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L
lauras Asked August 2013

Ideas for dealing with bowel incontinence?

My MIL lived with us for a year and now is in sr housing apt a minute's walk away for the past 2 yrs. She has been totally incontinent of urine for a couple years (and we've had all available treatments, even a spinal cord stimulator - none of which helped). She is now progressively incontinent of bowel too, and despite wearing depends 24/7 she ends up calling for me to clean poo off the bathroom floor, etc a few times a week- tosses stool crusted clothes in the hamper (I have reminded her to just put them aside to be prerinsed). Her trash in the bathroom was full up with poo soiled depends and poise pads today. It appears to be a mix of bowel urgency and poor mobility, arthritis everywhere. We've been for GI consult and she was told that her muscle tone is nonexistent, take immodium daily. She is also becoming more overweight around the belly over past few years. Tired of cleaning up poo!

Chicago1954 Aug 2013
It has been my experience that if the bowel has too much water in it, metamucil and ammonium AD are the right things to take. I take 4 metamucil tablets a day.

1tired Aug 2013
Have you tried adjusting the diet? We have been dealing with this on a smaller scale for two years. Gastro doc had us cut out all lactose/milk/cheese/ice cream. increase fiber- lots of fruits and veggies and fiber one for breakfast , fiber supplement. Sounds counter intuitive, but it does help as long as he is eating with us. He is incapable of staying on track on his own- very stubborn. I am sick to death of cleaning up his messes and he refuses to wear depends or anything else. Soaks through the outer clothes and then does not get it when I get angry and will not have him sit on my furniture without covers. The docs helped, but he is impossible.

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Perseverance Aug 2013
Sounds like a nursing home might be a better fit for her?

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