Diarrhea worries

[Sue123]

My Mum has had diarrhea for nearly a week now & im getting worried.
I took her to see her GP the other day & he didnt seem concerned but its really starting to get me down.
Surely she shouldnt have it for this long?
Could it be symptoms of her dementia or am i just overreacting?
Is there anything i can be doing to help her get back to normal? I feel useless

 

[Tin]

Will the gp let you try some over the counter remedies? When this happens to my mum, not often, its usually down to her diet and the gp has let me try Imodium, it has worked.

 

[Beate]

Could it be overflow constipation? That can be nasty but is easily remedied.

 

[lin1]

I was wondering the same Beate.

My mum sometimes suffered from what I call bypassing.
It when a person is really constipated and is leaking around the blockage

Did the GP examine mum and listen to her tum

I found this info sorry I couldn't copy the diagrams .
Also my mums blockages were often higher up rather than in the rectum.

Severe chronic constipation can result in faecal impaction. This is something that is more likely in the elderly and infirm. Basically, a large mass of hard faeces blocks the rectum. The mass is too big to pass and the rectum is stretched and enlarged, so the muscles within it don't work so well to push faeces out. Sometimes people with this problem think that they have diarrhoea. This is because liquid faeces, from above the blockage, leak round the big lump of faeces, and out of the anus. This is known as overflow diarrhoea. In this situation, you may also have faecal incontinence - that is, you have no control over this liquid faeces leaking out. Faecal impaction with overflow diarrhoea is likely if you have been getting progressively more constipated, and then get liquid faeces, possibly explosive, and without much control. If a doctor or nurse examines the anus, the hard faeces can often be felt, confirming the diagnosis. The diagram below shows this process:

 

[lin1]

As far as I am aware it is not a symptom of Dementia

 

[Beate]

I was wondering the same Beate.

My mum sometimes suffered from what I call bypassing.
It when a person is really constipated and is leaking around the blockage

Did the GP examine mum and listen to her tum

I found this info sorry I couldn't copy the diagrams .
Also my mums blockages were often higher up rather than in the rectum.

Severe chronic constipation can result in faecal impaction. This is something that is more likely in the elderly and infirm. Basically, a large mass of hard faeces blocks the rectum. The mass is too big to pass and the rectum is stretched and enlarged, so the muscles within it don't work so well to push faeces out. Sometimes people with this problem think that they have diarrhoea. This is because liquid faeces, from above the blockage, leak round the big lump of faeces, and out of the anus. This is known as overflow diarrhoea. In this situation, you may also have faecal incontinence - that is, you have no control over this liquid faeces leaking out. Faecal impaction with overflow diarrhoea is likely if you have been getting progressively more constipated, and then get liquid faeces, possibly explosive, and without much control. If a doctor or nurse examines the anus, the hard faeces can often be felt, confirming the diagnosis. The diagram below shows this process:

Cheers for this lovely description, LOL. But OH had this and is now on repeat prescription of Fybogel which keeps him nice and regular - not always in the desired location but you can't have it all.

 

[lin1]

Cheers for this lovely description, LOL. But OH had this and is now on repeat prescription of Fybogel which keeps him nice and regular - not always in the desired location but you can't have it all.

Beautiful isn't it not, oh the memories.
Mum christened things sometimes

 

[LYN T]

My OH suffered from overflow so I know how difficult it was to deal with. In my Husband's case 2 cups of warm prune juice tended to help things along.

Take care

Lyn T XX

 

[Sue123]

Thanks for your replies everyone. Mom seems ok now.
Will keep an eye on her. i did think about tablets & will probably get some if the problem continues.
The doctor had a quick feel of her tummy & didnt find anything to worry about.