Who suffers from faecal incontinence?
Simple Self Help Measures Changes to diet and bowel habit can be helpful for many people. It is worth experimenting with your diet to see if certain foods worsen the situation. In particular, an excessive high fibre diet (too much bran, cereal, fruit etc), too much caffeine or alcohol and a lot of artificial sweeteners can worsen faecal incontinence. Drugs may be helpful when • The bowel is squeezing too strongly (urgency to get to the toilet quickly) • The stool is very loose • The sphincter muscles are weak. Drugs can decrease movement in the bowel, make the stool more formed, and make the sphincter muscle tighter. These drugs are well-established, relatively free of side-effects, and safe to use. Occasionally faecal incontinence is due to not emptying the bowel completely, and then use of suppositories or laxatives might be helpful.
