When do I go to the doctor? Warning TMI

[Scarlett]

5 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

How much water do you drink? Fibre needs enough fluid to allow for easy passage.  For reference I average 25 to 30 grams of fibre a day and drink around 4 litres of fluids together.

Wow, that is a lot of water.  I think I get 20-25 grams of fiber per day.  

[Laura Corin]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Wow, that is a lot of water.  I think I get 20-25 grams of fiber per day.  

I'm a Brit who drinks a lot of tea.  My day is commonly:

500ml of unsweetened black tea with oat milk at 8am and 11am

500ml unsweetened decaff herbal tea at around 9am and at around 10am

500ml decaff black tea with oat milk at around 2pm, 5pm and 8pm

500ml of sparkling water with a splash of apple juice at around 3pm and 4pm

The drinks also force me to get up and walk to the kitchen - I deliberately don't keep big bottles of water at my desk.

 

[Scarlett]

Just now, Laura Corin said:

I'm a Brit who drinks a lot of tea.  My day is commonly:

500ml of unsweetened black tea with oat milk at 8am and 11am

500ml unsweetened decaff herbal tea at around 9am and at around 10am

500ml decaff black tea with oat milk at around 2pm, 5pm and 8pm

500ml of sparkling water with a splash of apple juice at around 3pm and 4pm

The drinks also force me to get up and walk to the kitchen - I deliberately don't keep big bottles of water at my desk.

 

Oh, I don’t count tea or coffee.  If I add in that I probably get as much as you.  I drink unsweetened tea…..sometimes hot sometimes iced. 

[Laura Corin]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Oh, I don’t count tea or coffee.  If I add in that I probably get as much as you.  I drink unsweetened tea…..sometimes hot sometimes iced. 

I didn't in the past, but the most recent guidance says that tea and coffee count - the diuretic effect is not strong.

[lmrich]

I would call the doctor and seek her advice. I hope you feel better!

[AmandaVT]

It may be good to request a colonoscopy. We had a very good friend pass of colon cancer at 49 this winter and his first symptom (constipation) was ignored for over a year. Dr's just told him to eat more fiber and take miralax. I'm sure your situation is not that, but the weird pooping/constipation could be a partial blockage. 

[wintermom]

I'm so sorry you're going through this painful experience, over and over again. Is there colon issues in your family? These are often hereditary. Perhaps you can find some clues from parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles.

I've got colon issues on both sides of my family. My ds has colon issues and so do I. Not fun, but at least it's on the radar and we can pinpoint issues quicker.

I'd go see a specialist for this current issue. It sounds like your diet might benefit from an update, or at the very least you can learn more about the most recent medical info hopefully.

Have you ever gone lowFODMAP? It works really well for me. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by wintermom

[Tanaqui]

re: fiber causing constipation -

Yes, that's a known issue. If you have too much fiber but not enough liquid you have bulk but it's all hard and dry and it doesn't want to move anywhere, like a dried-up tube of paint. You need your poop both bulky and also a little wet, so it squeezes out easily.

To make things worse, if you have a blockage you might sometimes experience what appears to be diarrhea - because the only thing that can get past the blockage is whatever is super watery. So of course you do all the things you'd do for *that*, when what you really need to do is treat the underlying blockage.

Bodies are so fun, right?

[Katy]

Call your doctor.  It isn't an emergency if things are moving, but he'll want to do an exam to see if he can feel anything, and maybe an x-ray or something to make sure there isn't a partial blockage.

[BlsdMama]

12 hours ago, Scarlett said:

My digestive system has always been pretty good. Not perfect,  but ok.  2 years ago I had my first colonoscopy and I was told I have an long and torturous colon. And full of diverticula but no infection.  He told me to repeat the colonoscopy in 3 years and to go to a high fiber diet. So I have tried very hard to do that. Most days I eat a cup of cherries or berries or raspberries in plain Greek yogurt with a TBLE of chia seeds.  I eat black beans, avocados, sweet potatoes etc regularly.

2 weeks ago things just seemed to come almost to a halt.  I am not throwing up or anything, but none of the normal things are working.  Strong coffee, plenty of water (80 ounces per day)…I even tried Benefiber  morning and night this weekend.  Nothing.  Or I should say not much.  I just feel terrible and can’t shake the feeling something is not right.  I went and bought some stool softener, and just now took 3.  
 

I just dread calling the doctors office and saying I can’t, you know…..poop.  
 

Any ideas.  

Digestics every evening forever.

[bibiche]

Go to the doctor, Scarlett. You don’t want to end up in a museum! http://memento.muttermuseum.org/detail/giant-megacolon

[catz]

At 2 weeks, I'd definitely follow up if you aren't seeing results by now.  That is a crazy long time!  I hope it's simple to get through this episode.

I have IBS and have it fairly well managed, so once you get to a better place, you might consider trying some more natural approaches.  I use probiotics, a flax based fiber, eat a pretty whole foods diet (I cannot go super low carb at all).  Magnesium can be helpful.  I was using natural calm on and off and recently try a magnesium oil on the skin.  I am kind of ho hum on the natural calm, but the oil you put on the skin has made a difference for me, I was super surprised by that.  Not just in terms of colon, but some low grade but niggling anxiety, insomnia, leg cramps, etc.    Regular multivitamin, make sure you're getting healthy oils, regular exercise.  A lot of GI docs tend to not have thorough suggestions, adding fiber is very simplistic.  That may be one piece of the puzzle but better gut health is really where it is at.  Also some people do better with more soluable vs. unsoluable fibers.  Doctors tend to recommend unsoluable products.  Prebiotics/digestive enzemes are other things to potentially try.  

Whatever you try start SMALL and add one thing at a time.  Like I can not do huge amount of extra fiber without regretting it.  

Edited April 27, 2022 by catz

[Scarlett]

55 minutes ago, bibiche said:

Go to the doctor, Scarlett. You don’t want to end up in a museum! http://memento.muttermuseum.org/detail/giant-megacolon

Yikes 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Tanaqui said:

re: fiber causing constipation -

Yes, that's a known issue. If you have too much fiber but not enough liquid you have bulk but it's all hard and dry and it doesn't want to move anywhere, like a dried-up tube of paint. You need your poop both bulky and also a little wet, so it squeezes out easily.

 

FWIW -- I wasn't referring to too much fiber and not enough water. Not at all. I meant that for those of us with IBS too much of the wrong kind(s) of fiber (and sometimes too much is even one bite) is a huge problem. What I'm referring to has nothing at all to do with fluid intake. It's about how some of us react to FODMAPs in various types of high fiber foods. An example for me is beans. They're loaded with galacto-oligosaccarides (GOS) and fructans. These are the things that make beans difficult for most people to digest. I can relatively safely handle a couple of tablespoons of beans as long as everything else in a meal is very low FODMAP. More than that and I get luminal distension and when that happens .  .  . nothing moves.

[bibiche]

Just now, Scarlett said:

Yikes 

You know I was just kidding you, Scarlett. 😉 

But call your doctor!!!

[catz]

2 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

FWIW -- I wasn't referring to too much fiber and not enough water. Not at all. I meant that for those of us with IBS too much of the wrong kind(s) of fiber (and sometimes too much is even one bite) is a huge problem. What I'm referring to has nothing at all to do with fluid intake. It's about how some of us react to FODMAPs in various types of high fiber foods. An example for me is beans. They're loaded with galacto-oligosaccarides (GOS) and fructans. These are the things that make beans difficult for most people to digest. I can relatively safely handle a couple of tablespoons of beans as long as everything else in a meal is very low FODMAP. More than that and I get luminal distension and when that happens .  .  . nothing moves.

This is a good point.  Food journaling for a while might help you find patterns that work better for you.  I cannot do a ton of beans either.

Edited April 27, 2022 by catz

[frankincense]

nm

Edited April 27, 2022 by frankincense

[Ann.without.an.e]

There is a supplement called Colon Cleanse that works wonders. 

https://www.amazon.com/HEALTH-PLUS-SUPR-CLEANSE-ACIDOPH/dp/B00822YRJS/ref=sr_1_12?crid=3KNXS274RRY7P&keywords=colon+cleanse&qid=1651076028&sprefix=colon+cleanse%2Caps%2C78&sr=8-12

 

 

Sorry you're facing this 😞 

[Catwoman]

@Scarlett I hope you have already called your doctor and made an appointment to go in ASAP.. Are you having any abdominal pain?

You really need to get this checked out right away. It is not something to ignore. My mom had diverticulitis and ended up with a ruptured bowel and she nearly died. You do not want that!

Seriously, this may be embarrassing for you but it is something that doctors deal with all the time. Please get it taken care of while the treatment is probably very easy, instead of waiting too long and maybe ending up in the hospital. Don’t wait too long, like my mom did. She always regretted not having gone to the doctor sooner because she ended up with major surgery and it was literally 48 hours afterward before the doctors could even be sure that she would survive.

I’m not saying that to try to scare you that you may already need some kind of surgery; I want you to see the doctor before you ever get anywhere near that point!

In my opinion, you have already tried enough home remedies and they have not worked well enough. If you continue with home remedies, you may end up doing yourself more harm than good and you could even end up with an emergency over the weekend, when you can’t even get in touch with your regular doctor.

Edited April 27, 2022 by Catwoman

[Scarlett]

7 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

@Scarlett I hope you have already called your doctor and made an appointment to go in ASAP.. Are you having any abdominal pain?

You really need to get this checked out right away. It is not something to ignore. My mom had diverticulitis and ended up with a ruptured bowel and she nearly died. You do not want that!

Seriously, this may be embarrassing for you but it is something that doctors deal with all the time. Please get it taken care of while the treatment is probably very easy, instead of waiting too long and maybe ending up in the hospital. Don’t wait too long, like my mom did. She always regretted not haven’t gone to the doctor sooner because she ended up with major surgery and it was literally 48 hours afterward before the doctors could even be sure that she would survive.

I’m not saying that to try to scare you that you may already need some kind of surgery; I want you to see the doctor before you ever get anywhere near that point!

In my opinion, you have already tried enough home remedies and they have not worked well enough. If you continue with home remedies, you may end up doing yourself more harm than good and you could even end up with an emergency over the weekend, when you can’t even get in touch with your regular doctor.

Thanks. I am going to my regular doctor office at 2. 
 

I don’t have any pain. And I am not completely blocked. Just feel icky and like things aren’t working  right 

[Catwoman]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Thanks. I am going to my regular doctor office at 2. 
 

I don’t have any pain. And I am not completely blocked. Just feel icky and like things aren’t working  right 

I think that’s the smartest thing you can do. Better safe than sorry, and the doctor may have a medication he can give you that will get things moving a lot more quickly than if you keep experimenting with different things on your own.

[Pawz4me]

FWIW, @Scarlett--Someone I know has been dealing with this exact issue for a couple of months. Various non invasive tests (xrays and ultrasounds) have been done. Right now she's waiting on a colonoscopy, and has been advised to take a dose of Miralax every day and absolutely not to skip it under any circumstances.

I hope you get some good advice from your doctor.

[Catwoman]

Thinking of you, Scarlett, and hoping everything is going well at your doctor’s appointment!

[kbutton]

I am so glad you are going in.

Don't be afraid to get a specialist consult going forward. We know someone whose diverticulitis went south; he ended up septic and dead after surgery. He was in his 40's. Everyone I know with diverticulitis over the age of 30 has been hospitalized at least once for it, and some are lucky to still be alive. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true in our circles. Maybe we don't have great doctors for it here? It's scary.

[Kassia]

So glad you are going in Scarlett.  Nothing to be embarrassed about at all and it's so important to be seen just in case it's something serious.

[Scarlett]

At doctors now. I don’t really think this isdiverticulitis because I have no pain at all. It just feels like something is not working right. 
 

There is a lot conflicting advice in this thread. I am pretty confused honestly. I had oatmeal and cherries about 10 this morning.I skipped the chia seeds.   And a power bowl chicken dish at lunch. 

[stephanier.1765]

10 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

At doctors now. I don’t really think this isdiverticulitis because I have no pain at all. It just feels like something is not working right. 
 

There is a lot conflicting advice in this thread. I am pretty confused honestly. I had oatmeal and cherries about 10 this morning.I skipped the chia seeds.   And a power bowl chicken dish at lunch. 

Please let us know how it goes. I'm hoping for the best. ❤️

[Grace Hopper]

13 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

At doctors now. I don’t really think this isdiverticulitis because I have no pain at all. It just feels like something is not working right. 
 

There is a lot conflicting advice in this thread. I am pretty confused honestly. I had oatmeal and cherries about 10 this morning.I skipped the chia seeds.   And a power bowl chicken dish at lunch. 

Glad you’ve gone in. 
 

I imagine there’s conflicting info because we each have our own individual experiences and triggers. 
 

Sounds like you had a colonoscopy within the last few years so hopefully if there’s anything in there it won’t be too serious. Hoping you get some answers - and relief! - soon. 

[Catwoman]

I hope everything went well at your appointment, Scarlett!

[Corraleno]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

There is a lot conflicting advice in this thread. I am pretty confused honestly. 

I think the reason it's confusing is because people are giving advice for two very different problems.  The standard advice for "normal" constipation, which lasts 2-3 days at most and is often the result of too little fiber, is to add fiber/bulk and drink lots of water. But if you have some kind of blockage or obstruction, the last thing you want to do is add a lot of bulky high-fiber food that will just back up behind the obstruction and make things worse.

[elegantlion]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

I am so glad you are going in.

Don't be afraid to get a specialist consult going forward. We know someone whose diverticulitis went south; he ended up septic and dead after surgery. He was in his 40's. Everyone I know with diverticulitis over the age of 30 has been hospitalized at least once for it, and some are lucky to still be alive. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true in our circles. Maybe we don't have great doctors for it here? It's scary.

I'm sorry you've had that experience. I was diagnosed in January in the ER but they sent me home on antibiotics after a cat scan to ensure no further issues. I had been in pretty severe pain and passing blood. My situation is complicated by abdominal scar tissue due to two major surgeries. My ER doctor was not overally concerned and noted that diverticulitis is apparently common after age 50. That last part surprised me. 

[MercyA]

How did things go, @Scarlett?

[ktgrok]

Glad you went in. DH's mother died in her early 50s from a bowel rupture after diverticulitis and then a bowel obstruction. Definitely take it seriously. 

[Scarlett]

9 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

I'm a Brit who drinks a lot of tea.  My day is commonly:

500ml of unsweetened black tea with oat milk at 8am and 11am

500ml unsweetened decaff herbal tea at around 9am and at around 10am

500ml decaff black tea with oat milk at around 2pm, 5pm and 8pm

500ml of sparkling water with a splash of apple juice at around 3pm and 4pm

The drinks also force me to get up and walk to the kitchen - I deliberately don't keep big bottles of water at my desk.

 

Oh, I don’t count tea or coffee.  If I add in that I probably get as much as you.  I drink unsweetened tea…..sometimes hot sometimes iced. 

[Scarlett]

Hi everyone. They xrayed me.  No obstruction.  And when they listened to my intestines they heard movement.  
 

She told me to take that cal/mag stuff from Walmart.,I drank 10 ounces of it at 4:15 followed by 20 ounces of water.  That stuff tastes horrible. I have to go to my parents for dinner like right now.  My sister is being retrieved from the airport by Dh as we speak.    

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, elegantlion said:

I'm sorry you've had that experience. I was diagnosed in January in the ER but they sent me home on antibiotics after a cat scan to ensure no further issues. I had been in pretty severe pain and passing blood. My situation is complicated by abdominal scar tissue due to two major surgeries. My ER doctor was not overally concerned and noted that diverticulitis is apparently common after age 50. That last part surprised me. 

And also that the majority of people have the diverticula but never develop an infection.  

[Scarlett]

1 hour ago, Corraleno said:

I think the reason it's confusing is because people are giving advice for two very different problems.  The standard advice for "normal" constipation, which lasts 2-3 days at most and is often the result of too little fiber, is to add fiber/bulk and drink lots of water. But if you have some kind of blockage or obstruction, the last thing you want to do is add a lot of bulky high-fiber food that will just back up behind the obstruction and make things worse.

Makes sense.  

[Kassia]

17 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Hi everyone. They xrayed me.  No obstruction.  And when they listened to my intestines they heard movement.  
 

She told me to take that cal/mag stuff from Walmart.,I drank 10 ounces of it at 4:15 followed by 20 ounces of water.  That stuff tastes horrible. I have to go to my parents for dinner like right now.  My sister is being retrieved from the airport by Dh as we speak.    

I'm so glad you went and there's no obstruction.  Oh, that magnesium citrate stuff is absolutely awful and it's worse at room temp.  I was able to drink gallons and gallons of colonoscopy preps but could never get that magnesium citrate stuff down.  Hope it helps you and that have a nice family dinner! 

[Catwoman]

25 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Hi everyone. They xrayed me.  No obstruction.  And when they listened to my intestines they heard movement.  
 

She told me to take that cal/mag stuff from Walmart.,I drank 10 ounces of it at 4:15 followed by 20 ounces of water.  That stuff tastes horrible. I have to go to my parents for dinner like right now.  My sister is being retrieved from the airport by Dh as we speak.    

I somewhat question the wisdom of taking magnesium citrate when you’re on your way out to dinner… I hope it doesn’t work too quickly! 😉 

I am relieved to hear that there were no obstructions!

Edited April 27, 2022 by Catwoman

[Catwoman]

26 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

And also that the majority of people have the diverticula but never develop an infection.  

If you know you have it, though, it can be smart to make some dietary changes to try to prevent it from developing into diverticulitis. Diverticulitis is awful!

[Kassia]

20 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

I somewhat question the wisdom of taking magnesium citrate when you’re on your way out to dinner… I hope it doesn’t work too quickly! 😉 

 

LOL, I was thinking the same thing but figured it was too late for a warning.

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

A few times a year I get a weird pain in the left side of my colon and just feel totally blocked up. I take the colon cleanse I linked. I usually take the suggested 4 capsules with a full glass of water and I do that two times. It clears it up. That’s all I know 😂. I’ve done this for years. I hope something helps.

[JFSinIL]

Have you tried a Fleet enema? That, and Miralax, might get things moving. But if not, consult your doctor.

[*****]

Just wondering, when you add chia seeds to your food, do you hydrate it first?  I have seen recipes for fruit smoothies that say to add chia seeds, but I always soak mine overnight in orange juice.  I would think that by adding seeds without soaking would draw water from the colon and make digestion more difficult.  I have no problems when using seeds soaked. Hmmm...

[stephanier.1765]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Hi everyone. They xrayed me.  No obstruction.  And when they listened to my intestines they heard movement.  
 

She told me to take that cal/mag stuff from Walmart.,I drank 10 ounces of it at 4:15 followed by 20 ounces of water.  That stuff tastes horrible. I have to go to my parents for dinner like right now.  My sister is being retrieved from the airport by Dh as we speak.    

Yuck! I had to drink that stuff for a colonoscopy prep too and then ended up with diarrhea for a week afterwards. (My TMI addition to this thread)

I'm so glad it isn't anything serious and I am so glad you went in. Things like this can turn bad so quickly that I'm relieved you played it safe rather than sorry. I hope everything starts to move quickly.

[stephanier.1765]

56 minutes ago, Kassia said:

LOL, I was thinking the same thing but figured it was too late for a warning.

 

Also my thought, especially after my experience with it. Recently my DH needed it to help with some back up he was experiencing to medication and I gave him my leftover magnesium citrate. Um, it did move rather quickly. He was so relieved it wasn't at work.

[Spryte]

I’m so glad you went in!

Hope you feel better soon.

[Katy]

48 minutes ago, ***** said:

Just wondering, when you add chia seeds to your food, do you hydrate it first?  I have seen recipes for fruit smoothies that say to add chia seeds, but I always soak mine overnight in orange juice.  I would think that by adding seeds without soaking would draw water from the colon and make digestion more difficult.  I have no problems when using seeds soaked. Hmmm...

If you blend the seeds they gel instantly.  It's pudding by the time you pour it out of the blender.

eta: but it definitely releases more omega 3 fatty acids, it's a little more bitter and even slightly fishy in the flavor.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Katy

[popmom]

I’m glad you saw the doctor. I was also going to suggest an at home enema. If you are impacted, I think that’s about the only thing that helps. I think someone mentioned above that impaction allows small amount of loose stool to pass. This may not be at all what’s happening with you—so take this with a grain of salt. 
 

Some preps for colonoscopy are made up of Miralax and Gatorade. Maybe give that a try. I hope you feel better soon. 
 

Do you have a squatty potty stool thing? Just throwing that out there. I’d throw everything I had at it. 

[Scarlett]

That stuff is working quite well.  I made the decision to take it when I got home from the doctor even though we were going to dinner because I did not want to wait and then be up all night.  I really need some sleep. Hopefully this won’t go on all night.  
 

It started working before I left my parents house. Thankfully it is only 5 minutes to our house