Archive for September 30th, 2010

Posted on September 30, 2010 - by Nurse Virginia

CONSTIPATION – NOT ALWAYS JUST A SIGN OF AN AGING ELDER

(Part I)

Statins (Cholesterol Drugs) cause muscle weakness – the colon is a muscle

Charles was 85 that year. His family was aware of his constipation problem. He, like many other elderly people incorporated prunes into his morning routine. Charles came up with his own solution of a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning with ginger snap cookies heaped in the coffee like a hot cereal and prunes. One of his daughters’ brought him apples, encouraging one a day, which he faithfully complied with. Everyone was coming up with suggestions for a “fix” to this problem of constipation.

Yet Charles ended up in the hospital with a painful and unnecessary bowel obstruction. The first thing the hospital physician did was to review his medications and discontinue the statin drug that caused the problem.

Charles’ daughter was told by the physician that they were getting elderly patients in every month with bowel constipation related to a statin drug.

Signs of muscle weakness.

Now after the fact, Charles’ family could see the signs of weakness they had just assumed were the effects of aging. How he had started to complain of no longer being able to walk as far as he used to and had to sit down frequently because he felt weak. How now when walking in his retirement community he was holding on to the rail along the wall and using his cane. Previously, he had never used a cane and could keep pace with his much younger children when walking the halls.

The 22 foot muscle.

When people reference their muscles they rarely mention the digestive tract. The colon in an adult will be anywhere from 12 ft. to 22 ft. long depending on its musculature tone. Food is digested by enzymes and moved through the colon by involuntary muscle contractures. The tone of the muscular walls of the colon is very important to how fast food travels through the digestive system.

Any drugs that have the potential for causing muscle weakness should be suspect when constipation is an issue.

Virginia Garberding, R.N.

Director of Education, The Wealshire, Lincolnshire, Illinois

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance

www.pleasegettoknowme.com