What Is A Bowel Obstruction?

7 Answers

These messages are for mutual support and information sharing only. Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.
I have not had a bowel movement in three days and my stomach is so bloated and  it looks like I am pregnant. I have gained 2.5 lbs in 3 days without changing my eating habits. My back is hurting and I feel this is because I need to go to the bathroom.  I am thinking about drinking 8 ounces of Prune Juice to get myself going but that
 may help but then in 2 more days I will be backed up again. I really need advice as to what I should do.

Thank you.
do you have  any history of digestive disease? regular constipation ? have you ever tried drug?
Its sad how we take out time to see doctors and still have to do the figuring ourselves. In my research of my symptoms, I found this platform that's better than losing money by the doctors failure of competence.Went to the ER Tues. Xrays, blood work, and CAT scan #normal.I was only able to make physical efforts to hopefully see my PCP on Saturday. Which unsurprisingly #closed.I'm suffering with abdominal pain that involves... Bloating,nausea,back pain,weird taste, here and there diarrhea,and seemingly constipation. I've tried laxatives, stool softeners, and magnesium citrate. I'm on a bland diet but horrified at the thought of eating anything.Ibuprofen pm helps me go to sleep. Can't sleep without it. I'm aiding myself with vitamins, potassium, water, crackers, broth, toast, and soups. Encouragement to eat is now a NO GO. I feel that I should just do water and broth until i have fluent bowel movements. Never had this happened on this level before. I can tell that my digestive system is slowly progressing which by doctors orders I should move forward with the diet rendered,but that isn't working well. I feel like I'm getting less results of comfort and progression when I eat food. Signed:Impatient Patient
I'm going through the exact thing but now I'm bleeding every time I poop and cramps are getting worse .I have a hard time holding down a job
Bowel obstruction may cause your symptom. But it can also be caused by other gastrointestinal conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, hemorrhoids, or colon polyps. You are suggested to see a doctor because these conditions would not get better on its own. You cannot treat it by yourself at home.

Treatments of intestinal obstruction depend on the causes of your condition. Patients generally require hospitalization.
I'm 56 yrs old. Stage 5 kidney failure I haven't been able to have a bowel movement in a week. Tried laxatives. Tried Melanta. Tried 3 fleet anemas. No success
you should try to drink Lactulose had have Glycerine Enema(Anal insertion)
Hi Anita,
I just read your post and share in your pain!   I too haven't been able to have a bowel movement only mine has been a month.  Long story short, I had extreme stress the month prior and hardly ate anything and didn't  drink  enough water. I too tried everything I could think of.   I wish I would  have gone to the Emergency department earlier than I did because this is something you just can't ignore!
  Please go to to the Emergency Dept As soon as you can! The longer you leave it the harder it is for you. It could also be life threatening!  Get an exray, blood work, urine test and a Cat Scan. These tests  will find out if you have a bowel obstruction (very serious problem if you do.)  An exray will tell you how much stool there is in your intestines.  For me my right side of my large  intestines was very full but nothing on the left side. They said I didn't have an obstruction but I hadn't had enough water to keep my stools soft so it could pass through and my stool was very hard.  I was so swollen I looked 9 months pregnant and the pain was so bad I could barely walk!  I was given the same stuff they give you to drink as when you prepare for a colonoscopy. It didn't work. I was given stronger stuff to drink.  After drinking 2 bottles of terrible tasting stuff I finally had movement, But it didn't end there.  I had to keep taking this strong bowel cleanser for a week 3 times a day. Do not eat anything except a few crackers. Make sure you drink a lot of water. That is very important!  I don't like the taste of water so I put lemon in it . You must drink at least 10 lrg glasses a day,. It's tough, the stuff tastes terrible, the pain is bad but as you start having movements the pain will go away, You have to drink the stuff, no skipping! I was using  Lactulose  then this bottle with Magnesium in it. Suppositories soften the stool at the bottom but if you are blocked you might need to do like me and have the bowels softened at the top. The begining. I am finally cleaned out now but it was hell getting there.  
 Like I said, please go to the Hospital and get exrays and a Cat Scan if you still can't have a bowel movement. I left it too long. You won't have to go through what I just went through.  Good luck!
Hi Jan! Many thanks for your sharing. It's really useful for other guys who face the same situation as you ever did. You are really nice. Many many thanks! I wish you a happy life!
Very helpful! Thanks for sharing your story.
Went to ER twice, they ran these test and only said kidney stone . Follow up with your doctor. Drank the magnesium, ate more fiber. Feels like my colon  or something stopped working since.  Seen primary and waiting on test to be scheduled. Today said someone would be calling me. Nope! Bloated and back ache too. Had total  hysterectomy years ago so it's not female issue. I sleep better on stomach or side if lucky. Nauseated again. Dr cough, swollen lymph under arm recently. Bad heartburn hours after eating Anything. Worse  pains when empty.
You need to see a gastroenterologist for specific examination such as colonoscopy and gastroscopy. Colon lumps, intestine obstruction, ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease etc all can cause these symptoms. Maybe the intestine has been paralyzed due to the inflammation or suppression.
You have kidney stones and acid relux. Your cough and swollen lymph nodes in the armpit are caused by the common cold or viral bronchitis. Drinking more water cannot be wrong. Eating more fiber is not wrong also.
I have the same problem and I find that when I eat more fiber like leafy green vegetables, kale, spinach and turnip greens and not so many starchy  things, I do much better. I need to drink more water but don’t like it, even though I know it would help
I just got out of hospital because of an obstruction it was horrible a lot of pain they stuck a tube in my nose to my stomach to take out all that stuff because I wouldn’t stop throwing up and couldn’t go to the bathroom,,, was there two days until the obstruct cleared   itself but didn’t need surgery but very painful
I am not sure about what kind of obstruction you have and where it is. I think the best way is to take out by surgery . If surgery isn't the optimal choice, the doctor won't agree on the surgery. If you don't know what it is and if you can get better, it can be life-threatening.
Patricia, I just went through the same thing as you. Very painful  I hope it never comes back
Yes, inserting a gastric tube is to absorb the gastic contents (including gas), otherwise you will have abdominal bloating, which is also terrible. Nothing can be done to ease the discomfort. I'm sorry.
I had what I call a bowel obstruction. I went into a depression after losing my Husband, didn't realize it, didn't eat or drink didn''t realize that either. I then got a terrible taste in my mouth, I think the bowel was backing up? It was high under my left rib, nothing worked to get it to pass, very weak sick etc. Went to the meda center, then hospital for Iv, my liver enzymes were up, went to my PCP and still no one figured out what was going on??? I finally drank over 10 bottles of water and it started to pass slowly and I realized I was able to taste some things. I think my taste buds were dehydrated also. Didn't eat or got to the bathroom for almost 5 weeks, I was in rough shape, I normally have good health. Went back to the Dr. and said I was feeling better, I hadn't gone yet at that point but I was starting to eat a little. He sent me for more blood work all the enzymes and liver were back to normal case closed. So no one really helped me I had to figure it out and rectify the problem myself. I was so weak and frail after that I am a lot better now 3 months later feeling good and back to the gym and dancing I really watch what I eat and drink now and my bowels are better now than they ever were?? Sorry for being so wordy but I just thought my experience could help someone else
Thanks for sharing
I've been going through so much this past month.   1st I started having diarrhea that lasted for 15 days.  I went to my family doctor and prescribed me antibiotics & something to stop the diarrhea, (Flagyl).  And it worked within an hour.  But now it's been 10 days since I've had a bowel movement.   So I saw my family doctor again and he said to go to the store and buy glycerin suppositories & 4oz. magnesium citrate.  So I did that & nothing.  My upper stomach has  been killing me this whole time.
 And I've lost 21lbs in less than a month.   I called my family doctor and he said just go into ER.  They took x-ray of my chest.  Looked fine.   Cat scan of my stomach,  it was fine,  but it showed that my entire colon was completely backed up from front to end.  So he said I had 2 options do a high volume enema there or go home and do 2 low volume Fleet enemas in the privacy of my own home.   I said if I'm that backed I think I should do the high volume one there.   So I did that & managed to hold it in for 45min & I was expecting an explosion to come out & nothing was coming.   Until I started to squeeze & I was squeezing hard.  And only 4 stools came out.  The ER physician said to take buy a 7oz bottle of MiraLax & mix it with 2qts of Gatorade Zero.  Also, get 2 more fleet enemas & use another glycerin suppository.   I did that tonight except for the glycerin suppository & nothing still. I'm beginning to think that I'm going to have to need bowel removal surgery.  I just want this to end & not have any more abdominal pain. :(
Your condition is called sigmoid volvulus. In the majority of cases, high-volume enema would restore the normal sigmoid colon. However, this seems ineffective for you. If the pain persists, maybe you should do a surgery to manually restore the sigmoid colon.
Hi James. This is a miserable problem. I hope you have it solved but I have been fighting this stuff for 30 years. When you are that compacted, 4 oz of Magnesium Citrate isn't going to do the job. It may take up to 3 to 4 bottles but things will eventually liquify if you keep gaging that junk down.
I had bowl blockage from scar tissue from a bullet wound long time ago..  Now they did surgery they said i might have obstruction of bowel is it curable
Yes, in the majority of cases it would be cured. However, there is chance in a minority of patients that the bowel obstruction would recur.
Had such excruciating pain for two days.  Finally went to the emergency room and wound up being admitted into the hospital.  Ran x-ray and CT, this was on Sunday 24, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Finding was I had a part of my small intestine collapsed.  Was beginning to absorb poisons back into the adobimanal cavern. At  8:00 p.m. that night was going into surgergy for bowel resection. A pure week of hell.  Take my advice, don't put off if the pain is that bad.  I was having alot of bloating as well.  Was released yesterday, Friday, November 29,2019.  Am still very sore from the surgery but feel a hell of alot better health wise.  On the road to recovery.

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