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sadie1963 Asked February 2022

Why does my 96-yr-old mother poop 2-3x/day even though she doesn’t eat or drink much?

My 96 yr mother was hospitalized for dehydration and two infections two weeks ago. They said she had a mild stroke (per hospital doctor) prior hospitalization. They put her on blood thinners. Since she came back from hospital she doesn’t eat or drink much but poops everyday 2-3 x day? Is this normal? I am afraid she might get dehydrated.

Santalynn Mar 2022
Feces are not just digested food, but how our bodies shed dead cells, etc. Granted, the cellular waste may be minimal, the body is still always 'cleaning' itself. If your mom is having difficult bowel movements (diarrhea, etc.) that seems to warrant medical assessment.

Santalynn Mar 2022
Feces are not just digested food, but how our bodies shed dead cells, etc. Granted, the cellular waste may be minimal, the body is still aways 'cleaning' itself. If your mom is having difficult bowel movements (diarrhea, etc.) that seems to warrant medical assessment.

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Laura22 Feb 2022
My Mom is on blood thinners too and in long term care.My Mom mentioned to goes all day long and found out they were giving her a laxative everyday. She didn't even know. She just asked them to stop giving it to her.

polarbear Feb 2022
Antibiotics caused my mother to have diarrhea and dehydration in addition to making her extremely weak. Twice I had to ask the doc to stop the antibiotics because her body couldn't handle it anymore.

Perhaps ask your mom's doc to check if she still has the infection and stop the antibiotics if no more infection, or change to a different drug that is not too harsh on her system.

ThomasY Feb 2022
I think the antibiotics given to her two weeks ago killed the bad bacteria, but also killed her gut's healthy bacteria.
The food she eats is probably running right through her.
So you have to get the healthy gut bacteria back and
it can take a month or so.
I suggest probiotic yogurt in the morning and afternoon if she likes it.
I'd also get some raw unfiltered buckwheat honey and give her a spoonful in the morning. It really helps my mom.

lealonnie1 Feb 2022
2-3 bowel movements per day is not a dehydration risk unless it's diarrhea that your mother is experiencing. THEN it can cause dehydration and you should call the doctor for advice. Make sure she's drinking water and eating foods with a high water content too, like:

Cucumber
Iceberg lettuce
Celery
Tomatoes
Romaine lettuce
Zucchini
Watermelon
Spinach
Strawberries
Skim milk
Soy milk
Cantaloupe
Honeydew melon
Kale
Broccoli
Peaches
Carrots
Oranges
Pineapple
Apples

Good luck!

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