Question: My 97 year old mother is having extreme pain due to gas building up in her intestines. She feels she must evacuate constantly. Up 6 times last night going to the bathroom. She may have some minor prolapse of the intestine and she does have minor hemorrhoids. I do not think she is anemic. Last Blood test about 3 weeks ago o.k. She is on hydrocodone 10 mg. every 4 hours round the clock. On Gabapentin 300 m.g. about 12 pills a day. She is also on Pantoprazole 40 mg, Levothroxine 0.1 mg, zetia 10 mg, Linopril 5 mg, Polyeth lyc Pow. We know hydrocodone slows down the intestines but we have been doing this for a long time and just recently this pain has become almost unbearable. Internist says he doesn't know what else to do but refer her to a gastroenterologist who we have seen many times before and he doesn't do anything.
Besides I can't get an appointment with him for 3 weeks and I'm looking for more immediate help. She is eating o.k., not a lot. I have her drinking one Jevity a day. She eats a small amount of vegetables, some fibre (cereal and mush) a little protein. She is ambulatory but just around the house. She is not feeble, has all her marbles. She describes her condition as "I have these pains I can hardly stand in my stomach (points to her intestines, not actual stomach) and I feel like my colon is swollen and the gas builds up and then comes out with such pressure it shocks me." Because of the Codine she is taking we do have to deal with constipation but we have been doing o.k using laxatives and Poly Glyco. Is there anything you can suggest we try. I think our doctors are writing her off because of her age. I can go to the emergency but that usually results in a less than satisfactory solution. Thanks for your assistance.