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I know I've mentioned this before, but it's getting worse. My 88 year old mother's obsession with her constipation is getting totally out of control. It's a daily subject with her. We could have never ending talks about constipation. Her bowel movements have been irregular for years. It seems like no amount of stool softners or fiber or certain food will help. Only the dreaded milk of mag. Prune juice sometimes and the same goes with laxatives. My mother gets downright rude and angry with me over this......as though it's my fault she can't poop. Cussing is very common when she goes into her "constipation rampage". I just thought I would write about this to let you all know that the curse of caregiving
continues on strongly every day of my life.

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baked beans all beans are great for it!
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I'm telling you...ACTIVIA yogurt. My mom was given all kinds of stuff for constipation...nothing worked, she still complained. I finally got the yogurt, because I was desperate to try anything at that point to stop my mom's complaining, and within 2-3 days(not weeks) her plumbing was unclogged...and how! Yikes! But it works...yes indeed, does it ever work....
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Does she get any exercise? And Water?
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Has her thyroid level been checked lately? My dad (88) was having chronic constipation that we attributed to all his medications until his last round of blood tests at his regular checkup showed his thyroid level was low. He is now taking a low dose of generic synthroid and his bowel movements are much more regular.
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My husband got so constipated that he developed a very bad strain of a bacteria virus. It is important to get her on a regular schedule for her bowel movements. It put my husband in ICU and we almost lost him due to the virus and then he ended up developing pneumonia from having to lay in bed so long. It really does make them grumpy. I would suggest you talk to the doctor and tell the doctor what is going on. They may prescribe a prescription stool softener and a laxative to take. This way she may feel more comfortable that the doctor is also keeping an eye on the situation. It was also found that one of his prescriptions that he was on had that side effect (constipation). Wishing you well and keep up the good caregiver work! I know it is very hard at times.
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Also you may want to find out when she had her last colonoscopy. There may be a blockage of some sort.
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My mom has this problem too with the Stage 4 PD it's becoming more and more problematic. We try everything but I haven't tried the Activia. (Mom's gotten real picky @ food. She used to love yogurt now she doesn't as with pretty much many foods she once loved. Maybe I should have her thyroid level checked too I don't know. I blame PD for pretty much everything wrong with mom. (Physically, mentally and emotionally).
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This just came up on my computer. Here a website that may help your mothers situation. Hope it helps!
13 Surprising Causes of Constipation
You may already know that a lack of dietary fiber can cause constipation. But there are many less-obvious factors that threaten regularity. Do any of these sneaky constipation causes apply to you?
By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Lindsey Marcellin, MD, MPH
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I can relate to this issue. It has gotten so bad with hubby that we have gone to ER quite a few times to get "a clean out" That is a last resort because by this time,he is in severe pain. We have tried it all too. Laxatives, stool softeners, fiber but sometimes nothing works. My opinion is that he is too focused on this but that is my opinion only. It is our daily topic of conversation.
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More water! Elderly people don't drink enough water. Also.. glycerin suppositories with help get things going.
Standing alone is correct.. Activia yogurt is very good AND if you could get your mum moving/walking around that will help also. Fibre and lots of water are the best. Glycerin suppositories are very helpful especially if you coat them with a bit of anusol ointment! It's a bummer :-)
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a real bum-mer!
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They do love to talk about their "bowel movements" don't they?
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push liquids....and bisacodyl tablets are great when she gets blocked.Just take it in the morning so she wont blow out the bed!
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For some it's probably the most excitement they have all day.. ;)
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Not my favorite subject but here is my two cents.
One thing to be aware of when a patient appears to have diarrhea it may simply be leakage round a huge lump of poop. If all else fails a manual extraction is on the orders for the day. Have your loved one lie on their left side. Put on an exam glove and lubricate - KY works well- but if all else fails cooking oil will do. Gently massage the anus and slip your finger in. Do it slowly and pause to let the internal sphincter relax. If it spasms it is very painful. Make sure your loved knows what you are doing every step of the way. Use your finger to hook out any feces you can feel. You can follow with a suppository or an enema if your loved one can tolerate further intervention at this time. Make sure the bed is well protected before you start this adventure because there could be an explosive result. If you have a chux use that or a towel with a garbage bag underneath works too. If your loved one is female and you can't get feces out rectally then with her permission put on a clean glove and put a finger in her vagina and you may feel lumps of feces through the back wall of the vagina. Try and stroke them down so they exit the anus. as I said not my favorite subject but you gotta do what you gotta do. Never ever place a finger in the vagina after you have put it in the rectum. The other way round is fine. this is to prevent harmful bacteria from the rectum being transferred to the vagina. Also many elderly people have hemorrhoids which can be very painful so before you start rub some numbing ointment on them, the stuff you use for cold sores is good. Make sure your fingernails are not long. If one of the hemorrhoids should pop there will be bright red profuse bleeding. Do not panic. Apply pressure to the area using a clean cloth, gauze swabs or anything handy. You may need to keep the pressure up for 15 - 30 minutes for the bleeding to stop afterwards put on a pad to catch any further bleeding. Remember a little blood goes a long way but if you are really worried and unsure call the EMTs If your loved is taking warfarin to thin their blood you should call the EMTs at once while you continue with the pressure. I didn't want to frighten those with no nursing background just a reassurance about something that can happen and not to panic if it does.
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Water ,beans, some of the greek yogurts are not sour (plain can be used like sour cream) when they are constipated it not the not going, it is the painful stomach ache they have until they do go and their is nothing ever comfortable or clean about forced diarrhea. Their diets have to be almost consistent day to day.

The trouble is many old people do not like the tast of water because theuy are so dry, they think their bad breath is the taste of the water, not visa-versa.
Ours thinks she has toast and coffee for breakfast but it is oatmeal with egg cooked in like pudding with prunes on the side, every morning.
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Cit rate Nitrate or something like that can be purchased at Walgreens, I consider myself a poop/ and incontinence expert. As with any use with care and read instructions - It is very important that she poops regularly. It affects your entire system.
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I know of a case where extreme constipation caused a leaky gut. Serious infection and near death experience.
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I will say that no matter what, I will not put my fingers to manually remove anything. I just cannot imagine me doing this. I have to tie a scarf around my nose and mouth just to help hubby up off stinky toilet. Have to give some of you major credit!
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I can identify with the frustration. We've been to the ER room for this when it got really serious. I think sometimes its also their way of getting attention. For us, encouraging grandma to eat more fruits like papaya seemed to ease things.
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If you can't get the yogurt into the diet, try acidophilus supplements .. we use a liquid form and add it to a beverage. So tasty, too. (Shades of Lucy, there.)
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My mother started arguing with me again today about her constipation. She is in the mindset now where she thinks she should have a bowel movement every single day. A few days ago I gave her 3 laxative pills.....no results. The next day i gave her the dreaded milk of mag.......many hours later she had a bowel movement. Now it's a few days later and she tells me it's been weeks since she pooped. When I told her she just went a few days ago......she calls me a liar. We can be sitting here peacefully (like today) and then shes goes into her relentless arguing with me about not being able to poop. She will keep it up and keep it up......she is driving me crazy! There is nothing I could feed her that will help her......because she won't give it a chance. If it doesn't work right away then she says it won't work for her. Her new favorite word to call me starts with a F and ends with a K. Yes, this comes from the mouth of a 88 year old lady. She likes to 'punish me', by going upstairs into her bedroom and locking the door when we battle over her constipation. She is abnormally obsessed with this.......she is relentless. She will keep it up and up and up about her 'constipation'. I'm going crazy with her! The curse continues......
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Talk to doc about mineral oil, or maybe giving her a little metamusil mixed in her morning juice?
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Today started off as a peaceful day. My mother had to ruin it with her 'constipation talk'. When this turmoil starts......it overwhelms me inside and actually gives me a sick feeling. I feel that way right now. No one knows what I go through. I can tell people, but it's not the same as actually being here to see it. It's like the elderly mind has no reasoning.....no remorse. As long as they are tended to....at any cost......that pleases them. I can see that my mothers mind/thinking is not what it once was. I'm trying to do the best I can under crazy conditions and now this constipation obsession is taking over her life. I mean it's constantly on her mind.
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The world of elderly people gets smaller every day and they have so little beyond their selves and their physical beings to think about far too often. Also they are often in pain, and it's harder to think about other people and things when one is uncomfortable. That's why it's so important to try to stretch their worlds as much as possible. Give them someone and something else to think about!
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My mil spent her last months caring for a stuffed cat and baby doll. She was convinced both were real and 100% dependent on her. They gave her life meaning in a very real way.
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Roscoe. Start by taking that lock off mother's door. Give her a stool softener every night.
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OMG!! My 94 year old father is the same way! He drinks Milk of Mag like water. Take stool softeners daily, drink prune juice, water and gets VERY beligerent when he's constipated (or thinks he is). Miralax daily seems to help. As well as a journal. As crazy as it may sound, keep a poop journal to show her the last time she pooped. My father forgets that he had one and the obsession, the anger, the cursing starts all over again. Showing him when the last time he had a bowel movement sometimes helps. Frankly, I did not know anyone could be talk sooo much about crap (ha!)
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Miralax - Best way to use is to use a couple doses a day for a clean out first, if you can stand it, then half or even less dosage regularly every day or every other day as preventive. Need to avoid packing up then blowing out repeatedly which is an easy trap to fall into.
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There is a new medicine, is Linzess.
I do not take it every day, but it is effective
with constipation, I get really uncomfortable
and always have, my entire life,
I hope I won't end up talking about it all the time,
but it does make you feel sick and weak...

Constipation effects me from my mouth to
you know where and everything in between.
I take the medication every couple of days.

I am one of those people you have read about
who should not eat "white".

In the new year, I will be trying to switch to a more ayurvedic diet.
They use teas made with spices, such as cumin, coriander and fennel for Constipation.
Cardamom, clove, chamomile, I drink it soothes the stomach.
and drink "ghee" (clarified butter) to go to the bathroom.
they suggest warm milk at bedtime with ghee in it..., cod liver oil in extreme cases or lemon juice in warm water with a pinch of salt.
Look up ayurvedic herbs for constipation, you will see fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, and water, etc.

For my body type, they suggest broccoli and cauliflower, but it is the rest in combination, mustard oil, ginger, garlic, turmeric, mustard seeds, cardamom, coriander, 1 cup arugula, pumpkin seeds. This was on the Dr. Oz show.
I also bought the book Nutritional Healing from B&N and am also doing the one plan by Yogi Cameron.

I want to regain my strength, purpose and focus again,
since becoming a caregiver, I feel tired, and have gained weight.

Hope this helps.
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