Failing bowel prep

Hi, I'm sorry to bother you but I don't know who else to ask! My daughter is only 24, so appreciate the chances of her having bowel cancer is slim. We have been ignored about how severe her constipation is for years. She had a colonoscopy in 2019 where they removed polyps but couldn't get past a certain area to check anywhere else. There was no follow up, she had had ongoing pain and constipation, usually passing a stool every 10 days.  She has now been very poorly for 4 months.... Feeling faint , lost over 2 stone in weight Her last bowel movement was 4 weeks ago and 2 months prior to that she did 4 motions of only 1 rabbit dropping and a pan full of blood. She has not been able to keep any food down for 5 weeks, she just brings it back up. We have pushed for a ct scan but hospital refuses. They are going to do a colonoscopy and endoscopy tomorrow ( we had to push for this too!? ) She is on double bowel prep as I highlighted the previous inability to get round a certain area, and that it doesn't usually work for her. She has taken 2 lots... One at 7pm last night, one at 7 am this morning. She has had no stool movement at all...she has passed a very small amount of liquid bowel prep and nothing else. Her tummy is making noises. My question is ..... Has this happened to anyone else and also if it doesn't work at all and they can't do the colonoscopy what are the next options. I'm desperate and sad for her ! 

  • Hello Annalou, and thank you for getting in touch.

    I am so sorry to hear about what your daughter has been going through. From what you have described, it sounds as though she has been struggling with severe constipation for a long time, and I can only imagine how difficult and worrying this must be for both her and your family.

    Unfortunately, there are occasions when bowel preparation does not work as well as hoped, particularly when someone has longstanding or severe constipation. This can be very frustrating, especially when you have been hoping that the colonoscopy would provide some answers.

    A colonoscopy is often the preferred test because it allows doctors to look closely at the lining of the bowel and, if needed, take biopsy samples at the same time. However, when bowel preparation has not worked well enough, the hospital team will assess the situation and advise on the best next step. In some circumstances, other tests, such as a CT scan or CT colonography (sometimes called a virtual colonoscopy), may be considered. The most appropriate approach will depend on your daughter's individual circumstances. You can read more about bowel tests on our website.

    I hope you hear from others on the forum who may have had a similar experience and who feel able to share what happened in their situation.

    Please do get back in touch if you need any further information or support. If it would help to talk things through with one of our nurses on our helpline, we are available on 0808 800 4040, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

    Jemma