www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey all,

Ok, im not going to panic.. im going to try to remain calm.. but in recent weeks.. the bowel thing has crept up. IT seems that I get an urge to use the bathroom.. and if i try and hold off.. it keeps coming anyway. Today i felt an urge to defecate.. which i delayed for a few minutes at most.. walked to the bathroom.. and started to take things off.. but i felt it coming.. next thing i know im pushing.. and ive got a load Sorry to be graphic here.. but im sure we ahave all ben there. It definetly did not look solid. I also noticed a mix of dark and brown colors in the feces.. Just like i noticed when i had a bowel accident at camp. I had a similar urge a few weeks ago, and the bowel movement looked like the normal brown color. Up until this point, ive been assuming its due to constipation, but could there be something else going on? when i had issues before, it came after eating a tuna fish sandwthc.. could it be diet? As far as diet goes, I was eating some summer saugage.. could that be causing constipation and fecal over flow?

Ill take some mirlax and hope for the best.. i think if it reoccurs, I will see a doctor..

Peace out!

Rob

Hi Rob,

Sorry about your troubles. It is too early to come to any conclusion and too early to begin worrying about it.

However, if you are concerned, you might begin keeping a log of your diet and noting any accidents, in case there is any cause-and-effect here.

Yes, constipation very definitely can cause fecal overflow. It is counterintuitive. That is the nature of my bowel incontinence. The Miralax will not hurt and may help. Also watch your fibre intake and try to stay physically active.

Hardened fecal material forms and blocks the passage until a sufficient amount of soft or liquid stool backs up to flow around it. It overflows, usually in the form of diarrhea, followed by some solids [sorry for the TMI, but necessary]. Although it usually is perceived as diarrhea, it is caused by the constipation. Therefore one treats the constipation and not the diarrhea. I am chronically severely constipated and take two caps of Miralax per day, one in the morning and one in the evening.

--John

Rob,

I regretted reading of your difficulties with bowel control. John is far more experienced at managing this than I am, but I too have bowel difficulties.

My GI doctor advised me to keep a log of my food intake. Although this is not a cure, it does make me aware of what I eat and how it affects control. My problem is that the gastroparesis diet is the opposite of the diets most doctors advise for their patients, such as the Mediterranean diet. On the recommendation of my gastroenterologist, I manage this with a combination of stool softeners, laxatives, suppositories, and enemas, depending on what I expect to have to do the next day. It is hugely embarrassing, and an unending challenge. Good luck and keep us informed.