You may experience either constipation or diarrhea because of your illness(s) or medications. There are several things you can do to prevent or treat changes in bowel function.

Things you can do for Constipation

1. Keep a log of symptoms that you are concerned about. These can be tracked in the MDS Manager Symptom Tracker. Discuss these with your health care team.
2. Keep all your appointments as scheduled.
3. Let your doctor know if you have pain with bowel movement, any blood in the stool, severe abdominal pain, persistent nausea, or vomiting.
4. Don’t let more than 3 days go by without a normal bowel movement—discuss this with your health care team.
5. Stay active.
6. Drink 2-3 liters of fluid a day.
7. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and natural fibers.
8. Soak in a warm bath. Be sure that you feel safe and able to get in and out of the bath on your own.
9. Cleanse after bowel movements or urination.
10. Wash your hands after using the bathroom.

MDS Foundation: multisite-demo.com     www.BuildingBlocksofHope.com

Cancer.net: Constipation http://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/side-effects/constipation
Cancer Care: Constipation http://www.cancercare.org/publications/218-coping_with_constipation
Oncolink: Constipation https://www.oncolink.org/support/side-effects/constipation