About Incontinence - Treatment / Management Options - Dietary Changes for Fecal Incontinence
Medical Reviewer: Carrie Carls , RN, BSN, CWOCN
Foods that commonly contribute to diarrhea and bowel incontinence are chocolate, dairy products, alcohol, and caffeine. Try decreasing the amount of these foods consumed to see if it improves the consistency of bowel movements. In addition to fiber therapy, other dietary measures may include undergoing an elimination diet to see if certain foods trigger incontinence of stool.
An elimination diet can be done by keeping a diary/notebook to track all foods and fluids consumed over a seven day period. The diary would also track the volume and consistency of bowel movements, and any symptoms such as cramping or gas. After seven days, review the diary to see if any patterns emerge, showing foods that trigger looser bowel movements or incontinence. Those foods should be eliminated from the diet for two weeks, while continuing to keep the diary. Next, you can add the offending foods back one at a time for three days to see if they cause bowel symptoms. If so, eliminate the foods completely.
If you find in your food diary that after consuming foods that contain gluten you experience diarrhea, cramping, or pain, contact your health care provider, as you may have a condition called celiac disease. Gluten is a protein found in most cereal grains (wheat, rye and barley), and is in most bread, cake, and baking mixes, pie crusts, gravy and seasoning mixes, pancakes, waffles, and some canned foods.
Who?
Anyone capable of keeping a written record or who has a care giver to keep the record can complete a food diary to determine if dietary changes are necessary. Because this is a non-invasive treatment method, most people with fecal incontinence are encouraged to try it.
The Pros
-
Determining dietary triggers to bowel incontinence allows some control over the condition.
-
There is no cost involved, other than replacing the foods and drinks you might normally drink with something new.
-
This method is completely non-invasive and can be done at your own pace.
The Cons
-
Carrying out the process for the elimination diary requires at least four weeks of record keeping.
-
While dietary changes can help your symptoms, it often doesn't prevent leakage entirely.
-
It may be challenging to go without a food that you've become quite accustomed to.
Carrie Carls, BSN, RN, CWOCN, oversees pelvic floor retraining for urinary and fecal incontinence, performs urodynamics testing, treats painful bladder syndrome, and cares for wound and ostomy patients at Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville , Illinois . Her article, “Prevalence of Stress Urinary Incontinence in High School and College Age Female Athletes in the Midwest : Implications for Practice” appeared in the Journal of Urologic Nursing, February 2007. Her abstract, “Partial Thickness Wound Resulting from Use of a Penile Clamp to Control Urinary Incontinence in a Patient with Radical Prostatectomy” was presented at the Symposium of Advanced Wound Care in 2005. She teaches content in the areas of wound, ostomy, and continence care to baccalaureate nursing students at MacMurray College , and facilitates the West Central Illinois UOAA ostomy support group.
Page last modified 26 July 2009