pain meds and constipation

[KG1993]

I know drink lots of water. My mom also takes miralax daily. any other suggestions? i am just now convincing her to take the pain meds (stage IV since august 2011). nausea kinda under control with pain meds. now another side effect..............constipation.

she also has crohns disease.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kmswilson]

It's tough to manage, especially when the various side effects of chemo are messing with a system, too. I take a Senna S in the morning and one at night, and I'm still battling it. If it gets bad, I do the miralax, too. I do know my doctors have said to do what I can to keep going because with everything else, that should be the least of my worries! Good luck to your mom, and I'm sorry I'm not more help!

[ElaineM]

What about good ole Phillips Milk of Magnesia unless the magnesium will irritate the crohns disease.
A nice cup of mint tea might help. Mint relaxes the intestinal wall muscles. Some people believe in aloe vera capsules, but I am not sure if that will irriate the crohns disease. Drink alot of water with grains and carbs. Warm water is better. An old fashioned recipe is to put a hot water bottle on the lower abdomen. That also relaxes the muscles in that area. Prunes with or cooked in warm water or prune juice helps some people. Physillium mixed in warm water helps other people.

[Rich66]

Assuming the pain meds are opioids, there is a prescription medication designed to allow the pain relief while blocking the constipating effects of opioids.
Relistor (methylnaltrexone)
http://www.drugs.com/relistor.html

It also might negate the potential problems of opioid pain relievers interfering with chemotherapies:
http://her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=42074

[snolan]

In the hospital we use milk of magnesia warmed up with prune juice. We call it the bomb. Don't know how it would react with Chrones.

[NanaJoni]

Crohn's is very serious. Check with her doctors before trying anything (especially her primary care doc if that's whose treated her for the Crohn's).

[Rich66]

If her doc approves, another immediate approach is enema for lower tract followed by magnesium citrate drink for upper tract. Seems to have a lot more "oomph" (medical term) than Miralax.

[Sheila]

I agree not to take anything without consulting her Dr, due to the Crohns...but I would think a daily regimen of 2 stool softeners like Docusate Sodium would keep things running smooth without any explosive effects or added cramping.