LastUnicornLady Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Hey, everyone. I am struggling a lot right now with my gastrointestinal system. I've stuggled with constipation a lot over the years, and it seems to have been worsened by the Seroquel I started a few months ago, in addition to the zofran I take for nausea as needed. For the last week and a half, all of my symptoms have doubled in severity. I haven't been able to have an actual bowel movement in a week now despite taking a daily stool softner and repeated attempts at stimulant laxative usage and a suppository. I've also had really severe nausea to the point of nearly vomitting after almost everything I've eaten. I've tried ginger tea, heating pads, my zofran (which has worsened the constipation and not helped the nausea much). I'm at the end of my rope, and my follow up with my doctor isn't for a few more weeks. Help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyGirls Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 You don't say which stimulant laxative you use. Have you tried Miralax? In larger amounts, it is what they use for bowel prep for colonoscopies, I believe. At any rate, you can take a whole lot of the stuff. Also, magnesium citrate in the bottle works. I wouldn't recommend drinking the whole bottle at once, but you can. It will clear you out, too. After you get cleared out, you have to keep on a regimen of Miralax, or whatever it was that you found worked, and stick with it. Also, have you tried magnesium tablets. My daughter takes 800 mg a day. It helps muscle spasms, too. Give it a good try before you decide one thing doesn't work. You have to get cleared out first. I speak from years of experience on this one. I hope you feel better real soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest KiminOrlando Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Good advice from Dizzy. Then at your doctor's appointment, tell him all of that and ask to be checked for gastroparesis. I am on Domperidone for it. That med changed my life. Some docs won't prescribe it. Do a search on this site about it. We have talked about it in the past. Getting regulated makes life easier. Good luck with your doctor's appointment and feel free to ask us anything. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterSown Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 I am so sorry you are experiencing this, it is very, very uncomfortable. I seen my proctologist more often than my cardiologist or neurologist. They can assess your motility and make suggestions to change your diet, prescribe meds or OTCs, and give you a maintenance plan. If possible, try to make your appointment with a doctor soon, you haven't gone in a week and that's not healthy for you. In the meantime, you could take a soak in a tub with some epsom salts. The magnesium soak may be stimulative and your skin is nice for it too. A warm heating pad or hot water bottle for your abdomen may be soothing, I hope you feel better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 Sorry you are having such trouble, I hope you find relief soon! It is such an uncomfortable situation... I use a mix of diffrent laxatives, linzess, suppositories and enemas, and even then still have trouble. My GI is actually doing some manotomy testing Friday because he thinks there may be some new dysfunction/lack of function with the rectal muscles. I would caution that there is the possibility of a bowel obstruction with this set of symptoms. You can still pass small amounts of stool around an obstruction. If so, using miralax or osmotic laxatives could be life threatening by stretching the bowel so far that it bursts. There is also psudo obstructions to be aware of... you should be able to look up some past posts about that. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterSown Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 51 minutes ago, ANCY said: Sorry you are having such trouble, I hope you find relief soon! It is such an uncomfortable situation... I use a mix of diffrent laxatives, linzess, suppositories and enemas, and even then still have trouble. My GI is actually doing some manotomy testing Friday because he thinks there may be some new dysfunction/lack of function with the rectal muscles. I would caution that there is the possibility of a bowel obstruction with this set of symptoms. You can still pass small amounts of stool around an obstruction. If so, using miralax or osmotic laxatives could be life threatening by stretching the bowel so far that it bursts. There is also psudo obstructions to be aware of... you should be able to look up some past posts about that. Good luck! I've had anorectal manometry twice. First time they didn't know I had POTS. This time around I was given a prescription for Pelvic Floor PT. I've got a session at 1130am today, I go twice a week. It has been a tremendous aid. Not only do I have better control and stronger muscles, the exercises have given me a new me. I don't know whose body this is, I'm getting toned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted July 24, 2017 Report Share Posted July 24, 2017 Thanks Wintersown. Glad to hear PT has helped you so much! My GI said possibly doing PT, or surgery if it's more complicated and related to my ongoing spinal osteomyelitis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Rose Posted July 26, 2017 Report Share Posted July 26, 2017 So sorry you are suffering so.......do be careful with strong laxatives until you are sure there is no obstruction. My GI felt I had gastroparesis when I went thru a similar situation. Oddly enough I went on low carb low fat diet and when I stopped the whole wheat is when my bowels stopped. Who knew such a simple daily intake could affect the intestines so! Went on benifiber daily and back on small amount of wheat fiber to fix the problem but it did take a while. Hope you find a easy solution Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichGotsPots Posted August 2, 2017 Report Share Posted August 2, 2017 It sounds like what you are describing is Gastroparesis. You need to see a Gastroparesis specialist and not just a regular GI. You could have an inert colon which could lead to a bowel onbstruction. That needs to be monitored very carefully and I suggest to get a smart motility pill to test your whole digestive tract and not just your stomach emptying. i won't advice you what can help because this is a delicate situation that needs careful monitoring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashc Posted August 4, 2017 Report Share Posted August 4, 2017 Very uncomfortable situation, are sure you were prescribed the right dosage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountain girl Posted August 5, 2017 Report Share Posted August 5, 2017 I too have had constipation issues for years, and was diagnosed with redundant colon as a result of the chronic constipation. I use Calm Magnesium powder, which is available at health food stores or on vita cost. My daughter is the one who recommended it, and when I saw one of the POTS doctors, she said the magnesium powder regularly was good since it is more natural than the stimulant laxatives. I think the key is to know you need to take something everyday for regular bowel movements, and you can increase or back off on the amount of powder as you need to. I personally take a heaping teaspoon every morning and at bedtime. It does not taste the best, but is not too bad with cold water, or juice if you prefer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastUnicornLady Posted August 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2017 Thank you for the kind words and advice! I ran out of zofran and haven't been able to refill it in a while, and being off of the zofran has helped immensely with constipation. It's still a pretty big issue, but I am having more frequent bowel movements. I see my doctor in a week and half so I will talk to him about a zofran alternative (have tried chamomile and ginger and other home remedies with little to no results). I've also been taking some magnesium and eating a softer diet, and that seems to have helped. I'll be talking to my doctor about the gi issues and hopefully will get a referral to a specialist, but I may wait until I see my psychiatrist in September to get off of the seroquel and see how I do then. Gastroparesis seems almost certain due to the symptoms... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANCY Posted August 8, 2017 Report Share Posted August 8, 2017 Just wanted to let you know about a zofran alternative... called a scopolamine patch, I was initially put on it because I had prolonged qt and had to come off zofran for a while. It may or may not work, I can only use it intermittently but it's a good tool in the toolbox so to speak. Patch goes behind the ear and lasts for 3 days. Works best to counteract motion sickness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffRockChick Posted August 9, 2017 Report Share Posted August 9, 2017 I had wicked constipation on seroquel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan Posted August 13, 2017 Report Share Posted August 13, 2017 Hello, I also suffered from severe constipation. What is working for me right now is that I take a really good probiotic every morning, digestive enzymes before meals, I have radically changed my diet to vegan. It took about three months but now I am going almost every day and couldn't be happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trinity Posted August 16, 2017 Report Share Posted August 16, 2017 Up your fiber intake and drink lots of water. If the psyllium husk drinks make you nauseous, there are great chewable "candies" that make the process easy. FWIW, I suffer from dysmotility also. I also have celiac disease (no gluten = no wheat, barley or rye). When I went for a routine colonoscopy for the celiac disease, I still had food in my colon after a two and a half day fast. My neuro put me on Cromolyn Sodium oral suspecting a Mast Cell disorder and things are moving along a lot faster now. You might want to explore this issue with your doctors especially if you're an allergic type person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvherenow Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 I'm glad the med change is helping. If it continues and there's no obstruction, just start trying what everyone here recommends. I have to take two capfuls of miralax every night. The Calm Mag also works but I find it a bit more 'spurty' (so gross) than the miralax. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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