Codeine constipation

You can't embarrass a pharmacist, if you don't want to announce your problem to the whole shop, perhaps ask to speak to them privately? Depends how bad it gets, but rather than experimenting with various laxatives from grapes, dates and ExLax up to Senokot and Dulcolax, definitely sound out the pharmacist!

The usual things? More fruit, veg and fibre, plenty of fluids. You can try fibogel, which you can get from the chemist. I was sent home from hospital on codeine with an accompanying pack of Senokot, so that might be something to try.

Good luck!

Have a big bowl of porridge every morning wth fruit in it,grated apple ,banana etc.I have codeine for my disc issue and have never had a constipation problem even though I sometimes take the full 8 a day for a week .And drink lots of water

I have to wear a yellow band in hospital if I go in for anything as I had a hysterectomy years ago and had awful constipation with codeine. Again years on I had codeine again and the same thing happened so now the yellow band not to be subscribed it. I do still struggle with constipation so I know what not to take. Try and take some laxido sachets you can get them at the chemist.

Be careful travels, I take a powder drink orange box sugar free sorry can’t remember the name which helps. Co codamol,can be very nasty, the dad of dd’s friend was in hospital fir a week impacted! !

Yup laxido sachets, thanks Harris.

Sodium docusate always works for me

It is very common so there should be no embarrassment about it.

I had such awful constipation due to codeine I ended up buying an enema from an online pharmacy.

Kiwi fruit. A natural laxative. Two will help a minor problem. 4 should shift codeine constipation. If you don't like the fruit or the acidity, make a smoothie with 4 kiwis and a banana. The banana will make it a bit less harsh.

I'm taking pain killers for a little bit of covid left over congestion and headaches at the moment. Taking 2 kiwis a day at the moment to moooooooove things along a little.

Exercise and extra fibre - a handful of dried fruit a day should help - along with plenty of water. My friend swears by firm tummy massage, in a clockwise direction!

Really don't worry about talking to a pharmacist. Many pain killers cause constipation and it's a question they will have been asked many many times. You should find that they have plenty of suggestions.

Movicol from the chemist and raisins. Dh was advised by gastro Consultant to eat raisins every day. He has 10g every morning in his breakfast. As others have said. No need to be embarrassed everyone goes through this or the opposite all the time.

I got Laxido prescribed by my GP and it works well . It does not give you the runs by the way .

Though laxido doesn’t give the runs, and does work, eventually, the result in my case is not a normal motion. Am trying to find the right words to describe...other than not pleasant.

I have been taking this twice a day until today when I reduced to once. Will see what tomorrow brings.....

I was going to recommend Fybogel which is what we used to give people when I worked at a dispensary but, looking on WebMD for codeine induced constipation it said to avoid medication that included psyllium husk which is what Fybogel contains as it makes it worse. That really surprised me as we used to hand out boxes of the stuff.I think a chat with a doctor is needed given that they would have prescribed the codeine in the first place and would know of possible interactions. Maybe Lactulose ( the other thing we used to hand out on a regular basis) would be better.

I'm a CC sufferer too, much of the time. I now keep a selection of books in the bathroom to pass the time.

I accidentally found a cure to constipation when I got some sugar-free gummi bears and ate quite a few. It was horrendous! I now limit them but do have them to hand if I have taken co-codamol.

GrandmasueUK

I accidentally found a cure to constipation when I got some sugar-free gummi bears and ate quite a few. It was horrendous! I now limit them but do have them to hand if I have taken co-codamol.

Yes any sugar-free sweets are likely to cause the opposite of constipation. For constipation I find All Bran cereal with a few prunes helps.

Yes. DH used to get cheap expired stuff from Boots when he worked fir them and he brought home some diet chocolate bars that had a sweetener in them instead of sugar. Being me I couldn’t eat just one at a time. The rest, as they say, is history.

Second for Movicol, it’s gentle ( some can cause explosive upset tummies) and it is very effective

A word with the pharmacist won’t go amiss as to which laxative is the safest to take with codeine. No need to be embarrassed, they deal with such queries on a daily basis.

Prune juice works for me

I am troubled by constipation caused by opiod patch for sciatica. I counter it with Movicol, prescribed by my GP.