Fecal Incontinence and Dietary Changes

In many cases there is no effective treatment for fecal incontinence. Sometimes an individual may have a stroke or permanent injury to the rectal area and no treatment can completely reverse the incontinence. In such cases, one can still do a few things to better control bowel movements and prevent skin from breaking down.

The first thing all patients with fecal incontinence should do is alter their diet

One must eat the right foods to correct fecal incontinence and this simple maneuver alone can lead to a marked improvement in symptoms.

Make a list of foods you eat and observe when you get more incontinence over a month. This way you will be able to get rid of foods in your diet that make your condition worse. Often many people find out that it is only certain foods that worsen incontinence. Once you know which foods worsen your incontinence, you can stop eating them.

In general, foods that cause create a lot of gas and diarrhea worsen fecal incontinence. These foods generally include processed foods, oriental spices, fatty and oily foods, many soda beverages and dairy products (in individuals who are lactose intolerant).

Excess consumption of alcohol, artificial sweeteners, or cola beverages can also stimulate bowel movements and worsen incontinence.

Try and eat a number of small meals rather than 3-4 large meals. Large meals often stimulate the bowels resulting in diarrhea.

One of the best dietary products recommended for individuals with fecal incontinence is fiber. Fiber can increase bulk, soften stool and leads to slower bowel movements. Fiber containing foods are not expensive and include fruits, vegetables whole grains, and cereals. An average of 20-30 gr of fiber a day is ample. If you add too much fiber in the diet, the side effects will be too much gas, bloating and even diarrhea. If you go slow, then more fiber can be added to the diet.

One should drink an average of 6-8 glasses of water to keep the stools from becoming hard.

Sometimes if an individual has diarrhea, one may need medications to reduce bowel motility. While Loperamide (Imodium) is an excellent drug, it can also induce severe constipation. For those who are chronically constipated, one can try milk of magnesia or Senna. One of the things to note is that medications should be avoided whenever possible. Medications always induce a cycle of constipation/diarrhea and never cure the fecal incontinence. Before starting out on medications, one should try changes in diet to resolve the constipation or diarrhea. Once dietary changes are made, most individuals find that fecal incontinence is less and tolerable

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