Opiate Constipation is Killing Me!

[Rybee]

Last week I changed from 40mg Oxycodone to 110mg Morphine daily and whilst the pain has reduced, my bowels have just come to a stand still.

I'm using 2x glycerine suppositories to literally flush shit out and get things moving, as well as Senna supplements to stimulate the smooth muscle contractions.

I've purposefully increased the fibre in my diet but I don't know if that's just made things worse?

I always found Morphine to be quite constipating and was happy to rid of this side effect when I changed to Oxycodone. That caused minor constipation but mostly when I slacked on healthy eating and exercise.

I think I'm due to change to Methadone in a few weeks - what's that like on the old bowel system?

I just had an MRI scan on my lower spine and have a CT scan tomorrow. I don't know how the radiographer is going to see anything my spine with all this shit in the way.

 

[TheLostBoys]

Morphine has always given me the most constipation.......use Miralax, it works wonders.

I've never had ant problems on methadone, went to the bathroom like clock work.

Then again, I've never taken more than 10mgs a day.

 

[szuko000]

I had bad constipation problems when I first started methadone. Basically I tried to come up with a schedule for it otherwise I wouldn't be able to go due to the long effect. You have to try to make it so you don't dose until you go so on days I can go to the clinic later I do. If you need a good laxative I usually recommend miralax. Its easy on you and it works by putting more water into the situation as oppose to stimulant based laxatives, I have coffee and cigs for that

Otherwise its minimal you just need to kind of plan for it and youll be fine.

 

[LilikoiMoon]

Rybee, good advice from the others...

Fibre may make you Glenda Gassy, especially when you're severely constipated. Eating fiber rich food is better than a supplement for that reason.

Stool softners over laxatives. If you take a laxative on opiates, it's like a battle. You empty the lower, but not the upper.

If you choose a laxative, I swear by mineral oil...works wonders. Just be sure to drink plenty of fluids with mineral oil based laxatives.

 

[ScrewLight]

Oxycodone is worse than methadone, IME. Like you, Morphine is the worst of the 3 mentioned for myself as well. I've only used them for chronic pain so, I prefer morphine, as it provides me more pain relief than any of the mentioned. You've got other factors at work though, as you've upped your dosage if you went from 40mg's oxy to 110mg's morph (Oxycodone is approximate 1.5 times stronger than morphine). So, 40mg's of oxy is only about 60mg's of morphine (using that average comparison). SO, you upped your dose almost double (~192% of initial dose)... That is a major factor. IMPE, oxycodone not only wasn't much better on the bowels (especially the 'contin' formulations), but it caused much more nausea. I could get any one of those three and prefer morphine, as it is best for pain...that would, after all, be my only use for taking something like that.

Be wary though, just as your doc went up with the morphine dose (from oxycodone), he/she may likely go back down with a comparable dose of methadone. Some charts show methadone as 5 times stronger than morphine. I could take very large doses of either methadone or morphine and not get nauseous, but anything over a buck twenny on oxy and I'd be puking my guts out...

So, what I've learned from speaking with my MD about this is much, but most importantly is that all people are different, and IT IS WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU

 

[trutexan]

fiber powder daily