The tea on the box actually said 6-8 hours, which has passed. I took it 13 hrs ago. I did take a stool softner at 7 this morning. Not a laxative, but softner ( don't know if there is a difference ) but at this point, I"m willing to try *almost* anything.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't starting to worry. It feels like a softball is lodged in my colon. :(

I'm wondering now I need a suppositories....

I just don't know how long I should wait before calling a doctor. And I was talking to my mom and she said they may just send you home and tell you to do an enema.

I did excersize last night. I walked on the treadmill for 40 minutes at 3mph and incline at 3. I work out 4 days a week..

*ETA: timetolose, I'm almost scared to eat anything for fear of "piling up more waste" on what i'm sure is already a lot.

*sigh*

get a fleet enema from the drug store.

it's a bit uncomfortable, but it will help you. that's all my Dr recommends for me. you don't want to have to go to the hospital to have them do it!

From what I have read, it doesn't sound like the easiest task. Is it easier than it reads? Can I do one by myself? :?:

OK, well, if nothing has come to pass, then you should see your doctor NOW. Don't try any more laxatives, etc. because this can be dangerous if you have a blockage. Go to the doctor. Now.

Jay

It takes a bit of maneuvering, but yes it can be done alone. it's not a pretty sight :p

Do you have a Dr that you can call and talk to the nurse / leave a message for them with a "what should you do?" question? it would ease your mind i'm sure.

well, i'm not sure how much maneuvering I can really do as I'm pretty uncomfortable. I almost feel like having the doc or whomever would do it at the hospital, it can't be worse than my annual pap ( but maybe I'm wrong ) Would they offer it to me, or would I have to ask for it?

I will call my doctor today Jay and see if I can get in, if I can't ( my doc only works part time ) I guess I'll use the walk in clinic, cause I know for even my own sanity I can't go without not going much longer.

I would definitely call a doctor, but I'd also echo the suggestion earlier in the thread to have more healthy oils in your diet. I used to have IBS-D but found that I started getting constipated when dieting. I'm pretty sure that the combination of too much fat and alcohol gave me IBS-D and too little fat gave the opposite problem of constipation. When I eat off-plan at the weekend I always 'go' more easily subsequently but I have tried to incorporate more fat into my daily diet too. Upping my fibre intake in the form of wholewheat also helped but if you're already doing that it won't make a difference to you.

I had some of the symptoms your having. I had constipation issues and rectal bleeding, but then I would have bad diarrhea too. I had a colonoscopy done to check for crohn’s disease. It just turned out to be colitis and hemorrhoids. I had to take some very strong antibiotics for a few days, and I was fine. I think if it continues you should definitely have it looked into witha a colonoscopy. You can always talk to the doctor’s office that is performing the procedure and try to make payment options. It sounds like it's not getting any better. If you did have a colonoscopy done at least you would know what was causing it.

A nurse's perspective:
1. The laxatives make you dizzy because of the action they preform. They increase peristalsis, which means they increase the little waves of motion that move stuff through our colon. Unfortunately, they also increase your heart rate which is what is probably making you dizzy.
2. There is no law that says you must poop everyday, but if you're straining and your poop is hard, dry, crumbly, or looks like rabbit pellets, you are constipated.
3. Constipation usually comes from the feces moving too slowly through the bowel. Most water is absorbed in the large intestine, so if the poop is in there a long time, all of the water gets absorbed and that's what makes the poop dry. The dryer it is, the slower it moves, and the miserable cycle continues.
4. Miralax works by drawing water back into the colon so the poop will soften and move. I believe Senna works the same way. The advantage of Miralax is it is approved by the FDA, so the strength is the same in each bottle. Teas are not regulated, so the one you're drinking might be very strong or very weak. Not knocking whole foods and holistic health, just saying your situation sounds pretty serious, so knowing exactly what actions you're taking might be a good thing in this case.
5. Self-administering a fleets enema is not too bad. The other thing you could try is a bottle of mag citrate - a small dose of the stuff they use to clean you out for a colonoscopy. You can buy it over the counter (very cheap) but I would plan to be home when you take it as it can have explosive results.

I hope this helps answer some of your questions. As always, the best source of advice is your doc. I hope you feel better soon!

Try Miralax for a few weeks. It just adds water to the stool so things move more easily. If your constipated a little tear could explain the blood. Miralax is given to little kids all the time and it's very safe. It mixes in anything even water. No taste or texture. You can play with the dosage until you find the minimum that works for you. I take 1/2cap each day and my three year old takes 1/2 cap 1 or twice a week. Try it for a little bit and if symptoms don't imrpove then a trip to the doc is in order. Good luck.

The meds for your infection could have contributed to the constipation.
Try Keifer. It's a thick liquid yogurt that you can drink alone, mix with fruit or granola or mix with some skim milk. It's parabiotic and I SWEAR by it when anyone in my family has tummy issues.

I am waiting to hear back from the doctor. THey told me I had to put in a request to see her. I was told I should hear something by noon. If not, I don't know, maybe call back, or else just go to the walk in clinic. At this point I'm just so frustrated and in pain. I can still pee with no issues, but I hate even going to the bathroom cause it's so uncomfortable. It's "there" and it starts to come out, and then I get what I can only describe as a softball size hardness around my butt. *sorry, I know it's gross* :(


I'm having nightmares that I"m gonna have to have surgery for this, what feels like a 6pound baby in my colon. B/C how would I ever be able to actually pass that?

I will echo the suggestion for the probiotic. Not for immediate relief, probiotics take awhile to help, but if the antibiotic threw the bacterial balances off enough for you to develop a yeast infection, it probably threw the balance off in your intestines as well. A yeast over growth in your intestines can definitely cause constipation. Probiotics can help rebuild the healthy bacteria wiped out by the antibiotic.

OK....just got off the phone with the nurse. She talked to the doctor, who is booked today, and said she suggests I try miralax and a stool softner for a couple of days until I have a BM. I said when should I call back if this does not work, and she said on Thurs.


So, off to get some miralax I guess. I'm taking the afternoon off of work in hopes that this works. I certainly hope it does.

It makes me feel a tad better knowing that my doctor is not as worried about it as I am, that she didn't say I should go to the walk in clinic or to the ER.