Hi have progressive ms over last few months gone into overdrive…im now in sheelchair a lot and bladder doesnt work and bowels olus all the other ms probs…i need help with bowel as thats whats desroying my life the most…i use 120ml lactulose prune juice and microlax enema…peristeen doesnt help…just wondering what others use as i need to change…my bowel dr is usrless and ms nurse just says experiment…thank you
Get in touch with your GP and get a referal to the continence nurse. I did and now have a regime in place that works for me I used to get constipation for over a week …etc etc Some of the tablets I was taking caused it changed them for an alternative and tinked and bingo Plus the continence nurse got me sorted bladder wise I am now catheterised full time but had a couple of years sef cathetering. Not a nice problem but with elp it is solveable. …TAKE CARE. Don
Do you mind me asking what works for you? Ive seen continence nurse she was awful in everyway no help at all…had no idea about ms sadly
Many people find fresh fruit and veg helps. For many it’s prunes and orange juice or grapes. Some manage with linseed, there’s another post somewhere describing how much and how they take it as there’s so many ways. I’m on a lot of drugs which are very constipating and need medicines. Nurses usually start with senokot which is a herbal laxative you can buy in most chemists and supermarkets, they also use lactulose which is a sweet syrup. Sometimes a combination of the two. I also find that apples and rhubarb help me but everyone’s different. Think of things you eat that makes you go or try the things mentioned. This is a really common question on this site, look at some of the posts and don’t forget to ensure you drink lots of fluid as dehydration makes things much worse.
Hope you get answers, and try to find more ideas listed, but I’m sure you’ll get much more advice.
Min x
I tend to eat loads of fruit, especially prunes, and drink loads of water,
and even then still have some constipation.
Could you have a word with your gp, as they can put you in touch with
the continence nurse.
Hope things improve for you.
Pam x
On Everyday Living, someone said Oxypowder is good, but expensive.
Hi no matter how much figs, prune juice, bran, veg etc I eat, I still need the laxido.
Sometimes one a day does the trick, but then I can go 5 days with no output, so I take up to 3 laxidos and then watch out…it can be yeuky! As I have zilch mobility, my bowels have lost their tone and muscle power.
I dont like pushing as I have a new sp catheter to consider.
luv Pollxx
It’s a bit different for me as I’m on morphine which is really constipating. As a nurse we used to recommend senokot 2 tablets at night with lactose syrup as they both work differently. Senokot makes your bowel work to push everything through, is herbal and often taken every night but over time you might need to keep on it . Lactulose makes it softer, easier to move through. I can’t tolerate the taste and take 2 senokot and 2 bisocodyl tablets every night. Along with a good diet it works. You can buy both at any supermarket, the bisocodyl is boxed as constipation tablets in ASDA and cheap, if it works your gp will probably put it on your repeat prescription for you, mine has.
I know I posted earlier but realised I hadn’t mentioned what I do. Hope this is a bit helpful, I’m really comfortable now, you may manage with 1 of each tablet.
Cath x
Hi, I have discovered that my bowels have no problem in producing the stuff but it is the final evacuation that is the problem - usually incomplete! So I have after years of taking senokot followed by immodium I have ditched both of those and use half a glycerine suppository half an hour after breakfast to excite my rectal muscles to heave out the contents. Works a treat - I go once every day instead of dribs and drabs!