What do most of you do to forestall diarrhea?

Carolynn, thanks for your very informative reply. I'd always thought that about yogurt, but you explained it so well. Of course we eat the Greek stuff with the fruit... and she'd probably never eat the other. She can be like a child, stubborn. She has always hated water, at least the water from our tap, so I was buying a low acidic type that I like, and she would drink it sometimes. Chiro convinced her to drink the flavored sparkling water, to which we added Truvia (took her off sugar, for the most part, and Splenda) ... at first she said she liked it, then all of a sudden she didn't.. At first she liked ginger ale (somebody mentioned it) then she didn't... she's sneeked her way back into tea, but we're gonna have to stop that, and she's snuck a few glasses of milk in , as well, which she used to have every day at breakfast, every single day of her life. So, what she seems to be good with, at the moment, is lemonade. I use just one fresh squeezed lemon per glass, and add truvia (and of course her thickener). She thinks its the best... I just hope she keeps liking it! Everyone raves about stevia being natural... but isn't it about as natural as our white sugar? I mean, it's processed... and it takes tons of it to really make the drink sweet... babylettuce... ha! ha! my mother has this thing about picking up her diaper, once she's seated, and running her fingers up and down it to check if it's wet... and she has to pull her jammy bottoms up, because she's afraid she will pee on them... I have no idea why, she's seated where she needs to be... I've just decided to give the toilet tissue back... she can't really use it properly, and I still have to use wipes, and I'm afraid she'll get close enough one day, to make a big mess... but she seems so humiliated that I won't let her have it... thank goodness she hasn't tried to wash hers yet, those things don't come cheap!

We are currently seeking this answer as well. I was told that the vitamin magnesium which my mother takes can cause diarrhea. Her heart doctor want her on it to help control rapid heartbeats, now we are having to remove her from it to see if that will help control the problem. It seems that fiber might help but I am not sure as it seems that some people use the fiber to get things "moving."

Mother is on magnesium, too, but she had it before she started on that. There are some supplements she has to take because certain meds will deplete her of this or that one. Not sure, to be honest, if that was the reason for taking it, but I think part was due to muscle issues... and depression. I was told to not take magnesium oxide, that it should be magnesium chelate, that it was easier for the body to absorb.

You are right about the fiber. It works both ways. I don't know how it knows what to do. :) But, w/o that, I wouldn't be able to go out of the house. It was an easy fix for me and I have used it daily for 30 years. Sometimes (like when I am flying on a plane, I add an Imodium AD.)

I guess I am going to have to get her some more of that, and yes amazing how it knows what to do.

CarolLynn - Did not know that about the yogurt. I use yogurt for Judy to kind of help get her other food down. This is the coconut or almond yogurt. I always save a little bit at the bottom of the container for when she is about done eating because it seems to clean her mouth a little bit and makes it easier for brushing her teeth.
When I buy anything in the store including yogurt, one of my methods of selection is the one with the oldest expiration date so I get the freshest thing available. I usually buy 1 or 2 containers of plain yogurt every week and I will use that like sour cream in tuna and noodles or some other recipes.
I believe I mentioned I changed Judy's diet earlier this week. Got away from the gout related items and went with just a few things she likes to eat. I made pancakes one day and I had bought some organic soup mix that I heated up and added to some minute rice I cooked. She did not seem to like that very well, but it could be the rice was difficult for her to chew. I had bought some organic corn flakes and tried soaking them in her milk yesterday and giving her them that way. That did not seem to work so this am I put the corn flakes in the magic bullet along with her banana, a half dozen grapes and some milk. I had gotten her up at 7 to help her in the bathroom and she seemed wide awake, but I told her I would let her rest in her bed while I fixed her breakfast. She was sound asleep when I was done. She finally woke up again at 9 and she had no problems with the corn flakes for breakfast. It is a lot less than I usually feed her, but maybe I am on the right track.
Last night was probably the first time this whole month that she was dry. I got her up at 3 and 7 to go to the bathroom and she had to be holding it. There have been quite a few times she has been soaked thru.
Since she had a late breakfast I didn't get her lunch ready until about 2. I tried to get her out of her recliner but she was interested in the TV and didn't want to go. First time that has happened in a while. I just brought her in a cup of water and one of her yogurts and that was her lunch.
I went back to her usual supper tonight after several days. It consists of egg salad made with carrots and celery, rosemary, turmeric, celery seed and mustard or some type of salad dressing along with a couple hard boiled eggs. After I put in the celery seed my first thought was maybe that was the problem. I usually just dump in a bunch but tonight I measured out a tablespoon. So I dipped some out and left out the rosemary and turmeric also. She ate that with a whole small sweet potato.
It makes me feel optimistic that I am back on the right track again. I know the gout hurts her like the dickens, but I have always found it is better to fix one thing at a time.
Oh, and one other thing. I put a plastic apron on her while she is eating to protect her clothes. For the last several weeks, she has had more difficulty swallowing and some times there is a pool of liquid on the floor from the water drooling out between swallows. We used the same apron for all 3 meals today and there was not a spot on it. It is just weird what the body does at times.
Hope I am not stealing the post. I keep a log of everything that happens, but sometimes it seems curative just to post on some of these sites. Thanks for listening.

I have found that Culturelle, a probiotic, helps somewhat. My mother's doctor had recommended trying one of the probiotics. Be careful though if lactose intolerance is a problem. Some (not Culturelle) contain lactose. Of course, check with her doctor first.

I find this interesting as my mother is in a NH due to C-dif. In February she broke her hip after years of battling the C-dif. Which is constant diarrhea. Now she has almost died twice and is on the rebound under Hospice care. As of now there is no further treatment we can give her to keep it under control. Told doctor today and what we have been saying for months is comfort levels only. She decided while she was in a better state of mind/health than she is now that she does not want to prolong it, it has been 3 years of battling it. Since this is going on she has had a couple of strokes and dementia is setting in and has displayed signs of confusion. Today she is pretty much bedridden. Does sit up some in a recliner like wheelchair for a period of time occasionally as she feels up to it. Am taking it one day at a time as don't know what the next day will be like. Has anyone else dealt with a situation like this?

My mom has a problem with dairy and she knows it, but occassionally she gets something that will have some form of dairy in it, not to mention, her meds can cause diarehha. So we give her the pill form of Imodium occassionally. There is plenty of products out there that are dairy free, milk, ice cream, cheese, it is extremely expensive but it might help with her wanting the dairy products and don't give her the Imodium every day maybe every other or whatever suits her, maybe every couple of days. Good luck, cause I know I hate cleaning up the mess that's for sure.

I had to deal with this for myself when going through chemo, and it truly was a delicate balance between that and constipation, which was often caused by certain of the drugs I was on.

Anyway, what helped me sometimes was the B.R.A.T. diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Tea. Bland stuff, but it can help to bind things up. But not too much of them because they can bind up too much.

The probiotics with acidophilus are also great tips. But I would also suggest a sports drink of sorts that has electrolytes in them. That's important for all of us when we have long bouts of diarrhea, but it's even more important for us as we get older because seniors lose the balance of electrolytes much faster and for them it could be very dangerous. So for hydration during that time after and during a bout of diarrhea, I would suggest regular sipping of something with electrolytes in it (but be sure there's no problem using them with any meds that are being given).

I feel for you both and wish you all the best.

What great help and responses from everyone! You guys made me realize that just as I felt that I was at the end of my rope, I realized some of us have some really harsh and raw challenges to overcome, worse than mine at this time. I thought I had it bad, well it isn't good, but I think this would push me over the proverbial edge, my hat is off to you too Bob, what an example of for better or worse.

RidingTheWave- I am interested in how old your mother is and does she have dementia? It is really hard to diagnose a problem without a full medical history, and I do not want to be accused of practicing medicine without a license. That said, I can only give you some suggestions that I have found for me, particular to me and only me. As a nurse I have seen what medications can do and usually they are constipating. I would recommend an allergy test first. There is something (or many things) she is eating upsetting her natural flora. Probiotics are a bandaid if you keep eating the things in which you are allergic. Until I was tested, I was eating eggs (almost every day), corn, yeast, oats, and soy. No wonder I would get headaches and diarrhea! I am allergic to all of these foods and now it takes forever to find something without these ingredients. Even though the advice normally is to eat your fruits and vegetables, most of them can cause diarrhea. Blueberries cause my diarrhea. Being a detective and trying different foods without allergy testing is exhausting. If she is on Medicare, they will pay 80% to get tested I believe once a year or two (check on that). I had a blood test by York Laboratories which was very thorough for foods, plus skin (slight) pricks (cats, dogs, grasses, hayfever). I usually go the health food store route when I need something, and I bought charcoal to aid with diarrhea. Any of the commercial psylliums, yogurts with sugars (I get Stonyfield), and do not forget anything with Zylitol or Sorbitol can cause diarrhea (those are sweeteners). Adding fat to her diet could help too as the brain needs fat to function and it will slow down digestion. Yes, I know those of you who are offended by that word, but I eat fat all the time and am 115 lbs. Also, remember when your mother has diarrhea to replace the fluids lost with a good electrolyte drink (I buy Body Armor or Pedialyte). Best wishes!

My mother has had this problem for MANY years and I think we finally found a solution. She would alternate between embarrassing accidents and constipation. She would use enemas and suppositories any time she didn't think things were just right.
I took her to a gastroenterologist and he said she had eosophil colitis.
She drinks lactose free milk and if she wants ice cream, etc takes a pill called lactaid, I think, before she eats the ice cream, etc..
She is now taking a prescription called Entocort every other day and a senna every evening with dinner. She also takes probiotics every day.
It took a long time to come up with the right dosages. We experimented with an Entocort every day, then every third day and after many many months this seems to work for her.
I also put a calendar up on the wall and a pen attached to a string in the bathroom right next to the toilet so that she could keep track what she did because she would sometimes forget:. ie: small loose, medium hard ...you get the picture. I hope this help you.

My father had become completely dependent on laxatives for a number of years, he is 85. He drank excessive amounts of prune juice, took laxatives, Metamucil and ate a weird concoction of bran, prune juice and applesauce he said he found in the newspaper. He thinks a normal bowel movement IS diarrhea. Consequently, his clothing, the bathroom, everywhere, was a disaster. Last year, he was hospitalized for a major case of cellulitis, almost lost his leg to it. The hospital and the rehab put him on 2 senna tablets and one dose of Miralax every evening. This really pissed him off, but I can see the benefit of this regimen and a healthy diet (he was eating fast food twice a day for over two years,) in the year he has been in my home. Riding, my dad also thinks it has to happen at a certain time and will force himself to go and then want an enema went he can't. My mornings revolve around his bathroom issues. He also will not use a public restroom. Sadly, he told me out of the blue that his mother made him eat his own feces as a child because he was having trouble with school work!!! So, I believe this trauma has led to this problem. Only God knows what else she did, but she would be in jail these days for child abuse, I have heard other stories from my uncle. I think probiotics are are a great idea. A reputable health food store can help you with products, also talk to your doctor. Mention mom's expectations of a bowel movement, wanting enemas, etc. Believe me, I know this is a tough issue on top of all the rest of what you/we go through. I thought it was just us. . .

Yogurt. When my son was a baby his Dr. suggested this and it worked. So now I have a new baby (this ones a 74 y.o. toddler) and it still works. I have also found that the BRAT diet can be cleverly disguised as breakfast;)

I was just reading in Health magazine GNC has a new probiotic with 25 million cultures complex with enzymes and no refrigeration required. And then there is Electrolytenment by Nestle which is spring water + electrolytes + 50% recycled plastic. Try them and see if they work.

Ashlynn, I haven't been through that with mother, the C-diff, but looking it up, I am so sorry that your loved one has this issue. When she was still recovering, in various facilities, she did have lotsa UTI's as well as lung infections, and infections in her blood. I forget the names of them, but the blood infection, as I recall, was something which is common in community settings, such as nursing homes. It seems, sometimes, that our elderly just don't stand a chance, when it comes to fighting off infection. So much care has to be taken, and antibiotics are like a double edged sword, in many circumstances. We always felt that infection was one of the reasons that one facility passed her onto another, against our wishes. We did all that we could to keep them from moving her, because she still had a trache and we knew the other facility did not offer 24/7 monitoring. It was a rehab facility and we knew that she was not ready. We wanted her off the trache, they were only concerned with getting her off the vent. Their excuse was that Medicare would not cover her to stay there any longer, but we knew what her plan covered and did not, and had even spoken to Medicare, on the phone, to confirm that they would continue to cover her. It was impossible to get a conference call, however. And we constantly had to be on our toes, and making sure proper paper work was sent and received between facilities. Bottom line, they didn't care if Medicare would cover it, they wanted her out. It is my understanding, from what I've been told, by those more in the know, than myself, that if she has an infection, of any sort, that they are responsible, if it was contracted in their facility... and when she left, she did have one that was contracted there... so, they would want to boot her out as soon as possible. It's a sad state of affairs, the way our health care system is run. And guess what? She coded in that other facility, because her trache occluded and the nurse did not get to her in time, but delayed in responding. It was this incident that would change my mother's life for all time. The auto accident she was in had broken and fractured various breakables, but nothing that would not mend. She was not rendered unconscious at the time of the accident, instead had been awake and alert, and was able to give someone my name and phone number, to call. Anyway, I'd better cut this off here, because I can really get worked up thinking about it, and I'm going way off course... but all this to say, I'm sorry for what you're going through with your loved one, and wish you peace and comfort during this time.

Helenk, when she had that bout of diarrhea, from the wrong antibiotic, I had to figure out something, so I made my own electrolyte drink from a recipe I found online. Only thing is, she's diabetic, so the sugar was a no go! I am not sure if sugar is needed, as part of the electrolyte, or if it's just for flavor... does anyone know? Someone brought me some Pedialyte, but it was very sugary, as well. I tried to figure out how much insulin she might need by converting the sugar grams to carbs or vice versa and best I could figure is that it would be some inhuman amount of insulin to counter the sugar in the drink! Of course I did not administer that much, I really need to take a class in how to do those conversions. Thanks for the info.

Denise, good idea about the calendar. I did annotate, in a notebook, at least one day, the number of times she peed and pooped... I need to get back to that... and keep account of what she ate... I try to do that with her blood sugar as well.

58yearoldchild... this made me want to cry, his mother making him eat poop! But it does seem like the elderly can be obsessed with bowel movements. My mother has always been this way, and I really do NOT think enemas are her best choice, so I stall... many times there just nothing there, so it's a bit tricky getting her over that hump, and just waiting for mother nature. What a messed up system your dad had going, so glad it's worked out now!

Riding the wave -- You should be able to give substitute stevia for sugar. I get stevia balance for a sweetener and use it in recipes, etc and for making jellies. If you put it on fruit, they will juice like regular sugar was put on it.
I gave Judy her regular supper last night then gave her an allopurinal with breakfast this am for her gout. She had such a good day yesterday I thought I could take a chance. She slept most of the morning after breakfast and is sleeping again after lunch. I am guessing it was the allopurinal. Could be I just was giving her too much fiber also.

Riding the Wave - check out Dr. Andrew Weil's website and do a search there on carrareegan. He has suggested for many years that it causes bowel inflammation and is a potential carcinogenic. He is pretty mainstream and not as off the wall as some of the interent "doctors". It is often found in Soymilk and I had to search to find one without it!

I totally agree with Kathryn. Your mother needs some probiotics to restore the healthy flora in her intestines. Antibiotics not only kill off the bad bacteria in your body, but also the good bacteria in your intestine that it needs to function properly. Immodium is only treating the symptoms, but not the cause. A good quality probiotic will restore the balance in her digestive system and will not cause constipation like the Immodium. I would recommend Jarro-Dophilus EPS made by Jarrow Formulas, which has 8 strains of bacteria essential to healthy gut flora and 5 billion organisms per capsule. It is enteric coated which protects the bacteria against your stomach acid until it gets to the intestine where it is needed. It is also gluten free and vegetarian, if those are concerns for you. I take it every day and it helps my acid reflux. I gave it to my elderly father recently when he took antibiotics and had terrible diarrhea and it stopped it. You can find it at a good health food store. Hope this helps.

Bob, in reading about the medication you give her for gout, sounds like you have to be on the alert for side effects which could be detrimental, such as kidney stones and lowered blood cell counts, that help fight infection. It's such a juggling act. We do use stevia, I've tried different types, right now it's Truvia, as the others had either sugar or other types or artificial sweetener. Turns out, Truvia does, as well... in fact, it may be the culprit, as it says side effects of erythritol, is "rumbling" stomach, and diarrhea. She requires to much of it to get her to drink her fluids, that I guess it's backfiring on her. Well, ONE of the culprits.

mpatricia - b4 l posted about celiac and gluten sensitivity later down the thread, l searched the prev pages for "wheat", couldnt find it, then erroneously concluded that no one else talked about it. I should have searched for gluten and I would have found your post. We are on the same page regarding gluten. Yay!

cdeh61, you are right, it's in soy milk products. I've been trying to tell everyone about it, but nobody seems interested. I have a niece who has lupus and the irritable bowel syndrome that goes along with it, and even she didn't seem to think much of it. They do include it in products that are deemed organic, even though it is altered ridiculously, and is nothing like the seaweed it started out to be. Don't even get me started on GMO products :0

Ferris, mother is 89. She's diabetic, Type II, has neuropathy and some other ailment from diabetes that I can't recall (because doc never mentioned it). Takes Lantus at night, Novalin in daytime, and Metformin twice daily. She has pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic pulmonary failure, only requires oxygen at night, Symbicort am/pm, Preventil prn, nebulizer prn. She has a past history of diverticulosis and diverticulitis, but since I've been caring for her, it doesn't seem that this has been an issue, at least her doc hasn't thought so, and her BM's don't appear as they did, when she had difficulty with those things, years ago. She came out of her accident with Lance Adams Syndrome, so she had to take medications to help ease the tremors which effect her speech (though little), posture, ability to walk, and control of her hand movements. Her particular strain of that is myoclonus, or intentional tremors. She takes klonopon, keppra, and gabapentin for her tremors. We've tried taking away and adding to, and the dosages she's now on are at a level that best control her symptoms, without adversely effecting her mental capacity. She's actively still persuing additional help with her tremors, through a movement disorder center, that her neurologist referred her to, but we had to take a break, as the first med caused confusion (jibberish speak) and we had to have her checked for UTI, which she did have, and which contributed to her confusion. Soon to restart with them again. She also takes various supplements.

Thanks for the info on the electrolytes, I'll check that one out. I sometimes give her Emergen-C which has electrolytes, but I am not sure if it is sufficient during bouts of diarrhea.

I have thought, before, about having her tested, and I think it's time I set her up for that. Thanks for mentioning that.

We got rid of sorbitol and zylitol products, and I even changed her thickener so that there'd be no forms of sugar, like maltodextrose (think that is the name of it). I have to say, I think I may have stumbled on one of the culprits, and that's her Truvia. I've tried different sorts of Stevia, and settled on this one, due to the other having either sugar or artificial forms of sugar, which I knew could cause diarrhea... but I didn't know what erythritol was, which is in it... and I just read that it can cause rumbling stomach, which she's had more recently, and diarrhea. May just have to take her back to regular old sugar, and adjust her insulin, just to keep her digestive from being out of sorts.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Sounds like lactose intolerence which means any milk products, and usually high fructose syrup goes with lactose intolerence. Read labels carefully, no milk, whey, etc, its in most breads and things you cannot imagine. Withhold those all for a week and see what happens, this happened to 2 of my children who are adults now and it stopped. They still will have it with any milk products, muffins, breads, chocolate, etc. Also get the probiotic pills which are like a million times better than yogurts for her, even though yogurts are great also. Good luck

Metformin can cause diarrhea. Consult your pharmacist, also ask him about use in the elderly. There are some cautions with age and kidney function (not related to diarrhea). She might be better off on insulin only.

You didn't mention what type of neuropathy she has, I'll assume neuropathy in her feet as it is the most common type diagnosed. Diabetes can also damage nerves in the gastrointestinal tract resulting in diarrhea or alternating diarrhea and constipation. Google Diabetic gastroparesis.

My dad is the same way,Riding The Wave! He will have the diarrhea for days and taking Immodium . Then he's complaining of being constipated and wanting Supppositories . However last week was the worst . It was around 8:00 PM a week ago Fri. and he comes out of the bathroom and wants a to know if I have any sanitary pads!!! What the hell for????? He informs my husband & I that he's constiapted and had to dig the (shit) out and now his hemmoroids are bleeding. Than about a half an hour later he asked if we could go get him diapers because he's bleeding.Since than he has gone through diarrhea and now is back to constipation, and wanting suppositories and wearing diapers all the time, which I think is his choice because he doesn't want to have to get and go to the bathroom . Help!!!!!!!!! I'd also like to know if any else has a shit digger???