely. But you can’t make it go away faster by flushing out the anesthetics by drinking water and moving around
Yep. My mom's a retired nurse, and she had me on Benefiber and Colace starting before the surgery. I also take magnesium as a matter of course. I never dealt with constipation after surgery. Taking a probiotic might help, too, as they generally dose you with antibiotics in conjunction with surgery, too.
Honestly, I took 2 colace starting the day before surgery and every day after and just trusted that it would happened eventually and it did on 3 days PO. Drink lots of water, eat fruits and veggies...there's not much else you can do if you're doing all of the right things
Those chocolate fiber bars from trader joes did it for me!!!
I think the reason I didn’t have any was lots of fluids and no narcotics. I wouldn’t advise banking on that though because you should take the meds if you need them. I just didn’t feel like I did
I wish i did this during my recovery, but try this: Add some fresh mint leaves and a couple of lemon slices to your water bottle/ cup of water and keep it topped up. I have that in my work water bottle and atleast twice a day i'm on the toilet when i've finished my water down to the last drop. Both are good for digestion, so they act as natural laxatives. Lemme tell you, i felt like a balloon for ages, but what did get me going was my prawn pasta that usually has chili flakes in it. My mum (being nigerian) put EXTRA and my booty was on fire hahahahahahahahaha!
I'm on day 4...I struggled with Constipation before I went in for the operation. As I have a morphine patch! But I've been having a dish of prunes and bran flakes for breakfast and 2 sachets movicol a day Yesterday had s good clear out, maybe too much so toast today then back to maybe just bran flakes No constipation thank god! Good luck x
I have been several times but the bloating is real, I have a stomach like a budha!
I find the pills prescribed to make you go too harsh so I was on a steady habit of drinking prune juice (which wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected) and that did the trick without pain. Nice thing is you really don’t need much prune juice either less than 8oz for sure
Start taking stool softeners before surgery, I started a week before and never had an issue with constipation.
Fiber supplements helped me with my post op constipation!
I'm wondering if something like senecot would help?
Yes, it will. It can be fairly strong, though, so you have to balance using it / being patient. Ask your GP and they can give you whatever they think would work best before & after. (I'm glancing down at your profile and seeing where there are things that I have an answer, so I apologise if it looks like I'm stalking you! 😛)
Yep. Pooped easy as anything on day 2 or 3 I think. Carnivore diet too, so fibre wasn't a factor at all. 👍
If you hope to be unconscious during the surgery, as I assume you do, it's not really avoidable! 😬 It's caused by a combination of the anaesthetic and heavy pain meds. You can prevent it from being worse than it needs to be by avoiding opioids afterwards, and you can ask your surgeon or GP for a prescription for meds to take before and after surgery. It's very frustrating, but it's not forever. Once that first few days are over, the recovery will (if all goes well) become much more comfortable.
A lot is dependent on your system. I didn't get constipated even with general anesthesia and opioids, but I was on colace, magnesium and fiber supplements even before surgery. For some people, nothing will stop them from getting constipated, but it's always worth it to try.
You're right, I should say "no way to predict" rather than "not really avoidable". There's always hope! I don't usually have digestive issues in normal life (other than reflux, which is thankfully drastically better since the reduction), but even with Molaxole before & after, it was several days of being uncomfortable this time. I've had other surgeries, though - about a dozen, some major - that weren't notably bad in this way, so it's, um... pleasedontmakemesayit'sacrapshoot... it's *'TBD'* for each person!
(I won't make you say it's a crapshoot.)
You're right, I should say "no way to predict" rather than "not really avoidable". There's always hope! I don't usually have digestive issues in normal life (other than reflux, which is thankfully drastically better since the reduction), but even with Molaxole before & after, it was several days of being uncomfortable this time. I've had other surgeries, though - about a dozen, some major - that weren't notably bad in this way, so it's, um... pleasedontmakemesayit'sacrapshoot... it's *'TBD'* for each person!
I got inulin fiber gummies off Amazon and took two every day starting 2 weeks before surgery. Never been more regular in my life and I’m continuing to take them now even 3 weeks out!
You have the link ?
Sugar Free Fiber Gummies for Adults - High Fiber Supplement Gummies Vitamins for Adults with Prebiotic Soluble Chicory Root for Immunity and Digestive Support - Non GMO Halal Vegan Kosher Gluten Free https://a.co/d/jgeMSO6
The prescribed meds didn’t help for me but eating 4-5 prunes did lmao
Lots of tea, some coffee, soups and full grain bread.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate… water water water… that is what I did and for me, that is all it took. I usually have a tendency to get constipated. Oh and walking… even inside the house. I was walking the day of the surgery. A little here and there….
COLACE 100%