Is there a dose of Zofran that won't cause constipation?

[kohlby]

I've been on Phenergan and though it works great, it doesn't work enough that I feel well enough to leave the house. (However, it works well enough that I can keep out of the hospital). My dr. just gave me a prescription for Zofran, 4mg to be taken 3 times a day. She told me I could take both the Zofran and Phenergan together if needed- but be prepared to be knocked out.

I had major problems with constipation when I was pg last time, due to vitamins. (I'm only taking folic acid this time). I remember being in pain from being constipated. I tried colace last time, but drinking all that water with it made me throw up. I'm sicker this time, so I'm not sure how to manage drinking all you're supposed to. I worried about getting to that point again.

My question is, is there a small dose of Zofran that likely won't cause constipation? I'm thinking that maybe I should use Zofran during the day and Phenergan during the night to reduce constipation issues. Or will the constipation likely be bad enough that I should save the Zofran for only use a couple times a week so I can leave the house and use the Phenergan the rest of the time?

[dwtegli]

I think the common experience with Zofran is that it causes constipation no matter what. Most women have luck taking Colace to counteract. You can take up to three pills a day. I took mine before going to bed and managed to go every couple of days. It took some doing but was able to. Zofran really works best if it builds up in your system so I don't know if taking it irregularly will do as much good as if you took it daily.

Hope this helps,

[HGx3]

Yep! Sure is, ZERO (0)mg. LOL!!!!!

[IslandDreamer]

Hi,

I feel like my expertise in this area is growing as I've struggled SOOOO much this pg with Zofran-rock poo. Ouch!

Are you able to eat at all? Certain foods helped me, and I even got a sweet PM from a lady sharing a food that worked for her. I can tell you the recent foods I've been able to introduce into my diet in the last 5 days that are helping. I'm still taking 200 mg of Colace a day too.

My Zofran intake is 24 mg/day, BUT the last few days I've been able to skip one dose and go with 16 mg/day (MAJOR VICTORY as you know to be adding foods and reducing meds...just amazing). I'm not sure if it's the food changes, less Zofran and the same Colace dose, or what, but the softball-sized clusters of rocks have stopped. (I'll tell you the foods if you can eat; otherwise, why make you feel yucky reading them.)

Magnesium citrate (green bottle of "lemony" tasting stuff) will clear a blockage, so you don't have to go to the hospital for poop retrieval by a physician....well, it cleared 5 day blockages for me, so I can't speak for longer back ups. And the dosage of magnesium citrate I've seen in the bottles is less than 2 grams, and my doc didn't think that was a big deal...but DO check with your doc.

Good luck,
Suzanne

[kohlby]

I've been taking 4mg twice a day, followed by the Phenergan for night only. The first two days, I had terrible diarrhea. The third day I didn't poop at all, but had those types of cramps. I'll be trying some colace tonight if my body doesn't do this on my own.

I know eating foods high and fiber would be good. I can eat quite a bit more now that I'm on Zofran. But I can't exactly stomach a bowl of raisin bran or prunes!

Thanks for the info on the magnesium sulfate. I'm far, far, far from that point now, but it's nice to know about it. Without HG last time, I remember how much I hurt after not pooping for 5 days. The pains and crampings were awful and I couldn't get colace down then. (Didn't have HG, but did have constant morning sickness that time). I would check with my dr. of course. (I'm still breastfeeding. But just twice a day, so perhaps I could bf, then take it so it has a chance to get out of my system).

[Trudy]

I've been coping (just) on 4mg of Zofran a day and haven't found it too bad. When I 1st went on it I didn't go for a few days then came sort of right. I now go everyday and I live on a high fat diet. On occasion I have to take 8mgs and notice that makes things more difficult for a few days. But I do remember last time when taking higher amounts of Zofran how bad it was. The pain was the same as delivering a baby. So avoid that however you can.

Trudy

[kohlby]

I haven't had a bowel movement for 4 days. It was diarrhea 4 days ago, so at least I started empty. I took a colace last night and the night before. And still nothing. The bottle says it can take 12-72 hours to work. 72 hours?! Don't they know that if you're taking it, you probably can't wait 72 hours? It's only been 36 hours since my first pill. I'm hesitant to take more than one pill at a time since I'm still breastfeeding. (DS is 2 and the dose for 2-12 is one pill, so I figure I'm fine taking one).

My constipation was terrible last time, despite no Zofran. However, I was taking a prenatal last time and am not this time.

I think I'll have a nice green leavy salad when my stomach feels up to it. On the Zofran, I have moments that I can actually eat okay - as long as the food has salt or vinegar in it. I can eat sandwhiches if I use lots of yellow mustard. I can eat salads if I use Italian dressing. I still can't eat fiber rich cereals. Maybe a salad will do the trick.

[IslandDreamer]

Foodment*****
Have you tried an apple each day? Or cup of hot coffee or tea? Those might help.

end foodment***

Ouch on four days. Colace comes in 50 and 100 mg pills. I've been taking 200-300/day. Maybe you just need more. Colace is best taken consistently. If you've got a major plug up, the magnesium citrate might work....or the evil generic colace I tried last night...it hurt but it cleared out everything....but I DO NOT recommend this particularly painful method.

[kohlby]

I started taking 3 colace at night - 100mg each. In one week, only a few little pebbles came out. The colace got stuff moving, but everything got stuck. I had to use a gylcerin suppository to get it out. It was very painful before the suppository just sitting there. I was eating the peel of an apple a day. I even tried a cup of coffee and nothing.

It's only been a few days since my suppository experience, but no poops since despite 3 colace a day. I haven't been drinking any coffee though. I recently had to increase my phenergan dose since I'm nervous about upping my zofran dose! (And I'm not sure how much zofran insurance will cover).

[KellyR]

I was on 24mg a day for most of my pregnancy. I was told by both a gastro specialist and my ob to take Milk of Magnesia as often as I need to - even every day.

This suggestion came after trying other methods. I wasn't able to eat anything with fiber and prune juice made me throw up immediately. Eventually, I ended up in the emergency room with an impaction after not going to the bathroom for about 2 weeks. After that, I started using enemas, but that was so miserable. Colace didn't move me at all. I was extremely happy to be given the go ahead for M.O.M. I had to take it about 3 nights a week, and preferred the pill form because I didn't have to drink it.

If you are concerned about taking it during pregnancy, don't worry. My doctors were very conservative in general, and indeed my baby turned out great at 8 pound 9 ounces, totally healthy.

Hope this helps!

[kohlby]

Thanks for the tip. Actually, I tried that since last posting and Milk of Magnesia DOES work. The tough part is getting that stuff down though - ugh!

[petsparkle]

I am on the 4mg 3 times a day and I'm afraid constipation is a big issue for me too. I had diaharea on the Phenergan (which they gave me before switching to Zofran). So far I haven't been told I can take anything for the constipation (I can't actually talk to my doctor or midwife, I have to make an appointment) but I will be talking to them at my first scan on Tuesday. I am hoping they will okay me to take something.

**FOODMENT** I am eating high fiber foods, drinking hot decaffinated British tea (the only hot thing I can drink) at least 4 cups a day, I even had a decaf mocha this evening, but nothing helps. I too have the cramps, so I feel your pain. Hopefully they will let me try milk of magnessium or something similar. Icky as it is, I suppose it should help.

I hope your problems are subsiding now. Fingers crossed I will experience similar in the next few days.

Take care,

Lissa