IF you had a hardheaded DH who hates

[DDD]

OTC medicine BUT is having "potty" issues....what to heck would you fix for meals to trigger his system?

He thinks salad is "too rough".
He will drink prune juice...yuk...I won't, lol.
He has increased his fluid intake.
He does not want to take a stool softener "again" because the container says "do not take for more than two days". It has been two more days since he took one (and had fairly satisfactory results).

Suggestions anyone? DDD

[klmno]

Spinach lightly sauteed in virgin olive oil as a side dish to baked fish, mexican food from a fast food restaurant, fruit (grapes), stir fry that's very juicy and has lots more vegies than meat over a little rice. Those are the first things to come to mind and are gentler ways that should help, but won't cause a drastic change like a med. If you want to be sneaky, get some orange exlax and sneak it in some orange juice.

[flutterby]

What I remember from raising babies, is anything with 2 p's together (apple), or anything that starts with a P (pears, pineapple, prunes, etc).

Trust me, though. If it gets bad enough, he'll do anything. You can also get Miralax at the store. I know you said he doesn't like OTC stuff, but it's a odorless, tasteless powder that you mix in with a drink - any drink. You can use it everyday. It may not say that on the bottle because they have to have their liability clause (see a doctor, etc), but you can take it everyday. Been told by my doctor. It doesn't cause any cramping - it just gets things going.

[gcvmom]

Mix 1 capful of Miralax powder in his serving of soup or juice (at least one cup). It has no taste, no color, no odor. It only SLIGHTLY changes the texture of beverages, so it would likely be totally unnoticeable in soup or stew or sauce.

I give it to Gfg1 for constipation -- which happens several times a month. He knows he's taking it and has absolutely NO complaints about it. Usually works within 24 hours.

[DDD]

How 'bout PePPeroni and PePPer Pizza? LOL.

I didn't think so. I'll try to talk him into Miralax but if he won't swallow a stool softener pill....I'm not to optimistic! Thanks, guys. DDD

[JoG]

Will he take a calcium-magnesium supplement? Works everytime. Or, if he's open to it, some mineral oil or fish oil or flaxseed oils.

A Dunkachino or any Latte really with lots of foam. Delicious and Quick.

Refried beans smothered with cheese and sauteed veggies and HOT sauce!

[flutterby]

Sorry, I meant fruits with those letters.

[Momslittleangels]

Fiber cereals - Raisin Bran, Kashi, Grape Nuts.....all of these seem to act like Roto Rooter. Also, there are some Fiber One bars that are delicious, but you better not be too far from the pot, because it hits in a couple of hours.

[gcvmom]

You can always remind him of the consequences for fecal impaction... a trip to the hospital so that a cute young nurse can extract it FOR him.

[DDD]

I "know" Heather. Just trying to be silly. DDD

[Star*]

WHY would you TELL him about Mirlax? Just slip it into his oatmeal.

I was thinking like Angel - Bran flakes. DF eats red grapes (seedless) and ....the rest is history.

[susiestar]

I would stock up on miralax and benefiber. Both are easily added to food and he will not know it. Well, if you put the benefiber in a glass of liuid and it sits for 30 mins he might find it, but if you put it in with a drink that he takes any other meds with he won't see it. Or with a drink with a meal.

Miralax can be added the same way.

I was SUPER skeptical about the whole not able to notice it. Then one day Jessie asked me how I liked the cup of juice she brought to me. She had been putting one or the other in various drinks/foods for an entire WEEK! (I was having problems due to a pain med and she knew I was postponing taking them b/c I am a big baby about things that taste "funny" or "artificial" or have a grainy texture.) I was blown away!

If it is REALLY bad, put a bottle of mineral oil in the fridge. Then pour it in with some juice and have him drink it quickly. It leaves a funny coating on your tongue, IMO, but has no real taste.

Stock up on the "granola" type bars with fiber. My kids LOVE them. The fiber one brand is not as "yummy" as the ones made by kellogs, but they would each eat as many as I would allow per day.

Ty didn't believe they had fiber, or that it would really do anything. So he ate 3 of them in one afternoon. (Need I mention he LOVES chocolate and peanuts/peanut butter??) He then spent the entire evening running back and forth to the potty. We all used my bathroom so he wouldn't have to wait.

They WILL get you moving.

Does your dh like crunchy snacks? Stock up on different flavors of mini wheats. Malt O Meal even has chocolate ones. I have NOT tried them but the maple and brown sugar ones are great! Instead of serving them in a bowl with milk for breakfast, put some out in a dish for snacking. Increases the fiber, not too much sugar, and a great crunchy snack. Until Wiz was 3 he thought that "candy" was another word for "mini wheats". No Joke! I would "ration" them so that they were treats and they worked wonders.

Make homemade granola. Use oats, bran, bran cereal, and other high fiber ingredients. Milled flax seed is good in it - adds some healthy fats and other things. I use either olive or canola oil, honey or maple syrup depending on the flavor I want, then I add protein powder (EAS vanilla flavor - it is a drink mix but adds a lot of protein to offset the sugar). The recipe I use is in the complete tightwad gazette. I can fish it out if you want the exact recipe.

If he is really uncomfortable an enema may help. Even if you don't use one get some tucks pads to help soothe when the flood gate opens. Or buy a bottle of witch hazel and have him put some on toilet paper - does the same as the tucks pads for a lot less $$. If he doesn't want that, baby wipes or moist wipes for adults will be appreciated. So will some hemorrhoid cream or diaper rash cream. Not only will it soothe the skin but it will also provide a barrier to prevent irritation from getting worse.

As the system moves, he may appreciate a heated rice bag to hold against his tummy while he is in the bathroom. It will help the cramping.

If ALL of this fails, there are 2 other things that he/y'all can try.

If the slowdown is caused by pain medications there is a med called relistor. It is an injection that you give to yourself. It works on the opiate receptors in your gut so that they don't plug you up. Results are within 15 minutes, usually w/in 5 from my experience. It is VERY dramatic and can be quite painful as you clean out. My doc says no more than 1 injection every 3 days. It is EXPENSIVE but not as costly as bowel surgery or a hospital stay.

The other option is a home remedy that one of the older docs in town learned from his mom. Our pediatrician chose to use this when Jessie got badly impacted a couple of years ago. It is a milk and molasses enema. You warm an entire jar of molasses and pour it into an enema bag, scraping as much out as you can with a scraper. Then you fill the jar with milk and warm that up. Add it to the enema bag and mix very well.

It is administered as much as the patient can hold at a time. You just keep administering it after each "expulsion" until the enema bag is empty.

While NOT fun, it is a whole lot better than keeping the blockage.

This may be TMI, but hopefully one or more of the suggestions will help him feel better soon.

I STRONGLY recommend stocking up on witch hazel or tucks pads and on cream to soothe the affected areas. Put some rice in a sock if you don't have a hot pack you can microwave. It is cheap and super comforting. If you make 2 rice socks/bags you can heat one while he is using the other one. (If you don't want to use socks you can quickly sew a hot bag up. I take old shirts and cut the sleeves off then sew up the ends. Or use a small hand towel.

I hope he feels better soon!

[svengandhi]

If he's willing to drink prune juice why not get it for him? YOU don't have to drink it.

For me, I find that a cup of coffee on an empty stomach after my thyroid pill helps me go.

[witzend]

Originally Posted by gcvmom

You can always remind him of the consequences for fecal impaction... a trip to the hospital so that a cute young nurse can extract it FOR him.

Or even worse, a not so cute old nurse. Or a man nurse. Or a gay man nurse.

[tiredmommy]

A strong cuppa joe with a bran muffin.

[gcvmom]

Witz...

[Daisylover]

Prune juice since you said he likes it. I also happen to love it. And I love to eat prunes too. lol

Peanuts........just about any sort of nuts. Whole wheat bread.......and if he doesn't like it as bread.....it makes delicious toast.

He ought to like this one........popcorn is great. Even a couple of v8's ought to do the trick. Or fresh fruits.

I stick to nuts, prune juice, and popcorn. They work for me and work well without the side affects of OTC stuff which can double me over.

Also nice loooong walk does wonders for stirring up the digestive tract.

Just thought of another one........shredded mini wheats are yummy and work too.

[Daisylover]

LMAO! Witz.

We just learned enemas and how to dig out fecal impactions in clinicals...........trust me........dh does NOT want either.

[muttmeister]

When my kids had that problem and wouldn't take anything I made filled cookies with prune filling. Use sugar cookies; make a round one for the bottom. Add a good spoonful of prune filling (cook prunes, a little sugar if you want, and a few chopped nuts), then another cooky on top with a hole cut in the middle. They thought they were great and I knew they'd do the job, so to speak.

[klmno]

Or even worse, a not so cute old nurse.

LOL! That's what gfg got for his first physical after crossing the "big line of puberty". He asked for a male dr after that, unless he could get "a well-built female in her early 20's".

Prune juice- Eeeewwwww.......I like prunes, but not the juice. If it was me, I'd go for dark sodas OJ, and coffee all day.

[ThreeShadows]

Well, since I am 1/2 Polish, my secret explosive (oxymoron) weapon is SAUERKRAUT!!! It has never failed me....

[DDD]

In a zillion years I never would have guessed that popcorn was "curative".

He drank some more prune juice and took a stool softener. Let's hope he
is comfortable before the day is over. DDD

[Dammit Janet]

Just eating prunes works good for me and hot coffee is a miracle worker for Tony. I know Im in trouble if I eat a box of prunes and nothing happens...lol. I love the cherry flavored prunes.

[rlsnights]

Late to the party as usual here. But this is the advice we got from one of the top docs in the country who has a clinic devoted just to treatment of severe, unresponsive constipation.

To restore regularity, use Miralax along with the usual dietary measures. If Miralax causes leakage add a product like Benefiber which will hold everything together without making it hard.

If this is a recurrent problem then he may need to use Miralax for several months on a daily basis so his colon and rectum can return to normal function after being stretched out by the accumulation of stool. (Sorry TMI I know but us parents of kids with constipation and Crohn's know ALL there is to know about poop and are not shy about proving it. )

Once regularity has returned, have at least one 8 oz serving of one of the following every day:

Apricot Nectar
Pear Nectar
Prune Juice
Apple Juice

AND at least one serving (prepared any way you like) of:

Pears with the skin on
Cherries
Apricots

Avoid constipation promoting foods like:

Dried fruit
Applesauce (yes, it's constipating but apple juice isn't. Go figure)
Rice
Cooked carrots
Bananas

Hope things already got going and he's a happy camper now.

[DDD]

Thanks for the new information. I'm glad that nature has taken its course and DH is beginning to feel better. I'll print the thread so "the next time" he shows signs of traveling that same path.. I'll hand him printed instructions! DDD