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Terminally ill mother w/cancer has sever constipation and hasn't gone in over a week. Nurses and hospice care has been trying everything but nothing works. Mom is in severe distress and pain. What is next steps? What are options now? How can I help? She calls me crying and is very weak. I need help!

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what have the hospice nurses tried... there are many things that can help Miralax is the least objectionable... However it may be that she needs a suppository. Milk of Mag is also over the counter and can be helpful. Encourage fluids and fresh fruit. The pain medication is constipating her. This is hard I know... sometimes eating a little oatmeal will be helpful or warm apple juice. take care...
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i agree with Jaye. Miralax is best
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A friend of mine who has trouble with constipation has begun a regimen of drinking water or juice each day that has chia seeds added to it....Yes chia seeds like chia pets, only these are purchased at the health food store. You fill a glass or bottle 3/4 full with the water or juice and then add some seeds...maybe start with a tablespoon. Shake it up and put in the fridge. When the chia seeds hydrate, the moisture creates a gelatinous shell around each seed. It's a bit like drinking a bunch of raspberry seeds, but my friend swears by the chia seeds.

Try researching this and I believe you will find other testimonials. I hope you get some relief.
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Fiber works well, but if you take fiber whether it is psyllium husk or acai fiber, you would have to make sure she drinks ALOT of water. This is a safe and healthy way to get everything moving again. It comes in pill form or powder. The powder will thicken and may be hard for her to drink, so it needs to be drunk quickly, but the pill form works the same if she can swallow pills. I know I do this myself when I need to get things moving and it works great. Also fruit or prune juice will help. Good luck and god bless.
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Okay Ive read this and debated- and all the advice is great you have been given I have been there My mother had same and she had really never really took tylenol so it was bad we tried all of the above the hospice recommended then my aunt moms sister and I was in her room to give a enema & we laid her on her side position and we wore gloves and used lots of vaseline and her bowels were so constipated my aunt litterly had to remove these like little balls (She is a nurse) She said it is really common in nursing homes to have to take this as a drastic measure we used the enema when my aunt removed quite abit but that helped tremondous and we started giving her one of the otc med. the ladys mentioned above with her dose of morphine & it h elped prevent her to get that bad again.My mother was only 59 so she was easy to talk to and she even said when we were done it was like she felt 100% better & she was screaming in pain when I showed up My aunt stayed in the evenings. Yes She has passed since.Thoughts and prayers with you. I now have my MIL with ALZ. & some health problems and its alot different caregiving I feel for what you are going through. Hope I didnt gross anyone out to much but I know how it is when you would do anything to stop your mom from crying in pain. god bless
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My grandpa and I were just told by his Dr to use Miralax everyday. He's ALWAYS constipated and has been known to dig it out if left alone. We are going to try the miralax starting tomorrow. Dr also told us that if in 3 days that hasn't worked to try dulcolax. We were at our wits end! High Fiber didn't work, he's drinking over 60 oz of water a day, Juice of all kinds didn't help, and OTC pills didn't either. Hang in there. Something will work!
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Hospice had my husband take 2 senna tabs and 2 stool softeners twice a day. This worked well unless he forgot to take them and then he had problems if he missed doses. Yes correct it is caused by the pain killers.
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Has the Dr seen her to make sure there isn't impaction? If her bowels are impacted I would think a laxative is the last thing you want to do. But for sure after you get this resolved (you may need a Dr visit to manually fix this) certainly take every preventive measure the Dr says is safe. Good Luck to you, this isn't easy and the added issue of "bathroom stuff" probably makes it tough on your mom.
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Try this one: prune icecream
Put dried prunes (10) in blender,it's became like a jam and mix with a couple of scoops of your mom's favorite icecream .When my boyfriend who had colan cancer, I gave him 2 or 3. tea spoon when he was having trouble with BM.
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How about colonics?
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Buy some Smooth Moves tea--works like magic!
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i know my mom has cancer this is her 5 time having it
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I am concerned. A person who has not
went to bathroom for a week....the
"Nurse" that does know what to do
And she is screaming in pain?

CALL THE DOCTOR ASAP

This is unacceptable for a person...
One thing they stress is "comfort"
If she has that much pain......

She needs to he examed asap, more
than likely she will need an enama
and maybe more. I suspect she
Is also dehydrated and weak from
Not eating.
whoever did the meds should have
Been on alert and started stool
Softeners when pain meds started.

I urge you to follow up on this quickly.
I have personal knowage of this
And it did not have a good outcome.


May God be with you
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