5 replies to this topic

[booklvr45]

My mother has been tetraplegic for about a year after a botched surgery. She picked up a bowel infection while in rehab in a nursing home. That has finally cleared up after several rounds of antibiotics. But she still has watery stools several times a day. We can hardly ever go out because as soon as she's moved from bed to chair or chair to bed we have to stop for a clean up. We have tried every med on the market, probiotics from the health food store, diet modification, etc. Nothing seems to help. Any ideas?

[guido]

You probably know already, but Tena Lady incontinence pants might give the confidence to start moving again.

It's a horrible thing to be happening to her. First thing is that have you been to one doctor or several and have they run tests? Because if you've only tried one doc and it's not sorted then they need to run other tests (bloods, stools, urine) to find out what's going on. The bowels can be a bit hit & miss after surgery in my limited experience and a bowel infection would have made all this worse, but even so, it should have all passed.

I would suggest going back to the docs (pref a spinal specialist) and not accepting any palm-offs until the problem is sorted. That is what they should be there for.

Hope you get it sorted.

[qbounce]

Is she on stool softeners?
If so, you might want to get her off them for now and see if that makes a difference.

[booklvr45]

Thanks for the advice. We have seen a gastro dr. and primary care doc. the "rehab" doc doesn't do much but give us a pep talk and send us on our way. What should I look for in a spinal specialist? How are they listed in the yellow pages? We do have a neurologist who we saw once for another "pep talk". Drs. seem to just want us to live with what we have because of her age. But at 69 she's still young, considering her mother is 92 and has aunts in the 100 year range. Also having trouble finding therapy for severly contracted hands and feet. Guess that is my job as caretaker?

[Jax]

I've used Pamine for bowel issues (temporarily--until I get the ACE), and it helps to keep from having the diarrhea as badly. If she can get in to see a colon-rectal surgeon, she can ask for advice there. Mine actually tried everything available here to keep from having to do surgery. He's the one that got me the Pamine scrip.

Best of luck,
JAX

[jules]

Not wanting to scare you but something that you should get checked out is psuedomembraneous collitis, or antibiotic associated collitis, these as the name suggests can be caused by antibiotic use. The problem would be as ever with us SCIs is that your mother may not be displaying all of the symptoms so may not quite fit the usual boxes, but don't let yourself get fobbed off by the Drs, for example your mother's SCI may be masking pain etc. Like a said just a thought, but make sure you get it checked out.

Hope this helps

Jules