suppository and enema not worked
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My husband has been battling with constipation for a long time now. He is 78 and his diet is not good. He is exisiting really on Fortisips and despite having an excellent dietician, we have not been able to get him interested in eating much solid food. The Fortisips are now the fibre ones and he will have around 5 a day. GP suggested fibre sachets but he just WILL NOT have them despite endless prompting. He does take hte lactulose.
There is some self negclect here as he is refusing to do his teeth - he is telling me he is cleaning them but his breath smells dreadfully. I did get him to the dentist who said the front teeth were a lot worse due to the lack of dental hygeine and if they started to hurt, they would have to be removed.
He has not been to the loo now for 6 or 7 days. He has had 2 suppositories which have now worked or produced very much and an enema (GP gave him 2 when he came out last year so this is the last one) GP did say if he had an impaction he would have to have an enema in hpsital and yesterday husband even said he would do this - he is very anti hopsital.
So not sure what to do. Should he have another suppository and if that does not work, call 111 for advice? He says his stomach does not hurt but his back does. Do not really want to go to A and E if it is not necessary. Could it wait until next week? Only problem is I have building work being carried out on the house so cannot get out of the house easily to go to the GP and he is very deaf so not sure if he could go on his own. His GP emigrated earlier this year so we now have a 'named' one I have not met.
Having said this, he is not eating much so maybe there is not very much to come out and I am just panicking?I guessi t is the pain that worries ne frankly and the fact that the GP spent a lot of time explaining why he should take the fibre sachets and he did mention impactions and possibiliyt of surgery. I do not know why husband won't co-operate - I do worry that it could be some form of dementia setting in but I can only prompt him to a certain level as he can be quite verbally abusive and will ask me what Medical School I studied at so I can only do my best.
0 likes, 3 replies
Krug22
Posted
julie05277 Krug22
Posted
Hi Krug22
It sounds like an awful situation for you and he should be very thankful that he has someone who clearly cares as much as you do ( which I'm sure he is 😁
Is there a son or daughter who can help you in convincing him to take the sachets ?
I suffer terribly with constipation and was recently admitted to hospital due to an impaction and it really wasn't pleasant, very demoralizing and embarrassing so I'm sure if you explained to him what it would entail he may rethink taking sachets.
Basically to remove an impaction it requires a doctor to manually remove it using a lubricated gloved finger 😣 and bot sedation or pain relief is used. Although it helps the situation it is not something anybody I think would choose to have done.
The sachets are except and with movicol you can have up to 8 sachets which will soften the impaction so it passes easily without pain or risk of tearing.
I do hope this get resolved for you both. And what a lucky man he is to have such a supportive partner xxx
Take care
Krug22 julie05277
Posted
Husband is 78 and VERY stubborn. I am much younger =hence him not taking advice from me. The sachets suggesed by the GP, who did not hold back re the possibility of him losing part of his bowel if we did not get on top of it, were Cosmocol but he WILL NOT take them.Frankly starting to wonder if it ight be dementia because I cannot understsand if he is in pain whilst he will not try to get on top of it.
We have no family and he has no friends. I do think he is somewhat depressed and of course the pain does not help. He is on painkillers for the arthritus in his feet and also has lupus and psoriasis. Dietician wonderful - frankly cannot really fault the NHS but he just will not try to help himself.
I feel as if I am banging my head against a brick wall and just waiting for an accident to happen. I have no medical traioning so do not want to call 111 if I do not need to as they may well send a paramedic and would feel guilty if it is 'just' constipation and not an impaction.That said, I do realise with the elderly they can be quite dangerous. He is still in bed but says he will take some Dulcolax and if they do not work call 111 - I have explained they need 8 hours or so to work and would prefer him to talk to someone even the pharmacist before doing this.
Sorry for rant - not feeling very supportive at moment. I am his carer and frankly really fed up of trying to help someone who just WILL NOT co-operate.
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