Need Help About Bowel Control Problem

boda2
boda2 Member Posts: 7
in Anal Cancer #1

Hello!

My Mother (64) was diagnosed anal canal cancer from May 2015 (Stage II). She has then gone through 30 radiation therapies and 4 chemos (first two cisplatin + taxol, then carboplatin + taxol). The doctor said the treatment went well. After she finished all these, she is now back home, resting. She now starts to experience more bowel movement (3-4 times a day, usaually one right after wake-up, one right after lunch and one right after dinner). Moreover, she also experiences bowel control problem - sometimes it is hard for her to hold the bowel movement for 2 - 3 minutes before reaching a toilet. This concerns her when she is not at home.

My questions are:

1). Is the increase of bowel movement a common sympton? Is this a temporary sympton?

2). Maybe more importantly, is the bowel control problem common? Is this a temporary issue?

Thank you all and I always get great information from this board!

Comments

  • TraceyUSA
    TraceyUSA Member Posts: 316
    #2
    Boda2

    Sorry for all the reasons you are here.  I'm glad to hear your Mom's treatments went well.

    I am 2 years & 7 months post treatment and I still experience frequency & urgency issues.   It has gotten somewhat better since the first 6 months - year post treatment and it is managable.  Some people seem to have problems with certain foods (raw vegis, high fiber, nuts).  Some people use daily Immodium.  I've tried psylium seed (see prior posts) and it helped bring it under control but I think it's just the new norm for me. I have learnt that I need a little extra time before leaving the house in the morning and I know not to wait to find a bathroom when the urge hits. 

    Best wishes to your Mom,

    Tracey

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #3
    boda2

    Your mom's issues sound similar to mine.  Ever since I had treatment, which was over 7 years ago, I have experienced frequent bowel movements during the day, along with urgency.  I have found that taking an Imodium tablet daily as a routine can be helpful, along with careful attention to diet.  Still, there are times when this is not enough.  I wish I could tell you that these problems will only be temporary for your mom--maybe they will be since her treatment was not that long ago.  However, as in my case, some people find that these issues may be long term or life long.  I suggest that she try taking one Imodium daily to see if that will help.  Also, bowel training may be helpful.  This is where she uses the toilet on a schedule, whether she feels she has to or not.  I find that when I do this, I usually do have to go, even though it didn't feel that way.  It is helpful in avoiding accidents, as it will keep the bowels emptying on a regular basis. 

    I wish your mom all the best.

    Martha

     

  • RoseC
    RoseC Member Posts: 559
    #4
    Hi - Seven years since

    Hi - Seven years since treatment for me. I have urgency issues too but like others have learned to deal with them. It took a while though. I started a food diary some years ago which helped a lot in detecting which foods caused problems. I also take an Immodium every day - if I don't, things degrade from 'urgent' to 'uh, oh'. I saw a nutritionist several years ago and she told me that the act of chewing helps the digestive system start moving - that may be why your mom needs to go after lunch and dinner. As for the morning, it's just a guess, but it seems to me that gravity (getting up) may cause things to start happening. It's not easy to figure it all out and it certainly can be troublesome, scary, and downright awful - but with time and effort it hopefully will be ok. Please tell your mom that she's not alone and that we all understand and sympathize.

  • boda2
    boda2 Member Posts: 7
    #5
    Thank you!

    Thank you Tracey, Martha and RoseC! I have told my Mother your comments. She felt better when I told her she was not alone :)

  • lizdeli
    lizdeli Member Posts: 569 Member
    #6
    boda2 said:

    Thank you!

    Thank you Tracey, Martha and RoseC! I have told my Mother your comments. She felt better when I told her she was not alone :)

    The first year

    I went through treatment 6 years ago. The first year after treatment was when I had the biggest challenge with bowel movements. I was very careful about what I ate and when I ate. I avoided restaurants.  It did get progressively better over time. I wish your Mom strength and healing. 

    Liz

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