Did you ever see a patient taking two laxative at the same time

BluegrassRN · Sep 16, 2010

Every night at work on an acute medical floor. Often patients with chronic inactivity, dietary issues, chronic narcotic use, GI issues, or heart issues take a stool softener and a laxative daily (like colace and senna). If they don't have a BM every 2-3 days, they'll add miralax and/or a dulcolax suppository daily until they have an adequate stool.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2010

Not uncommon at all.

TakeOne · Sep 16, 2010

Like a stimulant and and a stool softener?

I'm judging by this and other posts about medications that you don't have a lot of experience in nursing.

PAROPPY, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

Standard practice for our post op hip/knee replacements. Oxycodone Q3hours tends to bind them up !! :)

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

gave my patient a shaw's cocktail. nothing happened. the next day she had epson salts and a fleet enema. something happened.....

So, you're saying she's no longer "full of it"? :lol2:

belgarion · Sep 17, 2010

I seem to give senna-gen and docusate together to at least one patient every night.

The formula I know for a "cocktail" is one part prune juice, one part applesauce, and one part unprocessed bran. Take about a half cup a day and it should be good for what ails you.

Blackheartednurse · Sep 17, 2010

I seem to give senna-gen and docusate together to at least one patient every night.
The formula I know for a "cocktail" is one part prune juice, one part applesauce, and one part unprocessed bran. Take about a half cup a day and it should be good for what ails you.

How do you prepare this kind of coctail,what do you mean by part>

Leelee2 · Sep 17, 2010

Yes, quite often actually.

AgentBeast, MSN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

I'd take just about anything over Castor oil.

allnurses Guide · Sep 17, 2010

How do you prepare this kind of coctail,what do you mean by part>

Probably "equal" parts all ingredients would be 1 oz, 4 tsp or whatever so the ratio is the same. He suggested half a cup a day, so you'd need to convert everything to the same units of measurement then figure out how much you need to = 1/2 cup. The easiest way would probably be to use measuring cups for each, fill them to the same level and mix the whole thing together.

Whoever mentioned MOM with a shot of prune juice, thank you. Haven't tried that one yet for those really "stubborn" cases of back-stoppage. :up: :up: :up:

belgarion · Sep 17, 2010

How do you prepare this kind of coctail,what do you mean by part>

One part means one of everything as in a 1:1:1 ratio. It doesn't matter what measurement you are using, you use one of it. In this case it could mean one cup of prune juice, one cup of applesauce, one cup of the bran. Put it all together and stir, blend, process, frappe, mix or whatever.

This is an old recipe an old country doc used when I was growing up so take it for what it's worth. I think it takes a week or so for this to really start being effective. Personally I can't stand the stuff but I remember my grandmother started every day with a couple of big spoonfuls of this mixture and you could set your watch by her toilet habits.

SWS RN, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2010

The formula I know for a "cocktail" is one part prune juice, one part applesauce, and one part unprocessed bran. Take about a half cup a day and it should be good for what ails you.

Yes, I have used that one in the past (for my patients-not me) but we also used MOM--that's milk of mag for those of you who are uninitiated and prune juice.

About 4 ounces of prune juice with a shot of MOM does the trick...never mind those "fancy, schmancy new fangled laxatives" with the pretty containers of pink and white and the fancy names, like *miralax*....(I hope you guys know I am kidding..of course, this has it's place)

Also, how about those good, old triple H enemas???????? :eek:

THey also did the trick:uhoh3: