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How Long Does Stretched Bowel Take To Become Normal?
Posted on
Wed, 28 May 2014
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 28 May 2014
Answered on
Sat, 14 Jun 2014
Last reviewed on
Question : Constipation problems for over 25 years. My bowel is stretched to the XXXXXXX Tender at bottom and up top. A lady which was a friend to a worker at my job died due to bowel explosion. I was close and could hardly walk one day and took exlax and thank God that I did not.
My bowels are stretched.
I have to take stool Softener and senna to make my bowels work when I eat a meal. (2 to 4 times a week depending on what I eat.)
How long does it take my bowels to stretch back to normal.
My guess is 10 years. If I don’t take stool softners or senna I get backed up.
I have learned to eat cottage cheese, eggs, peanut butter, and also take a iron pill for iron to help with the problem.m
I try to keep a low volume of food in my stomach.
Is this process going to take me 10 years or more to fix.
My bowels are stretched.
I have to take stool Softener and senna to make my bowels work when I eat a meal. (2 to 4 times a week depending on what I eat.)
How long does it take my bowels to stretch back to normal.
My guess is 10 years. If I don’t take stool softners or senna I get backed up.
I have learned to eat cottage cheese, eggs, peanut butter, and also take a iron pill for iron to help with the problem.m
I try to keep a low volume of food in my stomach.
Is this process going to take me 10 years or more to fix.
Brief Answer:
can't be cured but managed only
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
COnstipation for 25 years is quite a lot of time and it might have done extensive damage to the bowel functions. I want you to know that this issue can not be cured but managed only. And stretched bowels coming back to normal is quite correlated with constipation correction and management with a constant lifestyle and diet modifications.
Constipation is quite a common issue these days and quite underrated. It needs a lot of diet and lifestyle modifications and work up to sort out the cause. Lets discuss what can be done to constipation. Remember constipation remains there unless the underlying cause is addressed and taken care of
Lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, colonic transit study, defecography, anorectal manometry, surface anal electromyography (EMG), and balloon expulsion ,complete blood count (CBC),Thyroid function tests, Serum electrolytes for metabolic cause of constipation, such as hypokalemia and hypercalcemia and also potassium, calcium, glucose, and creatinine, for electrolytes imbalance and last but not the least histopathological examinations are some of the baseline workup necessary to sort out the constipation cause.
Increase fiber intake and take plenty of fluids. manual disimpaction and transrectal enemas would work for a while now. Then a complete management would be needed and should focus on dietary change and exercise rather than laxatives, enemas, and suppositories, none of which really address the underlying problem.
The key to treating most patients with constipation is correction of dietary deficiencies, which generally involves increasing intake of fiber and fluid and decreasing the use of constipating agents (eg, milk products, coffee, tea, alcohol).
Medications to treat constipation include the following:
Bulk-forming agents (fibers; eg, psyllium): arguably the best and least expensive medication for long-term treatment
Emollient stool softeners (eg, docusate): Best used for short-term prophylaxis (eg, postoperative)
Rapidly acting lubricants (eg, mineral oil): Used for acute or subacute management of constipation
Prokinetics (eg, tegaserod): Proposed for use with severe constipation-predominant symptoms
Stimulant laxatives (eg, senna): Over-the-counter agents commonly but inappropriately used for long-term treatment of constipation
Newer therapies for constipation include the following:
Prucalopride, a prokinetic selective 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 (5-HT4) receptor antagonist that stimulates colonic motility and decreases transit time
The osmotic agents lubiprostone and linaclotide,which are FDA approved for chronic idiopathic constipation, constipation caused by irritable bowel syndrome, and (in the case of lubiprostone) opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic, noncancer pain
Get to your gastroenterologist and discuss some newer advancements like sacral nerve stimulation and some surgical interventions if need be with them and let them decide what is best for you.
I hope it helps. Dont forget to close the discussion please.
Regards
S Khan
can't be cured but managed only
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
COnstipation for 25 years is quite a lot of time and it might have done extensive damage to the bowel functions. I want you to know that this issue can not be cured but managed only. And stretched bowels coming back to normal is quite correlated with constipation correction and management with a constant lifestyle and diet modifications.
Constipation is quite a common issue these days and quite underrated. It needs a lot of diet and lifestyle modifications and work up to sort out the cause. Lets discuss what can be done to constipation. Remember constipation remains there unless the underlying cause is addressed and taken care of
Lower gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, colonic transit study, defecography, anorectal manometry, surface anal electromyography (EMG), and balloon expulsion ,complete blood count (CBC),Thyroid function tests, Serum electrolytes for metabolic cause of constipation, such as hypokalemia and hypercalcemia and also potassium, calcium, glucose, and creatinine, for electrolytes imbalance and last but not the least histopathological examinations are some of the baseline workup necessary to sort out the constipation cause.
Increase fiber intake and take plenty of fluids. manual disimpaction and transrectal enemas would work for a while now. Then a complete management would be needed and should focus on dietary change and exercise rather than laxatives, enemas, and suppositories, none of which really address the underlying problem.
The key to treating most patients with constipation is correction of dietary deficiencies, which generally involves increasing intake of fiber and fluid and decreasing the use of constipating agents (eg, milk products, coffee, tea, alcohol).
Medications to treat constipation include the following:
Bulk-forming agents (fibers; eg, psyllium): arguably the best and least expensive medication for long-term treatment
Emollient stool softeners (eg, docusate): Best used for short-term prophylaxis (eg, postoperative)
Rapidly acting lubricants (eg, mineral oil): Used for acute or subacute management of constipation
Prokinetics (eg, tegaserod): Proposed for use with severe constipation-predominant symptoms
Stimulant laxatives (eg, senna): Over-the-counter agents commonly but inappropriately used for long-term treatment of constipation
Newer therapies for constipation include the following:
Prucalopride, a prokinetic selective 5-hydroxytryptamine-4 (5-HT4) receptor antagonist that stimulates colonic motility and decreases transit time
The osmotic agents lubiprostone and linaclotide,which are FDA approved for chronic idiopathic constipation, constipation caused by irritable bowel syndrome, and (in the case of lubiprostone) opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic, noncancer pain
Get to your gastroenterologist and discuss some newer advancements like sacral nerve stimulation and some surgical interventions if need be with them and let them decide what is best for you.
I hope it helps. Dont forget to close the discussion please.
Regards
S Khan
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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