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Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it
I am 73 yr old femal with diagnosed Celiac, Microscopic Colitis and IBS. i don’t have diarrhea, BM’s are either soft formed or constipated small hard stool, but either way I can be incontenant of small amount of stool. I wear a pad in close knit underwear with legs, so nothing can escape. Any advice from people with same problem would be comforting and useful. I would like to know how you handled it on social occasions.
Thank you, Emyliander
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This is definitely a “low tech” suggestion but my recent bout with constipation has been resolved (even if only temporarily) by prunes! I remember as a child many years ago laughing at my mother with her prunes. Well, they helped me! A bit tricky to find the right “dosage” but sure better than the commercial laxatives, fiber, etc etc.
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2 Reactions@lacy2 I am surprised that anyone would ask a 75-year-old person to get on their hands and knees. I'm sure there must be other pelvic floor therapists who would have better suggestions than that. If it were me, I would refuse that type of exercise and tell them I need something that is more manageable for my age and body.
As you have had a lot of surgeries as well as radiation have you considered going to a specialty medical center like Mayo Clinic or a university medical school? These facilities are research-oriented and often have a better track record of solving hard-to-treat problems.
Are you able to go to one of these medical facilities?
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1 Reaction@jackiem95 .... good for you! yes I remember my grandmother "stewing" dried prunes on stove in water; I think she also did same with senna pods??? J. Now, if we could just find a simple method to fix diarrhea! J.
@teresa... thank you so much for your comment.... I would love to wave a magic wand and be sitting in a waiting room at Mayo Clinic, am in Northern Ontario Canada... but Mayo Clinic is a well known name in this Country and before joining would read web check results from their site. My daughter said she would pay for me to attend one of those expensive private clinics (we dont have 2 tier health system though) in Toronto but two things; one being I would think they are closed re Covid and I also find travelling very hard and to be quite honest have almost become housebound over the past few years after having CDiff and dr changing up my medications; and haven't had a family doctor for over a year. In Toronto they do have "teaching hospitals" whereas where I live we don't have neurologist or rheumatologist etc. but have to go out of town and its a long long wait. Just before I got c.diff from too many antibiotics, it was at a teaching hospital I was diagnosed with narrow angle glaucoma, but then after 2 appointments, couldn't travel back there as 4 hour each way and overnight stay and fecal incontinence didnt help. Nice to live in a bigger City when have multi medical problems.
Thanks again for your kindness in helping me..... J.
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1 Reaction@jackiem95 @jeanne51 I have recently started eating prunes because they’re good for osteoporosis! It’s sort of a symbiotic relationship between calcium and prunes. Calcium, which is recommended of course for osteoporosis, tends to be constipating, and prunes are the opposite, so it works out well! I do find there is a delicate balance in how many prunes I can eat. Six is the number recommended for osteoporosis but three is my max.
JK
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1 Reaction@conrenandwell Thanks for your reply. I have previously used dried prunes for a couple of years but had to quit because they gave me so much gas. Now that I have the rectal weakness issue and don't know if it is gas or stool sensation that I feel this is no longer a good solution.
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1 Reaction@jeanne51 Prunes do cause gas, definitely. This was something that I had been thinking about this week since it could be more of a problem as we finally emerge from our home a little bit. I plan to eat them close to bedtime, hoping that effect will pass during the night.
JK
@jackiem95 ...I do best with Miralax or the various Big Box Stores' generics. I take a 12 oz glass of water with a large measure of the lax about every third day. I do eat a few prunes, but I have better luck with a good bowl of grits and eggs.
@lacy2 - It is very upsetting to read what you and others have to live with. I have a minor problem, but I notice it’s little too frequent now. I had damage to the Amal sphincter during childbirth.
I am aware that some people need ostomies to deal with constipation and I’m sure it could work with diarrhea too.
I have thought about having one since my sphincter is getting weaker, not yet though. It comes down to quality of life.
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2 Reactions@INGEGERD ... just wondering, I thought there was an operation for repairing anal sphincter? Friend in UK had same with childbirth and we didn't correspond that often as I am in Canada, but kept in touch, and was years before she told me she had an ostomy? It is too late for me to have anything like that, honestly I am overwhelmed with what I have and one more thing ... well and at 77 . I was also cut between vagina and rectum 1962 first child.... but I feel my problems started after radiation to pelvis for cancer of cervix done 1985..... I agree: quality of life. I applied for M.A.I.D. last year, "informally" but didn't qualify but the rules have changed recently .... However, this is about YOU so I wish you the best and haven't read any of your posts but have you tried the exercises etc? I take Imodium so does my spouse .... otherwise its ten times a day. Please take care of yourself.... J.