by Lauren12 » 24 Sep 2012, 14:04
I've got a regular bowel habit using only prune juice (and Yakults - probiotic yoghurts that are meant to have some de-constipating properties). I drink 200 ml Sunraysia prune juice at night. Not all prune juices are the same strength though - I find Sunraysia really works.
However, my fissure has healed and I'm 17 months post LIS op, so don't have fissure problems any more.
When I did have a fissure, and when I was recovering from the operation, I used Movicol, a small amount of Lactulose and prune juice. However it was too much - it was producing abnormally large stools which weren't helping the anus, and the CRS had me gradually reduce the dose of Movicol and eliminate Lactulose altogether, but continue the prune juice. When I recovered, I stopped all stool softeners and now only use prune juice to keep a regular bowel habit. I did find however, that Movicol kept the stool consistently soft throughout, whereas with prune juice alone, the beginning bit can be harder or firmer, but soft for the rest. However because I've recovered, my anus can now withstand passing a firmer stool. I might add that the stool softeners caused these too large stools because I was also eating lots of fibre, so I reduced the fibre in my diet, whilst still eating healthily.
Anyway, the upshot is, yes prune juice does work in my experience. It gets the bowels moving. Don't drink more than it recommends on the pack however. I first started drinking prune juice before developing the fissure because I'd always suffered constipation and wondered if it would help. I didn't read the pack and thought of it as just another fruit juice and so drank pints of it, because it was so delicious. Big mistake. Not only did it give me a regular bowel habit for the first time in my life, but the sudden disruption to the bowel from drinking these quantities of prune juice were what caused my fissure! So yes it works, but in moderation.