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Faecal impaction/severe constipation

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#1

Hi,
My Dad, 77, has had Parkinson’s for 11 years or so. Up until now, constipation has been a manageable issue. I came to visit him and my Mum after a month of not seeing them due to the latest lockdown, and he has ended up with faecal impaction and has now had to have a catheter fitted to relieve the pressure on his bladder. As you can imagine, trying to manage a catheter and explosive poos - due to impossibly high volumes of Laxido advised by everyone - is no mean feat! I am really worried on these counts:

  1. How did the constipation get so bad, after pretty much the same diet/drink vols for so long? 2) Super short term, how do we get rid of the blockage - he is so tired that it is really hard to get the right amount of Laxido in, in one day?

I’m majorly concerned that we are going to get stuck in some hideous vicious circle, where his Sinemet isn’t absorbed because of the blockage, then he has no energy to manage the catheter/laxatives intake, and so the whole cycle perpetuates.

Help! He’s about 8 1/2 stone, eats pretty well (but could be healthier), and def doesn’t drink enough ordinarily…

Thanks in advance.

#2

Hi Jane,
We just wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the Forum, before our lovely community weighs in with their experiences. Please be aware of the resources on our website as well. You can find a good starting point here with some information on commonly experienced digestion problems, with lots of related links containing loads more information. We hope you’ll get the most out of our Forum – there is poetry and music and laughs as well as shared experiences – and take advantage of our site and our helpline at 0808 800 0303 if you’d like to speak with someone one-on-one.
Wishing you and your dad all the best,
Jason
Moderation Team

#3

Brilliant, thank you!

#4

Hi Jane,

I have had Parkinson’s for about 10 years and constipation has been a curse. Along side wind another Parkinson’s curse, these 2 nasties can cause great pain. There is a few things I have found help;

  1. Exercise is a must do, even if your stuck at home. If the weather is fine I take the dog out for at least 30 minutes walk. If unable to go out I exercise at home, standing on the spot lifting my legs high.
  2. Diet is critical, I have Weetabix one day, muesli the next. Plenty of veg and avoid excess of the things that have an effect on constipation, i.e. Cheese, chocolate.
  3. Consistency, I have found this out the hard way, if I am to achieve regularity in bowel movement. I rise, eat, exercise at the same time everyday.

I have reduced my usage of laxido from 6 a day to 1.

This works for me, I wish you well and hope your Dad improves.

Pat

#5

That’s really useful, thank you so much!

#6

yes , constipation is no joke. i have got mine in order now, your father must drink plenty of water every day. he must exercise regularly. especially the twisty movements that get to work on the abdomen. it is quality not quantity 5 good situps are better than 20 bad ones. eat plenty of fibre.
i start with weetabix and have some fruit at sometime during the day. avoid eating before going to bed. give yourself clear hour . if you are hungry have an apple. avoid pastries, too much bread and sweets. try to eat an orange or two each day, tr y some prune juice, don’t sit too long. get up and do some twists at every opportunity.i also have them little shredded wheat with the fruit filling. i have them with the weetabix for sweetness.

#7

oh and try a tens machine or similar, place he pads at points on the stomach to stimulate the intestine.

#8

Hi - my husband has intermittent constipation and when he feels he has a blockage we’ve found glycerin suppositories really helpful. Obviously that’s in addition to things like his regular Cosmocol to soften the stools.

#9

My husband had some constipation intermittently but then he was put on morphine patches for back pain and the constipation became a lot more frequent and severe, he is taking simnet for the parkinsons. He eats healthily, uses an exercise bicycle when he cannot get out to walk. For the constipation his doctor increased the laxido he takes and prescribed a laxative to take in addition when he feels he is becoming constipated. He has been ok since then.

#10

I am not a medic, so make of this what you will.

I used to suffer badly from constipation. I now have it under control using the following regimen:

  1. Every day, I aim to drink more water. But, that is easier said than done. Since I got PD (15 years ago), I have lost most of my desire to drink.
  2. Every day, when I go to bed I take a sachet of Movicol, mixed in kefir or yogurt.
  3. Every second day (or earlier if I experience the “urge”, but no later) I give myself a water enema. This lubricates and softens the faeces, and gives a platform to strain on.

John

#11

I drink a lot of warm or hot water. This may help to soften stools.

Best wishes.

1 Like
#12

Great, thank you. Hadn’t considered that at all.

#13

Sorry, read your replies in the wrong order. Your advice sounds amazing, but he just doesn’t have the energy to do hardly any of that. I appreciate that you may be at a different stage of Parkinson’s perhaps, but it’s currently taking him all of his energy just to get up, move around, have meals, do a little admin, watch TV, then bed around 7:30/8pm. I’m helping him dress, emptying the catheter bag, etc., so the thought of extra exercise is tricky. I’m trying to get the right food and drink into him, but there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day.

#14

We’ve had a go, but not with a lot of success!

#15

@k800mer, thanks very much for your reply. Would you mind me asking which extra laxative your husband has been prescribed? Dad also has back pain, which he just takes Anadin for - which I know isn’t helpful for the constipation either…

#16

Well, thank you for your suggestions. I think Dad would relate to your loss of desire for drinking. Even just stopping what he’s doing to pick up a glass or mug is a deal in itself, so trying to match every laxido drink with a glass of water at the moment is a big challenge. Enemas might just be a step too far, but we’ll see…

#17

you should try to get a pd physio to visit and give you a program to try

#18

Senokot and he is to take one or two at night if needed.

#19

I find Lactulose every two days works for me at the moment
Minky

#20

Morring jane23
Saw your posted of your consen but of wot your farthers
going though my self can relate to the same
I can only say wot works for me is
Bisacodyl 5mgs tabs should only take one but take two at night and by mid morring ready to use the loo hope it helps spamgela01