Newbie Needs Help--Impaction?
#320265 - 12/07/07 10:26 PM
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Hi all,
I'm new to the board but have been reading here for a few years, and have learned a lot. I try to watch my diet carefully (usually). I thought I was a relatively lucky IBS-A without too many problems, just very frequent BMs, though they tended to be small and pebbly. Recently I've been much more on the C side, with less frequency and even smaller stools. I was off dairy totally for about a year, but thought I'd give it a try a couple of weeks ago to increase my protein, and thought I was doing OK with it until I started having pain and nearly stopped passing anything at all. I stopped the milk right away at that point, but since then I've had pain in one spot, and have been feeling bloated, and like I needed to go all the time. Went to the doc today, who saw on x-rays that I had "quite a bit of stool" in there. She suggested magnesium citrate, which I normally take anyway (carefully because in the past it has caused D), but I'm wondering if this will be enough to clean out what must be kind of a stool roadblock in there. (Just had 400 mg of Mg.) Has anybody dealt with an impaction before? The doc said I should go to the ER this weekend if the pain gets worse, but I'd sure like to have a way to resolve this without medical intervention. The pain isn't so bad at the moment. I think I remember that Heather says to keep eating soluble fiber foods, even when you're backed up, to keep the gastrocolic reflex happening, but I haven't felt like eating much. Had a little oatmeal and squash today, plus some toast and applesauce earlier before I realized how bad I was getting.
Any suggestions from anybody? I know that the prevailing wisdom is to avoid "colon cleanses" but I wonder if in this instance it might be a good idea.
Thanks for your help!
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Before a colonscopy I had to take a full bottle of miralax over a few hours. That completely cleans you out. Maybe taking several doses would help to get things moving. I would check with your doctor though to see if this is ok.
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Susan
IBS-A, Gas, Pain, Reflux
"The first in time and the first in importance of the influences upon the mind is that of nature. Every day, the sun; and after sunset, night and her stars. Ever the winds blow; ever the grass grows."
Emerson, August 31, 1837
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If an x-ray showed you were pretty backed ....when your doc told you to take magnesium citrate (this happened to me), he probably meant the oral solution of magnesium citrate....comes in a green bottle. You drink the whole thing down follwed by water and wait....four to five hours later you will be cleaned out. You can get it at Walgreens or any pharmacy even some grocery stores....doesn't taste the greatest but it is cheap, it works and way better than the ER. Once you drink it, DO NOT leave the house!!
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Thanks, Sharon and Susan. I just downed 4 oz of the Mg citrate stuff, and hopefully that will work (I'm afraid to try more, right off the bat...). The extra Mg I had last night (the Mg citrate tabs I take all the time as a supplement) did not do a thing. I feel lousy, and even though this stuff didn't taste all that bad, even that gives me a yukky feeling. Also, it was flavored with lemon oil, which is a no-no for me--I follow a migraine restriction diet as well as the IBS diet, which really cuts down on the possibilities. So I'm hoping I won't have migraine repercussions from that.
This experience really has me freaked, since I always thought I was managing OK until now. Just got over-confident with the milk, I guess. I appreciate the support.
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That should help.....also, try to keep drinking lots of water....after I drank it, I just laid down on the couch, watched tv and tried to relax....like I said...it may take 4 - 5 hours.
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