HealthInfo Canterbury
Constipation in palliative care
Constipation is a common problem for people with cancer and other long-term diseases.
Constipation means either passing hard or painful bowel motions (poos) or going to the toilet less often than usual to empty your bowels.
It can cause pain and discomfort for many people. If we don't manage it well, it can also cause nausea and vomiting, difficulty passing urine (weeing or peeing), or a bowel blockage. Constipation can also cause anxiety and confusion.
Everyone has different bowel habits, so constipation is an individual thing. Remember, if you're eating less, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll pass bowel motions (poos) less often. If you become uncomfortable or are at all concerned, tell your doctor or nurse straight away, as it's much easier to deal with if we treat it early.
Causes of constipation
Several things can cause constipation. They include:
- the effects of the cancer or other disease
- not eating or drinking much
- inactivity, or just not moving much
- ignoring the urge to pass a bowel motion (poos)
- medication, for example pain relievers such as morphine or codeine
- lack of toilet facilities or privacy.
Self-care for constipation
If you're constipated, there are several things you can do yourself to make it better.
- Make sure it's easy for you to go to the toilet and you have the privacy you need.
- If it's possible, eat regular meals and snacks, eat and drink slowly and chew food well.
- Eat fruit and vegetables every day. Kiwifruit, prunes or figs can really help.
- Try to drink more fluid. If possible, drink at least eight glasses of fluid every day. Fluid includes water, tea, fruit or milk drinks, soup, jelly and ice blocks.
- If you can, be more active.
- Keep track of how often you go to the toilet. It can be a good idea to write it down in a book.
- If you need to, have a regular assessment by your nurse or doctor. They'll be able to work out what might be causing your constipation and what the best treatment will be. This assessment is likely to include an examination in your bottom (rectum) with a gloved finger to find out what kind of constipation you have.
You can find more ideas to help yourself in Dealing with constipation.
Getting help for constipation
Your doctor may be able to prescribe something to help or change your medication if that's causing your constipation.
They may prescribe laxatives. Laxatives are medicines that help you pass bowel motions more easily and regularly. Almost everyone who is taking opioid pain relief such as morphine needs to have laxatives.
You can take laxatives as oral medicines (meaning you swallow them), or sometimes they're given as a suppository (you put them in your bottom).
You can find out more information about laxatives on Medicines for constipation (but note that bulk-forming laxatives usually aren't used in palliative care).
Tell your nurse or doctor if your bowels haven't moved for three days, if you're in any discomfort or if you get diarrhoea after being constipated for a while.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Nurse Maude – Symptom management
This leaflet describes common symptoms and how to deal with them.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers.Endorsed by Canterbury DHB and community palliative care specialists. Last reviewed November 2020.
SourcesReview key: HIPAL-17434
