Food mobility rate when you're at stage IV with severe diarrhea

Akroger
Akroger Member Posts: 88
in Colorectal Cancer #1

Doea anyone know how soon something ingested gets passed, or a food item impacts the digestive system? My mom has days when she might go to the bathroom 4 or 5 times the whole day, and other days where she goes that amount in the space of an hour. She's stage IV, with mets in the liver and lungs. It would be really helpful to know how to track the foods she's eating in terms of impact, because we've had trouble discerning a pattern so far.

On a related but separate note, does chocolate exacerbate diarrhea???

Comments

  • thxmiker
    thxmiker Member Posts: 1,278 Member
    #2
    I fought this idea for years,

    I fought this idea for years, until I got deserate for anything to work.  Add Oatmeal to your diet.  It slows down the colon and adds bulk to your diet. This allowed me to get my colon back on track.   

     

    It seemed counter intutive to add fiber to my diet when I could not hold food down for  then 3-4 hours.  Yet addiing Whole Grain Stone Cut Oatmeal to my diet slowed down my Bowel. It took three to four days to start working.  After about 3 months of morning Oatmeal, that  I now can eat what ever I want for breakfast and any other meal. When I start to feel out of balance again, I make a bowl of oat meal. Some times, an additional bowl of oatmeal after three hours.  This brings me back to balanced bowel and stool.

     

    Best Always, mike

  • devotion10
    devotion10 Member Posts: 623 Member
    #3
    This is a really difficult question because there are so many

    factors involved unique to each individual including conditions and health prior to diagnosis, ingestion of medications, metabolic imbalances, fluid intake, even sleep patterns. I know you are very worried, making sense of all this and finding patterns is so challenging.

    In a previous post you mentioned your mother has had chemotherapy, radiation, bleeding issues, diarrhea, is taking opiate pain killers, has been in extreme pain ... so many factors that can contribute to gastric upset.

    You mother is obviously very ill. You also mentioned that she was going to be in the care of a palliative care specialist.  Insist that the palliative care team do their job to ease the burden of her pain and address her gastric concerns as best they can. Even if she has to be sedated to be in comfort, even if she experiences incoherence. Is there an oncology social worker available to talk to your family?

    Unfortunately, advanced cancer can be extremely challenging for everyone involved and often there is not a great deal of logic that can be applied to symptoms. I do not mean to imply that your mother's situation will not get better, even though her cancer may be incurable, comfort care is available.  Try not to begrudge your mother's former lifestyle or health decisions ... seems now is the time to listen to her, ask her what she wants in the remaining time of her life, give her the dignity of her wishes (even a big Mac if she wants!). If the doctors decide the risks of treatment outweigh the benefits ... get involved in hospice asap, many people wait too long. 

    Sorry, I could not provide a clear answer to your question about food mobility rate and diarrhea.  I know you and your father only want the best for your mother and this is all just so very, very challenging and sad.

    Best to you and your family,

    Cynthia

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