6 replies to this topic

[elvis]

Started newly on Sprycel about 2 weeks back.  I was on Tasigna for last 2.5 years. Suffering constipation for the last one week fairly severe.  Starting to take laxatives to get relief.

Anyone has similar experiences and can share ideas suggestions please?

Thanks

elvis

[thomaskk]

Hi

Please share with us your pcr history and reason for TKI changes. I do know one patient who is having similar issues but after changing from gleevec after 5 years ...

Regards

Thomas

[0vercast]

I had a monster case of constipation from Gleevec that went on for 18 months. It can be a real nuisance. Now that I'm on Sprycel, the issues have subsided, thankfully.

Nevertheless, I will share advice based on my experiences. I figured out how to beat severe chronic constipation, but if I lapsed on my routines, it would come back in a day. Here goes:

Move around a little more, perhaps taking walks or light jogging. You wanna keep your guts in motion.

Drink more water.

Eat less dairy.

Add healthy whole grains to your diet, such as high-fiber breads and brown rice (a rice cooker is your best friend if you have chronic constipation).

Add some dark greek veggies to your diet. Spinach, kale, broccoli. These will also replace the calcium and vitamins that you're not getting from a reduced dairy diet, and they're loaded with fiber.

Add some psyllium husks to your diet, such as sugar free Metamucil or psyllium in the pill form.

Or you can try ducosate sodium stool softeners, such as Colase. They will make your GI tract retain water, and that will keep stool moist and soft.

Remember that certain fruits, such as apples and pears, contain a healthy, natural laxative called sorbitol. These fruit also contain insoluble fiber, which will help too.

Be very, very careful with stimulant laxatives. You can build a dependance to them, where your gut stops pushing the food along (peristalsis) without the laxative. Stimulant laxatives are actually quite dangerous if used frequently. They are NOT a long-term solution.

HTH, Joe

[hannibellemo]

Elvis,

Nothing more miserable than constipation! Before CML and TKIs I was convinced I had IBS leaning toward constipation although I never tried to get diagnosed. I found that metamucil helped tremendously! BTW, if any of you have diarrhea Metamucil can work for you, too. It absorbs fluid and adds bulk.

For me, the TKIs have been great, I've never been so regular! (although Gleevec could sometimes surprise me in unpleasant ways - you who have been there know what I mean) There are times when I may have several days between bms but I don't consider that constipation. I would try Metamucil a couple times a day (never with your TKI as it can prevent absorption) and if you want, add a stool softener in the evening and see if you don't get some relief from that. I haven't said but I am now on 50 mg. Sprycel for the past 2 years.

Let us know it goes (pun intended  )

Pat

[Taylor]

That's funny. I had my gallbladder out any always had problems, and Tasigna really helped me balance that all out! But now that I'm on Sprycel, things seem to move a little more smoothly..

[elvis]

Thanks everyone for all the replies.  Greatly appreciated.

To Overcast :  I am taking all the tips that you gave me and trying to get a new regimen organized around it to the best of my ability. I will keep you posted if things do improve.

Thanks a ton for the suggestions. This really helps.

[0vercast]

Good luck with that.

Chronic constipation can be so bad that a major dietary change is your only real option.

Within a couple weeks of starting my first TKI (Gleevec), there were times were I was so plugged up that I literally couldn't lean over and tie my shoes without severe abdominal pain. This was after going maybe 5-7 days without a BM. Then came a phase where I basically stopped eating more than the bare minimum because I had no idea how long it'd be before I'd see it again. This semi-starvation routine made me feel weak and light-headed. That wasn't going to work, obviously.

TKI-related constipation was a life-changer for me. I'm glad I found a routine that worked.