A PENSIONER allegedly “pooed himself to death” after suffering from constipation for over a week.
The 65-year-old arrived at A&E with chest pains, nausea, and a strong need to go to the toilet.
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But he had been unable to make a bowel movement for between seven and 10 days, according to Dr Rawdy Reales Rois.
The results of an electrocardiogram came back normal, but the patient’s heart rate was racing and he appeared sweaty.
As he had a history of cardiac problems, the medic said it was inadvisable to give him a rectal enema as he wanted.
In rare cases, stool clearers can trigger life-threatening side effects to the kidneys and heart.
Instead, he encouraged the man to take medication to help relieve his constipation – but it did not have the desired effect.
The doctor, from Colombia, increased the dose and asked the OAP to get out of bed and try to move around.
He then left the patient and planned to return in a few hours to check on his progress.
However, during that time, the man was so insistent on having an enema that another doctor ended up performing the procedure.
Dr Reales, who graduated from the Cooperative University of Colombia 10 years ago and is a published author, was subsequently informed that the patient had suffered a fatal heart attack, it is alleged.
According to the health expert, who has 1.2million followers on Instagram and 6.4m on TikTok, the man went into cardiac arrest due to expelling faecal matter so quickly it stimulated the vagus nerve and caused his blood pressure to suddenly drop.
Despite resuscitation attempts for 30 minutes, the OAP passed away.
Dr Philippa Kaye, an NHS GP who is unconnected to the case, said that severe constipation and repeated straining can lead to problems like rectal prolapse – when the rectum slips down inside the anus.
“This could result in intestinal obstruction, which is life-threatening and is linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke,” she said.
“Emptying your bowels stimulates the vagus nerve, so technically could drop your blood pressure.”
A sudden decrease is potentially dangerous as it can mean the heart, brain or other organs aren’t getting enough blood flow.
It puts patients at increased risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health.
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