What is it about turning 50 that makes you obsessed with your bowels?

Nurses General Nursing

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I here them on the phone telling their best friends about a new fiber product that really "promotes regularity," to save you the southern colloquialisms about going number II.

The daily "occurence" is almost celebrated! If it does not come, laxative of choice, prune juice (even heated, Yuck!), and those fiber concoctions come flowing to help "The flow of things."

I had a patient ask me for his Milk of Mag after not having his "movement" by lunchtime. I asked, "Are you having trouble going, I noticed your DAR says you have had one yesterday, and the day before, and you only ate 30% of your breakfast." It was like telling a baby, "No candy for you, Nah-Nan-Nan-Nan-Nan-Nah." He got his Milk of Mag, and I learned how not to make a friend with a senior who "thinks" that regularity is one a day at the same time everyday, . . .

and not just one a day.

I have also learned, just having one doesn't count. Texture, amount, consistency, solidity, and ease of going are very prized.

Why do we become obsessed with our bowels around and after age 50? Am I mistaken, or do you see the pattern too?

Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatrics, Wound Care.

Growing up, my mom and aunts had a neighbor that was a doctor. Every time they'd visit, the doctor would ask them if they had a "Bowel movement". They'd always say yes, although they didn't know what it meant. I think the in-to-out tube does start to slow down as people age, though. My hubby, not even 40, is a Metamucil fan.

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I never gave my 'regularity' a second thought until a couple of years ago. But..... everything DOES slow down and where once it was a simple as 'need to go, go, done', now it's not always that easy.

I think it's something you don't really understand until it happens to you. I wasn't raised to believe I should go every day and I still don't think I need to go every day. I'm not at the point of keeping charts and taking laxatives yet, but I do consciously think a bit more about it, make sure I drink plenty of water, eat fruit every day, and keep a can of pear juice in the cupboard.

Being constipated used to be something that happened occasionally and was no big deal, now it's something that is starting to happen a bit more often, and it's MISERABLE. Really, it is. Now I have a lot more sympathy for patients who constantly worry about their bowels and mentally apologise for all the unworthy thoughts I used to have about people who seemed obsessed with the subject.

In my opinion, it's not so much that they think they have to go every day, it's that they know what will happen if they don't, and they're trying to prevent that.

It's like hot flushes - I used to think people who complained about hot flushes just needed to get over themselves, I mean how bad can it be? Well, now I know how bad it can be! The older I get, the more I realise that it's the 'little things', the minor complaints that won't kill you but are a constant companion, that are the ones that impact the most on your well-being. Strange but true.

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Specializes in Peds/Neo CCT,Flight, ER, Hem/Onc.

Boston,

Have you hit your mid-forties yet? If not...just you wait. Oh, and buy stock in Colace. I'm not kidding!:uhoh21:

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

I'm not even 30 and I'm already slightly bowel-obsessed :uhoh21: Not sure what to expect by the time I hit 50!

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Specializes in OB.
It gets better........when my sister (age 65) was in elementary school, they lined up the kids every morning and gave them each a spoonful of castor oil for this exact purpose! :eek: Gads, is it any wonder we need help with 'regularity' when we get older? LOL

Yikes, what happened when all the kids had to poop at once??? I would not want to be in the vicinity of that bathroom! :lol2:

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
:lol2: Last night we had a patient who suddenly decided she was constipated (after lying there sleeping) and was requesting an enema at 0230....
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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Oh, and BTW Boston......we 50-somethings are NOT 'senior citizens' yet! ;)

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Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.
Hmmm...I'm 52....and not really sure when last BM occurred! Am I the exception to the rule?

Maybe your running late, and it just hasn't happened yet.:jester:

But, . . .Then again there was that guy on "Grumpy Old Men," 89, who said he ate bacon every morning, didn't use protection, smoked 3 packs a day, and felt like he was 20, Lol. So yeah, there is always an exception out there.

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Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

I know, and trust me, I promise I must have read that thread opener 20 times to make sure I didn't have anything I was going get whooped over, Lol. And, to make you feel much better, my guy w/MOM incident was somewhere in the 80's.

50 is a spring chicken, though to be honest, the thread really hit me to put up because of my parents. They are in their early 50s and the "BOB" that classicdame mentioned has landed, and anchored in their mentality.

But, please understand even though there is a slight humorous note to this post, I tremendously respect our "senior" nurses, and the ones that aren't "seniors," and but are my elders. I love the stories they can tell this generation, and the warnings they can give us about our current issues.

But all that said, I sure wouldn't mind being about 55 with a fat mature 401K, a paid off home, and children through college, I would trade 29 for that in a second!!!

As to the castor oil, an LPN at the free clinic swore it would help "anything!" I had a migraine, and she swore by it, forced it down my throat, and then I had the runs; And a headache!

Thanks for all the feedback, keep it coming! Young and Not to Old!!!!!

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One word answer: constipation. It hurts! and bowels and body function is the one few things that people have control over. People who are not occupied with body function are preoccupied with other things that they think are more important.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

Until you have been REALLY constipated you just don't understand.

If your an everyday inda person, you expect it. So at 2 days you think well ok, It's no big deal. Well day 3 rolls around and you start thinking hmmmm, now we start with colace, maybe even a suppository.

By day 6 or 7 you are ready to go to the hospital and or take matters into your own hands so to speak...

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I had a lol the other night (AOx1), who was wet, and as we were cleaning her up, she was yelling, "can I have a suppository?" I told her- ma'am, you had a very large bm right after dinner, and you don't have anything ordered right now (this was at about 0300). We got her cleaned up and tucked back in. About 0430, she was yelling about needing to "get in the car so they don't leave without me." Yup, yet another large BM- no, diarrhea wasn't an issue (and yes, she had a hand stuck right in there).

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