Hi Pantos:

Good question. We are all different, and regulating our bowel problems doesn't always work. My problem was constipation, a motility issue.

My PCP was no help, the fibre he prescribed made it worse. The MS clinic had me use weekly enemas, which were problematic to administer and I couldn't retain them long enough to be effective.

My neuro referred me to a gastro who put me on 5 tablespoons of Milk of Magnesia/day (cherry is palatable). It has only been a few months but it is the lesser of three evils - pain and vomiting from a full colon or incontinence from overflow or the odd bout of incontinence because the M of M makes the stool runny. I am taking fibre with it, just haven't found the right balance quite yet and I would rather be incontinent once or twice a month as opposed to many times a day.

You are probably right - there is no solution but I'll be darned if I am going to let my bowel or bladder keep me from getting out once in a while. If I don't take the M of M I don't have a bm the next day, so if I have an appointment or something I need to do I will skip a dose.

I see the gastro again in July for followup. He might have another idea or tweak the current plan, but for now I am grateful for what time I have before it stops working.