Bathroom issues

[Marg52]

I'm wondering if anyone else out there is having the same problem as m husband he is getting servely bad stumach pains he has tried every laxatives there is out there. If so please let me know what to do to help him,

Thank you

Marge

[Melhukin]

I'm not sure if it's the same problem as my dad but when I visited him at his nursing home early one day he was in the bathroom. The sounds he made were unbearable to listen too and it actually made me cry, he sounded like a bear growling or giving birth. The staff reassured me everything was ok, it wasn't constipated it was his muscles around the bowels etc that were struggling from psp.

Hopefully you will find the right answer.

Best wishes

Mel x

[formercarer]

You haven't really given me enough clues, but I would imagine he is more in need of roughage in his diet rather than laxatives. If possible I would work on that. Vegetable juice contains soluble roughage (soluble fibre). I used to add a little bran to mum's porridge. Milled linseed is another good addition. Movicol is the Chemists' answer. It is taken in liquid form, again it is liquid roughage which should help, it is not a laxative, it would help regularise the situation, good for constipation or diarrhoea.

[easterncedar]

Suppositories, biscodyl, are what the doctors and nurses at hospice advised. They said if they are used daily at the same time every day the body can be trained to be regular on its own. They all said it works even for paralyzed patients. I have found it challenging to get on a schedule, but the suppositories do work. Good luck.

[Robmatlol]

Hi Marge, unfortunately this is one of the problems of PSP, it's not so much constipation but the weakening of the muscles therefore problems getting the bowel motion to move down the passage then out. Regular laxatives to soften the stool does help. We find that we have to leave mum sitting on the commode for a good 20minutes now then she eventually goes.

Good luck with this awful problem.

Much love, Michele xxx

[9790]

My Mom has constipation issues also and has been to the emergency room for impacted bowels. This is her regimen now: Align (a probiotic) once a day, Mirilax every other day and stewed prunes on non-Mirilax days, plus Benefiber three times a day. This combination seems to be working well for her.