# Severe case of constipation! What do I do?!? Please HELP! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2004, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326 "2004-07-15T21:28:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Cloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@Little\_Cloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Cloud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/21 "2004-07-16T05:05:04Z")
I wouldn’t panic. Are you in intense discomfort or just worried about the time going by? Some people believe that you must go every day or some dire fate awaits you. This is simply not true. Some people go every three days and everyone has experienced changes in their usual habits from time to time. Have you taken any codeine or other prescription pain killer lately? These drugs delay things _quite a long time._ (If heroin addicts go once a week they are thrilled.) Other medications and changes in diet can also affect your regularity. Colace and Metamucil are not laxatives. Colace is a stool softener (so no matter how long between BMs, they will still be soft when they come out if taken daily) and Metamucil is just fiber that uses bulk to help push things along. The Metamucil has a tendency cause a lot of intestinal gas which could be very uncomfortable if it can’t get out. The Fleet enemas and glycerin suppositoies would be my first choice in your situation. The uh, “mechanical” solutions would be next but only if I were really desperate. I would avoid strong laxatives since the spasms they induce might be very uncomfortable and even dangerous if you are really blocked at the end of the tunnel. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/22 "2004-07-16T10:12:08Z")
I always find that _[Douglas Adams]a nice, strong cup of tea[/Douglas Adams]_ or two gets the traffic flowing on Bournville Boulevard. Having said that, I tend to go only every couple of days, generally speaking. When I’m travelling, I find that things often shut down for four or five days, which can be quite convenient when you’re miles from a bathroom or have to go on long bus trips. But hey, seeing a doctor might help. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/23 "2004-07-16T13:48:49Z")
Drink a full quart of fresh squeezed orange juice. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/24 "2004-07-16T13:56:56Z")
Go to a book store or visit your local library. I can’t enter either building without having to go to the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/25 "2004-07-16T13:59:49Z")
Get some diet candy with manitol and/or sorbitol as the sweetner. Eat them all, chasing them down with lots of water. And stay by your toilet. You are going to need it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/26 "2004-07-16T14:15:06Z")
[list=A] [li]Drink 1 quart of water.[/li][li]Do some sit-ups.[/li][li] Hi **Opal**! Aren’t you flattered, being listed here? 😃 [/li][li]Massage your abdomen. Use a strong but gentle touch for this.[/li][li]Eat some molassas cookies. This does the trick for me.[/li][li]If all other home remedies fail…Castor Oil. Pharmacies still carry it, in non-prescription. This is a next-to-last resort. This stuff is _nasty_. And like they say on _Futurama_, this is gonna be one Hell of a bowel movement. You’ll be lucky to have any bones.[/li][li]Go to the Doctor if there is severe pain.[/li][/list] ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/27 "2004-07-16T14:29:30Z")
Drink lots and lots of water. And try psyllium husks and “slimmers’ tea” (it contains senna pods, a powerful natural laxative) and brew it strong. But also see your doctor! If he is young guy and not on some constipating medication, he should be regular. It might turn out he has a shitty diet and needs to change that. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/28 "2004-07-16T16:58:54Z")
DOCTOR ASAP! When I was 7 I got stopped up for days and wound up getting an enema. Turned out I had a ruptured appendix and the enema pushed the shit into my abdomen, developing into peritonitis and blood poisoning. The doctors told my parents that had they waited a few hours more I would have died. I wound up in the hospital for three weeks. DOCTOR ASAP! ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/29 "2004-07-16T17:28:12Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Get some diet candy with manitol and/or sorbitol as the sweetner. Eat them all, chasing them down with lots of water. > > And stay by your toilet. You are going to need it. 🙂 Preferably your OWn toilet in OWn house,a s there could be quite a few sound effects. Celyn (who discovered this by accident after chain-eating a lot of mannitol-infested mints once when sitting an exam. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/30 "2004-07-16T17:29:27Z")
I hope everything comes out all right. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/31 "2004-07-16T17:31:58Z")
> [@black455](#): > > I hope everything comes out all right. That pun is _ **disgraceful!!** _ I’m so proud of you! \< wipes tear of joy \> ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/32 "2004-07-16T17:52:20Z")
I’ve always found **Citrate of Magnesia** to be the most effective for me. It was first recommended by my physician a few years ago, after i went to the doctor about severe abdominal pain - after some x-rays the doc came out laughing and told me I was “full of shit.” He recommended this and it worked amazingly well. In fact, I now ‘cleanse’ my innards about twice a year using this method. A bottle costs about $1.50, and is available at pretty much any pharmacy. It’s not _horribly_ unpleasant, but is decidedly ‘citrus-y’ and carbonated - almost like drinking a citrus soft drink without any sweetener at all. Drink it down, and stay by the bathroom - in about 20-30 minutes, the call will come. And come, and come and come. You’ll be absolutely amazed at the amount of crap that comes out of you. It’s a wee bit ‘explosive’, but nothing you can’t control for long enough to make it to the can. Usually, I end up spending about three hours within 10 feet of the bathroom when I take this, and feel absolutely refreshed afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/33 "2004-07-16T18:12:30Z")
My Mom was once backed up firmly enough that the doctor administered a peroxide enema. Things might have changed since the early 1950s and notice I said that a doctor did it. I don’t suggest trying it on your own. There are probably half a dozen ways that doing so could hurt you. But Mom said that relief was almost instantaneous and I’m sure doctors still have ways to knock things loose quickly and effectively. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/34 "2004-07-16T19:01:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I have no idea how well this would work. I am not a doctor and you should probably see one. The following is purely anecdotal… > > …and gross… > > …so don’t read it if you’re easily grossed out… > I have a friend who used > > his finger > > to end a recent bout with constipation :eek:. > > Cigarettes always kept me pretty regular but I don’t know what I’ll do the next time I get stopped up since I quit smoking. Maybe I’ll have to start drinking coffee. You know, a finger may not be big enough if your “friend” is really constipated. May I suggest an anal probe. Now, I don’t suggest, though I would not object, to you driving down some dark lonely road in search of extraterrestrials, but I have a “friend” who has his own personal anal probe of about 7 to 7 and half inches long. After an initial yipe of pain, I’m sure he can make you feel real good after a few minutes. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/35 "2004-07-16T19:14:53Z")
home remedies: jump up and down several times gently massage your lower abdomen in a clockwise direction those have both worked for me. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/36 "2004-07-16T19:21:34Z")
a very hot bath, followed by a swing in a hammock. Works every time! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/37 "2004-07-16T19:52:24Z")
Also, if the problem repeats itself, request a colonoscope or flex sig from your doctor. It could be a sign of polyps or other bad things. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/38 "2004-07-16T21:13:37Z")
> [@SilentButDeftly](#): > > Didja hear the one about the constipated mathematician? > > …he worked it out with a pencil. > > Sorry, I couldn’t resist! 🙂 I’m betting it was a #2 pencil at that! Probably the eraser end as well. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/39 "2004-07-16T21:21:56Z")
> [@Little Cloud](#): > > I wouldn’t panic. Are you in intense discomfort or just worried about the time going by? Some people believe that you must go every day or some dire fate awaits you. This is simply not true. Some people go every three days and everyone has experienced changes in their usual habits from time to time. > > Have you taken any codeine or other prescription pain killer lately? These drugs delay things _quite a long time._ (If heroin addicts go once a week they are thrilled.) Other medications and changes in diet can also affect your regularity. > > Colace and Metamucil are not laxatives. Colace is a stool softener (so no matter how long between BMs, they will still be soft when they come out if taken daily) and Metamucil is just fiber that uses bulk to help push things along. The Metamucil has a tendency cause a lot of intestinal gas which could be very uncomfortable if it can’t get out. > > The Fleet enemas and glycerin suppositoies would be my first choice in your situation. The uh, “mechanical” solutions would be next but only if I were really desperate. I would avoid strong laxatives since the spasms they induce might be very uncomfortable and even dangerous if you are really blocked at the end of the tunnel. What she (?) said. OK- what have you really tried? How oncomfortable is it? How long has it been? If you insert a (lubrcated & clean, with well trimmed nail) finger, do you encounter a hard mass? Are you on any drugs? How hydrated are you? Drinking planty of water etc (if you don’t drink lots of fluids, fiber “remedies” can make things worse). If you have tried fiber & stool softeners, then a glycerin suppository is a good answer. But if you are experiencing pain or serious discomfort- then as Tim said- go to the Doctor. Do it NOW. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326/40 "2004-07-16T21:35:35Z")
Mega doses of vitamin C, such as an [Emergen-C](http://www.keysupplements.com/products/1261.htm) mega doses of ice cream Damn, there are a lot of home remedies for the old Back up! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/severe-case-of-constipation-what-do-i-do-please-help/255326.md?page=3)