bladder and bowel incontinence

JBeak

My wife is on memantine and Rivastigmine.  She was on namenda and then donepezil before going on Rivastigmine.  Reason for changes was diaherra.  Dr. said most likely caused by med, so he changed it and after a year changed it again.  She also takes 1/2 a trazadone sleeping pill nightly and that could also cause bowel issues Dr said.

Now after another year she is having bowel incontinence and even with depends, the accidents in bed are messy.   I just stopped her Rivastimgine and trazadone (sleeping pill--1/2 pill nightly)to see if it helps at all.  Can not get into the Dr for about 3 weeks yet. 

Any body else haveing these issues?

Buggsroo

My husband has many bowel and bladder accidents. I have to get him into depends and probably diapers. He takes trazadone to help him sleep and calm down. He has had bowel issues before the diagnosis because he had prostate cancer and received radiation as treatment. However, since the dementia, it has worsened. I would suggest asking your wife if she needs the toilet during the day, before bed and upon getting up. Good luck.

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saltom

My husband was just diagnosed last August and has not been given any medication for ALZ but has been on nearly every medicine  available for severe anxiety, OCD and depression for at least 50 years.  He has had bowel problems for nearly that long and in the past year has finally weaned off daily miralax and stool softener.  He was fine for a few months and now has very little, if any, control over his bowels.  He's just not aware when he needs to go to the toilet or has poopy pants.  He does have urine control most of the time unless he's sleeping.  His internist suggested he sit on the toilet for 5 minutes 4 or 5 times a day to in the hopes of establishing a regular bowel time.  He resists this and I keep forgetting to remind him. I am beginning to think it's just something we'll have to live with.

Ed1937

J, welcome to the forum. I wish you didn't have a use for it. There are a ton of medications that have diarrhea as a side effect. Just sayin'. But you shouldn't stop any meds without discussing it with the doctor. Some need to be taken off gradually.

ImMaggieMae

My husband has urinary both urinary and bowl incontinence although he makes frequent trips to the bathroom. His bowl movements are almost always in the morning, often first thing. I always remind him when he sits on the toilet in the morning. Bowl accidents in the Depends are infrequent. Urinary are common. I think he just can’t tell when he has to go. He’ll go into the bathroom every 5 minutes sometimes and then pee in between trips. We just keep a large supply of depends or other incontinence underwear.

I think a lot of meds can cause diarrhea or loose stools. Please check with the doctor before adjusting or discontinuing anything.