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Hi there,
I am hoping you all might offer some feed back on creating bowel regularity in an elder woman that has a dropped bladder without resorting to drugs and medications which some of them cause osteoporosis or irritate the gut lining. The term I have been learning about is called DYSBIOSIS and the remedy is to kill off bad bacteria so that good bacteria can take hold of the digestive tract instead of bad. PLEASE chime in whomever might have first hand experience with this. I have tried Magnesium citrate, Milk of Magnesia, probiotics, prebiotics, fiber, low fiber, paleo, etc etc... Vit C.. bone broth soup. Milk of Magnesia every two or three days seems to be the insurance unlike the Magnesium Citrate which I can't seem to find the right dose. But I need to know samples of what works for others because drs tell me what to do but no one has yet said HOW and when to include their remedies as far as with a meal, after, before, with water, or mixed in juice.. and they don't address that sweet things like prunes feed the bad bacteria.. Fiber also feeds bacteria good and bad.

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Is the dropped bladder complicating the situation by causing pressure or blockage along the lower intestine or colon?
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It might be but i have heard that if the bowels are moving fine or soft enough, that the stool will pass through regardless.
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I ask because I had a similar but different situation. My already tipped cervix got damaged during a difficult birthing - it moved eventually to a spot that was crimping the plumbing path that urine takes - making it impossible to pee at times - and when I could go it was a super slow trickle. The cervix was also dragging my bladder down.

Okay - probably too much information, I know.

But my initial thought in your persons situation was wondering if it was a situation like mine. In my situation there were two solutions- a “sling” to keep my organs up and in proper position - including a “bladder sling” or a hysterectomy.

How old is the person? Is surgery to put in a bladder sling an option?

I know I’m not addressing the question regarding good and bad bacteria - I’ll post regarding that later - but my first thought was that if the bladder was back were it should be - a huge part of the issue might be resolved.
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chia seeds - a couple of tablespoons in about 1/2 to 1 glass of water , stirred and soaked overnight to form a gel will help. It needs to be taken regularly. Start slowly with a spoonful of the gel with each meal.

Be sure the person is drinking enough water daily.

You can read about chia online. It has helped many people. It is recommended by some that, if the smaller amount works does not cause distress, work up to the whole 2TBS taken daily, divided between meals. The gel can be added to yogurt, cereal, pudding, smoothies etc. 

I have had a dysbiosis.  Pro and prebiotics help that.Calcium tabs are constipating and the chia works. Good luck!
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Golden23, I should have mentioned that my mom is 82 and i am assuming her muscle tone is very weak at the moment. I was using chia and definitely soaking them but i was unable to create consistency and predictable bowel movements. Chia seeds or any seeds for that matter, expand and cause blockages if they aren't soaked with lots of water overnight. But i would like to know if chia seeds are too abrasive on the intestinal lining? Do they cause a lot of fermentation while they are passing through and digesting? Sometimes my mom just does NOT want to drink. How much water do you require on the day you take the soaked chia seeds to sustain the soaked chia seeds so they don't dry up inside the intestines while passing through?
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Rainmom, that is not too much information. We need to get educated about our biology the way women and men use to be their own doctors long ago when there wasn't any. Have you had any other organ prolapse after getting the sling? I have been on the hystersister site and it seems that alot of the pelvic surgeries require repeat work or other organs prolapse once something is moved into place. I was warned against any surgery as it could disable a person and make them worse than they were before. THe recovery can just wipe an elder person out. They may never walk again from muscle atrophy during the recovery. We were using a pessary but the gyn said it was ok to not use it if i could keep my moms prolapse clean and moist using coconut oil mist spray. It seems to work ok as she has not had any infection for over two years. mom.
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truth - if they are soaked overnight I don't how they can be abrasive. I have not found that they are. I would never take them dry. Everyone needs to drink and especially if they are constipated. 8 glasses a day of water, juice, coffee, tea, soup, smoothie, whatever fluid, is recommended normally. If the seeds are soaked overnight in water so they become a gel, they should not draw much more water from the body. I don't think they can dry up inside you, The problem is more taking them dry to begin with. If you are concerned with that I would soak them in more water rather than less. 1/4 to 1/2 a cup water per 2-3 TS chia is what I have seen online, but I use more water - up to a cup.

Encouraging someone to drink if they don't want to is challenging.

I have not found that they cause fermentation. I am 80 myself so not far from your mum's age.

What caused your mum's dysbiosis?
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Truth - I went the hysterectomy route. That was the plan going in but my surgeon had a sling ready if it was needed. Thankfully my bladder popped back up into place once the lady organs were all taken out.

Seems there are pros and cons for every thing. And my surgeon warned that I may have to have my existing organs re-tacted at some point. She also said slings often have to be redone- plus the possibility of erosion.

For now - I don’t lift anything heavy that might cause an organ to rip loose - actually, due to back issues, I haven’t been lifting for years.

BTW - I used Hystersisters site leading up to - through - and then for recovery for the hysterectomy. I think it’s a really great site and so helpful!
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Golden23, Thank you for helping me understand the use of chia. I have some in my fridge soaked and am hesitant since seeing a massage therapist who had to stop all fiber food due to his digestive illnesses. I am not sure if my mother has dysbiosis. I have yet to bring the term to the doctors office. I say the chia might be abrasive because when i was using them, i found the stool sample to be very sandy and hard in consistency. It could be that my mom wasn't hyrdating enough at that time. But if transit from mouth to exit is a few days, won't that meal of chia seeds eventually become dry and hard? We might hydrate fine for two days and on the 3rd day there is a dr appointment and perhaps a concert or a guest comes to visit and with the distractions, my mom won't drink and if i have her sip her water bottle, she often reacts negatively. Can hydration be that sensitive?
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Goldengirl, How do you know you had dysbiosis? What are some sings and symptoms?
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truth - I don't think - and I stress I don't know, - but I don't think the "sandiness" was caused by the chia seeds. Stools can be hard and dry without enough fibre and water. I do understand you being cautious and I think starting with a small amount of chia in a lot of water is the safest thing. You can get an irritable bowel from too much fiber if you have certain gut conditions, which may be the case with your friend.

The body "juggles" water from one location to another. The gut is one place that demands a lot of water during the digestive processes. That water is absorbed back into the body by the lower bowel and if the person has not taken in enough fluid it can result in hard dry stools. Various meds can cause constipation too. Remember it is not just plain water but any liquid counts - even the fluid in soups. If you are concerned about the chia seeds not being completely digested as they pass through, buy ground chia seeds instead. They will be easier to digest.

Mineral oil - the kind labelled to be used as a laxative can be used occasionally. It is basically a lubricant and it is not recommended to be used daily.
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sorry -missed your question about the dysbiosis. I use it as a general term for an imbalance of the various "bugs" that normally live in balance in your gut, I was finally diagnosed with a yeast infection in the gut due to having too many antibiotics which killed off the good bacteria. I had gut pain, and frequent loose stools.
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Truth - have you tried giving kefir or kombucha?

I’ll warn you that kombucha has to be the worst tasting stuff on the planet - even the best tasting ones can definitely take some getting use to.
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Rainmom ...We have raw goat Kefir right from the farm . (how do i tell if the kefir could be digesting too slow and thus causing slow transit time as far as digesting the rest of her meals? We also have kombucha. I was wondering about doses. What sort of doses and with or away from meals and how much? An ounce or two or three etc? My mom easily gags so i need to have a remedy for ingesting things so that she doesn't gag. How do i tell if she is allergic to the kefir or the fermented food is contributing to dysbiosis or it is feeding other bad bacteria?
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Golden23, Mineral oil was used in excess if i recall and i have read that it causes osteoporosis which my mom now has. Can't other oils be used in its place? A MD out west who takes care of his 98 year old mother told me to give plenty of saturated fats which help with the bowels. We never have loose stools but my mom recently has gut pain along the lower belly area. It goes away after a BM. Most of the food we consume is all whole food and most of it contains fiber. We hardly have any grains. So i am so confused as to why the stool becomes hard if all the foods are fiber rich and contain water? I add broth to most of the meals making them like a minestrone.  Out staples are, avocados, blueberries, lentils, melon, zucchini, butternut squash, pinto beans, carrots, apples, prunes, onions, garlic, spinach, and rarely a piece of bread. We have eggs almost daily and sometimes raw as zabaglione. I add olive oil or raw grass fed butter and a tsp of fish oil with each meal. A few ounces of chicken or meat or Salmon, some almond butter,,,sometimes we don't have animal protein at all.. .We mix things up... I am in conflict regarding grains. Have it or not... Ferment it or not to reduce phytic acid...Recently i learned that "lectins" wreak havoc on the intestines....so i stopped tomatoes or steam and remove the skins and seeds or only use sauce.. I am glad to hear that your dysbiosis is resolved. Can you share your protocol?
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truth, sounds like you have a very healthy diet. I am allergic to gluten and dairy so have to avoid those. In general, I find grains don't suit me well. I mainly eat eggs, nuts, meat,fish, poultry, veggies, fruit and dark chocolate.The concern with mineral oil, as far as I know, is that it may "wash out" the fat soluble vitamins like A and D, this it should not be used regularly. Miralax is recommended by many. It works in a similar fashion to lubricate, I believe.
My protocol - I was on antifungal meds for about 7 years after being diagnosed. I also took acidophilus capsules, and ate fermented foods and bone broth which I made. However, it was a session of healing prayer that finally sorted out my gut, I know that is controversial and I am in no way trying to "sell" it, but it is my reality.
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truth - you mentioned your mum has osteoporosis. Is she taking calcium supplements? They are tremendously constipating. Calcium carbonate is the most common kind and the most constipating. Calcium citrate is less so. There are still other forms of calcium. Some say taking magnesium with calcium makes it less constipating.
I need to correct about Miralax. It is not a lubricant, it draws water into the bowel like Milk of Magnesia.
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