Symptoms of constipation

Constipation means difficulty having a poo. It can be a problem for people with cancer and during cancer treatment. 

If you are constipated, you won’t have regular bowel movements (poo, stools or faeces). You might not have one for a few days or more.

The early symptoms of constipation can include:

• difficulty and pain when passing a poo

• fewer than 3 poo's a week

• having to strain a lot when trying to open your bowels

• hard poo that looks like small hard pellets

• feeling that you have not completely emptied your bowel

• feeling bloated and sluggish

Severe constipation

Severe constipation can cause more serious symptoms such as:

• a swollen, hard tummy (with or without pain)

• very liquid diarrhoea that you can’t control at all (overflow diarrhoea)

• loss of appetite

• feeling and being sick

• headaches

• confusion and feeling restless

• being unable to pass urine (urinary retention)

What to do if you have constipation

Make sure that you get early treatment for constipation. It will make it much easier to sort the problem out. Leaving constipation for too long can lead to more serious problems such as a bowel blockage (obstruction).