Hello,
I am in desperate need of advice. My Mother is 85 years old, on Sept. 2 she started getting diarrhea several times a day. This continued for about a week and a half and then seemed to resolve itself. A week and a half ago the diarrhea came back with a vengeance frequently coming without warning in the middle of the night. The only time she has abdominal pain is during a bowel movement. She is getting weak and very depressed. On Monday our doctor told Mom to take Metamucil twice a day.I thought the doctor instructed her to take 1 teaspoon in the morning and one teaspoon in the evening. The label mentioned "tablespoon" so I have been giving her 2 tablespoons a day. Which dosage would be more appropriate? I added calcium carbonate on Monday as well. Things have not improved much- she had a few more solid looking stools the past 2 days in the evening but the rest of the day she is running watery stuff (up to 12 times a day) and often strikes without warning. I am worried about dehydration because Mom is worried that drinking liquids will make her run more.

Should have the Metamucil and calcium (also acidophilus) done something by now? Also is the Metamucil better taken before or after meals? The doctor took stool samples and we are waiting for the results any day now. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help.

I take one teaspoon of Metamucil first thing every morning. If the doctor said for her to take a teaspoon, I would go with what the doctor said as opposed to what's on the label, unless you have found that the tablespoon is working better. Was she doing anything in particular just before it started, eg. in the hospital, doctor's visit, visiting someone out of town, etc. Because it sounds like it started all of a sudden and has been really bad, my guess would be some kind of virus or bug that she's picked up. Hopefully the stool samples will show something and that it is treatable. But definitely be persistent, because even a day or two can make a big difference in how well she will respond to treatment. Also, at her age she is more prone to dehydration.

Good luck and please let us know how she is doing.