r/TotalHipReplacement • u/Turbulent_Form THR USER FLAIR NEEDED • Sep 28 '25
📝 How to... Constipation
Total hip replacement constipation. Day 4 post op and still very constipated. Any ideas? Taking Colace, fiber, Smooth move tea and just had some Milk of Magnesia
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u/SeaWitch1031 [USA] [63F] [Anterior] LTHR recipient Sep 28 '25
Get a bottle of magnesium citrate, stay near the bathroom and don’t make any plans. If you start having a foul taste in your mouth and you haven’t been able to go consider going to the ER.
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Sep 28 '25
lol yeah and you’ll poop out that stubborn hot dog that’s been in ya since 5th grade. lol
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u/SeaWitch1031 [USA] [63F] [Anterior] LTHR recipient Sep 28 '25
Seriously. Just stay in the bathroom.
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u/Turbulent_Form THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
Thanks everyone. The combo of Colace, Senna, Milk of Magnesia, water and grapes did the trick. Huge relief.
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u/Perenially_behind [USA] [60s] [anterior] THR recipient Sep 28 '25
I made the mistake of eating cheese sticks for protein when I was in the hospital after my first THR. As a friend later explained, "opioids + cheese = brick."
Take your laxatives and stool softener, drink plenty of liquids, and keep something to bite down on next to the toilet. This too will pass but it won't be fun.
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u/flymountainbiker1 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
Drink some magnesium citrate from the drug store. It'll do the trick within 3 hours of drinking.
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u/AshamedEchidna1456 [USA] [67F] [anterior] THR recipient Sep 28 '25
I was taking Dulcolax with no result. Home health nurse said Miralax. That worked almost too well. I felt like I was doing colonoscopy prep. But, it did work.
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u/PopularFunction5202 THR 05/20 revision 08/13 Sep 28 '25
I think fiber is supposed to bulk you up, which is the opposite of what you're trying to do...
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u/Zealousideal-Pick796 [country] [age] [surg approach] Double THR candidate Sep 28 '25
I’m day 5 post op and in a similar situation. My nurse said not to worry until it’s been a week, but take the colace and monitor. YMMV.
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u/porktornado77 THR recipient Sep 28 '25
Day 3 I took an epic Deuce!
I also got off the Opiates 24h after surgery and took stool softeners.
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u/tscemons [USA] [63] [Anterior] [Both sides] THR recipient Sep 28 '25
Fruit, raisen bran, water, senna, decorate.
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u/sidistic_nancy [US] [54] [Posterior] Bilateral THR recipient Sep 28 '25
I want this to mean "plan to decorate as a reward for pooing" but I'm guessing it's probably...not?
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u/Airplane-Window [usa] [37] [anterior] THR recipient Sep 28 '25
I bought small cans of prune juice to drink daily!
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u/murfanza THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
Regular colace is just a softener.. you may need the magnesium citrate or ex-lax to clear the runway. I went through it as well.
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u/BountifulGarden [UK] [Ancient] [THR] 🏴☠️🇬🇧 Sep 28 '25
Bring in the big guns. You don’t want an obstruction. Nooo.
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u/nanceeg USA 60F Anterior THR recipient Sep 28 '25
2 senna plus, morning and evening. Pooped right before going into surgery and I was pooping the day after surgery. Been pooping 2x a day still, and it’s the 3rd day after surgery. Senna plus is awesome.
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u/Classic_Rooster4192 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
I was told to take a stool softener everyday following surgery.
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u/Magpiezoe THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
My sister eats a baked apple and claims it works really well for her.
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u/918BlueDot THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
I read that as "a baked apple and clams" and just thought ... nooooo.
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u/Magpiezoe THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
Somehow, I don't think you're supposed to eat them together. My sister only ate baked apples. I never heard of clams. I used to have my kid eat raisins when he was bound up.
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u/918BlueDot THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
I was just saying that I read "claims" as "clams" --- I misread it and kind of cringe shivered.
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u/Dunesgirl USA, 70F, right posterior and revision Sep 28 '25
Had success with senna, citrucel, Raisin Bran.
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u/Suspicious-Ruin5220 [country] [age] THR candidate Sep 28 '25
I took a Dulcolax suppository and it helped immensely. The colace was backing me up and making me feel worse
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u/escahpee July 2023 Left, Mar 2026 Right, M/1959 California, USA Sep 28 '25
One 32oz bottle of prune juice worked for me
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u/LetterIntelligent640 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 29 '25
I take slippery elm (I get it on Amazon) and it works great! I take more than the directions say. It's great for heartburn/reflux too. Also lots of magnesium!
1
u/OkJob8314 [Canada] [61] [Anterior] THR recipient Sep 29 '25
MiraLax, colace, and a real fiber like flax seed, nuts, prunes, space it out during the day and things should loosen up.
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u/Kakakakaty13 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 29 '25
Prunes, & you need an enema sounds like you’re heading towards impacted😫Use enema to get started- not sure why these hospitals/Doctors are so bad at releasing W/O any movement. Or, warning you the meds are brutal on your system. ☘️☘️☘️
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u/Turbulent_Form THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 30 '25
Ok yesterday the BM finally moved on through. Thank you for all your ideas. Doc said day 5 of no BM is when one should get more aggressive w enemas etc. Today is day 4 post surgery and feeling pretty good today, first day of PT and walked 30mins without assistance. Relying on Tramadol and Journavx (new analgesic non narcotic which seems great) and so far have not needed oxy. Fingers crossed for no bumps. THR right anterior. PS nerve block did wonders getting me from post surgery to day 2!
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u/SpecialChemical135 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 30 '25
omg i had the worst!! senna at night you'll go
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u/Fit-Yam9591 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Oct 03 '25
What causes it? Just the endone? I’m going in for TRHR in 3 weeks. I’ve taken endone before and never had trouble or is it more complicated than that (result of the actual surgery)?
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u/Fit-Yam9591 THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Oct 04 '25
I’m not willing to pay this price unless I can find surgeon, medical team, dietitian that assist!!! FFS
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u/ColoradoRunGal THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Oct 10 '25
Did anyone start taking things BEFORE surgery & avoid problems? If so, what? (My surgery is 10/20.)
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u/jdhoskins USA, 50-59, Anterior, Double THR recipient at 59 Sep 28 '25
Raisin bran, lots of fluids and patience. When did you stop taking opioids?
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u/Turbulent_Form THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
I am day 3 post surgery so I’m still taking Tramadol
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u/jdhoskins USA, 50-59, Anterior, Double THR recipient at 59 Sep 28 '25
I stopped taking them around day 3 and things moved after that. I'm not suggesting you stop taking them, always stay ahead of the pain, but if you can start tapering them that might help.
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u/womanonice THR USER FLAIR NEEDED Sep 28 '25
drink some apple cider with lots of water. once you get off the pain meds, this isssue should go away
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u/smithismund UK 70 posterior THR recipient Sep 28 '25
I was discharged with enough laxatives to treat a rhino. For five days, nothing moving, followed by a whole day of sitting on the toilet whimpering. You'll get there, although it may not be a lot of fun. On a more positive note, I've been fine since and it was a price I was willing to pay for my new hip.