[farmgirl]

Hi

My bf is a paraplegic.

His bowel movement is once a week on a saturday and he usually takes Senakot. It takes about 24 - 36 hours for him to finish.

I have read about Movicol.

Can anyone please let me know if it works, how long after you have taken it and how long is takes to get the job done? I understand that everyone is different but some opinions will be helpfull.

Thanks

[Apparelyzed]

Once a week!

How long has he had a spinal injury, and what level is he?

Once a week is a Lonnnnnggggg time between bowel movements, no wonder it takes so long.

Mine is every other day, using one Microlax enema. It takes about 40 minutes from start to finnish.

Simon

[miss piggy]

Hi farmgirl
MY brother-in-law takes Movicol.He takes one and a half sachets every night just before he goes to bed.The next morning i get him up and on to the toilet i insert one suppositorie and then leave him on the toilet for 20 minutes and then do a manual evacuation.He has never had a problem since taking movicol some times it takes a bit longer than 20 mins on the toilet .Hope i have been some help

[farmgirl]

He has been injured for 16 years - L1. I guess it is because it takes so long that he does it once a week. Never asked him. Because it takes so long it kind of wastes our weekends. Been trying to see if I can't suggest something that will go quicker. he is one of those people you must approach with a solution not the problem.

[miss piggy]

Once a week seams a long time to go .and like you said a waste of your weekends.Perhaps you could say to him to try it daily for a week and see how it goes. Good luck

[Joed]

Waiting that long is probably not a healthy situation, as the lower bowel will begin to stretch from the constant pressure, only exacerbating the initial problem.

I learned this the hard way, as I once thought it a great plan to only go once a week or so, less time spent dealing with it...but it's very stressful on the lower tract over time.

I would encourage him to try a different routine, one that he feels most comfortable with. Two to three days between seems to be the norm here.

[dom]

hi farmgirl
I'm as surprised as apparelyzed!! never heard of such a long time between bowel movements,you say its a waste of a weekend,seems to me there is a lot of 'waste'in your weekend [excuse the pun,but seriously it must get heavily compacted down there,i am L1 and do manual evacs every day,i am a light eater and eat fruit now and again but would his diet need radically overhauling? what was his 'regularity' before sci,? thats assuming he was an ab in his past, isympathize with him because 'getting it right' is so tricky and complicates our lives a great deal

[car]

I never heard of movicol

I looked up microlax and it costs 62 per enema...That is outrageous!

When mike first had his accident the placed him on colace and a suppository every other night and he would have accidents in between and at college other quads told him about biscadyl fleet enemas and he does that every other night and rarely has an accident.

Once a week is way too long and 24 hours must be exhausting for him (coming from a nurse's point of view)

[Apparelyzed]

Quote

I looked up microlax and it costs 62 per enema...That is outrageous!

I'm in the UK, so they're free on the NHS

Simon

[Simon]

Once a week is crazy. Imagine all those toxins being in his gut for 7 days, he will develop allergies from this. He should 'go' every other day but now it will take a while to retrain his bowel. I use a glycerine suppository and go in under 1 hour every other day.
Simon

[farmgirl]

Thanks for all the replies.

Will discuss adjusting his program to maybe every second day with him. If it will be quicker and take the presure off our weekends I don't see why not.

I think something that also plays a factor is where is the world we are. He had his accident in 1990. South Africa is always quite a few years behind the rest of the world. Maybe at that stage they thought it to be best and he just never thought about changing. I am sure that did he have his accident anywhere else in the world he might have gotten better and care maybe today have had more use of his legs.

No use what ifing. I love him no matter what.