I am on the point of asking my family to go without me on a much looked forward to family holiday because I cannot face living in fear for 2 weeks that I am going to poo myself. We are going to Disney, and that will mean for so much of the time, travelling, and in the parks, that I won’t be able to access a toilet at a moment’s notice. My fear is enormous of humiliating myself and my family if this were to happen.
It happens at home just very occasionally, even though I am close to the toilet, so really what chance do I have when nowhere near a toilet?
I use Tena slips as a precaution at the odd time I am away from a toilet for just a short time. But I have no confidence that, although they may hold a wee, they will hold a poo, particularly a very loose one. Does anyone know of a pad/nappy that will guarantee no leakage if the worst were to happen?
Frightened of going away, yet saddened by the thought of not going. Can anyone help me please?
Hils
I think you should have a chat with your GP or a pharmacist to get some advice on how you can manage this. Immodium is one option, but you would need to check whether it would be safe and suitable for you - beware, though: it is VERY effective!
Whatever the GP/pharmacist recommend to you, I would suggest trying it at home for a bit so you learn how your gut behaves with whatever medication/advice they have given you.
Please don’t limit your life because of something that just might happen. We have enough on our plates without having our lives made poorer by those sort of worries.
Alison
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Do you have access to a bowel & bladder nurse? If so, they may be able to help with pads etc as well as tips on how to cope with the problem. I’m also wondering whether they might recommend trying Peristeen. It’s a bowel irrigation system that’s designed to flush you out, so leading to more control and therefore confidence. To be honest I’ve been trying to make it work for me over the past several months and have now decided to give up on it, but that’s because I have the opposite problem. I was talking to my MS nurse the other day and suggested to her that Peristeen probably works very well for incontinence, but less well for the type of constipation I have (basically the external sphincter refuses to open). The idea is that you ultimately only need to use Peristeen every couple of days and it should totally empty your bowel.
I’m sure there must be a solution to the problem. If you don’t at present have a bowel nurse, try asking your MS nurse (if you have one) or your GP for a referral.
Sue
l have the same problem. For years l have taken codeine phosphate and loperamide [lmmodium] - but still have accidents. A two second warning is not much help. And when you are out - just the stress of worrying about it makes it worse.
ln an ideal world - we should be going once a day - preferably first thing in the morning - and completely emptying. None of this going about 6 times in the first hour. l go to the loo - take my time - come out and within seconds need to go again - and again.
Recently, l have been drinking aloe vera juice. Recommended by someone on here. And l feel it is helping. l got mine from ebay. Lifestream Biogenic aloe vera juice. 2 tablespoons twice a day on a empty tum. l have stopped taking the previous meds - as well.
lf l am going out - l avoid drinking coffee beforehand - and try not to eat. Just have water.
Peristeen/coloplast do anal plugs- might be worth trying. Google them.
But do mention your problem to the incontinence nurses.
Thank you all for your replies, and advice. I got hold of the continence nurse today and had a long chat, and a few tears. She talked about Microlax enemas which I could possibly use just while on holiday, and the best type of Tena for containing a poo. Last year I had met with a peristeen nurse but don’t feel at the moment that I could use it, find it quite scary actually though I believe it changes people’s lives for the better. The continence nurse was reassuring and made me feel better about it all and advised me to see the doctor about the enemas which I will do. Hopefully I will get to go on this holiday if I can squash my fears enough. Thank you all again.
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Hils
I am lucky as this is not a problem I have regularly. It has happened once, no warning before or since. Bladder is a different story.
worried about ever since until I had my MS breakthrough. Don’t worry about what you can’t control. Sh1t happens (no pun) - most people and your true friends will understand. There is a small minority of narrow minded ignorant people who won’t. Ignorance is their problem not yours.
Go and enjoy yourself. It might happen. It probably won’t. Don’t let the small minded idiots win.
enjoy.
jase
Hi
This is a big fear of mine too, and has happened on occasions. Glad you spoke to the continence nurse about things, and which pads would be best (Tena Plus Pants would be my recommendation).
A little bit of info I learned once, and that has been very helpful, is the fact that our bowels are most active up to 20 or 30 minutes after eating. Things don’t always run to clockwork like that, but there is a general pattern that I’m more likely to need a #2 after eating. So when you eat, it would be a good idea to hang around near a toilet for a bit afterwards, or even just go & sit on the loo twenty minutes after eating, just in case.
Hope the fear doesn’t stop you from having a great holiday : )
Dan
The little microlax enemas are easy to use. l had forgotten about them. Get them in time for a practise before you go. l think you can get them without a prescription. Do try the aloe vera juice - as it has helped with my chronic diarrhoea.
Whenever l watch something like Glastonbury - all those people crowded together - the first thing l think about is - what happens when they urgently need a loo? Would take all the fun out of the occasion for me.