Hi there, Unfortunately, there is no quick cure for the problem of constipation. As you might already suspect, Dulcolax is not meant to be taken long term because it is a stimulant type of laxative. Try to convert her to something safer like Lactulose, which is a stool softener that she is able to taper as she sees fit. If she has difficulty going off the Dulcolax abruptly, then taper it off slowly over a week or more. Other than medication, lifestyle is an enormous factor in treating constipation. Does she eat well? Fibre is an important factor, and if she is not able to take enough, supplement with fibre from things like psyllium husk, which you can safely take together with the Lactulose. Make sure she measures her fluid intake, because at her age the thirst signals are blunted, and they often don t drink enough. Target for the usual 2 litres a day if she has no other health issues that would make that a problem. Her mobility may also be a factor in the constipation. If she is able to, get her up and moving around the house. We re not talking about a marathon, just work up to it slowly. Walking around the house a few times a day, then out into the garden, then down the road. Constant activity through the day is much better than short bursts of intense exercise that will stress her out. Make sure she has good bowel practices. This means that she has to be able to go when she needs to. Often, constipation starts off with the habit of holding it in when it is not convenient to go, and our bodies adapt to ignoring the signals that we need to go. If it means letting her stay home for now while she regulates her bowels, then so be it. The last thing we need is to have her hold when she s out of the house just beause it is not convenient to have frequent urges through the day. At this point, she may have the urge to go but is unable to, and there is a place for an enema at this point. Do take note, however, that it is not meant to be a regular solution to the problem. It is a solution for only the first 1-2 days, and then no more. Push up the Lactulose until she gets really soft stool, for example 20 mls three times a day, and then taper it down slowly until she gets a manageable consistency. Also, watch out for something called spurious diarrhoea, which is liquid stool that appears like diarrhoea, but is in fact a sign of severe constipation. This is when there is a large mass of hard stool that is difficult to pass, and fresher liquid stool leaks around it to appear like diarrhoea. The consistency of stool that we are aiming for is sausage like, with or without some cracks in it. Patience and persistence is important in handling constipation, don t give up hope. Hope this helps, and all the best to you and your mother. Regards, Dr. Teh