Dad’s bowel movements are difficult to manage. He goes 2-3 days without a bowel movement, then I have to give him a laxative. I feed him fruits/fiber and plenty of water. Any natural way/food/products to make him regular?
Swiss Kriss is a marvelous herbal tablet that helps within 6-8 hours. No cramping. I would start off with 1/2 a tablet until you see how that person's body handles it. I get it on Amazon.
Try 2 oz of Milk of Magnesia with 2 oz of prune juice warm it up a little in the microwave...about 10-20 seconds. Drink it and chase it down with at least 4 oz of warm water. Do this before having breakfast. Within an hour or so, he should get the urge. I'll warn you that if it works, then he may have the urge to go more than once until his cleaned out.
Now if that does not work, then wait 48 hours and next time increase all portions by an ounce..3oz MoM, 3oz prune juice and 5 oz warm water. Again same caveat he may get the urge rapidly more than once until he is cleaned out.
You can add about a teaspoon of apple sauce to it if he cannot tolerate just the two.
Going every other day is quite normal in the elderly.
Some people regularly "go" every 2-3 days and not daily. As long as his poop is about the size and shape of a banana and without "cracks" in it or diarrhea, he is fine.
I take Trazadone for sleep and sometimes get so impacted with slow functions that stools are large and hard enough to plug the plumbing! I'm going to try for a can of purple plums!
A supplement call Colon Max is great. I've been taking it for years. I take two capsules each night. I recommended this to a husband of a friend of mine and he has been using it ever since.
We tried everything - metamucil, prescription drugs, dulcolax, miralax, etc. Then one of our Doctors recommended an "old fashion" remedy - mineral oil. FANTASTIC!! We put it in juice..it has no taste or odor. Gave it daily, Never had a problem again!
Is your Dad eating less than he used to? Has his diet changed? Maybe he just doesn't have enough in his system to "empty" out.
In addition to getting up and walking, I found that hot liquids, e.g. coffee, tea and hot water, help my insides relax so they move through the system a little better.
Personally, I would stay away from laxatives.
...and I don't know if this applies to your situation, however, my brother started noticing he had constipation a lot. At first, vegetable soup helped, then he started using Benefiber in addition to the vegetable soup. When Benefiber, no longer worked, he went to the doctor and they found out that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It didn't show up in his bloodwork and no other signs other than he was constipated and it was getting worse. They found the cancer with xrays.
So if your Dad hasn't changed his eating or his "exercise" and the constipation seems to be getting worse, please see a physician to see if there is a reason for his constipation.
My 88 yr old mom has always had this problem. We recently figured out what works. She loves a occasion lrish coffee iced, from one of the local coffee places, non alcohol of coarse. I get it with Oatmilk. It the oatmilk that helps. Because I have gotten it with half and half, it doesn’t work. It’s definitely the oatmilk that gets things moving. You can buy oatmilk creamer in most grocery stores. I’m not a doctor and this is not medically proven and if you have a sugar issues you need to check the sugar content, before consuming. But it works well for my dear mom.
Avoid the laxatives. Gut will become dependent on them. Go with natural as much as you can.
Papaya (if he will eat it) works well. Watermelon as well. Flax seed or powder in things he eats. A couple of colace per day is also helpful.
Check his meds. More than likely at least one of them causes constipation. Any kind of pain pill will slow the gut down. If he has to have them, then the colace can help offset some of that problem.
Sitting a lot and not walking slows the gut too. People that used to have a bm each and every day can start focusing in on it not being a daily thing anymore. Moving the legs and walking helps with gut movement...if he is still mobile.
You may want to inform MD and try SennaGen 2 tabs twice daily (it's what we used in Hospice but in higher doses due to narcs on board); it's a very common bowel regimen that combines a softener with a stimulant lax.
Often , hydration and diet are not enough to cover for bowel laxity and OTC meds are enough to restart regular BMs.
One of the easiest ways to help constipation to to have the person hydrate themselves but many older persons do not like to drink water. Prunes, pitted, taste sweet and two a day should help, and if you can get him to drink water with them all the better. Other choices might include Benefiber, or a generic form of it, a probiot (make sure it can get to the gut by being acid resistant) increasing fruits, vegetables and grains, and watching how much protein is ingested as it can constipate too. Dolcax one to up to three times a day can help but again he needs water to help this work too. If he develops diarrhea from it experiment until you get the best dosage for him. Also is he active at all? If you can get him to walk or do some physical activity that might help also. I would also encourage him to try to have a BM at the same time each day whether he is successful or not.
I had one bad constipation in my life and tried to eat beets and use enema. It worked effectively. Check [How to Use an Enema Safely] https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-to-use-an-enema-1942648
I like CVS psyllium husk fiber capsules in the white bottle with the orange lid. You can take up to four at a time. And if you're really backed up, add a docusate sodium, which is stool softener. Lots of fruits and vegetables help!
Yakima paste, includes prunes, Raisen’s, figs, lemon juice, brown sugar and senna leaves. Can find the recipe online. Give a tablespoon or so daily to start.
Senna tea or Senna tea capsules. Do not give miralax or any of that. It is too harsh. Senna will do the trick. Start small and give more as needed.
For prevention, activity helps. If not active....
Hydration is key, diet with plenty of fruits and veggies (or a capsule called "fruits & veggies), psyllium for fiber. My Mom suffered with constipation and this kept her regular. We had fun with it, finding things she enjoyed. Date bars, fig bars, fruit pie, fruit compote.
Bbeing regular can be life saving in our older age. Best to your Dad and you!
My doctor recommends one dose of Miralax daily in any favorite drink. It is tasteless and gentle and once it gets things moving, a daily dose will keep him regular. The key is REGULAR.
The miralax used daily is also what my Mom's gastroenterologist suggested after she ruled out any problem in the colon with a colonoscopy. The Doc did not like sennakot as she said it worked differently. She said it could cause the colon to become dependent on it to pass stool. Lots of fiber and lots of water. Fiber without enough water can be constipating. Prunes and warm prune juice.
All of the responses I've read are good although I feel the bottom line is to Know Your Body. Medications and age play a big role in bowel movement (Iron turns my stool into rabbit size poop). Exercise if and whenever possible. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. If a person is alive, there are things that can be done-- even if bedridden) This is what work for me: 1. Crackling Oat Brand (right out of the box) as an anytime snack especially late night. 2. Apple juice 8oz (once a day) with breakfast 3. Coffee (put coffee in 8oz cup with 2% milk, add hot water). Add a little Honey and Consume while still warm. 4. Exercise (this include the mind) 5. Drink four 16oz bottles of water per day (8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm. This is where I fall short--sorry. Remember that our bodies react to what it is given --physically or mentally.
Natural products are all that I have used for my mother since getting her off of the brain shredding PEG in MiraLax.
Natural Softener: The days when my mother does not have a bowel movement, I have her drink some liquid Milk of Magnesia and that's usually all it takes. Or you could give your Dad a magnesium supplement if he prefers to swallow a capsule.
Natural Stimulant: When necessary, I have her drink a cup of Senna tea called "Smooth Move" that you can buy at any grocery store.
Natural Fiber: I give my mother good old Sunsweet Prunes.
My mom was constipated for 4 weeks and i tried everything. My doctor recommended "Dulcolax Liquid Laxative, Stimulant Free Laxative for Comfortable Relief, Mint Flavor, 12 oz. "
Prunes. My mom is on low dose morphine and it still slows her up, so she's daily on senna and colase. She only normally goes every 4 days or so and our guts (family-wise) have been known to do not much for days at a time ;) But when she was more self-mobile/active she used a prune or two a day.
The stool softeners are also good cause if the body insists on taking its time they don't turn into rocks. Normally my mom was very sparing with that kind of stuff .. developed this thought that we could somehow get 'dependent' on a stool softener, welp, she probably always needed it and at this point she's decided it is better than the alternative, and use your imagination on what my mom would have to deal with in regards to alternatives of being unable to pass a bm :D
I tell her she is lucky she forgets cause without the stool softeners and the senna it was about every week crying "oh god i cant do this i cant live like this".
To be fair im starting to eye up colase myself I mean heck :D
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If it is severe use magnesium citrate
If he gets loose stools use magnesium glycinate
Give this daily.
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Try Swiss Kriss. It is really gentle, and works very well.
Swiss Kriss Herbal Laxative Tablets: https://a.co/d/jaQKewH
Now if that does not work, then wait 48 hours and next time increase all portions by an ounce..3oz MoM, 3oz prune juice and 5 oz warm water. Again same caveat he may get the urge rapidly more than once until he is cleaned out.
You can add about a teaspoon of apple sauce to it if he cannot tolerate just the two.
Going every other day is quite normal in the elderly.
In addition to getting up and walking, I found that hot liquids, e.g. coffee, tea and hot water, help my insides relax so they move through the system a little better.
Personally, I would stay away from laxatives.
...and I don't know if this applies to your situation, however, my brother started noticing he had constipation a lot. At first, vegetable soup helped, then he started using Benefiber in addition to the vegetable soup. When Benefiber, no longer worked, he went to the doctor and they found out that he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It didn't show up in his bloodwork and no other signs other than he was constipated and it was getting worse. They found the cancer with xrays.
So if your Dad hasn't changed his eating or his "exercise" and the constipation seems to be getting worse, please see a physician to see if there is a reason for his constipation.
I’m not a doctor and this is not medically proven and if you have a sugar issues you need to check the sugar content, before consuming. But it works well for my dear mom.
Papaya (if he will eat it) works well. Watermelon as well. Flax seed or powder in things he eats. A couple of colace per day is also helpful.
Check his meds. More than likely at least one of them causes constipation. Any kind of pain pill will slow the gut down. If he has to have them, then the colace can help offset some of that problem.
Sitting a lot and not walking slows the gut too. People that used to have a bm each and every day can start focusing in on it not being a daily thing anymore. Moving the legs and walking helps with gut movement...if he is still mobile.
Often , hydration and diet are not enough to cover for bowel laxity and OTC meds are enough to restart regular BMs.
warm prune juice
For prevention, activity helps. If not active....
Hydration is key, diet with plenty of fruits and veggies (or a capsule called "fruits & veggies), psyllium for fiber. My Mom suffered with constipation and this kept her regular. We had fun with it, finding things she enjoyed. Date bars, fig bars, fruit pie, fruit compote.
Bbeing regular can be life saving in our older age. Best to your Dad and you!
Lots of fiber and lots of water. Fiber without enough water can be constipating. Prunes and warm prune juice.
Medications and age play a big role in bowel movement (Iron turns my stool into rabbit size poop).
Exercise if and whenever possible. Don't be afraid to think outside the box. If a person is alive, there are things that can be done-- even if bedridden)
This is what work for me:
1. Crackling Oat Brand (right out of the box) as an anytime snack especially late night.
2. Apple juice 8oz (once a day) with breakfast
3. Coffee (put coffee in 8oz cup with 2% milk, add hot water). Add a little Honey and Consume while still warm.
4. Exercise (this include the mind)
5. Drink four 16oz bottles of water per day (8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm. This is where I fall short--sorry.
Remember that our bodies react to what it is given --physically or mentally.
Natural Softener: The days when my mother does not have a bowel movement, I have her drink some liquid Milk of Magnesia and that's usually all it takes. Or you could give your Dad a magnesium supplement if he prefers to swallow a capsule.
Natural Stimulant: When necessary, I have her drink a cup of Senna tea called "Smooth Move" that you can buy at any grocery store.
Natural Fiber: I give my mother good old Sunsweet Prunes.
I dont think the flavor matters
It worked within 12 hours.
The stool softeners are also good cause if the body insists on taking its time they don't turn into rocks. Normally my mom was very sparing with that kind of stuff .. developed this thought that we could somehow get 'dependent' on a stool softener, welp, she probably always needed it and at this point she's decided it is better than the alternative, and use your imagination on what my mom would have to deal with in regards to alternatives of being unable to pass a bm :D
I tell her she is lucky she forgets cause without the stool softeners and the senna it was about every week crying "oh god i cant do this i cant live like this".
To be fair im starting to eye up colase myself I mean heck :D