Zelnorm questions - please

Hi - I am usually on the Crohns site but thought surley there must be someone HERE who has had experience with Zelnorm?

I have been constipated for a few months now - very rarely something happens and I have had D - like the first hour after I took the Zelnorm a week ago - but after that it was back to normal - I am only going with the help of Fleet enemas which I just dont think can be good for me - I try to wait at least 3 days which is usually all I can stand -

but- how long does it take for the Zelnorm to do something ?

is it normal for it to take this long ? I take 2 a day

and all I have gotten from it is a little gas  ,and i mean a little

I want to go so badly , but just cant

any help / advice is needed

thanks !

 

---

DX 23 years ago --

Asacol, Azathioprine 100mg  , Remicade 2 years , Lisinopril, Prednisone 20 and Ambien CR ( a necessity ! ) just added Zelnorm  - tons of vitamins

 

Finally have insurance after all these years !!

thanks 7Lil... at least hearing that someone had success with it is somewhat comforting : 0

I am drinking alot of water -- at least 64 oz a day ( that is good right ? ) and ofcourse I drink other things too
exercise ? well, that is limited , I work about 10-11 hrs a day , am totally exhausted to do anything else and I do have a desk job ..BUT i try to get out of my seat as much as possible and walk around periodically - I even take a walk around the outside of the building when I have time ..,,
but, its getting too hot for that now too ...
honestly I have not really decreased my activity since this all started ...so, its not like I WAS more active , ya know ? the constipation has been for at least 3 months now !!!

QUESTION ? what did you do inbetween ...did you use enemas ? did you use something else to help you go ? I am curious how other people do it and get by ..

THanks for you help !

---

DX 23 years ago --

Asacol, Azathioprine 100mg  , Remicade 2 years , Lisinopril, Prednisone 20 and Ambien CR ( a necessity ! ) just added Zelnorm  - tons of vitamins

 

Finally have insurance after all these years !!

Did I hear someone else on the board before say that Prednisone was constipating?? Can't remember, but you might want to ask a doctor or pharmacist or look it up on the web. Since Canyon pointed out that it can build up and cause problems over the long term, even if you've been on it a while, it may just now be acting on you this way.

I don't know if any of those medicines that you are taking are pain pills, but any opiate-based pain medicines are very constipating.

And unless you need the calcium for some very specific reason, I am with Canyon on dropping vitamins that contain calcium while you are bad constipated like this. No need to make the situation worse. If you need the calcium for some reason, and you think it might be causing your problems, then you need to look for a brand that has a good deal of magnesium in it, because the madnesium is what keeps it from making you constipated. One of our members, Inape, is like the calcium-guru; she has a post that tells you all about it and she can probably tell you what brand(s) to look for if you need calcium that's not constipating.

No. Prednisone does not cause constipation. It really doesn't build up in the system, it shuts down the adrenal glands because it produces what they normally would but in higher quanitities. If you are on it long term you have to be checked to make sure you do not have adrenal insufficiency and you need to taper off very slowly. If it is short term like a week no taper is now considered necessary. It is used very commonly with emphysema patients and other breathing problems which is where my expertise really is, that is why I know about it. With RA it is used also as it is a wonder drug but it can really mess up a person but it can also save their life and make life tolerable. I was almost on the point of suicide once because of lung problems and the Dr. refused to give it to me or to anyone for that matter. I changed Drs and feel like my life was saved as I could function as a person again. That was a long time ago and I would only use it now as a last resort but when you need it you need it. I asked my Dr. today about the Magnesium and he said he would just as soon I take a Dulcolax when I need it as to start messing around with other stuff. He said Dulcolax is very safe and I said I thought it wasn't safe to take a laxative very often and his reply was that as long as we know there is nothing wrong physically and this is a functional problem there is no harm. So I am just not going to worry about it as much and take my one Dulcolax when necessary instead of the 2 or 3 it says. He did give me Donnatal for when I get a bad spasm in my side because it makes me cough which stresses my lungs too much. Will only take that when absolutely necessary.

Do you ever really get all your answers. Even when I have a list of questions somehow they get skipped over. Last time I was there I was in severe distress and I guess since I was doing well he wasn't too concerned. He is not an alarmist and since I seem to be doing OK I think he was telling me not to look for trouble. I did forget to tell him about the IBS Digestive Advantage working so well as he likes to know what works on patients. They are all so darn busy and at this point my problems are about a 1 on a scale of 1-10. He even said I could have some wine with dinner without diluting it now. LOL I felt the same way about laxatives that they were harmful but he said Dulcolax would not hurt me. I also said there are several types of Dulcolax but I don't think I got thru. Like I said I only need one and then I go nicely for a couple days without another one. I am going to try and add more natural fiber though now that I have found a replacement for milk on my cereal. Also, the Quaker Oatmeal squares worked well before this all flared up so going back to them.