Hi everyone
Has anyone found a way of living without constipation or bowel incontinence? I live from one week to the next with one or the other.
Last week I was advised to take Senokot I am wondering if Senokot would be a better way of controlling constipation than taking too much Movical!
Any advice would be gratefully received. My cat is finding my company embarrasing at times.
Wendy
x
Hi Wendy,
I’m a great believer in no pills if you can help it. I have a large bow of popcorn (self made) sprinkled with maple syrup.
Loads of fibre and have movement everyday or maximum 2 days. Nature Valley bars are also very good.
George
Eloo Corkie/Wendy
I’ve 'eard lasses like Activia yogurt because of it’s biodigestivum thingy.
I tend to suffer more constipation rather than the opposite although occasionaly I do get that. For me typicaly I have a couple of bowls of Bran Flakes each week and that seems to help.
Senakot generaly helps get things moving within 12 hours, I’m not sure it would help if you’re not constipated. My nurse suggested liqorice (spelling) as another way of getting things more regular.
As for balance, no not really, if I feel I can’t go I have a bowl of bran flakes and usualy I’m ok the next day, if I can go I just don’t have anything out of the ordinary.
I can always fart for england though…quite proud of that. 
A useful little snippet of information I read was that our bowels are most active up to 20 minutes or so after eating. That’s something I’ve since noticed, so after eating I’ll often go and sit on the loo - it’s not often I’ll neesd to go when I’ve not eaten anything for a while.
Hope that helps.
Dan
Hi FolksThank you for your replies, I am already a virtual vegetarian and have bran for brekkie every day and eat loads of fruit incuding plums, there is no food that seems to help these days (except perhaps prunes). I guess I need to speak to my nurse as I think it’s time for medicene.
Thanks once again.
Wendy
x
I have had this problem for along time and recently my MS nurse sugestead trying a product called Ortisan, it is avaliable from Barret and Holland, I have found they are quite good and do help me. They are made of fruits so should be OK for you as a vegy.
Hope this is of some help
Chris
Thanks Folks!
Wendy
x
hi i was told by my incontinance nurse to take senna but it didnt help at all, so i have went back to taking my lactolose twice daily it is horrible but it does soften but im now afraid it will go to far…
Wendy, as strange as it may sound… I seem to think that one cod oil capsule a day (to create ‘suppleness’ of the muscles in general), taken in the morning, seems to do the trick for me… I have done this now for almost 8 years and when I take a break of a few days (for example because I have run out) I get constipated. Otherwise I am as ‘regular’ as can be.
I would not dare to claim that this IS the answer to your problem Of course this is only me ‘sharing’ an experience (or shall we say nuisance) but I have been informed that even the queen empties her body the same way we do, the issue is that important…
Hi
I had a similar problem recently during a relapse. Normally I eat loads of fruit and veg, have fruit and fibre for breakfast and take one sachet of movicol every other day. And it works fine. Along comes the relapse - and I got constipated! I added a sachet of fybogel daily (as I do when I go on holiday and usually works) - nothing, so I stopped the fybogel and started taking movicol daily (this was all under GP advice incidentally) - faecal incontinence - reduced the movicol and I was constipated again! Dr gave me some lactulose to take daily (5ml) and keep the movicol every other day - that worked. Relapse is going away and I have gone back to my original regime - what I have learnt is that I have to find a regime that works for me … which this does/did. It will probably be different next time.
carol L
Hi.
I’ve started to use the peristeen irrigation system and it’s fantastic (so far, you never know how long these things will work for!). I too had the problems you have and no matter how I changed my diet it didn’t make a difference, same for the different types of medicine a took for it! This system allows me to empty myself and get on with life. I still worry about having accidents but since starting it (nearly 3 months ago) I haven’t had a problem (and touchwood this will continue). It’s so natural just using water to flush yourself out, a little do it yourself colonic, and as long as you have the ok from your doctor you can call peristeen yourself and a rep will come out to you. I am so glad I went with it as my problems were getting worse and if things change I can just stop using it, it’s not something you have to have an op or anything for. I use it everyday just to be on the safe side but some people don’t use it that regularly. There are other types than Peristeen but I use that one.
I also take 2 movicol sachets a day, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t but I use this system alongside it and touchwood life has become a little easier.
Hope you find a solution.
BFx
Hi, I`m still looking too!
Sometimes I think I`ve cracked it when no, the problem shows itself again.
At the mo i am doing the following;
take 50mg co-danthrusate at night (it`s a softner and a laxative…on script)
am
breakfast consists of;
sultana bran with banana, figs, prune jiuce on
a glass of prune juice
a movicol
At the mo am going, but not with great success.
I gave up on sennakot as they did nowt!
I always have wind.enough to raise the Titanic!
I have some suppositories for the district nurse to use, when I haven`t been for a week.
8 days is the most I`ve not gone.
Then I get the weeks where I can`t leave the house/get off the loo or commode!
I donno if there is a definitive answer to this problem…I haven`t yet called on Dynorod!
luv Pollx
Hi, are you able to use the peristeen system by yourself? I have an ample figure and can`t imagine getting into the right position to operate the equipment. I have seen info on it and the kit.
luv Pollx
Hi Poll,
I do use it myself, on my own and I find it easy. If you’ve used suppositories then it’s no more difficult, just have to get used to turning the tap the right way and finding your bum and then you’re off. Not being funny but if you can use a tampon then I think you’ll be able to use this with some practise but I am small so I can bend forward easily, not to give too much info!!
BF x
[quote=“batfink”]
Hi.
I’ve started to use the peristeen irrigation system and it’s fantastic (so far, you never know how long these things will work for!). I too had the problems you have and no matter how I changed my diet it didn’t make a difference, same for the different types of medicine a took for it! This system allows me to empty myself and get on with life. I still worry about having accidents but since starting it (nearly 3 months ago) I haven’t had a problem (and touchwood this will continue). It’s so natural just using water to flush yourself out, a little do it yourself colonic, and as long as you have the ok from your doctor you can call peristeen yourself and a rep will come out to you. I am so glad I went with it as my problems were getting worse and if things change I can just stop using it, it’s not something you have to have an op or anything for. I use it everyday just to be on the safe side but some people don’t use it that regularly. There are other types than Peristeen but I use that one.
I also take 2 movicol sachets a day, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t but I use this system alongside it and touchwood life has become a little easier.
Hope you find a solution.
BFx
[/quote] The Peristeen system is definitely the answer for bowel control. l now only use mine if l know l am going to have to be somewhere in the mornings - have used it for about 4yrs. lt allows you to empty your bowels when you want to - not when they think they will!! And l find it retrains your bowel. Would recommend it to any one with either constipation/impaction or even for loose bowel movement. lts good to be in charge.
F.
Thank you everyone for all your advice, I have kept a document entitled ‘constipation’, so that when I get desperate again I will have something to look back on.
Wendyx
x