Incontinence at night

[wincarwoo]

Hi everyone

My mum has started to become faecally incontinent at night. This has happened three nights in a row and she is not aware it's happened.

I think the incontinence people have recommended that she have tests. Somebody else suggested Imodium (child's dose)

She is getting some new pants but other than that is there anything that anyone can recommend.

Long shot but is she able to do Pelvic floor exercises?

Unfortunately not. Mentally and physically she is very weak. She walks with a frame and although she knows who we are still she is unable to do anything which isn't sitting in a chair.

No advice but just wanted to offer a virtual hand hold

Thank you ♥️

I am so sorry. This disease is very horrible as it progresses.

It could be time to start thinking of using incontinence underwear, if Mum will accept them?

Also, do you have regular visits from the district nurse team? She'll need to have her skin in the tender areas checked regularly for integrity now.

If you want to talk more about 'what next' and 'next steps' please let us know, I am not wanting to bombard you with info you might not want yet.

Have a hug.

@wincarwoo Is she continent during the day? Does she take medication for her bowels? Do not give her any Imodium without medical advice as constipation can be seriously bad for the elderly and for people with dementia so please don’t try this. Is she getting social work input and care? If so, he package of care could possibly include an overnight visit to change her and to prevent skin damage from faecal burns etc. Her skin will be at high risk if she is incontinent or immobile, and she may need district nurse input if she is housebound.
If she is on medication for her bowels you could try changing the timing of this or looking at changing her diet to perhaps a heavier lunch and a lighter dinner to try to change the timings of her bowels moving as overnight is quite unusual.
Best wishes to you it is a horrible disease.

My understanding is that this is a common stage in dementia so unfortunately pelvic floor exercises will no longer help. Tena pants (or Sainsburys for example do a cheaper version, depending on what absorbency she needs is likely the best move for her dignity and comfort

I have some experience with faecal incontinence. The district nurses can supply you with disposable incontinence pants or adult diapers but I found that they were not the best fit or quality. Different body shapes suit different brands, most of the supermarkets do disposable pants reasonably priced. My favourites are Depends,available on Amazon. The fit really well and are comfortable. You just tear them off when soiled. Have plenty of wet wipes and rubbish bags handy. Get a waterproof matress cover. You can buy bed pads for extra protection, Tescos are as cheap as chips or puppy pads are pretty much the same. Get a really good barrier cream because she will soon get sore, the nurses can get a prescription for it. Don't let the nurses persuade you to have washable pants or pads unless they are offering a laundry service.. PM me if I can help, I'm very happy to pass on what I've learned

Have a look at 'inco' pads that you can put on the bed, in case of any pad leaks. They're like a flat absorbent pad

Thank you everyone. Some really helpful tips. We will try to get a regular visit by a nurse. My dad cares for my mum and he has just appointed someone to help at home in the mornings. So it will be good to get a regular visitor who can keep an eye.

We just need the doctor to understand why she has a frequent upset stomach in the night. The Imodium was given with doctors knowledge so hopefully it hasn't caused problems.

My experience is that bowel issues are always worse at night, you can apparently take an awful lot of imodium without a problem. By the by, Imodium is a brand name if you buy the generic version which is Loperamide, it costs a fraction, you can get it in Lidl for under £2

It's a really common stage tbh. I have a lot of experience of it. Does it distress her? It is very difficult. What time does she eat/drink at night? Definitely get the proper pads etc in place, you can get them prescribed if you can't afford them as some folks can't. Vital to keep an eye on her skin, and tbh be matter of fact and bright and breezy about the whole thing.
So worry, it is a vile disease.

Boots stay dry night time maxi pants are good & will save on washing.

I had similar with my late mother. I contacted her GP and he put he District Nurses in touch with us. They organised appropriate incontinence protection and social work increased her care.

Hi, my mum has been faecally incontinent for several years now and we've found a few things that help reduce the number and severity of incidents.

One (and this might not work in your situation) is we started a routine of getting her to sit on the toilet for up to 45mins at the same time every day (after breakfast for us but perhaps before bed for you) and I read to her and she does usually poo (more or less every other day) which has reduced the number of incidents of soiling herself down to about once a month (actually twice so far this week but I think she is unwell).

I agree with previous posters about finding the right kind of pants for the body shape. We use Vivactive which have different absorbency level but have the highest absorbency I've found so far for a women's pull up (1200ml) and also offer a specific 'night' pant. I also recommend bed pads: we use reusable ones which you can wash (we have three on rotation). I got them on the website 'Incontinence choice' which is also where I buy the pants on subscription.

It does sound like your mum might have a bug so hopefully this passes or the tests can reveal what's causing it. Good luck and thinking of you!

Thank you @Ankleblisters so helpful. I'll pass on the tips to my dad. Agree that getting the right pants is key. She has carers now who started this week. They are quite assertive with the doctor too so we will hopefully establish if there is a medical cause.

Sorry to hear about your mum. Two years is such a long time.