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colonic irrigation - tmi alert

2 replies

akhems · 20/08/2009 09:30

My mum suffers terribly from constipation - she only goes to the loo maybe once every 2-3 weeks and it's making her miserable.

She's had all kinds of stuff from the doctor, glycerine suppositories, lactulose, movicol, fybogel etc etc etc and nothing helps.

So we were talking and wondering whether her having a colonic irrigation would help.. what concerns me tho is that she's 80.

Is it something that would be worth a try do you think?

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ThingOne · 20/08/2009 09:43

Has she actually had her bowel examined to ensure there is nothing wrong with it? Because if there is and she irrigated it, it could cause worse damage.

I don't know enough to know whether it's an absolute no-no for your mum but I do know enough to know it's not something to be done lightly if you have even the slightest complication.She needs to talk to a doctor or nurse.

I have a colostomy and many of us irrigate, particularly in the US where insurance often doesn't cover the normal poo-catching pouches. In the UK your specialist nurse has to agree that it's safe, show you how to do it and see you do it twice before you're allowed to go home and DIY.

When you irrigate, you are changing the fluid balance in your body (obviously only temporarily) and this can cause your blood pressure to drop. My nurse told me they'd recently had one young fit man pass out as he put too much water in too quickly.

Is it maybe possible for her to be given a complete clear out and there after eat incredibly carefully?

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akhems · 20/08/2009 10:24

hiya Thing, thanks for the reply.

her constipation is caused by all the meds she's on and the drs say there's nothing else they can give her. She has high blood pressure as it is so I wonder would the drop be as bad for her?

That's what I was thinking, a good clearout and then she's back on an even keel.. she does eat healthily, shes' Italian so lots of fruits and veggies etc and I don't know what else we can do to help her.. even oxypowder didn't work.

There's no way we'd do it ourselves, we'd go to a practictioner.

That's ridiculous that they won't pay for the bags over there - surely they're a necessity to improve your quality of life