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Mom has always had constipation issues since I can remember. She had a stroke 5 years ago, but everything was working in the stomach areas fine. She’s in a facility, and so me and a handful of people are dealing with her CONSTANT complaints that she hasn’t pooped and has gassy pain. Since she has the fullness feeling, she will eat breakfast, and little to nothing the rest of the day, complaining of discomfort. We took her off Linzess and will be using Senecot and a natural Psyllium husk caps that’s similar to what she took in the 80’s they stopped making. (You may rememeber the granular they sold in a yellow container called Perdieum Laxative)
Anyway, she’s been off the Linzess 3 days and insisted on an enema last night, and still has gas, complaining of discomfort.
Her facility went in lockdown last night as directed for the CV (none reported in facility) so I’m not able to help the nurses figure out what’s going on with her. It’s been a few weeks now, we had an X-ray done last night and haven’t heard back yet. What in the world is going on you think? I’m out of ideas to get her to eat, and what to do. Sure can’t take her to the hospital with all the virus and mess going around. She doesn’t have a fever, nothing like that. And limited speech, so bonus there. The poop subject is constant anyway, but this takes it up 10 notches and is wearing me to a frazzle.

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My mom abused laxatives for most of her life, by the time I became her caregiver she was totally dependent on using something in order to go - she rotated through a variety of different products. When I became her caregiver this became my nightmare, we were constantly adjusting and readjusting her meds, adding in glycerine suppositories and moving on to bisacodyl suppositories when that didn't work, even resorting to digital stimulation as dementia set in more firmly and she lost all ability to regulate her own bowel movements. Of course I worried about this when she went to the NH, what would happen without my constant vigilance and oversight? In the end I stepped back and allowed myself to hand all control over to the nurses at the NH - my advice is for you to do the same. Mom lived there 18 months and it wasn't anything related to bowel dysfunction that got her in the end.
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RSmith1232 Mar 2020
Oh my. That’s what my concern is too. She went there following a head cold stay in the hospital because she wasn’t able to cough hard enough and was choking. Loved the rehab and wanted to stay. (More attention, more people)
So she finished therapy and went through a “blah” stage and now this is become more all-consuming than ever.
they gave her an enema last night, and “showed” me she was gassy (thanks mom) to prove she was bloated. Well, yeah, there’s no food in there!
Did you have issues with her not wanting to eat for the same reasons of fullness and bloat? Mine’s lost some weight with all of this too.
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Are you absolutely positive that she is having bowel issues? I ask because like a lot of elderly people, my mother was obsessed with her bowels. She also wouldn’t eat enough to keep a bird alive. But, she would tell me how, when she went, she “filled the toilet bowl”. I spoke with her nurse and she told me everything with my mom was normal.
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RSmith1232 Mar 2020
Well she ate a grilled cheese and the chicken and dumplings they let me drop off at her faculty and looks a world better. If this virus thing wasn’t going on, I’d take her to a gastro doctor, but I think she’s fine otherwise. She looked and acted way better after eating. I wonder at times if it’s an attention thing with me to keep me running. I am beyond burned out with things, getting her moved, and the daily situations since Thanksgiving (Hospital weekend). They keep up with when they use the bathroom, and when I ask, she’s never been past 3 days going in the last month. I’m hoping she isn’t slipping a bit mentally.
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Sounds as though she is impacted. The xray will tell whether that is the case or no. Often disimpacting must be done in the ER.
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RSmith1232 Mar 2020
Yes, I have tried to get in touch with the nurse to see what the X-ray said, but no call back and she’s been tied up. A bit aggravating when they are on lock down. I can’t go and chase them down. Lol
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