Mother in law has had first bowel incontinence episode. Will this continue, or maybe just an isolated incident??

Darcy123- thanks for sharing! Haha-no really - I think that happens more often than people are willing to admit. I have a few friends who have l however admitted, one a co worker of my husbands's who had to climb out the bathroom window at work to sneak home and change and another friend who ate a whole pumpkin pie and didn't make it home in time. So it can happen to us all. Unfortunately.
Givememorewine- such good responses here to look into. I hope your MIL had a one time accident but if not there seems to be a lot of avenues to check. Good luck and blessing.

I began having fecal incontinence several years ago. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it. My Dr. ordered fecal testing to rule out any parasites. Sure enough, I had crypto sporidium, was given several rounds of an anti-parasite prescription & it cleared it up for the most part. Because my colon was irritated from the parasite infection, even after the medication had killed the parasite, I had to avoid fried foods, spicy foods, hot pepper, citrus & raw fruits & veggies. My Dr. recommended cooked fruit (canned), and cooked veggies instead of raw. If she has any repeat fecal incontinence, get her tested, and then monitor her diet carefully. With my Dr.'s permission, I take one Immodium or a dose of Pepto Bismol before leaving the house if I'm having loose stools. And of course, I wear Depends if in doubt. It can be very upsetting to have an attack of fecal incontinence in public. Also, my Dr. ruled out food allergies & food intolerance & found I was intolerant to milk and wheat. Good luck!

I will add... that was a HOME SHOP... not AT school. Re-reading that I could see it sounded like I was AT school. Thank goodness it was at home.

I would say it is too early to tell...?? I remember when I was in highschool once... I had apparently eaten something (??) that didn't agree with me, but didn't yet know it... I thought I was going to pass gas, and since I was alone in the shop doing homework I didn't worry about it.... oops! It was MORE than gas. I was so embarrassed! I AM happy to report though that it has NEVER happened again.... just sayin'!!

My mother as had this problem for about 2 years. She is 87 yrs old, diagnosed about a year ago with Parkinsons Dementia. She was told by her family physician she has IBS, but the way she has "explosive diarrhea", I do not believe that is the main cause of this problem. It doesn't matter what she eats, it happens anytime, day, night, before meals, after meals, even during the middle of the night. In restaurants, stores, in the car......... you get the point.
Doctors say there is nothing else is wrong, besides IBS. Her medications haven't changed. So, as horrible and embarrassing as it is for her, it has become a new way of life for her. She now wears "FancyPants" ( Depends) whenever she goes out, and there is a change of clothes in the trunk. Good luck, and lots of patience to your family.

I guess time will tell. I hope it is isolated for both your sakes. My mom was totally continent until she got the flu really bad in 2011. That is when her incontinence set in. She wp
Oils still go to the bathroom and was shocked that her depend was wet. I think it was just leaking. She is 93 1/2 now.
Also check for an UTI. They plagued my mom so bad I feel that it brought on dementia. That and the mini strokes.

One of the factors you may want to bring up at a doctor visit is to have her blood checked. Have them specifically look at the red blood cell count. My father had a 6 month bought of bowel incontinence. When I brought this up with his doctor at first they checked to see if his system was working properly. When nothing could be found his doctor discovered that he was anemic she prescribed ferrous sulfate (iron) 325 mg tablets 3x per day with the advice to me to cut back if he becomes constipated. He had problems immediately upon taking them so I reduced the prescription to 2x per day and he has been on this regimine for a couple years now without any bowel incontinence.

Anemia is very common among the elderly because of poor diet and other medical conditions. My father is very lethargic, incontinent, and has recovered from prostate cancer. So who knows what led to the anemia. But clearing it up was a Godsend!

All I can think about is taking her to the doctor & see what they can suggest. If she didn't even feel it come on, they might issue a colonoscopy to make sure there isn't any underlying issues.

I am guessing it may be a period of loose bowl movements. Elderly can have loose bowl movements due to a variety of issues. Sometimes change in diet or change in medications can cause it alone. Lack of mobility makes it difficult for them to get to a toliet, beside commode or bedpan fast enough if they don't have that much warning. I would watch her diet during this holiday season as often rich foods make them sick. Try to stick with foods she likes and tolerates normally.

Elizabeth