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constipation and sencecot use

curly88
curly88 CSN Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Long-Term Effects of Treatment #1
I've been in/out of chemo for 5 years. Recently, my chemo and steroids made me very constipated and I got impacted. Once clear, my doc said to use Senecot. Been using it for a month, and having pain in lower rectal area; feel like irratation from it. Anyone else had prbs with Senecot, and what do you do to keep bowels working? Afraid of another impaction...
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  • CinciRick
    CinciRick CSN Member Posts: 23
    #2
    Hi Curly 88,
    I normally don't look in this discussion group so I just saw your message. When I got into my 3rd round of chemo, I thought the new drugs were causing me to get severe constipation. My ONC Dr instructed me to take 1 Senocot per day and if I went 3 days without a BM he said to take Ducolax as a laxative. I got so weak from the chemo I had to be hospitalized and on Oxygen for a week. We stopped all chemo for now while I recover from the shingles and build up my strength. Well I got tired of the troubles with constipation and I switched to 2 Senokot-S per day. My constipation has gone away ever since I changed to 2 each morning. I have been doing this for about a month.
    Starting tomorrow I am planning to go back to 1 per day and here is why. I have read that little or no exercise and not drinking enough fluids can contribute to constipation. Now that I am feeling a little better I am walking at least 30 minutes a day and drinking more water and fruit juice maybe 1 per day is enough. It is just a theory but I am thinking it was not the chemo drugs that directly caused my constipation, but I was so weak that I got little or no exercise and did not drink enough. I did tell my Oncologist I had switched my dose to 2 Senokot-S per day and he was not concerned. At the first sign of trouble I will go from 1 back to 2 per day. Bye the way, at first I tried 1 in the morning and one in the afternoon, but I kept forgetting the second dose. My Dr said it was OK to take both together in the morning. I don't know how active you are but I am convinced walking helps. If the weather is bad I just go to Walmart or a shopping mall to walk around.

    Good luck, I hope you have already found a solution to your troubles.
    Cincinnati Rick
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