Is there anything I can give my father to help with constipation? He has stayed in the restroom half the day and can't do anything. He says he cramps but he gets in the restroom and just sits there with no luck. I have given him prunes and fiber tablets. He had a good size lunch of spaghetti and garlic bread and doughnuts for breakfast with a couple cups of coffee. Any suggestions. He is back on the commode again, he will sit an 1-1/2 at a time with nothing working. Is this just the way it will be from here on out? HELP!!!


Elaine

The three best things for constipation are:

(a) a medication called Miralax (glycolax), that is now available OTC....you mix one dose (17g), which comes in powdered form, in morning OJ or whatever. We found this did fine with thickened liquids. Are you thickening yet? Go to the store tonight and try to start this tonight or tomorrow.

(b) walking! Gravity gets the bowels working. Walk between rooms that are sort of near the bathroom so that when he feels something he can get there reasonably fast.

(c) fluids. Gotta keep fluids going down. Are you thickening fluids yet?

Constipation is a common problem in PD and PD-related disorders. In PD, patients often have constipation a DECADE before other PD symptoms appear. It's now being viewed as a precursor symptom to PD.

You should get him off the toilet in 15 minutes. No one should be straining on the toilet!

Good luck,
Robin

My husband suffers from PD and LBD. Tonight when he went to the bathroom he was constipated. (He has been constipated for a few days.)
Tonight he strained so hard when he got up I started to clean him and saw that he had passed a lot of blood with it. I will report this to the nurse on Monday, but, I was wondering if I should tell he sooner. Please advise.
maryangela

It could be that the blood is coming from a hemorrhoid. Personally, I wouldn't call the nurse about it tonight or on Sunday but I'm sure the nurse wouldn't mind a phone call about this. And you might be reassured in talking with the nurse over the phone.

Hemorrhoids are probably a sign that he's straining all the time and not getting enough fluids. You should address the cause of the hemorrhoids ASAP.

I assume he's not using Miralax....?

No. He is not on Miralax. He takes Senna. (Senakot).
His movement was bloody again today. The nurse comes tomorrow and I will discuss it with her.
maryangela

If the blood is very red than more than likely is a Hemmorrhoid, as mentioned before, the Miralax is over the counter now, no need for a script. Does he eat much fresh fruits and sometimes stewing them helps a great deal .

He is at the stage where he eats very little. I try to get him to eat vege-
tables and fruits, but, he declines most of it. He does drink "Boost" at least once a day. Today he drank boost at breakfast and dinner. For lunch he had mashed potatoes and gravy and a small amount of cole slaw. He is very bad about drinking, also. I try everything I can think of like soda, water, fruit juices, etc. But, he drinks very little of it. I told the nurse today, and she is getting a hemorrhoid cream for him and I am supposed to push fluids. That is easier said than done.
maryangela

maryangela -

Dad's neurologist once told me that Boost can be constipating. I confirmed this with one dietician but all others I've asked said they'd never heard of this. At some point, we switched to Boost with fiber. (This product is not available everywhere.)

Get going NOW on the Miralax. I'm confident you'll see a difference.
Mix it in with the Boost.

Personally, I would mix high-fat ice cream into one or two Boosts with fiber and with Miralax.

Robin

Eric told us about a product called Fruiteze. I ordered it for both of my parents and it works GREAT! It is totally natural blend of fruits and they say it tastes like the inside of a Fig Neuton. You should see them in the morning enjoying their tablespoon. Dad has been constipated forever. Since he started this a month ago I've heard no complains, even though he is on iron, which is known to cause constipation. Go to info@fruiteze.com

Best we've found is, indeed, Miralax. Has done wonders. He has been on it over one year with no problems and daily BM.

For urinary incontinence, 25 mg of imipramine daily really took care of it. We see no bad side-effects of either.

Daily Activia yogurt seems to keep my husband regular. He does eat a good amount of fruit, too. On the rare occasions when he goes a couple of days without a BM, I give him an OTC Magnesium tablet [250mg]. Seems to do the job without the risk of accidents [like the last time we used M.O.M.]

Processed white flour foods such as spaghetti, white bread and donuts tend to make people constipated. Have you tried whole grain breads, whole grain cereals and lots of fruits and vegetables? Especially if it is hard to get him to drink he needs more fiber, I'll bet. I eat a lot of things like tabouli, quinoa, brown or wild rice, whole grain breads, and nuts as well as a 5 - 7 servings of fruits and vegs. a day. I've heard people say that white sugar makes them constipated. (not me on that one) Hope you find things that work. Lynn

I give my Mom an herb called Cascara Sagrada and it works very well, my Mom has had constipation problems most of her life, she started using this herb years ago. In my Mom's case I give her three tablets about 5:00 pm and she has a bowel movement the next day about noon. It works different on everyone so you have to use it some to see how it works best. Three tablets is a healthy dose, some people may only need one or two tablets. What I like most about it, is she just has a normal healthy movement not diarrhea like some things have done to her.

I attended a support group with Dr.speaking on constipation last week. All of the above products were mentioned, Fiber, Whole grains, fruits, extra water,stool softeners,exercise, and live multiflora-Yogurt and several over the counter remedies. And yes, every person's system reacts differently. And constipation usually causes hemorrhoids to become inflamed or the intestine to tear.
After having this problem a year ago, and dealing with wide swings between constipation and diarrhea, a trip to the ER, his GP, and 2 specialists, I do pay close attention to daily eliminations. Every morning we follow a very strict routine of Fiber sure in fruit juice, banana, & yogurt, and Lots of fruits and salads thruout the day. The first signs of straining, we start with an extra yogurt. If that didn't help then Miralax dissolved in juice, works within a couple hours without overdoing it. Also keep Tucks wipes, and Preparation H, handy just in case the hemorrhoid gets inflamed.
Oh my, sure never thought we would ever have to deal with all this !!! Was bad enough when the babies were little--but now that husband of 48 years has the abilities of a 3 year old ------- ! It was easier when the babies were small enough to not fight the help!!!

Di,
What brand of yogurt are you using?
Robin