C O N S T I P A T I O N
Helpful articles on aspects of living with PD
CONSTIPATION
In a recent survey
it was found that 64% of people with Parkinson’s disease suffered with an
altered bowel habit, and of these, 88% suffered with constipation. With PD
there tends to be a general slowing down of the body’s movement e.g. in walking,
in blinking. The same applies to the movement of the bowel, known medically as
“PERISTALSIS”.
Being constipated can cause a considerable amount of distress for the person
concerned. It causes other symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain, bloating of
the abdomen and a general feeling of being unwell. Constipation can mean
different things to different people in the sense that everybody’s bowel
pattern is different. It might mean to one person that they have not had a
bowel motion in 1-2 days or it could be up to 5 days to one week. On the other
hand it may also mean that the motion or stool is very dry or hard and
difficult to pass even if the person has a bowel movement every day.
Since Sinemet and Madopar are absorbed in the gut, the medicine has to leave the stomach before it can be absorbed. If you are constipated there is a chance that your Sinemet may not be absorbed properly, and in this way you will not get its full benefit.
| Top Tip |
| When it’s time to take the next tablet, instead of just taking sips of water with each tablet, take ˝ a glass – a full small glass of water. The amount of fluid soon mounts up if you are taking tablets 4-5 times daily. |
When the constipation gets severe it generally causes abdominal pain. This is caused
by the bowel going into spasm – colic. This can cause a lot of discomfort.
While you are suffering with constipation, you might even start to get some diarrhoea. This is called overflow diarrhoea, where the loose stool in the upper bowel passes around the hard constipated stool in the lower bowel and hence you have diarrhoea.
HOW TO BEAT IT
§
Firstly
it is healthy to drink plenty of fluids per day. It is recommended that
at least 2-3 litres of fluid is taken in daily - any type of fluid will do but
water is best. §
Try
drinking Prune juice or eating prunes or any type of fruit with your
breakfast. §
Increase
the amount of Fibre in your diet - cereals, vegetables, beans and
fruits. §
Exercise – try to keep fit and active - long periods of immobility increase the
risk of constipation. §
Gentle laxatives – taking Milpar 10-20mls twice to three times a day will slowly and
gently relieve constipation. §
Glycerine Suppositories - 1 or 2 of them placed in the rectum will help to
relieve the discomfort and make you go. §
Senekot tablets or liquid taken at night will work very well, as the effect
works overnight so that the bowel moves the next day. §
Microlax or Toilax enemas - 1 or 2 of them given per rectum will be very
effective and should relieve the constipation and cause a bowel motion within
10-15 minutes.
WARNING Please consult your doctor before taking any of these medicines