MEDICATIONS
In people with bowel incontinence due to diarrhea, medications such as loperamide (Imodium) may be used to control the diarrhea and improve the bowel incontinence.
Other antidiarrheal medications include anti-cholinergic medications (belladonna or atropine), which decrease intestinal secretions and movement of the bowel. Opium derivatives (paregoric or codeine) or diphenoxylate (lomotil) increase intestinal tone and decrease movement of the bowel.
Other medications used to control bowel incontinence include drugs that reduce water content in the stools (activated charcoal or Kaopectate) or absorb fluid and add bulk to the stools (Metamucil).
MEDICATION EVALUATION
With your health care provider, review all the medications you take. Certain medications can cause or increase the frequency of bowel incontinence, especially in older people. These medications include:
- Antacids
- Laxatives
- Muscle relaxants
- Narcotics
- Sedatives and hypnotics
OTHER THERAPY
If you have frequent bowel incontinence, you can use special external
Most people who have bowel incontinence due to a lack of sphincter control, or decreased awareness of the urge to defecate, may benefit from a
Special care must be taken to maintain bowel control in people who have a decreased ability to recognize the urge to defecate, or who have impaired mobility that prevents them from independently and safely using the toilet. Such people should be assisted to use the toilet after meals, and promptly helped to the toilet if they have the urge to defecate.
If toileting needs are often unanswered, a pattern of negative reinforcement may develop. In this case the urge to defecate is no longer associated with appropriate actions.
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