3 weeks ago I had a hysterectomy. Thy sent me home with a huge bottle of Ducolax to take twice a day. Over time I had bowel movements though occasionally it would be a couple days. By my 2 week check-up, I was feeling fine. I told the physician (who was not my surgeon) that I was taking the Ducolax.

Since then (9 days) I continued to take the Ducolax as I presumed I was to finish the bottle. Well I stopped having bowel movements regularly, in fact I have only had one and that was 4 days ago.

I know and I will call the doctor in the AM. But I am pissed, I am now reading that taking this stuff for more than 1 week is not recommended because of risk of laxative dependence. I have been taking it for over 3 weeks!

Does any one know what I can do to reverse this? I feel extremely uncomfortable, but more upset... My post-op care has been pretty terrible.

I am drinking water but not enough. I am now consciously increasing to 10 glasses a day. I am eating a ton of fruit a day (e.g. yesterday I ate 1lb of cherries 1.5 lbs of grapes, 2 small oranges and a peach.)

Is laxative dependence a permanent effect? Can it be reversed?

Cruising laxative dependency articles from google seems to indicate that you have to use laxatives for periods measured in years to really mess your colon up good.

Earlier this year my colon stopped for about three weeks, and nothing seemed to help. Laxatives poduced marginal results, but didn't restore normal function. Eventually it got all straightened out, though, but I don't really know what caused it or fixed it.

Thanks. I did spend an hour googling before my post on laxative dependance but all I oculd fins was "don't take it more than 7 days." "There's a risk laxative dependancY." without really talking about time frame.

When I googled Ducolax, it says it's a stool softener. I think that means you are in luck.

Stool softeners (unlike laxatives) are not habit-forming. (http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_tnconsti_hhg.htm)

Eat lots of bran, oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and popcorn, and drink copious amounts of water. Also, limit your consumption of bananas, dairy products, white rice, applesauce, and white flour.

Logically, I personally would be inclined to continue to take them (or Metamucil), but gradually reduce my dosage until I was having more than one bowel movement every four days.

When I googled Ducolax, it says it's a stool softener. I think that means you are in luck.

Stool softeners (unlike laxatives) are not habit-forming. (http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/pa/pa_tnconsti_hhg.htm)

Eat lots of bran, oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and popcorn, and drink copious amounts of water. Also, limit your consumption of bananas, dairy products, white rice, applesauce, and white flour.

Logically, I personally would be inclined to continue to take them (or Metamucil), but gradually reduce my dosage until I was having more than one bowel movement every four days.

G*d, you're a g*dsend... I swear I googled for over an hour, including ducolax and I never found any of the info you guys did... :p

I have upped my water intake, I have called the doctor, I am eating oatmeal as I write this... I should have eaten popcorn when I was at the movies (I thought I was being good not to.) I am eating almost no dairy (little protein powder even) and I will go out and buy some bran. And I will continue taking Ducolax... thanks everyone!

A few minutes later....

Dr's office just called -- they confirmed what Guava wrote -- they are adding senekote -- they say this is normal. I am to take magnesium citrate if things don't improve. No worries about any "dependency" because these are all natural products.

Whew! I can't believe how anxious I get around my health when things don't go right... I guess I feel so out of control.... Don't like that :nope:

Whew! I can't believe how anxious I get around my health when things don't go right... I guess I feel so out of control.... Don't like that

No kidding. Having seen exactly what happens to people hospitalized with bowel obstructions, I was pretty darn anxious during my little episode too.

Go down to Starbucks and have one of their large Espresso's..

You'll be "pool-side" within an hour.

I'm not in the same situation as you but for what it's worth, I was pretty satisfied with the results I got from regular use of Activia yogurt which has a unique yogurt culture that helps with regulation of bowel health.

(My already adequate fiber and insane fluid consumption was still leaving me a little constipated for a while.)

Go down to Starbucks and have one of their large Espresso's..

You'll be "pool-side" within an hour.

:lol:

Thanks wite-owl for your suggestion...

I seem to be back to normal without the benefit of taking additional stuff. :tucool: Perhaps the 8 glasses of water I drank yesterday helped do the trick....

I was wondering... does anyone think the Hollywood stars drink something like Magnesium citrate to clean their system out before they go on the red carpet? It is not supposed to be harmful and I am amazed how trimmer I look when I am "emptier" (though I have not tried Magnesium Citrate... I am just talking about my experience with the natural ebb and flow of things.)


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"No matter how unmotivated or sluggish you feel before a workout, you never feel worse after finishing it, so you might as well get it done." Causticmuse

:lol:

Thanks wite-owl for your suggestion...

I seem to be back to normal without the benefit of taking additional stuff. :tucool: Perhaps the 8 glasses of water I drank yesterday helped do the trick....

I was wondering... does anyone think the Hollywood stars drink something like Magnesium citrate to clean their system out before they go on the red carpet? It is not supposed to be harmful and I am amazed how trimmer I look when I am "emptier" (though I have not tried Magnesium Citrate... I am just talking about my experience with the natural ebb and flow of things.)


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"No matter how unmotivated or sluggish you feel before a workout, you never feel worse after finishing it, so you might as well get it done." Causticmuse

Who knows what the Hollywood stars do or take :confused:

If you've never had the pleasure of drinking magnesium citrate, I'd make sure I was situated in close proximity to the emperor's throne for the next 36-48 hours :eek:

As for the plugged plumbing, I would suspect a combination of your surgery and less than stellar eating habits. I once went through back surgery, and out of feeling sorry for myself (not being able to train for 2 months) I ate like crap. After a month of feeling like S#%& (no pun intended) I cleaned up my diet, my plumbing problem miraculously repaired itself, speeded up my recovery (due to the healthier eating) and was back in the gym squatting 85 lbs for reps in no time :rolleyes:

It took me a year to squat 225 lbs. and another year to work up to my normal poundages, but I kept at it, albeit slowly. Have patience Justitia and don't be overzealous. It'll take some time, but boy will it be worth the wait.

:tu:

Who knows what the Hollywood stars do or take :confused:

If you've never had the pleasure of drinking magnesium citrate, I'd make sure I was situated in close proximity to the emperor's throne for the next 36-48 hours :eek:

As for the plugged plumbing, I would suspect a combination of your surgery and less than stellar eating habits. I once went through back surgery, and out of feeling sorry for myself (not being able to train for 2 months) I ate like crap. After a month of feeling like S#%& (no pun intended) I cleaned up my diet, my plumbing problem miraculously repaired itself, speeded up my recovery (due to the healthier eating) and was back in the gym squatting 85 lbs for reps in no time :rolleyes:

It took me a year to squat 225 lbs. and another year to work up to my normal poundages, but I kept at it, albeit slowly. Have patience Justitia and don't be overzealous. It'll take some time, but boy will it be worth the wait.

:tu:

Thanks, mastover, for the encouragement.. it is always feel supportive when you post.

I will heed your advise re: magnesium citrate... :lol:

Just for the record, :D I have been eating this past month the cleanest I have in months. Except for 1 piece of cake, 1 Dunkin Donut,1/3 c. of ice cream and a couple of forkfuls of Banditfist's cake, I have eaten nothing but fruit, veggies, grains and clean protein....:tu: Just for the record....:D :nod: And I have been rewarded, my weight has dropped below 150 for the first time in over 16 years. :claphigh:

I definitely look forward to when I can lift again... but I have to be patient... like you say....:nod:

Apples, 2 a day and prune juice.

I was wondering... does anyone think the Hollywood stars drink something like Magnesium citrate to clean their system out before they go on the red carpet? It is not supposed to be harmful and I am amazed how trimmer I look when I am "emptier" (though I have not tried Magnesium Citrate... I am just talking about my experience with the natural ebb and flow of things.)

I drink Mag citrate the day before running the marathon just to make sure no emergency pit stops are needed that morning. Other than that one time a year, I never use any stimulant laxatives. (Which bisacodyl, the active ingredient of Dulcolax, and Sennokot, both are as well.)

Other than that one time a year, I never use any stimulant laxatives. (Which bisacodyl, the active ingredient of Dulcolax, and Sennokot, both are as well.)

My understanding is that there is a distinction between a laxative and a stool softener... Laxatives are habit forming and stool softeners are not. And Dulcolax and sennecot are stool softeners and are natural and are not habit forming. I have read this on the net and my doctor's office confirms this. :nod:

Damn doctors. :)
I hope he/she didn't really tell you that. Was it the nurse?

http://www.fpnotebook.com/GI179.htm

Bisacodyl increases peristalsis of the intestines by stimulating parasympathetic nerve endings.

Senna, while naturally occuring, is still also a large intestinal stimulant.

Neither one's prime mechanism of action is to soften the stool.

Edit- Oh by the way, the link above lists "safe" stool softners, but usually most people (with serious constipation problems) tell me they don't work worth a damn.

Here's a copy of the text from the Physician's Desk Reference, you know, that huge book of drug info in doctor's offices...


ACTION AND USES
Bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative, given either orally or rectally, acting directly on the colonic mucosa-where it stimulates sensory nerve endings to produce parasympathetic reflexes resulting in increased peristaltic contractions of the colon. The contact action of the drug is restricted to the colon, and motility in the small intestine is not appreciably influenced. FLEET® Stimulant Laxative Tablets usually work within 6-12 hours. FLEET® Bisacodyl Suppositories produce a bowel movement within 15 minutes to 1 hour, and the latex-free FLEET® Bisacodyl Enema produces a bowel movement within 5-20 minutes. Bisacodyl is useful as a laxative for occasional relief of constipation and in bowel cleansing in preparation for x-ray or endoscopic examination. Bisacodyl may be used as a laxative in postoperative, antepartum, or postpartum care or in preparation for delivery.

Again, though, risk with long term use usually means months and years, not weeks.
Let that doctor's office have it if they really gave you the wrong info. That's irresponsible!

Ok.. so now you have me worried.

Well, looking at the bottle of ingredients of Dulcolax -- it has Ducosate sodium, not the Bisacodyl you are alerting me to.

The link you provided does list the Ducosate sodium as an emollient laxative (which I presume it means it is the "safe" one -- as it causes water to be absorbed in the stool.)

The Bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative and that is the type that is at risk of laxative abuse. However, I note on that site... they list Dulcolax as containing this Bisacodyl... but my bottle says otherwise.

SO researching it further, I discovered that Dulcolax makes two products: 1 is a stool softener (http://www.dulcolaxusa.com/Images/illustrations_us/uploadedImage61392.jpg), which is what I have, and 2. a laxative that does contain Bisacodyl....

That is tremendously confusing. :p And it was not even easy to figure that out on Dulcolax's website as they do not list directly the stool softener as one of their products.

Before my surgery, I happened to buy some because quite often, when I have been "cheating" a few days in a row, I get constipated (all that ice cream ;) ). I wanted to see what this would do. I found it quite effective. I was surprised to discover that they gave me the same thing to go home with.

But it is a lot bigger deal after surgery, particularly since my bowels were involved and I had a hysterectomy. The bowels are just not working as well for a while plus I experience a lot of cramping.

However, after researching for similar findings re: senna... it seems that you are absolutely correct. And the doctors office was wrong... And yes it was the nurse... and she specifically said that it was OK to take that every day. I will let my doctor know when I see him.

The sites all do say however, that even with ducosate sodium, one should avoid long term use, but not because of laxative dependency . I have been taking it for 4 weeks now. I probably will need to take it for another 4 until I get regular.

Thanks so much for the heads up.....:tu:

But I will ask my doctor when I see him on Wednesday.