My sister just had a nose feeding tube put in over a week ago. She is on fluids only. She has a difficult time going to the bathroom (days) and then is so constipated. She says she strains and gets a little bit of blood due to the straining, and severe cramping. This afternoon she tried an enema and it made it ten times worse. She was in severe cramping pain. Has anyone had this experience and what did you do? She also completed 6 weeks of radiation twice a day on 4/26/02 for cancer of tonsils. Please help with any suggestions.
Molly, when I was in the hospital I was getting iron three times a day because of blood loss during the long surgery. This is very constipating so I was also given a stool softener called Colace, a liquid that went right in the PEG. Talk to her doctor and get something like this, which works wonderfully. This, at least, is an easy problem to fix. You might try someplace like RiteAid and see what is available OTC. I am sure a pharmacist will be able to advise you.
My mother experienced the same problem, too. Although Colase didn't work for her, we got her Senacot in liquid form and put it right in her feeding tube. Are you on pain killers? I know one terrible side effect from narcotics of any kind is constipation. Whatever you do, you need to make sure you get something for relief..I don't want to scare you, but as you know it is extremely uncomfortable. My mom got to the point where nothing worked in the beginning, and my aunt ( a nurse, thankfully) had to come over and physically aid my mother. I don't want to get too graphic, but I'm sure you can imagine how awful it was. Try the Colase, or senacot, or whatever your doc reccommends. Isn't it terrible.....that on top of cancer, all these miserable side effects come along with it? Try to hang in there....it WILL get better! Good luck!
Brooke
I'm sorry...I just re-read your post. I did mean to refer to your sister. Sorry...good luck to both of you.
As if the treatments aren't bad enough... Constipation is a common side effect of many of the things that happen after treatment ends. Strong pain killers cause constipation, the severe change in diet to liquids like Ensure etc. cause it, the lack of physical activity contributes to it, antibiotic therapy can contribute to it. All things that the months after radiation contain. Senecot worked for me, but it had rather..how shall I put it?...INTENSE, consequenses. I finally found that over the counter stool softeners from the drug store worked well. Also Ensure makes a formula that is high in fiber, and that helps, just make sure that you cut it 50/50 with water before you put it though the tube.
Brooke is right. My mother had a similiar experience to what she talks about. Luckily for my mother, my sister is a nurse as well and was able to do the "hands on" that my mother required when she became impacted. The colace worked for my mother and she is now very concerned that this not occur again. It was very uncomfortable for her and this memory still burns bright despite all she has been through.
Besides all the above remedies for constipation, my oncology nursed suggested that I "drink" from my tube at least 10 LARGE glasses of water a day to help with both my hydration problem and constipation. Seems like I spent a fair amount of time on the pot, but it kept me out of the hospital and for that I was always grateful. Boy, if it ain't one thing, its another....seems like that anyway when you're going through treatment. After I finished treatment I remember feeling worse than ever when I thought I should be feeling better. I hope your sister begins to feel better soon; she will, but it does take time. Sincerely, Donna
Molly, Its important that your sister deal with this problem as soon as possible. I went from being uncomfortable and rare painful stools to not going at all and becoming impacted. I was in such pain and so impacted that the doctors and nurses weren't able to manually stimulate things. I was having surgery to put in the feeding tube and they took care of the problem while I was under anesthesia. To prevent future problems my doctor suggested milk of magnesia on a regular basis - I used as small an amount as I could. The problem decreased as I eventually got back to "real" food. As you have already read this is not an uncommon problem.
ilene