24 replies to this topic

[Vanessamaee]

Hello! Sorry this is so blunt but I was injured about 2 and a half months ago and they had me on an everyday scheduale. Once I was taken off the pain killers and other meds I started only having maybe one TINY movement a day, like the size of a large marble. I havent had any accidents either. But being 17 and having my bowel program in the morning, it can be very inconvient. SO my question was do you poop every day or have you changed it to maybe every other day and if so how did you do that? Some days I dont even go so Im really kind of wanting to try and every other day scheduale to see how it goes.

[mellowgator]

in rehab we only did our program on mon-wed-fri. i still follow this 25 years later. i also use enemeez and i have results in 10 minutes. i've incorporated it into my shower routine so it's fast and easy.




good luck,

mellowgator

[Beautiful]

Unless I have a feeling I have to go, I do it every 3 days.

[Doodle]

Hey Vanessa! I go everyday... Some days there is nothing there! But generally I have a normal amount each day! It will vary on how much you have eaten, what you eat, how much fluid you take in! I would imagine it wouldn't take much to change your routine, your a new injury, so If you feel it would be better every other day give it a go! I was on an everyday schecdule when I was in rehab and they had me on meds for the bowel. I stuck to the everyday schedule as it works for me, but I stopped taking any meds etc!

[LeahC]

What I'll say is do a quick finger check up your bum and if you can't feel one ready to go don't bother ha xx

[edlee]

What she said.
ed

[The Black Sheep]

Every night before bed. I drink a bottle of water and 2 cups of coffee, and for some reason that makes the belly upset and do it's thing. Same as Leah, check, or you just sit there for 30 minutes staring at the drywall.


... Our drywall has pretty designs on it though. I kind of just sit there and look for shapes and stuff.

[dom]

Hi i go everyday but what meds are/were you on? if any codeine in them like painkillers that can make you constipated

[ZEN12many]

I try at least twice a day (and mostly sucessful). It really makes the day go well if you can accomplish a BM (oxymoron - an SCI BM) first thing when you get up. And it makes for a better sleep to do the same before bed. At least for me.

[And I also look at the walls; digital stimulation kind of prevents reading a magazine while waiting for the BM].

[ebeth]

For the first while I went every other day. Unfortunately then I'd have accidents so I switched to every day. After a couple of years of that I noticed that some days I'd go through all the motions but nothing would happen. So I switched back to every other day and haven't had any troubles since.

It might take some time to figure out what works for your body and for your lifestyle.

I also switched to evenings instead of mornings because I was having trouble waking up early enough to be ready for work in the mornings. The evening program can affect my social life in the evenings some times.

[dom]

i must add though vanessa it's really early days yet to establish a routine

[AlaskaOne]

dom, on 13 July 2011 - 09:44 PM, said:

i must add though vanessa it's really early days yet to establish a routine

I was out of rehab (BM everyday) for about two months before I could convince my caregivers (family) to go every other day. It's been working great; no accidents. My fight now is to convince them to go M W F starting this week. (All the people in the SCI support group do M W F. They just say to watch what they eat over the weekend, not as much and watch the fried foods. I'll keep you posted!

AlaskaOne, on 13 July 2011 - 10:10 PM, said:

dom, on 13 July 2011 - 09:44 PM, said:

i must add though vanessa it's really early days yet to establish a routine

I was out of rehab (BM everyday) for about two months before I could convince my caregivers (family) to go every other day. It's been working great; no accidents. My fight now is to convince them to go M W F starting this week. (All the people in the SCI support group do M W F. They just say to watch what they eat over the weekend, not as much and watch the fried foods. I'll keep you posted!

So, on a side note, how do I put my own post in response to the topic? Sorry dom, didn't mean to step on your post.

[wheeliebear75]

How often did you go before?

If you're taking any Rx painkillers many if not most have constipation as a side-effect.

What goes up must come down AND what goes in must come out. If it seems like you've only been eating marble size portions than a marble size is AOK. If you're eating normal sized portions however than it'd take a whole lot of "marbles" to get rid of it. And if your PIPES are clogged it's possible to have an obstructed bowel & yet not feel any fecal matter in the rectum itself.

I take oral fiber therapy pills, stool softeners (the ones that make it so you CAN go, not the ones that MAKE YOU go), & if those don't work than I use glycerine suppositories so I don't go longer than 72hrs without a decent amount of .

Best of luck.

[Scott_C4-5]

For the first 17-19 years after my injury, I had a BP 3-5 times a week. Now, nearly 21 years post injury, I go 5-7 times a week. I can tell when I need to go (stomach cramps and goose bumps). I can't do my own, but when I get in bed, it takes less than 10 minutes to get out the pooh. I eat a regular and fairly hearty diet and only use miralax if my stool is hard the night before. I wish I only went 3-4 times a week, but if I did, I'd probably end up having more pooh babies.

[wheelchairbarbie]

I am on a Tuesday - Thursday - Sunday schedule. It works best for me, and I also do it at night.

[BillS]

Every other day. I wake up, pop in a suppository while I'm still in bed. Wait a half hour then head to the toilet. Digital stimulation wearing latex gloves every 3-5 minutes until I think I'm cleared out, usually takes about half an hour. I've been doing this for over 25 years now.

When I first came out of the hospital they had me on a stool softener and they told me to do my bowel program every morning. The stole softener seemed to be causing a lot of trouble, accidents all of the time with it, so I stopped taking that. Then I saw how little was actually coming out every morning so I decided to try to free up some time by swapping to every other day. Every other day works out great for me.

I'm really surprised some of you do a 3 times a week schedule. Sometimes every other day, sometimes skipping 2 days. I'd think if tyou can skip 2 days then why do you need the every other day thing? I know for me if I skip a scheduled BM I feel really bloated.

[InfiniteE]

I go 3 times a week normally unless I feel I have to go.

[dom]

AlaskaOne, on 13 July 2011 - 10:14 PM, said:

dom, on 13 July 2011 - 09:44 PM, said:

i must add though vanessa it's really early days yet to establish a routine

I was out of rehab (BM everyday) for about two months before I could convince my caregivers (family) to go every other day. It's been working great; no accidents. My fight now is to convince them to go M W F starting this week. (All the people in the SCI support group do M W F. They just say to watch what they eat over the weekend, not as much and watch the fried foods. I'll keep you posted!

AlaskaOne, on 13 July 2011 - 10:10 PM, said:

dom, on 13 July 2011 - 09:44 PM, said:

i must add though vanessa it's really early days yet to establish a routine

I was out of rehab (BM everyday) for about two months before I could convince my caregivers (family) to go every other day. It's been working great; no accidents. My fight now is to convince them to go M W F starting this week. (All the people in the SCI support group do M W F. They just say to watch what they eat over the weekend, not as much and watch the fried foods. I'll keep you posted!

So, on a side note, how do I put my own post in response to the topic? Sorry dom, didn't mean to step on your post.

That's ok just click on 'add reply' at bottom of page

[norma]

every second day...magic bullet...one hour from toilet to shower and back to chair dressed!

[Nailed]

Everyday here. + what LeahC and Doodle said.

[mike13]

I really don't have a routine/schedule ive been in the chair for about 5 years now and I just check every time I have to catheter.
I don't know how others are but, for me it kinda feels like I have to go all the time, when I am in pain! or not feeling like a BM is happening thats when I better go have a seet on the thrown. hahaha...

[Parachute]

Hi Vanessamaee

I tend to go the the toilet anytime up to five days apart. Then when I do use the loo I might go three days in a row.

Edited by Parachute, 21 July 2011 - 12:16 PM.

[quad]

I have pretty much established my own routine the minute I came from the hospital Monday Wednesday and Friday. And yes it depends on what you eat and how much overall have never tried anything over the counter sometimes there's a need for digital stimulation and other times there isn't,

I am a complete quadriplegic and when I eat a lot as soon as I am turned over it comes out on its own and other times it's not so easy

[Smileyblue]

My bowels used to go every second day, but I was extremely constipated and eventually became impacted while in hospital for a UTI..

During that hospitalisation, I ended up going off all my meds cold-turkey because of nausea.. I think that its because I'm off the baclofen, I now experience stomach cramps/squeezing when its time to go, usually every 24 to 48 hours.. They are not pleasant, especially as they can trigger spasms, but at least I now have an "early warning system"..

[Smileyblue]

My bowels used to go every second day, but I was extremely constipated and eventually became impacted while in hospital for a UTI..

During that hospitalisation, I ended up going off all my meds cold-turkey because of nausea.. I think that its because I'm off the baclofen, I now experience stomach cramps/squeezing when its time to go, usually every 24 to 48 hours.. They are not pleasant, especially as they can trigger spasms, but at least I now have an "early warning system"..