I have constipation with abdominal pain. Can it be caused due to drug usage?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 32-year-old female. I am 5.5 feet tall and weigh about 297 lbs . For the last several months, I have been having issues with constipation and I take magnesium sulfate about once a week and it helps me go one good time and then I am back being constipated. And the stomach pains are horrible and it gets to the point where even when I try to go to the bathroom pushing puts me in tears.

My current medications are Prazosin, Gabapentin, Celexa, Suboxone, and Tizanidine. I do not have insurance and I am file for disability so going to a doctor is pretty much out of the question for me. What could be causing this?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can imagine you must be upset about all this.

Well, the symptoms you mention seem to be a functional defecation disorder where someone has difficulty while passing stools without any gross pathology. It is possible that you have anxiety or stress or change in the diets with a possible behavioral problem affecting the mechanism of passing stools.

The second reason could be the drugs you take. Tizanidine (skeletal muscle relaxants) and Prazosin (alpha-blockers) both can cause constipation. I suggest you to tell me what doses you are taking and for how long? Only then I can be temporarily correlating them with reference to your history of constipation for 8-10 months.

If you have a former problem which can be diagnosed by a defecography barium enema, then some pelvic exercises and behavioral therapy is advised. But if you have the later then stopping offending drugs would be the treatment.

I would be able to help you if you can provide more information.