[ucfteacher96]

I have a friend who does not own a computer so I have registered for her. Though she has had this spinal cord injury for 26 years, we have been friends for about 6 months. She recently began sharing her issue of bowel movements. This chronic problem has been an on/off issue for several years. Now it seems that what worked before no longer works now. She is miserable. She goes from bowel compaction to explosive accidents and back again. It has gotten to the point where she is anxious every time she eats because she does not know if that food item will make her situation better or worse. I began to research the topic for her this morning and found this site. Again, this is new to me and I will be printing the replies and giving them to her. Any recommendations on how to proceed would be appreciated.

[ButterflyInAmbr]

It's hard to say what will and won't help, not knowing what she's tried. I eat a diet that includes a lot of fiber: whole grains and lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and just do dig stim for my bowel program. I very rarely take any medications for it. This works well for me.

[ucfteacher96]

ButterflyInAmbr, on May 14 2009, 09:18 PM, said:

It's hard to say what will and won't help, not knowing what she's tried. I eat a diet that includes a lot of fiber: whole grains and lots of organic fruits and vegetables, and just do dig stim for my bowel program. I very rarely take any medications for it. This works well for me.

Thank you for responding. I have learned a l lot from this site by reading previous posts about this issue. My friend (Babs) has developed a strong distrust of doctors and I am hoping she will respond to suggestions from people with similar disabilities.

[Quad65]

Just as everyone's injury is different, everyone's body responds differently to foods and medications. But you can learn to work with your situation whatever it is and your bowels can be 'trained' to work to some degree.
First, if any types of medications are taken, I'd find out what side effects they may have. Some really mess up bowel function, either going too little or too much. Many antibiotics and some pain medications interfere with bowel function. Antibiotics frequently kill off helpful micro-organisms in the bowel. Some pain meds are constipating. Ibuprofen messes me up. Eating yogurt or taking acidophilus supplements regularly can help and are cheap and readily available.
Regularity of habits when it comes to eating times, diet, water intake, and exercise play a big part. I'd suggest eating meals at fairly regular times each day. Drink plenty of water. Eat a well-balanced, fiber-rich diet, but don't go over-board on the fiber. Balance is key. Some people find stool softeners helpful. I've never used them in over 40 years as an SCI. Try to find what time of day or evening gives you the best results and stay with that, if possible.
Finally, stress can play a big part in bowel management. Don't become obsessive about it. There will be accidents. Things will work fine for long periods and then things might 'hit the fan', so to speak. Relax and keep to your over-all program. It will get better.

This post has been edited by Quad65: 15 May 2009 - 03:09 PM

[ucfteacher96]

Quad65, on May 15 2009, 11:08 AM, said:

Just as everyone's injury is different, everyone's body responds differently to foods and medications. But you can learn to work with your situation whatever it is and your bowels can be 'trained' to work to some degree.
First, if any types of medications are taken, I'd find out what side effects they may have. Some really mess up bowel function, either going too little or too much. Many antibiotics and some pain medications interfere with bowel function. Antibiotics frequently kill off helpful micro-organisms in the bowel. Some pain meds are constipating. Ibuprofen messes me up. Eating yogurt or taking acidophilus supplements regularly can help and are cheap and readily available.
Regularity of habits when it comes to eating times, diet, water intake, and exercise play a big part. I'd suggest eating meals at fairly regular times each day. Drink plenty of water. Eat a well-balanced, fiber-rich diet, but don't go over-board on the fiber. Balance is key. Some people find stool softeners helpful. I've never used them in over 40 years as an SCI. Try to find what time of day or evening gives you the best results and stay with that, if possible.
Finally, stress can play a big part in bowel management. Don't become obsessive about it. There will be accidents. Things will work fine for long periods and then things might 'hit the fan', so to speak. Relax and keep to your over-all program. It will get better.