Post partum constipation and hemorrhoids...yuck

[ihugtrees]

Way TMI warning...I'm embarassed to even write this but I'm at the end of my rope here.

I got hemorrhoids during pregnancy that got worse with birth. Since giving birth (almost 4 weeks ago) I have been extremely constipated. I am taking a prescription stool softener twice a day and drinking white grape juice (I tried prune, and it gave me painful, intense diarrhea.) I also eat whole grains and veggies, which have fiber, right? However, when I do go to the bathroom (every 2-4 days) then it is EXCRUCIATINGLY painful. I mean, almost as bad as some moments during labor! There is TONS of blood in the toilet, on my stool, and on the toilet paper when I wipe...I have even seen some stringy looking clots when wiping. The problem is that the stool is huge, even with all my attempts at easing things out. I try not to push, but the stool will just come a little ways out, and it is burning (think 'ring of fire' lol) and I have shooting pain in my rectum, and it will just stay there unless I push it, so I can't help but push so it will come out more quickly. Usually after the first stool, the rest are not as large or hard, but I am in so much pain that I can't feel them come out. I am using witch hazel on it constantly, and my midwife suggested small potato pieces against it...so I processed potatoes in my food processor and tried that, but they just kept sliding forward, and I actually had potatoes in my vagina...not a pleasant sensation either! My rectum felt no better after the potatoes, but I did only try them one time... I also soak in epsom salts after every bowel movement (I can't function without a soak afterwards), and have tried the pads made to help with hemorrhoids on the outside.

When I look in the mirror, I don't see any hemmy's on the outside...so they must all be internal. What can I do to fix this problem? It is so horrible because I try to put it off and feel this sick dread when I need to go, then I'm in awful pain down there when I sit, squat, try to do kegels, pass gas, etc for days afterwards.

[mamatolevi]

I am so sorry you're hurting like this. Please call your OB and get a referral to a proctologist or a rectal surgeon. There are minimally invasive things they can do to help. In the meantime glycerine suppostories may help as might prepH cream. The prep H will help shrink any 'roids that are present and the glycerine suppositories will help things "slide a little easier."

Remember to drink LOTS of water as well. Fiber w/o water = cement.

[leila1213]

Please minimize your fiber consumption. Go for easily passed stuff, like fats (flax/coconut oil), bone broths, soups, herbal teas, freshmade juices. Try to avoid the roughage, as that is what is bulking up your stool and making it hard. See www.fibermenace.com for more info.

For stool softening I would suggest Natural Calm (magnesium supplement). Start with just a teaspoon (dissolved in warm water) and work your way up till bowels are comfortably loose. Also soaking in epsom salt baths will give you a little more mag and possibly make the roids a little more comfortable. And vit C can help in the same way as mag, although I haven't found a good dosage myself (was taking many grams of it a day without results). The mag has been much quicker and more noticeable for me & my family.

I haven't tried them myself, but enemas are the gentlest 'assistance' I have found to be recommended by my most trusted sources.

[Avani]

I got internal hemmorhoids after 2 of my births and after trying every natural remedy and all the prep H creams and suppostiories i found the only thing that worked was Hydrocortisone suppositories from the Dr. I was in so much pain for months trying all of the different remedies and finally after a few days of the suppositories i was all better. The exam they did on me, sticking their fingers up my rectum to check for the internal hemmorhoids was worse then labor. This time around i have already gotten a prescription for the suppositories and will start them as soon as i birth. I realized you don't have to spend any time in pain and preventing them is my plan of attack. Taking aloe vera capsules took care of keeping my stools soft but not overly soft helped for me.

[msmiranda]

[QUOTE=leila1213;14031381]Please minimize your fiber consumption. Go for easily passed stuff, like fats (flax/coconut oil), bone broths, soups, herbal teas, freshmade juices. Try to avoid the roughage, as that is what is bulking up your stool and making it hard. See www.fibermenace.com for more info.

Whoa. Now I am confused. This goes against everything I have ever heard about preventing/curing constipation. I have been having a hard time with it myself of late, but in my experience it was because I was not getting enough fiber and eating too much dairy. But according to this author, I guess that's because I was already "addicted" to fiber and have done permanent damage to my nether regions. Are there any other studies or sites online that back up what is being said on this website? I am open to hearing things that are different from conventional medical wisdom, but I need more than one source.

[leila1213]

[QUOTE=msmiranda;14031691]

Originally Posted by leila1213

Please minimize your fiber consumption. Go for easily passed stuff, like fats (flax/coconut oil), bone broths, soups, herbal teas, freshmade juices. Try to avoid the roughage, as that is what is bulking up your stool and making it hard. See www.fibermenace.com for more info.

Whoa. Now I am confused. This goes against everything I have ever heard about preventing/curing constipation. I have been having a hard time with it myself of late, but in my experience it was because I was not getting enough fiber and eating too much dairy. But according to this author, I guess that's because I was already "addicted" to fiber and have done permanent damage to my nether regions. Are there any other studies or sites online that back up what is being said on this website? I am open to hearing things that are different from conventional medical wisdom, but I need more than one source.

I know, it's crazy. That is the best source I have that actually puts everything together, but it jives with my experience, other sources that don't actually talk about it explicitly, and what I feel is common sense (once explained). Fiber supplements and the insane recommendations for the amount of fiber we should get every day never made sense to me. Oh I do remember one other that was kind of anecdotal, but also was kind of 'aha!': http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/f...-fore-and-aft/

I'll also look up some of my old threads on the subject for you.

ETA: Some further thoughts...we are told that fiber bulks up stool, are we not? I can sure see the truth in that myself (ahem). But if we want stools that are easy to pass, then why are we bulking them up?? Especially for an irritated anus, this is counterintuitive advice. So what I'm saying is really not going against 'conventional wisdom' 100%, just applying it differently, kwim?

[leila1213]

Here's the thread: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ighlight=fiber
ETA: another one: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ighlight=fiber

I'm really glad I'm going back and reading it! I actually lost my copy of the book before I finished reading it, which I really want to do. I think it's in my garage, somewhere...

[paula_22]

Postpartum Hemorrhoids

It's painful, but it happens ... I got stuck with hemorrhoids after delivery and I know they hurt very much.
Don't let the problem get worse and ask your physician opinion too.
Be careful with your diet to avoid constipation. Eat whole grain cereals and fruits.

I used with good results a Marigold, Chamomile and Chestnut ointment.
I also used with Eggplant and Dill. You can always use Aloe Vera gel.

I wrote a couple of articles about postpartum hemorrhoids and natural hemorrhoid treatment on my website.
I hope you will find them useful.

[MsBlack]

Pelvic floor exercises can help with the roids ('kegels'). Generally exercising can help with the BMs. Even gentle walking for about 30 min a day can be enough.

When I hear 'constipation', I wonder:
is Mama getting enough water/clear fluids--especially if she's nursing?

is mama getting enough calories in general--it takes a lot to make milk! And if you're not eating enough, the body tends to hold onto the food so as to wring every last bit of nutrition out of it, before letting it pass out.

Is she getting enough fiber--but not TOO much? More fiber will not help if these other things are not right. And as pp said, more fats might be in order, rather than more fiber, esp for someone eating whole grains.

Are you taking an iron supplement? If so, it may be source of the constipation. It may be a type of iron that is not well absorbed, or it might be you're taking too much for you.

Are you taking calcium? Cal can be constipating too, in some forms. Also, in any form it may be constipating unless you're also taking enough magnesium.

[Serenyd]

Wow, I could have almost written most of your post for you. :<(

I've almost decided I have anal fissures rather than hemmrhoids.. but reading you post I'm not so sure now. I can't see anything on the outside.

I've been thinking about going on a liquid diet until they heal. I've completely stopped taking my vitamins because they make me very constipated (Rainbow light vegan). In fact, I usually take colace stool softener along with them, but I ran out of colace and kept taking them anyway ... well that was a bad idea.

a couple people recommended alfalfa as an alternative to iron that also has a side effect of softer stools. I don't think I can buy it around here though, so I'll have to order some. I tried eating prunes but it didn't help at all. I don't get diarrhea very easily.

When I go, it feels like my anus is ripping and it burns and aches like crazy afterwards! If my stool just wasn't so large and hard to pass, it's like trying to poop out a stick of firewood!

Let me know if you find anything that helps. It's going on 4-5 weeks of this and I'm so tired of it.

[Materfamilias]

Interesting about the fiber. The only thing that helped me pp was eating more fiber, in the form of All Bran cereal, and drinking lots of water. The cereal bulked up the stools, for sure, but they were soft and loose.

[MsBlack]

serenyd--

Any vitamin that makes you constipated is not being absorbed much. It is binding in your gut. I think that brand is just not the one for you, even if it works great for some others. On the other hand, you could try taking some yellow dock tincture or capsules with the RLight, in case it is the iron that is binding. Yellow dock helps iron absorb better, and also can soften the stool some--I don't get diarrhea very easy either-- I could take about 8 YD caps a day and only then would I get stool 'soft enough'.

Yeah, maybe alfalfa or floradix would be a better choice for you, though, for iron.

[leila1213]

Going along with MsBlack's advice for magnesium, Natural Calm is super great at getting soft, easy to pass stools going. Usually overnight, for me.

Some remedies for hemmorhoids I've been working on with my DH: witch hazel sitz bath (it soaks in, even to ones you can't see), nettles and oatstraw tea, extra vitamin E. Also, 'legs up the wall' yoga pose and pelvic tilts can help with circulation and take the stress off those veins.

[Serenyd]

Originally Posted by leila1213

Going along with MsBlack's advice for magnesium, Natural Calm is super great at getting soft, easy to pass stools going. Usually overnight, for me.

Some remedies for hemmorhoids I've been working on with my DH: witch hazel sitz bath (it soaks in, even to ones you can't see), nettles and oatstraw tea, extra vitamin E. Also, 'legs up the wall' yoga pose and pelvic tilts can help with circulation and take the stress off those veins.

Would Epsom's magnesium salts do the same thing? I have some of that.