HELP NEEDED for Eldery IBS
#84374 - 06/29/04 10:12 AM
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marsva
Reged: 06/29/04
Posts: 8
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My mother in law, Rita was diagnosed with IBS many years ago and has probably not watched her diet as closely as she should.
She is 83 years old and is having a terrible time with diarrhea.
She had gotten so weak that she fell when she was walking to the bathroom and was then addmited to the hospital where I feel she didn't get proper care. She was diagnosed with Celiacs Disease and sent home before she could even eat solid foods and before her bowels were working properly. They saw a blockage on an MRI and did the endoscopy but did not do the colonoscopy or the Sigmoidoscopy. She continues to have diarrhea epposides that are severe. She also had abdominal pain. Turned out that when we were finally able to contact the doctors that did the tests it ends up that the Celiacs Disease was not a proper diagnosis according to the test results.
She is elderly but she was not an invalid and was living independently with, and caring for her diabetic husband until this event happened.
I live in Virginia and they live in Mass. My husband is on the way there now. He intends to get her back into a better hospital for a diagnosis. I fear if we do not get the diarrhea under control that it will kill her in a shot time. This has been going on for weeks now.
I could use any advise anyone has to offer.
I am prepared for the sad possibility that at the age of 83 it may be her body just shutting down, but it seems there is something going on here....or is that just being optimistic?
I would think even if that is the case a person shouldn't just be sent home to die of diarrhea. It seems something could be done at the very least to make her more comfortable.
It really makes me wonder what is happening to medical care in our country when elderly people get such terrible care. My in-laws are quite well to do, and can afford good care if it still exists. I just am not sure they are capable of demanding what they need. Let us hope that my husband can help them.
And I thank you all for any help you can offer.
I have been reading on the net what information I can find about treating diarrhea and IBS.
If she manages to survive this... should we start her diet back with rice, potatoes, cooked carrots, rice toast and rice crackers with electrolyte drinks??? Any suggestions?
Thanks again!
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Ugh, don't even get me started on the state of health care in this stupid country! My father had surgery to remove part of his intestine, and they sent him home from the hospital before he had solid BMs. Turns out they didn't reattach his intestine properly... he was found shortly thereafter in his home, passed out on the floor. He nearly died.  Thankfully, he's fine now, several years later. I'm not even going to get into my own situation - in some respects, it speaks even LESS for the quality of medical care here, but it's a long one.
Anyway.
I'm glad your husband is on his way up there - very good. I hope she's ok, and WILL be ok, with proper medical care, and I hope that your husband will be successful in demanding that care in the first place. When she comes back home, yes, the diet you've suggested sounds about right. Just be careful of drinks with electrolytes... check the ingredients, and make sure they don't contain high-fructose corn syrup, which could be a trigger for more problems.
What to eat when you can't eat anything is an excellent starting point.
By the way, welcome to the boards.  Hope you'll stick around, and keep us posted on Rita's progress!
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keep her on the breaking the cycle diet, and get her on a soluble fiber supplement asap, plus lots of peppermint or fennel tea to calm her gut. That should stabilize her pretty quickly, and then we can work on gradually expanding her diet while keeping her stable.
Please keep us posted.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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~Wookie 
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Thank you Heather, I am so glad I managed to find you here. Can you please give me information on "the breaking the cycle diet"? I am also interested in understanding the Fennel and Peppermint teas. I grow both herbs, the fennel I grow is bronze fennel. Is there any benefit to using fresh organic herbs for the teas? With fennel tea, what part of the plant do you use?
I am very grateful for your help. Thanks so much!
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What would be good drinks to balance her electrolytes? I have a couple recipes for home made ones that I thought could be made with bottled water. One is a solution of one teaspoon of salt and four teaspoons of sugar in one quart of water. The other that I felt was better is the World Health Organization formula. 1/2 tsp salt (3.5 g), 1 tsp baking soda (2.5 g NaHCO3), 8 tsp sugar (40 g), and 8 oz orange juice (1.5 g KCl), diluted to 1 L with water. Fluids should be given at rates of 50 to 200 ml/kg/24 hr.
When something like this calls for sugar, what is the "sugar of choice"? I can get organic orange juice.
Thanks, I'll read up on that information about what to eat when you can't eat anything. I am sure she can identify with that!
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If she doesn't have much problem with the acid in the orange juice, I'd say go with the second one. Sugars in general are fine... I think some people are a little sensitive to honey, but the high-fructose corn syrup in most commercial drinks is the one to watch out for. I use white sugar all the time and I've been fine with it.
Good luck!
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Thanks for the suggestion...is this a soluble fiber supplement as Heather suggested? What is it? Is it available in natural foods or only as a supplement in health food stores. I am communicating with my husband by phone and Email and want to get a complete list of things she will need so he can pick them up for her all at once and then stay with her and give her the care and attention that she needs and deserves.
Thanks so much for you reply
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Hi - Go to the diet section of the website, read through that, and you'll see a link at the top of every page to the IBS diet frequently asked questions (FAQ). The "breaking the cycle" info is in there.
You can brew teas with fresh or dried herbs - any kind of fennel or peppermint is just fine. For fennel, you'd use the seeds, for peppermint you'd use the leaves. Brew the tea as strong as you can.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I believe...
#84536 - 06/29/04 03:29 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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The "breaking the cycle" diet and the "what to eat when you can't eat anything" diet (which I mentioned in my other post) are the same thing. Typically, when we have bad attacks, we go to the can't-eat-anything diet for a few days, and it kind of stabilizes things - breaking the cycle.
Fennel seed is what's typically used for the tea - crush them lightly, then steep. I'm jealous of your fresh mint, by the way. Oh, I wish I had a garden!
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it's in the Shop for IBS section here http://www.helpforibs.com/shop/
- Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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You make me feel hopeful!
Rita is truly a living saint and she deserves better than what she is getting from the medical profession.
Thank you and Bless you for taking your time to try to help me, help her.
I'm sorry I have not been able to read everything available on the site. I am finding it from the posts you are making. It is alot to take in and organize in a way that is doable considering I have to send a shopping list to my husband with instructions. But I am sure we can do it, and I will gladly keep you posted as to our progress.
Thanks again!
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I ordered that and some Fennel Seed Tea to be sent to them in Mass. I feel very good about this, as I am an organic gardener and eat organic. I truely think this is the way to go! You all are a great help.
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She has a blockage and they sent her home? Excuse my french but what the hell! That blockage sounds suspicious. I am glad to hear your husband is on his way to her. Did she ever have symptoms before? Not to be a deliverer of bad tidings but doctors have been know(some not all) to over look the elderly's complaints and problems because they are just that elderly. Make sure she gets to a doctor who wants her to make it to 100! Good luck I will be watching for your posts.
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IBS-D
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