If someone was going through a bout of constipation and then contracted some sort of intestinal virus that initiated diarrhea what would happen?
Would the diarrhea win, or would the blockage have to pass before the loose stools would have a chance? Or is it possible to go around the blockage?
Hiroshima…
It’s a very unfortunate series of events. Ilk.
It’s like shaking a champagne bottle, only upside down.
My money’s on Diarrhea to win by a head, especially since he’s a mudder. Poor little Jockeys.
IANAD but wouldn’t this depend on the degree of constipation, the “size of the plug” if you will?
Actually, this whole thread was made up to see how long it would take *lieu to respond. 19 minutes. Not a record.
Just kidding.
The question still stands, and I would imagine the size of the plug matters.
Oh, is there a medical term for this and how serious would this be if *nothing *could pass? E.R.?
If you’re constipated to the point that the feces are literally impacted then you might have some serious issues. Otherwise the big D will push everything out,
I was once constipated for about 10 days. After a week I started taking Ex-Lax, and took it for 3 or 4 days in a row with no results. Along comes the weekend and I had plans to fly to the midwest to see my girlfriend. Sunday morning, we’re chilling on the couch, watching a movie and eating hummus, and suddenly it was like the perfect storm- the combination of 10 days’ worth of meals, several days’ of laxative, and chickpea created a rumbling that got me off the couch and into the bathroom in record time. A couple rolls of toilet paper (it was the fluffy stuff that gives you about 50 squares per roll) and the weekend newspaper later, I emerged, satisfied in the knowledge that anything and everything I had ever eaten in my life, including that piece of bubblegum I accidentally swallowed in 4th grade (supposedly if you swallow gum it stays in your intestines forever), was now out of my body. I needed a nap afterwards.
Verdict: the diarrhea wins.
As astro’s link shows, constipation and impaction are two entirely different problems.
There is no blockage in ordinary constipation, so nothing to get around.
Impaction is a serious medical condition and often requires surgery.
The two are about as different as hemorrhoids and colon cancer. Please don’t use the terms interchangeably.
Do a Google image search for “impaction” …definitely not the same as constipation.
As someone who suffers from IBS, I must say…it’s not fun. The way IBS affects me, I tend to flucuate between the two. Without too many of the gross details, the diarrhea wins out eventually but it’s not a fun process.
Obligitory Master link.