I just started probiotics on mom hoping it will help her bowel issues. Sometimes constipated and digs it out(yuck) or sometimes it just runs out of her with no control. It is also the worst smelling poop I have ever smelt - it is unbelievable.
Anyone tried these before with any luck.
Also what kind of fluid intake does she have?? Many of us, of any age, are guilty of not taking in adequate fluids. Especially in the elderly population, this becomes an issue, as many times they do not feel thirsty and have other complicating issues. Fiber many times is lacking as well in their diet. There are some things that can be used to increase this other than food, if they are not eating well or much. This is not a fun issue to deal with, but hopefully I have given you some things to explore that will be helpful.
Every morning I giver her 3/4 teaspoon of miralax in 4 ozs of real coffee, she loves a real coffee treat. (with thick-it)(approved by her dr) She gets her pills 2x daily with prune pudding that I made and keep in the fridge. I buy frozen peaches and/or mixed fruits, thaw them, put them in the blender with a little sugar and puree them, then I freeze them into little containers. I feed her them as an Icee, as pudding, or as a drink depending on how thawed I have them. She drinks 20 oz a day of decaf coffee and tea, and if I even think she might be getting constipated I put in a childrens glycerine suppository. Sometimes she has a buldge around her anus as she forgets how to push out her stools, poor thing, I use a glove and vaseline to massage around the area to get it started some times. I keep her on a daily dose of amoxicillin to prevent UTI's after a long visit with her doctor, he agreed to do this and it works like a charm. Probiotics are good to prevent yeast infections I hear when on antiobiotics. We are preventing UTI's and Constipation but its not easy, its been good for 3 years now with a careful watch. Good Luck.
The particular brand and type that have worked well for me are NOW - Probiotic Defense. I have dealt with Crohn's disease for 41 years, along with some other difficult health issues. I am able to purchase them on a website at a very reasonable cost. It is swansonvitamins.com . Granted the same thing does not work for everyone, but It would be worth to give it a try. I would recommend having her take one or two daily, spaced out, to begin with. With the foul odor that you mentioned, I am almost certain that could be related to the antibiotic. Some Dr's are starting to recommend them, but others are still in the"dark", so to speak. As funnierthanme stated probiotics replace the "good" bacteria that is also killed off by antibiotics. It is a matter of balance and that is not the same for everyone. The other thing that came to mind is that although many people tolerate milk products, some DO NOT, and have not figured that out yet. So by taking the mixture of probiotics in a capsule form, you are skipping the dairy in the yogurt.
I am aware of the benefits of probiotics as I have taken them for many years off and on. I have abdominal issues.
Since she has started on them she is going #2 a lot more. I really believe she feels better. Nothing worse than being constipated. Of course it is more work for me. She also has back issues all her k
Life from falling out of a 2nd story farm house when she was 9. I'm thinking some of the back pain might be constipation. Today she say her back doesn't hurt.
She doesn't like mike or yogurt. She pretty much drinks orange juice, cranberry juice and bottled water.
I am hoping (fingers crossed) tat she will get into a more normal bowel movement besides constipation which is her main problem. When you think about it, what is in the lining of the colon after 93 years.
I am not questioning the care you are giving her at all!!!!!!! It was just the way the answers came across to me. I agree that some of the back pain could be related to the problem of constipation. But why the really foul odor?? In my experience the probiotic usually helps eliminate that. Perhaps that has gotten better, since you first posted the question. I wish you all the best. I know that being a care giver can be extremely rewarding, however also can be very tiring and wearing on an individual. May the Good Lord give you the strength to help her reach her goal of becoming 100 years old!!!!!!
I'm (guessing) the bad odor is from backed up poop? It smelt different today. She is also up and down more and I think she feels better. But she wants to eat every time she gets up.
I have a good friend that has crohns and I know it can be very bad. Hers is now controlled with the help of a chiropractor.
On the other hand I do hope that she can get regulated. She has only been on them for about a week. So the major poops came on and startled me.
God bless you too and ALL caregivers. I never thought in a million years this would be my destiny. My husband is 10 years older than me ( but in great shape and health) and I begged him to take care of himself so I won't have to do this again. But I would. We do what we have to do and get strength from God.
I am so glad that you responded to my posts, regarding your issues. I would not want any one to feel like they are not providing good care. It sounds like you are doing all you can and are VERY involved in her health and care.
My sister was just released from the hospital after almost a month's stay. She was dx with Crohns when she was 40 y.o., I when I was 14. We almost lost her. And she lives about 1 hr. away. Some of the things she was telling me on the phone sent up red flags. And some of my concerns turned out to be correct. ( she also is in the medical profession)
Medicine today is in a difficult position. Everyone is always concerned about being sued, so they do all these tests, which at times are not going to change the treatment. Then other times it seems like they ignore you, completely. IT is amazing that you can go in for a physical and not even be touched by certain providers. It's all about the paperwork. Although, I know that is an important part of the process, it should NOT be the ONLY process. I keep reminding all of them, do not rely on the tests alone, look at the PATIENT and treat their symptoms, do not treat the tests. I know we do not live in a perfect world, so I do try to be realistic, but some things are just obvious, IF you take the time to look at the WHOLE picture. And medicine, although we need specialists, I feel specializes too much. VERY FEW sit down, to take the time to see the whole picture and put the pieces of the puzzle together. (This is not all their fault, it is the system that we have created. And many times people making the decisions are not "in the trenches", taking care of patients!)
I ,as a medical professional, have had to work from the other side, and now much to my dismay, have to work with them from the patient's side, more than I would like. Another experience in my life that colors how I respond is that my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but they just kept ignoring her in the beginning. She noticed a bowel habit change and she was told to drink Senna tea. When nothing changed after 1 week she called the office and she was told," just drink more!!!!!!!!!!" ( I am all for including alternative methods when appropriate, by the way!) By the time we got her to a gynecological oncologist, she was stage 3C. Although I do know that ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose, some of the BASICS, you would expect with the kind of complaints she was having, were not being done. She did fight the disease for almost 7 years, but finally her body was not able to keep fighting. It will be 5 years in August that we lost her.
So I hope this helps you understand, why I was so concerned. It sounds like you have a handle on what is happening. I also understand that when the sudden increase in stool came on, that you were startled. And that is REASONABLE. Because when you see a difference in bowel habits, you SHOULD be questioning it. Sounds like the odor is getting better and that would make sense, that the probiotics are starting to balance her intestinal bacteria. The other thing that just popped into my head is, do you know if she may have a rectal prolapse. Because when her stool gets hard, this could make it even more difficult if not impossible to pass stool with a prolapse. That is extremely painful and may be why she then "digs" out the stool. Hopefully she is on the mend and you will not have to concern yourself with these issues much longer. One thing that came to my mind is, that perhaps you could provide her with a box of gloves, when she is not able to pass the stool. That way the transmission of bacteria may be a little less???? Blessings to you. You are very correct in stating that we do what we have to do and get the strength from God. Hopefully, you have someone that can give you some short breaks , even a couple hours a week, so that you can take some "me" time. As caregivers we forget about ourselves, but eventually our bodies and minds can only take so much. Because if you get sick, you will not be able to care for her, either. Blessings.
To Revereroles, I do understand about the antibiotics, especially in the elderly with frequent UTI. I was just making a statement about antibiotics in general. I agree at her age this may be way on the bottom of the priority list. It is wonderful that you are in tune with what happens to her when she starts developing a UTI and then can take action. Although, in response to the resistance of antibiotics, we do have a problem in general. We do have some NEW problems because antibiotics were used TOO freely, at one point in time. And now we have difficulty treating certain conditions, because of that. It sounds that in your situation that you are using them appropriately.
They only other thing I would suggest again, is find a reputable company that makes the cranberry extract. By reputable I mean a company that regulates themselves and sticks to high standards. The supplement industry is not regulated and some of the companies do a poor job with the products that they provide. Any good health food store, should be able to assist you with this. Because I have seen some very good results in some patients with the cranberry extract. If the family provided it and we gave it routinely, the patient usually did not develop the UTI's as frequently or not at all. Hope this clarifies what I posted earlier.
Blessings to you, also. May the good Lord, give all of those providing care to their loved ones an extra measure of strength and patience.
Few months when I know it's time.
Speaking of doctors and hospitals. I have taken her to emergency room several times and they won't admit her. It's the same doctor, and he says ,"she will just keep having these chinks in her armor". I took her once she had had diarrhea all over the white carpet, I mean ALL OVER. It is now replaced. She also had chest pains. They admitted her one night and she was upset and they called me to come sit with her all night or they would have to get a caregiver. I told them, get one. I was home shampooing carpet all night! They were getting paid to take care of her. She settled down in about 15 min which I knew she would. But they released her first in the morning We since have replaced with vinyl that looks like hardwood. These docs just think - their old, they have lived a very long life. They don't realize THAT'S MY MOM. Heartless
Just looked at a couple of your posts again! Mom was started on a "new pain med". That could certainly be a big part of the problem. I would discuss this with a pharmacist that you have a good relationship with and trust! They are usually the person I go to for help. They have A LOT more training in drug interactions and the chemistry involved.
Another thing that came to mind is that you mentioned that she drinks a lot of orange and cranberry juice. I know we all have to do the best we can, just to get liquids in, but especially the cranberry has a lot of added refined sugar, which contributes to a lower immune response, which makes you more likely to be prone to infection!!!???? My guess is she did not like the one from the health food store, because it was not as sweetened???? I know it is a vicious cycle! But I would slowly week after week{since tastes are learned!} add some water to the juice. Get it to a place where Mom will still drink it, but it will limit some of the sugar. This will be a gradual process, not a quick fix! I have actually been trying to do this myself, to limit calories. The other thing I enjoy is lemon slices in water! If you do not like water alone, this may be a good alternative for you. Be aware that some of the no calorie drinks use sweetner substitutes, and in the long run we do not know all the "side effects"! You really have to be a super "detective" to pick up on this!!!!!!!! They do it in such a subtle way, that you may miss it!!!!!!!!!
Also, I know the medical community has some flaws that need some correction. Hold them accountable, just like any other business. I've been on both sides of the fence. Sometimes, it is a matter of being able to communicate better ON BOTH SIDES! That does not excuse "bad" behavior! Sometimes, the medical person is not aware of your life and vice versa! So we need to continue to communicate more and work at becoming better at it! Just like with anything else that is worth working for!
And she eats it up like Goldilocks!!
I also use honey on her baked sweet potatoes. Another favorite of hers. She really eats healthy, except when she asks for hot dogs. I've tried the veggie kind, she won't eat them. I try not to buy them but she requests hot dogs.