Belly pain in the morning. Any suggestions?

memantine HCI & donepezil HCI or the combo namzaric - can and will make their belly's hurt first thing in the morning.

Just to piggy back on what FF said about lactose intolerance and food allergies. Sometimes one might be sensitive to lactose but not intolerant. I didn’t know until recently that some products have extra lactose added. Products like a favorite ice cream.
So if you are thinking your mom uses dairy with no problem and you ruled this out, but now she might have a problem, it might help to keep a food diary for a few weeks. Just a calendar or simple notebook where you jot down what she has eaten each day and then her elimination for that day. It can be as simple as a smiley face or frown on the calendar with a number. Like a (3 which could mean three uncomfortable bowel movements in a short time. It gives you a pattern to discuss with the doctor or nurse and ideas on what her sensitivity might be. Also check to see if you’ve recently changed products or an old favorite has been “ improved”. Old systems can be sensitive to change.

For my aunt (91) with dementia I added probiotics with her breakfast and fiber.
Prior to this she was constantly having nausea and bowel problems. No problem for a couple of years now. She once was a big milk drinker and stopped on her own. She still loves cottage cheese and sour cream and American cheese. No problem. I’m not sure what we would do if she had a wheat allergy because she eats so much bread.
Her diet is pretty standard fare, not much deviation. Your mom’s may be too.

I hope your mom feels better soon.

My Mom would complain about her stomach too and be OK later. We think it was her back. Back pain can radiate to the front.

Some medications like metformin can cause significant stomach upset.

As can the cramping that can occur when a person has several bowel movements in a short time.

There is a great resource many of us don't take sufficient advantage of. Most health insurance companies and many clinics offer a 24-hour Nurse Help Line service. Call and describe the symptoms, and the health status of your mom -- that she has dementia, for example. The nurse will ask a lot of questions and then do some triage. The suggestions might range from, "don't worry about it; it is not a sign of serious problems" to "get her in to see her primary care provider today," to "go to an emergency room." The nurse might also give you certain things to watch for and tell her doctor about.

Nurse Help Lines are a great, free, first call for information!

Colder fluids, such as cold water or cold orange juice, can cause stomach discomfort if taken in the morning before having solid foods.

Lizbethk, as we age sometimes one will develop lactose intolerance to dairy products such as milk, ice cream, real butter, cottage cheese, regular cheese, and even yogurt. That usually makes one's bowels feel lousy in the morning if one had dairy the night before.

Sometimes wheat products can do the same tap dance number on one's stomach.

Try eliminating dairy for two weeks and see if there is a difference. If no change, there is now a food allergy test that is easier than in years past. That would save time to see if there is another food that could be bothering your Mom.

Liz, remember most of us aren’t medical professionals here, and even if we were, we shouldn’t be giving medical advice out to people over an Internet website. Your mom could have cramping that once was normal for her, and now the only way she can describe the feeling is as “feeling lousy”. There could be a lot of reasons why your mom has pain and frequent stools in the morning from her diet to something physically wrong. Only a doctor can determine that and treat it. Even if others have had the same experience, the cause and treatment could be very different. Please at least phone her doctor and share with them what’s going on.