IBS - TMI

IBS - TMI

In 2018, Rob developed IBS. After doing some research, this is quite common in Huntington’s patients, but is not usually listed among the symptoms of the disease.  The brain controls so many bodily functions, that everything goes on the fritz.  To add to that, Rob is on multiple prescription medications.  Some cause stomach upset.  Some cause diarrhea.  Some cause constipation.  Some cause nausea.  I say Rob has “Consti-rrhea” because it is always one or the other. 

Now.

Add to that the other symptoms of Huntingtons…like OCD, paranoia, and cognitive declines.

Rob firmly believes he is unable to leave the house unless he takes an immodium first.  I have argued with him for 2 years and give up.  He becomes too combative to argue with.  It’s not worth the fight.

 So…he never wants to leave the house, and sometimes pouts when we do leave the house, or has a big temper tantrum before we go to a doctor’s appointment.  If we do leave, he takes an immodium, or else he will not leave the house.

THEN, he gets very upset when he is constipated the next day.  I have never seen anyone get so mad about going to the bathroom.  He is worse than a griz with a toothache.  Just mean to everyone about everything. 

Some days he is not actually constipated.  He just didn’t have to go at the designated time of day.  (The man uses a watch to determine if he should pee or not…we don’t have a poop chart on the fridge like Sheldon Cooper, but he does seriously have OCD about it).  I have explained to him that if he had really bad diarrhea the day before, that he doesn’t have anything left in him to go.  Somehow he interpreted that to mean that he needs to eat lots of calories in order to poop.  He thinks the best way to cure constipation is to eat massive quantities. He won’t stop eating!  He says, “I have to get more calories in! I need more calories!”  At what point do calories or eating large quantities HELP constipation? 

So, he’s constipated and then he won’t stop eating.  All this does is make him upset, mad and uncomfortable. 

So he gets the dulcolax out and starts downing those.  I keep telling him – 1 per day! But he is so angry about not going to the bathroom, that he takes several.  When they start working, he complains about those results.  It’s exhausting.

On Sunday, he took an immodium before church. When we came home, we were barely in the door and he was getting laxatives out of the cupboard. 

Before all y’all give me a lecture…YES, I have hidden them…THAT turns into a HUGE disaster because he throws a 48 year old temper tantrum.  When he’s angry soon things are being thrown, doors are slammed, he yells about everything.

I have argued with him.

I have fought with him.

He is unreasonable.

He simply has the biggest temper tantrums about his immodium and dulcolax…so…I just let him have them.

It’s exhausting and I just can’t fight him on it anymore.  If he is bound and determined to take the pills…then he can go ahead and take the pills.  On top of his already ruined digestive system.  On top of all of his meds and their side effects. On top of his OCD and obsessive routines. But there is “peace in the land” – sort of…depending on his digestive system…

Sometimes I have to choose my battles, and after 2 years, I’m tired of this one.

+++Update April 2020

With the Corona Virus lockdown, we aren’t going anywhere.

No doctor appointments, no dentist appointments, no church meetings, nada.

Rob isn’t taking too many pills.

We have left the house for some other things, and he didn’t take an immodium first.

I have not heard a complaint about his bodily functions in at least 3 weeks.

I have been trying to tell him that this proves he shouldn’t be taking the meds all the time…but…his cognition is so bad right now, he isn’t getting it.

If anything good comes out of this lockdown, at least he isn’t over-medicating his already taxed system.