Scary Side Effects

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Fri, November 13, 2009

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I have several medical conditions. These conditions require me to be on medications. Most of these medications cause constipation and once I had to go to the hospital because the pain was incredibly excrutiating and I hadn't had a bowel movement in over a month. I had to talk one of my doctors into lowering the dose of one medication and another doctor into taking me off another in order to lessen the load, so to speak.

Here we are two years later, and I am close to that situation again. I won't go into all the horrid details, but let's just say I thought I was close to dying the other day. I never had a painful b.m. like this and it couldn't come out. Silmultaneously, I was having continous reflux and I thought I was going to vomit. The place I want to die is in the bathroom on the toilet.

I know of someone who died in this exact situation and that is all I could think of. This person's family was downstairs and while they had been sick for a while, suddenly their bowel ruptured and things came out the backdoor and their mouth. What a horrid way to die. I was home alone, crying, scared and had no idea what I was supposed to do. Eventually, I thought of something that I would rather not talk about, except with the doctor when that time comes, and then I cried in the shower when what could come out, came out.

You might be thinking why did I share this? It is gross and disgusting. Yes, it is entirely unpleasant and it was 10 times worse to live it. I posted it because I am wondering if anyone else out there has horror stories about their side effects. Sadly, I just can't get off all my medications because some of them do help my symptoms. The other problem is some of my doctors won't budge on letting me come off them. It doesn't matter when I tell them that I believe 100% that the medication isn't working. The doctor believes it is and won't give me instructions on how to ween off it. I just can't ween myself off it because that is just dangerous.

I am hoping that what happened to me two days ago will convince my doctor that I should finally get off that medication. It's another constipation causing med that I have never noticed to help my migraines in the 6+ years I have been on it, and I wasn't put on it for migraines, I was put on it to counteract sexual side effects of an antidepressant that I have not been on for 5+ years.

If anyone has any similar stories, or advice, please share. I want to know I am not the only one being humiliated by side effects of a medicine that I don't want to be on.

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bri83

11/13/09 1:09pm

I don't know how to edit share posts, but clearly the place I don't want to die in is in the bathroom. lol

Nancy Harris Bonk

11/13/09 5:02pm

Hi there Bri,

That must have been a very scary thing to go through alone. One of my first thoughts is to get you to some doctors who will listen to you and work with you as partners in your health care.

When I was on methadone for chronic head and neck pain, I suffered horrible constipation. Yakima Fruit Paste really saved the day. It is from Norma Synder a member of the support group CancerLynx. I froze it, and used about a tablespoon or so a day. Norma recommends treating is as jam......I just ate is frozen as a "snack." It sounds a bit much, but it really, really works and is better than going through what you have been through!

Here it is :

Yakima Valley Anti Constipation Fruit Paste
1 lb pitted prunes
4 ozs senna tea leaves (at health foods store)
1 lb raisins
1 lb figs
1 cup lemon juice

1. Prepare tea; use about 2 1/2 cups boiled water, add to tea leaves and steep for 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea and remove tea leaves.
3. Place 2 cups of tea, or amount left, in large pot.
4. Add all of the fruit to the tea.
5. Boil fruit and tea for 15 - 20 minutes, until soft.
6. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Allow to cool.
7. Use hand mixer/blender or food processor to turn fruit and tea mix into a paste.
8. Place in glass jars or Tupperware and place in freezer (paste will not freeze but will keep forever in freezer also very long in fridge).
DOSAGE: 1 - 2 Tablespoons per day

Use on toast, english muffins, bagels, bran muffin or rice cakes. For a change of flavor mix in some raspberry or strawberry jam.

Let me know what you think?

bri83

11/13/09 5:14pm

Thanks Nancy!

It doesn't sound at all appealing, but I am going to give it a good try. You are right, that sounds a heck of a lot better than what I went through the other day! My daily doses of fibercon and constulose are just not cutting it these days and that is just plain rediculous. Hopefully this recipe that sounds packed with fiber will help too.

I feel like I will forever be looking for doctors that listen to me and my body's needs. Sometimes I think that they think I am trying to defy their instructions when really it is my body who calls the shots. If after a year or two a medicine isn't working, than I truly believe I gave it a good chance to work and it isn't my fault my body won't respond. It isn't anything personal and I wish doctors wouldn't feel that it was.

Thanks again, these ingredients are going on this upcoming week's shopping list now.

Nancy Harris Bonk

11/13/09 8:03pm

I know it almost feels like a full time job seeking a medical professional who will listen to you, but they are out there, we just need to find them.

The fruit paste doesn't sound appealing you are so right, but better that, then the current "state of things.."

cking

11/17/09 6:37pm

What you have been through sounds so very frustrating, painful and frightening and I am apalled that your current physicians do not take action. That being said, I am thinking two things: find another physican, and/or try a pain clinic. The pain clinics are accustomed to medications (like morphine) that are very constipating and have perhaps dealt with it more often that other clinics.

I have had lifelong constipation and used to "go" every 2-3 weeks and it was painful and I had awful hemorroids. I was told I had hirshsprungs colon. But being diagnosed with hashimotos hypothyroidism 20 years later, and starting on Synthroid thyroid hormone replacement helped TREMENDOUSLY. I was having "normal" bowel movements for the first time in my life.

But now I am on a very constipating medicine "patch" to prevent vomitting (induced by hormonal migraines that last 12-17 days per month), to keep me out of the hospital due to severe dehydration. On the patch, I now have 2 rabbit pellet sized stools maybe once or twice per week. Yet I eat a very high fiber diet (and have life-long, 25 gms per day or more). I am taking lots of stool softeners and eating prunes (but Nancy's recipe sounds great--I'll have to try it) and at least it is less painful when the rabbit pellets emerge. I hope you find some resolution, because the painful stomach, the bloat, the backing up in the throat, and the painful defection, the hemmoroids, are awful. If the great recipe from Nancy does not help enough, consider consulting a specialist who knows how serious and depressing it can be. I hope you find some relief very soon.

bri83

12/11/09 2:39pm

Thank you for your comment. While waiting for my appointment with the gastroenterologist, I started eating a bowel of bran flakes and a bowel of yogurt everyday. That started my bowels moving and the bloating went down. By the time my appointment came everything was getting better. The gastroenterologist was hesitant to give me anything really strong for my constipation because my symptoms could also be related to my bladder condition. So he told me to take Miralax daily. I haven't had to use it yet, but should I need to I have it ready. I haven't used Nancy's recipe either, though I do have it on standby as well. My neurologist firmly believed it was the high dose of amitryptiline that was causing the bad constipation and reduced my dose a few weeks ago. My constipation has been doing well and I am moving my bowels more frequently. I finally fit back into my regular clothes too!

Thanks again for the posts and the recipe. I most certainly feel better prepared if this happens again, but I hope it doesn't.

cking

12/11/09 11:54pm

So glad that you are feeling better and that things are "moving along." I hope it continues, and it is great that you were able to drop your dose of amitryptyline without incident.

It took three weeks after stopping my patch to have a normal bowel movement. I suppose the anti-diareah and anti-emetic action can pretty much put an end to the peristalysis action needed to facilitate a bowel movement.

Glad you like the bran and the yogurt! I love bran, wholegrains, dried beans, and leafy veggies. And I also eat about 1/2 cup yogurt almost daily (with live, active bacteria) and I try to avoid the ones with pectin, gelatins, etc, only because I love to make yogurt cheese which requires pure, unadulterated yogurt. I tried a diary free diet once to see it it played a role in my hormonal migraines (it made no difference) and I sorely missed yogurt.

Thanks for the update and I'm thrilled you have your life back and your "regular" clothes back on!

monique

3/26/10 12:44am

i also suffer from severe migrains, i have one every day, non stop, and the pain meds dont even work, but i have to take any thing and every thing in hope that it might ease my pain... i recently had to have haemmroid surgery caused by constant constipation, im addicted to laxatives as i can not use my bowels with out it, taking codiene every day for my migrains is a major factor when it comes to my bowel problems... no one will help me, doctors dont know what to do or what to perscribe any more, i cry in pain and frustration every day now for 2 years, every day......... if this is as good as it gets for me i would rather be dead...

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