Yep, opiates and constipation go hand-in-hand. Odd, but the colon has opiate receptors (as does the central nervous system) similar to the brain.

As for relieving the unwanted results, there are a couple things that can help and some things to avoid. Do not use any bulk forming laxatives because they can cause a total stoppage. Also, avoid stimulate latatives becasue they can cause other issues and your GI doctor will throw things at you.

Drink all the water you can with water soluble fiber (like Benefiber, or generic cousins). That will help, but not much. Take OTC stool softeners if they do not make you sick (they did for me). Also, OTC MiraLax is also helpful, but again prolonged use can make you sick and you may not be able to make the connection between the illness and MiraLax because it can take days for the issues to become known. In my case, after a few weeks on MiraLax I started having nighttime leg pain. Took several days to make the MiraLax/leg pain connection.

The one thing that we have found to be the most helpful and with few to no side effects is lactose. It requires a prescription, but is really cheaper than most OTC things and much gentler on your system.

Getting a doctor to properly prescribe lactose was our biggest problem. First, they wanted to prescribe "Kristalose", which is a granular form of lactose (a liquid). Kistalose is expensive and some insurance companies will not cover it. It has to be mixed with water or other liquid. Not bad tasting, but very sweet.

You just drink latalose straight (about a tablespoon). Tastes fairly good, not bad at all.

Below is a link to a continuing education paper that I found a couple years ago. It really explains the situation very well. Ignor the opening Section about "the patient" since that person is not referred to again. You should find the paper very educational.

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D6773425_7182626_9880639

Just wanted to add that do not expect your doctor to have a clue about this subject, or even worse, prescribes/recommend the wrong thing. Our Pain Doctor always asks about constipation (his nurse anyway), but has no clue what so ever about what to do about it; and he prescribes heavy duty pain MEDs every day.

My husband mentioned constipation to his doc and they dropped his dose. We will neither one do that again. He just takes a stool softener regularly.

grind flax seed and take 3 tbs with a meal is what i used to do now i take 2tbs bragg apple cider vinegar "with the mother" 8oz water and 1tbs of raw honey 2x a day. add 1/2 tsp cinnimon for a natural pain relief

Getting as much natural fiber in your diet as you can is the best help. Then there is a laxative called Miralax that is now OTC, it's very well recommended for CP'ers. It's a powder that you can mix in any kind of liquid, it has no taste, no effect on what you put it in at all. It works very well for most people. You take it once a day.

Constipation and narcotics go hand in hand, sometimes when you've been on them for a while your body adjusts. Getting as much Fiber from grains and fruits is a good habit to get into and sometimes the laxatives aren't necessary anymore.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Think I will try the Miralax . I was taking Metamucil but is not working

I have been on oxycodone for Years and used to take senekot(senna) tablets then a good?friend of mine on here told me about perdiem i found it at walgreens. I have experience with this issue. Angela

Licorice capsules. Natural and has other healing properties.

Hi - you could ask your doc about amitiza , I already had IBS with constipation so then once I started taking pain meds it got a lot worse but the amitiza helps a lot -and of course no less than a gallon of water a day!!

Try taking Magenesium 400 mg. up to twice a day. I found it awhile ago and it works very well but do not overload on it.

It will save you a lot of $$$ believe me and can be bought almost anywhere.

Best of luck!

I use Miralax daily, but I get the prescription strength. It works for me!

Also, drink a lot of water.

Please Please go to yahoo and go to the group Miralax first before taking miralax or (same) polyethline glycol (prescription name) Read what happened to me and can happen to you. Didn't hear about leg trouble but my bladder burned 3 months! I didn't want to believe it so went back on it. STUPID! Pain came back WOW did it come back. Don't take a chance! Be careful. We on yahoo contacted the FDA in all sorts of ways...no comments from them. No black boxes...nothing. My hubby read about the crystallization in the kidneys...go read yourself. Please! Be careful. I now use senna and some herbs like triphala but started canola oil....mix mostly canola with some olive oil and basil...for flavor. add to food. it's like in a way like that sugar laxative lactulose but not sugar...both work the same...don't get in your system but go thru you. lactulose made me leak though. so far the oils (like in restaurants where you dip bread) is helping a lot. I have to work at how much to use still. I have used relastor...it quit working! I really suffer. Docs will decrease your meds! what help is that! so be careful when asking a pain doc for help. My best to you.

I agree about the Miralax. I know it works
For many people but I would not use it on regular basis and unfortunately, you have to Use it on regular basis.
I use senna and docusate 100 mg twice daily.
Gastric motility is the problem.
Move a lot, drink water, avoid pork and steak.
Meat takes forever to move through digestive tract.
I also try to juice if I can.

There are ads on TV almost daily right now about a new drug for opiate constipation as the opiates work on Mu receptors in the brain but they are in the bowel as well so taking this new drug will make you go but may stop the action of the opiate on the brain....questionable trade off in my mind.

I just buy the biggest bottle of stool softener that I can get at BJ's(like Costco) and when I pop a opiate, I pop a stool softener. If I'm taking the pain drugs daily, I take a stool softener daily. I'm still constipated I take 2 softeners. They are really mild so you can take up to 3 a day if necessary so you can adjust them as necessary.

Just a little side effect the docs never manage to tell us ahead of time.

Jen

I take Oxy also and experience constipation. My "go to" is Miralax. I take it at night before bed. If that doesn't work the next day, then take it again at night and then again in the morning. My wife has been on Miralax twice daily for years and no side affects. Be careful about impaction as that can occur if you don't drink lots and lots of water during the day. Hope this helps.