Hi guys
I haven't posted for a while as I've just been getting on with recovery and back to normal life. I had my LIS 3 weeks ago and things are SO much better - certainly the right way for me to go. Things are healing and it's starting to look normal again down there as the wounds have closed, with the exception of 1 fissure which is taking longer. It doesn't bleed but is still an open wound so I'm being careful with this.
I started on Movicol after my surgery to keep the stools soft which has really helped. As things have got better I've gone down from 4 sachets per day to 2. One in the morning and one before going to bed. I'm still watching my diet and eating prunes also in the morning and before going to bed.
At what point have people stopped relying on stool softeners? As I don't want to become dependant on them. I know I still need to give it all time to heal but I'm worried about my bum healing too tightly because it hasn't had to stretch since surgery and then retearing.
Is there any point in taking Movicol and also a fibre supplement like Fibregel? Or is this counter-productive? I just feel like I now need to try and bulk things up again and see how I handle it.
Any advice?
Thanks all

Hi, London -
I'm two months' post-op - and I'm still on a 3/4 dose of Miralax every day. About three weeks' ago, I went off everything (all the softeners), thinking I didn't need them anymore -- BIG mistake, and I had a painful setback.
So, my advice is to stay on them, a bit more. Of course, I'm no doctor - but my experience with the setback was awful, and I'm finally now feeling pretty darned good. If I had stayed on the softeners every day, without stopping, I think my recovery would have been even faster.
Things take time to heal down below. I'm not going off the Miralax, until I'm really sure I'm completely healed.
Stay at it, and congrats! - Things will get better and better - it just takes a lot of time and patience.

Thanks for your encouraging words Sweet :-)
I guess there is no harm in staying on the movivol for a bit longer - especially whilst there is still a wound there trying to heal. I'm sure my Doc will tell me when she won't repeat my prescription any more!
Do you think there is any point in taking a fibre supplement as well as a stool softener? Or does one just cancel the other out?
Glad to hear youre OK now after your set back - must have brought all those traumatic feelings back!
Will stick with things and not try to to recover too quickly.
Thanks x

Hi London,
Congrats on your healing. My CRS explained that it's better to be on fiber supplements than stool softeners. However, she had me come off of stool softeners too early (2nd week post-op) and i also had a huge re-tear/setback. I immediately went back on the stool softeners (1-2 colace/day) but have since experimented with backing off of them (i'm 2.5 months post-op botox). I'm still taking prunes every day so that is a natural softener; and I'm taking 9-10 fiber pills a day. I probably take 1 Colace (stool softener) about 3-5 x week. When I was backing down, I would experiment with missing one day and see how that would affect my stool. and adjust from there. good luck!

London - I don't think it would do too much harm, just to be careful a bit longer. But of course, if your doctor has specific instructions for you, then those have to be considered.
I've seen FOUR crs's. The third one performed my surgery (LIS and fissurectomy) - and he's now overseas until June/July. So, I found a fourth crs - just to check me while my other crs is gone - and I REALLY like this fourth crs. He confirmed everything that sailorgal said - that fiber is the best way to go - but he also said I could slowly wean myself off the Miralax.
So, I've cut out the Colace - and I eat Fiber One cereal in the mornings, 1-2 Fiber One brownies during the day, and Miralax at night. Of course, I'm trying to eat healthily and normally in-between all of the fiber and Miralax. So far, this is working for me.
Like sailorgal says, you kinda have to figure out, through trial and error, the right amount of fiber, prunes, whatever, that will keep things soft, yet not too loose.

sailorgal, I had a setback, too. NOT fun! That was three weeks' ago - and I seem to be back on track and doing okay. But ya know, I am very conscious of watching my bms/diet/fiber, etc. -- I just want to completely heal and be past all of this.
It takes awhile.

London, I'm now 4 weeks post-op and I am feeling great. I am now adding more veggies that have higher fiber content in hopes that at some point the Metamucil will be able to go away, but I'm not rushing things. I'm still using the MiraLAX. I have cheated, minorly a couple of times on diet, like today's Maxwell Street Polish Sausage sandwich, but mostly, I'm living on Chicken and veggies.
Hope things go well. Hang in there!

London,
I am around 2.5 weeks post LIS and i still take one sachet of Movicol each evening and one stool softener (Dulcoease) at lunchtime. I intend keeping this up until i am told otherwise but for me it seems to be just the right amount to keep me regular.
If i do have some food a bit of junk food or alcohol i do sometimes increase the Movicol to two sachets just to be on the safe side however this has only happened once.
Ohh have you tried the chocolate Movicol? I have just discovered it and it tastes like chocolate pudding - i can't believe i have been settling for the lemon & lime flavour for all this time!!!
Davo

Hey, boys!
Sounds like you're both doing quite well, fanny wise - (and otherwise, too, I hope).
I am still on Miralax, though I've cut it down, a little. Fiber One in the morning, two Fiber One brownies per day, also - plus vegetables and just regular food - that's my daily regime.
It's taken me a good two months to get to this point, but I think (knock on wood) I'm really starting to feel normal again, and it's wonderful! Of course, I want to avoid anymore rear-end setbacks, like the plague!!, so I'm being very careful.
Rob - my latest crs told me I've had to be on a fiber supplement for the rest of my life (Konsyl, Metamucil, etc.). --- Davo, is Movicol sold here?

Hi Sweet,
Movicol is the UK equivalent of Miralax so i doubt you could get hold of it in the US.
Davo