Ideas for slowing down Bowel Movements

My doctor said to take 4-8 Imodium a day.....I think you just have to experiment with the Imodium to get to desired results. I can't imagine why anyone would need to use like metamucil. Metamucil creates gas.....citrucel does not. I no longer pass gas in day to day life. The only time I pass gas is when I'm sitting down pushing a little. Once in awhile I've felt like trapped gas and have taken gas-x.. A few times I felt like a blockage and have taken a gentle laxative like for women. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Fiber from like fruit can sucked up all the liquid making it hard to pass.

curious what are you eating?

I haven't taken Metamucil for years now, but I did probably for two decades and it definitely added form to my stools, which presumably slowed me down. maybe you need to titrate and take less or break up the dosing? I very rarely take Lomotil, Immodium's big brother, as it reminds me to much of being obstructed which has almost been the death of me so I kind of get PTSD from the reminder. I have a friend who thinks as has been mentioned that Citracel is a better alternative to Metamucil, but Ive never tried it so cant speak to it.

but again I wonder what you are eating, are you eating a low residue diet, a low fiber diet too? If I have too much fiber especially from vegetables or fruit, it accelerates and increases my bms. there is no question that the more often you go the more the butt burn will be. when that happens I immediately apply A&D ointment and that helps keep the burn at bay.

oh and regards the incomplete evacuation, I wonder if you tried using the Squatty Potty if that might help? ironically sitting on a toilet actually inhibits proper evacuation, lifting ones feet helps the process or so I am told. I actually have this problem too. but I just accept it for what it is.

 

no sugar. david habeski

My Doctor has me taking a different fiber supplement called Konsyl, it bulks up the stool and helps me feel like I am emptying better. Its better than that feeling that there's still some poop "right there" that won't come out without straining. I have also gone gluten and lactose free as a trial to see if certain foods have more of an adverse effect on me.If I could get the darn FISSURES to heal I know I would feel so much better!! Any advice on that would be appreciated!  JudyK

from GI monitor app a knowledgeable friend posted the following in reply to my mentioning Nifidepine gel, that someone else had recommended.

 

Nifidepine is a calcium channel blocker and fairly new, whilst nitroglycerin has a different mechanism of action and is an old warhorse. They are both effective fissure treatment, but I'll go with the warhorse before the bright young thing under most circumstances.

 

Nifidepine gel apparently has to be ordered at a compounding pharmacy.

 

The primary reason to go with nifidepine over nitroglycerine (NTG) is not about effectiveness. They are pretty much the same. It is about the side effect profile. NTG is much more likely to cause severe and debilitating headaches. Not everyone gets these headaches. Usually they are more mild and manageable. So, it is good to have an option if the cheap and easy option causes intolerable side effects.

 

Jan

that's great info Jan, thanks.

 

I had similar problems to you and my doctor recommended a Qufora Cone Toilet system although I believe there are many others available. Basically you pump in some water into your pouch through your rectum and it more or less empty's your pouch instantly and because you are properly empty it has reduced my daily visits from about 12 to 6 or 7. I know it doesn`t sound great but I used to struggle to go out because of having to find a toilet all the time but now I just use this system it takes just a few minutes and I am usually okay for 2-4 hours or more. Worth asking about maybe, now I just take 6 loperimide and 2 fybogel a day and thats it.

 

no sugar david habeski.

its obviously up to each of us what we choose to eat. I would direct you to the tab dietary guidelines on this site, under the middle information tab. that might help you.

 

personally for me I specifically avoid most fruits and vegetables, roughage scares me. what I have experienced is that high fiber, difficult to digest foods, fly through me and force more bm's than I care to have. and while many suggest low sugar, I have never noticed that to be the problem, of course maybe that's my denial point.

 

there is this pervasive myth that one has to eat fruits and vegetables or you are doomed to die and be unhealthy. well I probably will still die before the actuarial tables suggest but I don't think its going to be because I haven't eaten fruits and vegetables. I have lived an extremely active life, formerly playing beach volleyball all weekend long during the summers in NY, and more recently having run 15 half marathons, one marathon and about to tackle my second full marathon this sunday, and I have eaten in the past 29 years about as much fruits and vegetables as the average person does in one month or less. fibrous foods are meant to scrape the bowels, my bowels don't need no scraping the fiber can stay with the stinkin badges from my viewpoint.

 

on another thread about bowel obstructions people touch on corn, mushrooms, nuts, salads, those are all but impossible for a colonless person to digest. if one were to look closely at the toilet I would expect they would revisit them in the bowel in almost the exact same form they entered ones mouth. difficult to digest, means faster and more transit through the system. at least that's what ive noticed in 29 years.

deweyj suggests (above) another candidate for the definition of "digestion." If you use the word "digest" to mean "make it unrecognizable in the toilet bowl," then folks without colons are definitely handicapped. I prefer a definition more like "get all of the nutrition out of the food," and most of us are as good at that as folks with colons.