Unable To Have Bowel Movements, Feces Stuck, Painful. Colonoscopy Normal. Any Ideas?

Posted on Sun, 9 Sep 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 9 Sep 2012 Answered on

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : I am 64 yrs. old. I recently had a colonoscopy and other than pre-cancerous polyps, all was good. For the past 4 days I am unable to have a bowel movement. I know it sounds gross but the feces is like a golf ball stuck there - almost out but too hard. I have tried to pull it out as the pain is intense. When I do manage just a wee bit, it is filled with tiny, tiny white looking seeds... I am mostly a vegetarian (some chicken) but have had nothing that even appears to look like that. Any ideas?

Answered by Dr. Sudhir (18 minutes later)

Hello,

From the symptoms, it looks like an episode of constipation.You can try simple enema,laxatives and stool softener for this. White seeds are likely to be hardened stool.

In case this continue for long, you get pain in abdomen or you see blood in stools, then you will have to see your doctor particularly in view of polyps.

If colonoscopy was not done recently, then it would be good idea to get it repeated.

Hope this answers your question.Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar