Constipation is any change in your normal pattern of bowel movements. We're usually most concerned if normally you go once a day and it's been 3 or 4 days. Your body always makes some wastes that need to be eliminated, so even if you are not eating, you should have bowel movements.

Some chemotherapy agents can cause constipation, such as vincristine or taxol. Pain medications, notably narcotics almost always cause constipation. If you are on narcotics for pain, or recently had chemotherapy, you need to be proactive and prevent constipation.

Prevention:

• Fiber in the diet-adds bulk that pulls water into the stool and helps keep you regular

• Drink plenty of liquids

• Exercise, even simple walking helps the bowels work right.

• Prune juice-the time tested remedy helps!

• Hot liquids such as tea and lemon juice or water help stimulate the bowels.

• Stool softeners used regularly help, such as DOSS or Colace.

• Gentle laxatives such as Milk of magnesia used routinely if you are on narcotics, helps.

Correction if constipation occurs:

• Use of some of the preventative measures may help correct constipation if you have not been doing them routinely

• Oral laxatives may be all that's necessary-try gentle ones such as SenekotTM or Milk of Magnesia.

• If simple laxatives don't help, suppositories are a good next choice.

• Enemas are often effective, but if you may have low platelets or white blood cell count, you may want to check with us before using

• If these measures don't work, please contact us as we may need to get you stronger prescription laxatives such as MiralaxTM or lactulose.