Bowel problems and constipation

[icequeen]

Hi! I haven't been posting here for years but I must draw your attention to a withdrawal problem that can be dangerous. I withdrew rathder rapidly from sertraline almost fifteen years ago because they induced acute akathisia. I have since  then lived with horrible symptoms without much improvement and severe constipation has been and still is one of them. Anyway, it got so bad that I had to have two emergency surgeries for paralytic ileus about a year ago. Those of you who get constipation - please take laxatives  that increase bowel motility so you don't end up like me! Parts of my bowels were necrotic and had to be removed. The little improvement in other symptoms I had made - dizziness, spasms, hyponatremia, eye pain, weakness, sleeplessness, nausea shortness of breath, shaking, blurred vision etc etc were all made worse after the surgeries and I'm back in year one.  Never ignore  a troublesome physical symptom! 

[ChessieCat]

7 hours ago, icequeen said:

Those of you who get constipation - please take laxatives  that increase bowel motility

 

There are various ways to increase bowel motility by incorporating fibre into your diet as well as drinking plenty of water.  Psyllium husk, prunes, dried apricots, increase high fibre vegetables and change to bread with added fibre instead of refined white bread.  You can get some very nice high fibre breads now that aren't dry like in the "old days".  Gentle walking can also help.  Also don't wait if you feel the need to go.  That can cause problems or make them worse.  If you do need to take a laxative I suggest using the natural types, like Senokot, a brand name of senna, a natural vegetable laxative.  I would urge caution about using chemical laxatives.  Do your research.

[icequeen]

Yes, I know and knew about all that and it simply didn't work for me. I always eat whole grain rye bread and half of my meals are vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber but nothing worked for me. If you get severe constipation and simple methods like that don't work, watch out! It is dangerous. 

[ChessieCat]

55 minutes ago, icequeen said:

Yes, I know and knew about all that and it simply didn't work for me.

 

What I posted was general advice for the members.

[icequeen]

55 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

 

What I posted was general advice for the members.

 

I'm sorry if i sounded critical. It was not my intention but I thought you were replying to me.  The fibers do increase the volume of the stools but according to the hospital doctors I spoke to they do not increase motility. For some people more voluminous stools makes it easier to pass but the doctors said that the fibers can even slow down movement plus that the  higher your blood glucose and the higher the fat contents in your diet, the slower your bowels move. They do not know about the problems we have after antidepressants though and of course none but one of them believed me and that is no news to any victim of these poisonous drugs. Excpt for the motility increasing laxatives, the only thing I've found to be a bit effective is very strong coffee which I know many members here don't tolerate but luckily I do. 

[bubbles]

There is apparently evidence that reducing or eliminating fibre improves constipation 

[icequeen]

Bubbles, that is exactly what I was taught in hospital. I was told that if I get very constipated again, stick to soups for a while and I was also told that it's OK to eat vegetables but they should be boiled.  Orange juice is OK but not whole oranges because if they are not very properly chewed, they can cause ileus. Then there was of course the usual advice - walk, walk, walk, which is easier said than done in my condition. I am still very dizzy, stiff and short of breath and it gets worse for every minute I sit, stand or walk. It's approaching fifteen years now and having two surgeries for ileus plus I had sepsis as well was too much in this condition. I'm now stiffer and dizzier than ever before. I was badly traumatized by the withdrawal before and even worse now after the surgeries. I have no idea what meds they used during it but apparently something that made other symptoms worse. I am glad if I can stagger across the floor unaided one year after. it.  I honestly don't know how to be able to go on like this but I keep trying of course. 

[Orangeblossom77]

Magnesium citrate can help with constipation. 

[icequeen]

They tried to give me that in hospital and I tried at home as well but my body shut down even more and I stopped breathing and got even weaker. I was anemic as well and got blood transfusions and that didn't help ether. My only option for the constipation is tablets that increas motility but they  don't cure any of the other symptoms of course. I don't tolerate supplements of any kind and can't go back on SSRIs. I tried to reinstate three times and they cause immediate akathisia, cramps and worse stiffness.

[Orangeblossom77]

I have also had surgery for bowel problems (non AD related- adhesions) and was told at the time meds can cause the constipation problems, rather than withdrawing from them. 

 

Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (paralytic ileus) can cause signs and symptoms of intestinal obstruction, but doesn't involve a physical blockage. In paralytic ileus, muscle or nerve problems disrupt the normal coordinated muscle contractions of the intestines, slowing or stopping the movement of food and fluid through the digestive system.

Paralytic ileus can affect any part of the intestine. Causes can include:

• Abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Infection
• Certain medications that affect muscles and nerves, including tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline  and imipramine (Tofranil), and opioid pain medications, such as those containing hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycontin)
• Muscle and nerve disorders, such as Parkinson's disease

See here https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/intestinal-obstruction/symptoms-causes/syc-20351460

 

Just mentioning in case this reassures others, it is meant to be usually the meds are the cause rather than going off them. In fact, it's one of the reasons I chose to try to get off my meds. 

[Orangeblossom77]

With regard the diet advice I have been told similar, you can blend stuff up but it can be hard to get enough fibre. Not easy. I find being active helps with motility, swimming and walking for example. 

[Carmie]

I take serrapeptase and nattokinese for health problems unrelated to the bowel. They are enzymes that work symbiotically with one another. I haven’t had any problems taking them during the withdrawals. A happy side effect has been they make your bowel movements as regular as clockwork. I get them from iherb. I don’t know if it will affect withdrawals, but I haven’t had any problems with them whatsoever. 

 

 

[AlaskanGlacier]

Constipation

 

Does anyone have serious constipation from ssri withdrawal? I eat extremely well with lots of fruits/veggies/etc and lots of fresh water. There is no reason for me to be so backed up, but my bowels are very slow atm. 10 months off Prozac. Anyone else? Even with psyllium fiber and herbal laxatives I can't get things going well.

Thanks!

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[icequeen]

Yes. I had to have surgery twice for it. It caused ileus and hernia. I had tried all kinds of diets and natural remedies. I’m still constipated and have to take laxatives that stimulate motility. Proper ones from the pharmacy. If you can’t or won’t go back on Prozac and can’t excercise due to withdrawal problems you must get things moving. Severe constipation can be dangerous. Good luck! 

[ChessieCat]

A search for constipation support group found this:  https://www.facebook.com/Constipation-Support-Group-1007142446125421/

 

Try searching for constipation forum.

[KokoLee]

On 5/6/2020 at 5:51 PM, AlaskanGlacier said:

Does anyone have serious constipation from ssri withdrawal? I eat extremely well with lots of fruits/veggies/etc and lots of fresh water. There is no reason for me to be so backed up, but my bowels are very slow atm. 10 months off Prozac. Anyone else? Even with psyllium fiber and herbal laxatives I can't get things going well.

Thanks!

 My partner began having GI tract problems within months of starting citalopram over a decade ago.  The doctor insisted SSRIs only cause such issues for the first few weeks. Fast forward to this summer--my partner began tapering citalopram in July but got panicky and updosed back to 40 mg.  Subsequently, the nausea and constipation grew worse than ever, despite a healthy diet, plus Metamucil and, most recently, Miralax. 

 

We've been thinking his symptoms might improve if he tries another gradual taper.  But after reading what others say here, I'm not so sure.  Does WD tend to amplify the symptoms you had while on an SSRI, or does it cause a reversal to the opposite extreme?  Or is there any consistent pattern whatsoever?  

[QueenVictoria]

I can't seem to get my "GI system" on a good path. My stomach has been so off with indigestion too. Its either constipated or reverse. Is this normal after coming off 40 years on SSRI's?

[ChessieCat]

Suggestion for constipation.

 

Chia seeds - NOTE with lots of water, otherwise they might cause constipation.

[Ariel]

I went through a very constipated phase. It was NOT fun. What ended up helping the most was doing gentle warm-water enemas and retraining my pelvic floor muscles to relax and respond to signaling around the urge to defecate. There are various causes to constipation. My analysis determined that my case was due to pelvic floor dyssynergia, which made sense to me given the fact that I was dealing with other muscle coordination issues as well. So my selected approach was neuromuscular retraining and I believe this is what ultimately helped. Prior to that I tried many different remedies, though, incl. all the ones already mentioned in this thread, and more. None of those interventions helped, other than allowing a process of elimination. Eventually whatever neural activity is responsible for signaling, "We gotta go," grew more distinct/recognizable to me, and I was better able to respond effectively. It took about six months of consistent practice, throughout which I noticed steady improvement. Now I'm pretty much regular. I wouldn't say my bowel movements are perfect, there's certainly room for improvement. But I'm holding off on any more overtly gut-related modifications such as supplements or probiotics. I may look into that down the line but don't want to rock the boat right now.

[Ariel]

Just now, Ariel said:

a process of elimination

lol 

sorry, this one got away from me

no pun intended!!

[Pollyjay]

For those who find themselves having to "push" a lo , I have to say, this has made a huge difference for me! 

 

If you can't watch the video, get something like a small toolbox -about 8 inches high works for my short legs- and rest your feet on it. Lean forward. Things just move on through much more smoothly with a lot less straining.

Hope it helps someone else.

 

 

[Pollyjay]

Just now, Pollyjay said:

For those who find themselves having to "push" a lot , I have to say, this has made a huge difference for me! 

 

If you can't watch the video, get something like a small toolbox -about 8 inches high works for my short legs- and rest your feet on it. Lean forward. Things just move on through much more smoothly with a lot less straining.

Hope it helps someone else.

 

 

 

[emilie]

Hi, just to say that i have realized that what i was doing make me ill.

The more the constipation goes, the more i took fibers and complete bran.

 

But recently i realized that i does not support  whole grain with gluten. I support whole grain if there is no gluten.

But whole grain with gluten stop completely my transit.

So now i avoid whole grain containing gluten.

It make a difference for me.

 

I had realized this because if the evening i eat potatoe, the morning i had no pain when i wake up and walk, and my sleep was better.

But if the evening i eat wheat whole bran, i had pain when i woke up and walk and my sleep was less correct.

I rarely sense the pain when i lay down. But when i wake up, and start walking i feel pain in intestinal zone.

 

so now i eat gluten free diet avoiding gluten grain (rye, oat, barley, wheat, triticale,spelled, kamut).

 

 

 

 

[modelarz71]

It's very sad and I admire so much bravery. I've had stomach problems since weaned off and I'm trying probiotics for now. pain of varying intensity but continuous.