Bowel/Bathroom stuff

[photomama]

This is super embarrassing... and I know we've talked about this before... but anyone have anything that helps with bowel issues? Or can anyone just commiserate and help me feel better?

I'm a 30yr old mother of 3 and I have to tell you the bathroom issues scare the heck out of me!

My new "normal" will be to not have a BM for 2 weeks. This last time was 3 weeks. I don't normally worry about frequency...when I need to go, I go, but once every 2-3 weeks is kind of a long time.

My old "normal" pre-hysterectomy was every 4 days or so. Post-hysterectomy was almost every day. Now when I do go, I will go several times that day.

The scariest thing (and most embarrassing) was I woke up this morning to find I had had a little accident while I was sleeping. Um... yikes. Can I blush some more? (I'm sure it was because I hadn't gone in 3 weeks and the zanaflex finally relaxed everything down there, yikes!)

I have tried everything for the constipation- eating well, fiber, align, etc. Because of the running to the bathroom when I DO have to go, I prefer not to take laxatives. My opinion is that it is a muscle spasm issue- I have a slight bladder issue that is a muscle spasm problem (according to my neuro). I take Magnesium supplements and Zanaflex at night for the muscle spasms (for everywhere). I have Baclofen but I only take it occasionally during the day.

My neuro is sending me for a GI consult. So not looking forward to that.

Please tell me I'm not alone. *blush*

[twisterred]

Bo, you aren't alone. *blush, too.*

Many factors contribute to this... medication side effects and I seem to not drink as much water.

Anyway... I talked to my DR about this and he stated that he strongly encourages his MS patients to try and set up a routine (normally after breakfast). He said we need to try and "teach" our body to get into a pattern.

He encouraged me to take extra fiber. Personally, I like Benefiber (I get the Walmart generic). I have to double the suggested amount, but I know it's for a good reason.

My DR also suggested Dulcolax. I get the generic at Walmart, too. I take it daily. It is a stimulant and seems to wakeup my colon.
He said NEVER go more than 7 Days without a BM. Two weeks and he told me to go to the hospital.
It is toxic to our body to not have a BM, so do what it takes to do so.

He said to limit Stool Softeners. Those can make the bowels 'lazy'.

Sooooo, I make sure I do take fiber, even extra fiber.
Lots of good, fresh fruits and veggies help.

Some foods can cause problems, like cheese, milk and bananas. I limit those foods.
Soy milk or almond milk is alright for me. I tried Aloe Juice, but didn't find it as helpful as a cup of coffee with a few scoops of Walmart's Benefiber.

This discusses different types and how they work:
http://www.medicinenet.com/laxatives...tion/page5.htm

You aren't alone.

[photomama]

Thank you!!

I am super good about the food- I can't do much dairy anyway, so that doesn't affect me. We are a Soy & Almond milk family. My water intake is decent because of medications I have to be careful about water intake with.

The only thing lately is I'm not eating much of anything because of a medication, so I am sure that isn't helping move things along (great for losing weight though if you're looking at positives, lol). But I've had this issue before the medication.

Thank you so much for the link and for letting me know I'm not alone!

I go for my GI consult on Monday. Hopefully we can get my body working better. Ugh.

Thank you so so much!!!!!

[merganser]

You are most definitely not alone. I went for years suffering with constipation that would lead to bleeding hemorrhoids. I at lots of fiber and took fiber supplements, but was still troubled. Now, I take Miralax every other day and use a glycerin suppository in the morning. And, I still eat a really high-fiber diet (blueberries, kiwis and beans are great for this!). I've been able to train my body to have a bowel movement every day.

I know many doctors don't want you to use "laxatives" for a long time, but our bodies aren't normal and probably never will be. One doctor said that it was actually shown that longer-term laxative use doesn't make the bowel lazy. Whatever is true, I need to do what it takes to go.

[Cartoonist2]

I go from periods of diarrhea to constipation, it changes regularly. I eat healthy, so that's not the issue.

[rdmc]

Use Miralax. It doesn't work the way other laxatives work. It draws water into the bowel but doesn't cause any cramping. It can take a few days to start to take effect, and then you can determine the dosage you need to keep you "regular."

[Shallwearpurple]

whole wheat

I don't know if this will help people with MS since I have not had bowel problems that I think are connected yet but here goes...

If you can, find someone you know who grinds their own wheat to try this out before sinking money into it.

I bought my own wheat grinder and purchase whole wheat berries as well as other grains to grind and make my own flour. Then I use it to make bread, pancakes, muffins, etc. I also grind flax seeds to add to all of these baked goods as well as casseroles, etc.

Whole wheat bread in the store isn't truly whole wheat. They have to take part of it out because it will spoil on the shelf. Grinding wheat yourself keeps all the nutrients as well as all of the fiber. Using it immediately after grinding provides the most health benefits because the vitamins and minerals oxydize over time after grinding.

Not sure if I can use a name of a company here, but you might look on the Bread Becker's website.

Their Ezekiel Bread recipe will clean out the toughest pipes in a day. My mom has spastic colon/irritable bowel syndrome and this helped her. I was having symptoms before starting to grind my own wheat as well. Any of the other recipes will keep a person regular, but the Ezekiel recipe is a quick jump start on the process. I also use a lot of olive oil and honey in my baking rather than vegetable oil and sugar.

Also to try this out, you could order just their prepackaged Ezekiel mix. You'll recieve the whole beans, wheat, and other grains for one loaf of bread. I think you could grind it enough in a food processor or super duty coffee grinder. Just grind as fine as you can.

Real fresh whole wheat flour is amazing!

[Lendi]

I go from periods of diarrhea to constipation, it changes regularly. I eat healthy, so that's not the issue.

That's me as well. I used to only have diarrhea so it's really odd for me to have constipation. I never know what to eat, eitehr because I'm never sure what the day is going to be like.

[photomama]

Thank you so much everyone! It is so nice to know I am not alone.

I will definitely keep everyone's suggestions in mind. I don't want to change anything before I go to my GI consult, but will definitely be trying out everything to figure out what works post-consult.

This disease is so mean... just when you think you get it figured out, you get hit with something else. Thank you for making me feel a little less embarrassed.

[photomama]

Just an update- had my GI consult. She was very nice.

We are doing a couple fun tests (yuck!)... and I am adding fiber (Citrucel) and Milk of Magnesia to my added regimen, along with making sure I am good about eating foods with fiber & drinking my water like I usually am.

We are doing this for a month and we're going to see how it goes. She said we have bigger stuff to try if this doesn't work. But she said that those of us with neurological stuff may never be "regular" and we just have to do what we can to be as regular as we can (while making sure nothing extra is going on).

Thank you all!!! I so appreciate knowing I am not alone!

[jumpinjiminy]

I hope things work out for you. It's frustrating to have to deal with and scares me too. Mine has run a similar course as yours and now finally started working on its own again. There was no signal to go at all for about six to eight weeks with this last flare up. Even the coffee stimulant didn't work, which was my main fall back throughout the years. When that didn't work, I started getting worried.

My doc advised Miralax morning and evening for a few days. When that didn't work, he recommended MOM. But the problem wasn't consistency, it was no urge to go. So I used a stimulant suppository, which worked. Between the MOM and stimulant suppositories, it was the only way to keep things moving along until the system started sending signals again.

I too am good about fiber, water, and all the rest. This was something completely different. There was no movement or sensation at all in the lower abdomen like normal. After a couple of weeks, I then lost the urge to urinate and had to remind myself when it was time to go again. This lasted a few days and then started to wake up again. It came on with even more loss of sensation in that area. It was a very scary thing for me.

Thankfully, it's all coming back very slowly, but still needs intervention every once in a while.

As far as the fresh ground wheat and flax breads, I will second that advice with the exception that I haven't tried it recently after finding out I'm having these neuro flare ups. It's been on my list of things to do that hasn't been done yet. The biggest reason is because I've been having so much trouble lately. It worked like magic before I knew anything was wrong. I've been wanting to try it again.

[babygirl_vic]

I have and had have the IBS were I "cycle" from constipation to diarahha often!! I have had several different prescriptions for both, I was hospitalized in 2008 because the stupid doctor I was seeing was to dumb to realize what was going on and I ended up with colitis. NOT FUN!! I litterally about pooped myself death!!

My GI helped to get me leveled out and gave me the meds to help control it which ever cycle is going on!! It also helps when I get constipated to go "sit" after I eat.

Hope your GI can help you get some relief!!

[LindaT5761]

definitely not alone

To me the MS diag has meant a respite from all the worries about if only i drank enough water, ate the right amount or kind of vegetables (despite all the vegetables I eat normally) or went at the right time or swallowed enough fiber or a dozen other things, I wouldn't have constipation and it wouldn't take me 20 minutes to pee 2 drops.

On the other hand I still haven't seen a physical therapist or anybody who might advise on such issues, so maybe there's something I can do to improve things.

[sunshine008]

hi

mine was running every 2 weeks ago....... it was crazy.

so, i began adding alot more fruit into my diet, water i was already taking and adding in the vitamins fixed the problem and yoga.

i take b1, b12, diosmin for circulation, d, e, vegan vitamin code vitamins, magnesium, omega 3,6,9 tumeric also.

when i did that it just jump started it and iv'e been fine since.

also adding natural ginger into diet helps also.

good luck

[LindaT5761]

stool that doesn't want to come out

My problem has mostly been 2 or 3 weeks w/o a bowel movement, then an accumulation of stool, somehow a combination of too hard & too soft at the same time, that doesn't want to come out.

I've tried Miralax. I guess it's worked sometimes, I just took some now. The problem with both stool softeners like Dulcolax or food remedies like prunes, is that nothing works like it's supposed to. Just because it doesn't work like one expects, like what it says on the bottle, doesn't mean it doesn't work or is not going to work. I hope that some combination of these things can be a long term strategy for this problem. I want to ask the nurse at the NYU ms center what she thinks, or for any tips or help. Will share any useful info I get.