How can I prevent poop from clogging toilet?
So Grandma's poop is sometimes so big that it clogs my toilet (the standard type from the '80s that uses a ton of water). The poop looks like a bunch of small round balls clumped together to make a large ball. Her poop never looks like normal poop. Looking at the Bristol Stool chart, her poop is not even on it! If I had to pick, I guess I'd go with in between 1 and 2. The most recent one clogged the toilet and I can't unclog it. I'm exhausted from plunging, plunging, plunging. I had to call in a relative to check out the toilet.
I sent an email to the doctor as this just happened and their office is already closed. Her poop is clearly not normal and so I asked what I should do. Last time they suggested Miralax, but I don't know that it works. Feel free to offer opinions.
Anyway... I'm considering doing something disgusting to save myself from future headaches. I'm considering taking a fish net and getting the poop out so it's not flushed, or getting a stick and breaking it up before it's flushed. I could make her go in a portable potty with a bucket, but I still have the problem of disposing of the poop.
Has anyone else had this problem? If so, how did you deal with it?
Take a good look at Gma’s diet. Does she drink enough fluid? That makes the stool easier to pass (and flush). Make sure she gets enough salad and other veggies and fruits. Watch the pastas, breads and cheeses. If she will eat it, give her yogurt. Ask the doctor about probiotics.
Worst case scenario, Gma may need tests to make sure she’s not impacting.
Gma is probably dehydrated. Many elderly don't drink enough water to stay hydrated--b/c going to bathroom can be such a daunting procedure. I know my mother drinks less than 24 oz of fluid a day. She gets some fluid from food, obviously, but she's had a couple of ER runs for bowel dis-impaction and they always remind her she needs to drink more. It's also near to impossible to place and IV line in a person who is very dehydrated.
As to your current problem: I'd get a bucket, line it with a heavy duty garbage bag, add a cup of kitty litter and fish the little offenders out of the toilet with a fish net. Dispose of this the way you would with a litter box. Then bleach the heck out of everything, toilet, handles. floor. Just lotsa bleach.
Flushing and flushing is just going to be annoying and not work--in the long run, maybe a toilet with "added power" (my daughter has one, it has 2 settings on the flush, regular and "holy cow". ) They are quite expensive, but worth it.
Talk to her doc. She may need an initial enema or two (no fun, I know) to get things moving. Also, see what meds may be blocking her up. If she's on opioids and not moving around much she could be just needing lose dose of colace and more liquid in her diet. Sometimes, just walking around will help get things moving.
How "aware" is Gma about daily life? Just wondering. You'd think having bowel movements like this would be painful! Does she say anything about it?
Good Luck. Seems like we talk a lot on these boards about poop and diarrhea. Seems like we can't keep things "regular".
Instead of going fishing why don't you just have her use a commode - you can place it over the toilet (leave the bucket in).
If you do go the route of using a catch basin either in the toilet or a commode you can dispose of it just like you would if she were wearing briefs, wrap and place in garbage. The easiest way to do that if you use a catch basin place a plastic bag in the basin then when you have to empty just pull the bag over and the contents will be in the bag. I used grocery store plastic bags, in my area they can not be recycled with regular recycling you have to return them to the store but they fit well in the little garbage cans in the bathroom and in the basin for the toilet and or commode.
Now unclogging the toilet. This is going to sound odd but if you have some Dawn dish soap (I'm sure other brands will work too I just know Dawn is particularly good) squirt some of that in the toilet and also pour some white vinegar in the bowl and let them sit for a while. Then see if they will go down. The dawn does two things it helps break down the fats binding stuff together and it adds some slip between the poop and the toilet, the vinegar helps break down the waste as well and helps any smell so between the two it often works. I have unclogged a toilet more than once this way anyway.
Good Luck!
I found that sometimes the clog is not far down. If you unravel a metal hanger it will move the clog down. I’ve used it a couple of times and it’s worked for me! Just push it down