But if you have frequent diarrhoea, or if you see blood or pus in your stool, you should talk to your nurse or doctor. Most cases of diarrhoea clear up within a few days without treatment. overflow diarrhoea, especially if you have been constipated before ( see below).medications, including having had too much laxative.side effects of treatments, including radiotherapy to the abdomen (tummy).illness, including inflammatory bowel disease, bowel cancer, diabetes.There are many causes of diarrhoea, including: faecal incontinence (not being in control of opening your bowels).Talk to your doctor or nurse if your symptoms aren’t improving.ĭiarrhoea can mean either very loose, wet stools, or opening your bowels more often than usual. If you have diarrhoea you may also have: It might take a while to find the right type and amount of laxative for you. There are different types of laxatives which work in slightly different ways. This helps to stop you getting constipated again. If you’re prescribed laxatives, it’s important to keep taking them regularly, even after you have had a bowel movement. If you’re taking opioids − such as morphine, codeine or oxycodone − you should be prescribed laxatives at the same time, which you can take to prevent constipation happening as a side effect. If your constipation doesn’t improve, your doctor or specialist nurse might recommend taking laxatives. Laxatives (also called aperients) are a type of medication that helps you to open your bowels. They can assess whether there’s a particular cause, decide if you need any medical treatment and give you advice. pass a watery stool after having constipation.have constipation for a long time, for example not going for more than four days.You should talk to your nurse or doctor if you: It may not always be recommended to increase the amount of fibre in your diet, for example if your appetite is poor or you aren’t drinking enough. If you’ve been prescribed laxatives, take them as your doctor or specialist nurse has told you to.If you need help to go to the toilet from a carer, friend or family member, talk to them about what kind of help you would like.Don’t ignore the urge to go as this can make your constipation worse. Go to the toilet when you feel the urge.Try to develop a regular routine for going to the toilet and don’t rush – give your bowels plenty of time to work.Keep as active as possible – even gentle movement can help to keep your bowels moving.Eat foods containing fibre, such as high fibre breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables, and beans and pulses.Drink plenty of fluid including water and fruit juices.There are a number of things you can do yourself to try to avoid or relieve constipation: Your illness – in many cases, constipation can be a direct effect of your illness.Feeling weak or tired − this can make it hard to get to the toilet and you may need to ask for help.Being less active than before – exercise stimulates the bowel and can make you go to the toilet more often.Not drinking enough fluids − being dehydrated can make the stool harder and difficult to pass.Changes in diet − if you have a small appetite, eating less often will mean you open your bowels less often.Medications − constipation is a side effect of several medications, including opioids which are commonly used to treat pain.Constipation can happen for several reasons: What causes constipation?Ĭonstipation can affect anyone but it is a common problem for people living with a terminal illness. Constipation can include having bowel movements less often than you normally do, your stools being hard or having difficulty opening your bowels. It might be normal for one person to go as often as three times per day, while it might be normal for someone else to go three times per week.
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