How many quads do every day bowel program?

dnvrdave · 06-06-2009, 12:57 AM

If you are a complete quad, and you do bowel care every day, please let me know.

Do you use a suppository?
Do you use dig stim?
Do you take oral laxatives? (what kind?)
Are you sitting up or lying down?
How long does your program take?

After 24 years of doing bowel care every other day, I'm thinking about trying it every day, but without suppositories, and hopefully without dig stim. My every-other-day program, sitting up, takes 90 minutes now with a bisacodyl suppository, and no dig stim or oral laxatives.

I hadn't tried this in the past because I thought it would be too time consuming and inconvenient, and make my hemorrhoids worse. But now, I think an every day program may be more natural, take less time, and not make the roids any worse. And I wouldn't have the sweating that bisacodyl suppositories cause me. I may need an oral laxative the night before, but I hope an every day program will prevent bowel accidents.

I want to hear from complete quads because we typically have more responsive bowels. Oh, and if you take any constipating meds, like ditropan or pain drugs, that would be good to know.

Hot_wheels · 06-06-2009, 07:54 AM

hey Dave,
I do it everyday, I normally wake up at about 7.15, and put my suppository in around 7.30 with a inserter thingy while i am in bed on my side. By the time i get up it's 7.40 and usually sit over the toilet 30mins. I don't do any stim and or take laxs, i mostly just have a pretty high fibre diet, eat healthy, avoid caffeine and drink heaps of water.
I was on laxs in hospital and awhile after i got home, but found it a pain as i always had to change the time i take them. Started taking them 15hrs before bp, would work for a week them my bp would take longer and longer, so i would then take it 16hrs before bp and would work fine again for a week then it would get slow again and so on. Also while i was on them i wasn't getting great results and still having alot of accidents.
Atm i don't get many accidents if i do it because i have been lazy and haven't been eating right, or if i have a beer or twelve, and it mostly happens within 1/2 hr of getting up. I find if i don't have a great result i just lay in bed for a 15-20mins on my side with a bluey behind me, if nothing happens by then i'm good to go.
I still get backed up a bit, but i take colon cleanser tablet, start with one 15hrs before bp for 2-3days, but i only need to do this once every 2-3 months, or if get a chest x-ray and it shows i'm backed up
I don't take any constipating med, and sleep on my stomach for a fews hrs a night which seems to make my bp go a bit quicker in the morning.
Hope this help

smokey · 06-07-2009, 02:11 PM

Dave, I'm a C-7 quad and I crap every day using a Magic Bullet suppository. I take Metamucil and 2 Fibercon tablets in the morning after I get up. I get the suppository laying down while I'm on my left side, it takes 10 minutes to start working so then I transfer over to a padded commode, wheel it into the bathroom and back it over the toilet to crap. After about 30 minutes I have an aide use digital stimulation to dig out any stool and mucous. At 5 minute intervals I have them do it 3 more times to be sure I'm done. Then I wheel into my roll-in shower and shower up. The whole shit/shower/dry off/pants, socks and shoes on/transfer to everyday chair thang takes about 2 hours. I do take 10mg. Ditropan XL but frankly it only seems to make my mouth dry a bit...no constipation issues. Great tip from KLD; drink a cup of hot coffee/fluid while you shit. It increases peristalsis about 4X.
For about 25 years I used to crap every other day but I was shitting myself too much for my liking so I went to an everyday bowel routine about 9 years ago. Now I'm, much less spastic from not having so much stool/gas in my bowels and I hardly ever shit myself anymore.
An everyday bowel routine is indeed more time consuming but worth it for my overall health and piece of mind.

Van Quad · 06-07-2009, 03:09 PM

I'm a C4 with a daily routine. Have managed with a high-fibre diet.

Do you use a suppository? No
Do you use dig stim? Yes
Do you take oral laxatives? (what kind?) No
Are you sitting up or lying down? Lying Down
How long does your program take? 15-20 minutes

In the wind · 06-07-2009, 04:01 PM

C5 inc,
Everyother day
Digi stim
Enemeez liquid (strongly recommended)
Sitting up
No oral lax
40-60 mg oxycontin dailey so I'm slowed somewhat
Evac within 15 min, but I normally give it the whole hour just to be sure, never have accidents.

Lola_wheelie · 06-07-2009, 08:35 PM

i am c4-5 and do bowel program every day.

i take 2 colace (stool softener) every night and have a dulcolax (bisacodyl) suppository in the morning, when my bowels move. i am in bed on my left side and have my bowel program in bed. from the time the suppository is inserted to the time i am ready to be cleaned up and don't have any contractions where stool comes anymore (my bowels are very spastic) about a bit more than one hour has passed by.

Tman9513 · 06-07-2009, 08:47 PM

C6/7. I do my BP every night around 9:30-10:30 with dig stim right before I shower. Takes me about 25 minutes sitting on a shower chair. I take one Colace and one Senakot at bed. I have results pretty much every night. Maybe once a week it's not much and once every two weeks I'll have a two night stretch with no results. Other than that it's regular. Try to eat yogurt and fiber as much as I can and if I have a night with no results I'll make sure to have a salad the next day.

Prerun · 06-07-2009, 08:50 PM

I'm a C-4/5 complete quad 19 years post injury and I manage my almost accident free bowel program every third day with a unique approach:

14 hours prior to my 7AM routine I take 3 Senokot & 2 Magic Cleanse.
I use a Magic Bullet.
I have a cup of hot coffee to get things rolling.
Sometimes, I'll eat something quick and small to help with getting things moving.
I require very little digital stimulation if any.
I am actually hanging in my lift sling in a sitting position just slightly over the toilet for my evacuation to alleviate any pressure issues with my shower/commode chair.
My bowel routine from suppository insertion (I do 25 minutes ROM after supp insertion) to shower is 60 to 90 minutes.

I eat very healthy with plenty of whole grains, lean meat, fiber and fresh fruits & raw veggies. I rarely drink carbonated sodas and stay away from sugary drinks including most juices. I'm on 30 mg of Ditropan and I take various pain meds including Oxycodone. If I don't drink copius amounts of water, I add minutes to the evacuation time. Drinking plenty of water is the key to quick evacuation.

The unique twist to my success is timing. I try to eat my main meal by noon the day prior to the evacuation that I know will move along quickly. Usually, chili, eggs or stir fry works well for me. I won't eat anything the rest of the day until like bedtime, may be I'll eat a very small snack.

I believe that timing and adequate hydration are the keys to my success. I am a huge fan of probiotics. I eat yogurt almost daily and take acidophilus with a few meals between programs. Those little bugs are very important in your digestive system!

I hope that helps!

Shaun · 06-07-2009, 09:03 PM

I dont think i could shit everyday if i tried..

steveinflorida · 06-07-2009, 09:44 PM

25years a c5/6. Once every 3 days, 4 senekot 5pm the day before and an early morning bm. Rarely, rarely a problem. I use a lot of common sense. Don't eat a whole pizza at 10pm, etc... I got off that every day thing years ago because I couldn't have a life and I was having bowel issues like crazy. Good luck!!

06-06-2009, 12:57 AM	#1
dnvrdave Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Denver, Colorado, USA Posts: 272	How many quads do every day bowel program? If you are a complete quad, and you do bowel care every day, please let me know. Do you use a suppository? Do you use dig stim? Do you take oral laxatives? (what kind?) Are you sitting up or lying down? How long does your program take? After 24 years of doing bowel care every other day, I'm thinking about trying it every day, but without suppositories, and hopefully without dig stim. My every-other-day program, sitting up, takes 90 minutes now with a bisacodyl suppository, and no dig stim or oral laxatives. I hadn't tried this in the past because I thought it would be too time consuming and inconvenient, and make my hemorrhoids worse. But now, I think an every day program may be more natural, take less time, and not make the roids any worse. And I wouldn't have the sweating that bisacodyl suppositories cause me. I may need an oral laxative the night before, but I hope an every day program will prevent bowel accidents. I want to hear from complete quads because we typically have more responsive bowels. Oh, and if you take any constipating meds, like ditropan or pain drugs, that would be good to know.

06-07-2009, 08:35 PM	#6
Lola_wheelie Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Candia,NH,USA Posts: 466	i am c4-5 and do bowel program every day. i take 2 colace (stool softener) every night and have a dulcolax (bisacodyl) suppository in the morning, when my bowels move. i am in bed on my left side and have my bowel program in bed. from the time the suppository is inserted to the time i am ready to be cleaned up and don't have any contractions where stool comes anymore (my bowels are very spastic) about a bit more than one hour has passed by. __________________ "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" ~ edmund burker c4-5 quad

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06-06-2009, 07:54 AM	#2
Hot_wheels Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Queensland, Australia Posts: 206	hey Dave, I do it everyday, I normally wake up at about 7.15, and put my suppository in around 7.30 with a inserter thingy while i am in bed on my side. By the time i get up it's 7.40 and usually sit over the toilet 30mins. I don't do any stim and or take laxs, i mostly just have a pretty high fibre diet, eat healthy, avoid caffeine and drink heaps of water. I was on laxs in hospital and awhile after i got home, but found it a pain as i always had to change the time i take them. Started taking them 15hrs before bp, would work for a week them my bp would take longer and longer, so i would then take it 16hrs before bp and would work fine again for a week then it would get slow again and so on. Also while i was on them i wasn't getting great results and still having alot of accidents. Atm i don't get many accidents if i do it because i have been lazy and haven't been eating right, or if i have a beer or twelve, and it mostly happens within 1/2 hr of getting up. I find if i don't have a great result i just lay in bed for a 15-20mins on my side with a bluey behind me, if nothing happens by then i'm good to go. I still get backed up a bit, but i take colon cleanser tablet, start with one 15hrs before bp for 2-3days, but i only need to do this once every 2-3 months, or if get a chest x-ray and it shows i'm backed up I don't take any constipating med, and sleep on my stomach for a fews hrs a night which seems to make my bp go a bit quicker in the morning. Hope this help

06-07-2009, 02:11 PM	#3
smokey Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 1,864	Dave, I'm a C-7 quad and I crap every day using a Magic Bullet suppository. I take Metamucil and 2 Fibercon tablets in the morning after I get up. I get the suppository laying down while I'm on my left side, it takes 10 minutes to start working so then I transfer over to a padded commode, wheel it into the bathroom and back it over the toilet to crap. After about 30 minutes I have an aide use digital stimulation to dig out any stool and mucous. At 5 minute intervals I have them do it 3 more times to be sure I'm done. Then I wheel into my roll-in shower and shower up. The whole shit/shower/dry off/pants, socks and shoes on/transfer to everyday chair thang takes about 2 hours. I do take 10mg. Ditropan XL but frankly it only seems to make my mouth dry a bit...no constipation issues. Great tip from KLD; drink a cup of hot coffee/fluid while you shit. It increases peristalsis about 4X. For about 25 years I used to crap every other day but I was shitting myself too much for my liking so I went to an everyday bowel routine about 9 years ago. Now I'm, much less spastic from not having so much stool/gas in my bowels and I hardly ever shit myself anymore. An everyday bowel routine is indeed more time consuming but worth it for my overall health and piece of mind.

06-07-2009, 03:09 PM	#4
Van Quad Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 5,493	I'm a C4 with a daily routine. Have managed with a high-fibre diet. Do you use a suppository? No Do you use dig stim? Yes Do you take oral laxatives? (what kind?) No Are you sitting up or lying down? Lying Down How long does your program take? 15-20 minutes

06-07-2009, 04:01 PM	#5
In the wind Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 274	C5 inc, Everyother day Digi stim Enemeez liquid (strongly recommended) Sitting up No oral lax 40-60 mg oxycontin dailey so I'm slowed somewhat Evac within 15 min, but I normally give it the whole hour just to be sure, never have accidents.

06-07-2009, 08:47 PM	#7
Tman9513 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 173	C6/7. I do my BP every night around 9:30-10:30 with dig stim right before I shower. Takes me about 25 minutes sitting on a shower chair. I take one Colace and one Senakot at bed. I have results pretty much every night. Maybe once a week it's not much and once every two weeks I'll have a two night stretch with no results. Other than that it's regular. Try to eat yogurt and fiber as much as I can and if I have a night with no results I'll make sure to have a salad the next day.

06-07-2009, 08:50 PM	#8
Prerun Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Oconto Falls, WI Posts: 84	I'm a C-4/5 complete quad 19 years post injury and I manage my almost accident free bowel program every third day with a unique approach: 14 hours prior to my 7AM routine I take 3 Senokot & 2 Magic Cleanse. I use a Magic Bullet. I have a cup of hot coffee to get things rolling. Sometimes, I'll eat something quick and small to help with getting things moving. I require very little digital stimulation if any. I am actually hanging in my lift sling in a sitting position just slightly over the toilet for my evacuation to alleviate any pressure issues with my shower/commode chair. My bowel routine from suppository insertion (I do 25 minutes ROM after supp insertion) to shower is 60 to 90 minutes. I eat very healthy with plenty of whole grains, lean meat, fiber and fresh fruits & raw veggies. I rarely drink carbonated sodas and stay away from sugary drinks including most juices. I'm on 30 mg of Ditropan and I take various pain meds including Oxycodone. If I don't drink copius amounts of water, I add minutes to the evacuation time. Drinking plenty of water is the key to quick evacuation. The unique twist to my success is timing. I try to eat my main meal by noon the day prior to the evacuation that I know will move along quickly. Usually, chili, eggs or stir fry works well for me. I won't eat anything the rest of the day until like bedtime, may be I'll eat a very small snack. I believe that timing and adequate hydration are the keys to my success. I am a huge fan of probiotics. I eat yogurt almost daily and take acidophilus with a few meals between programs. Those little bugs are very important in your digestive system! I hope that helps!

06-07-2009, 09:03 PM	#9
Shaun Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 7,790	I dont think i could shit everyday if i tried..

06-07-2009, 09:44 PM	#10
steveinflorida Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 87	25years a c5/6. Once every 3 days, 4 senekot 5pm the day before and an early morning bm. Rarely, rarely a problem. I use a lot of common sense. Don't eat a whole pizza at 10pm, etc... I got off that every day thing years ago because I couldn't have a life and I was having bowel issues like crazy. Good luck!!