Hi there, my husband is in his 4th week of treatment for myeloma and is suffering from constipation. He takes senna but it doesn’t always work. The discomfort is making him miserable. Has anyone tried anything that has helped them? He’salso lost some of his taste too.
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Hello @AshPri
Welcome to our forum and thank you for your post.
We are so sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis of myeloma and that he is having issues with constipation.
We can imagine this is frustrating for him. If he has not done so already, we would recommend updating the treating team with how he is feeling so that they can support him as best they can. They may also be able to prescribe alternative or additional medications to help with this.
Increasing fibre and water intake can be beneficial to help with constipation as well as increasing activity (if he feels he is able to go on short walks etc)
Our colleagues at Cancer Research UK have a helpful page on things that may be able to help and can be accessed via Constipation | Coping physically | Cancer Research UK.
If he is taking any pain relief such as codeine this can cause constipation too, so if this was the case it may be best to speak to the team about this to see if an alternative could be prescribed.
In case it is helpful we also have a page on Eating problems | Blood Cancer UK which has a section on altered taste and includes tips that may help make food be more enjoyable.
We hope others can also share their experiences with you too.
Do take care & warm wishes,
Emma (support services nurse)
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Hi @AshPri
Did your hubby have anything for constipation in his bag of medicines when he started his treatment for example movicol/lactulose/docusate?
These are best taken as soon as you start treatment even if you think you don’t need them at the time. Treatment can slow the bowel making it harder to poop.
Plenty of water is also helpful.
I found senna left a horrible taste in my mouth
Once constipation starts it can be hard to get on top of it (as one who learnt the hard way)
It can make you feel sick the more you eat on top of the blockage.
I would suggest contacting clinical nurse for some help before it gets worse.
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I can empathise- It’s horrible and really gets you down.
I take Laxido mixed with water and topped up with fresh orange juice (stops me retching). Lots of water (10-12 glasses a day on top of any other liquids), fresh fruit and prunes/granola for breakfast and avoid being sedentary for long periods.
Hope he gets some relief soon x
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