8 replies to this topic

[anonanonski]

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, I have a 9 month history of symptoms and I can't seem to find a solution. Everything started with constipation, couldn't have a bowel movement 5/6+ days (when I was normal I had a bowel movement once every 2nd or 3th day). Everything I tried was only a temporary solution, I couldn't get back to normal. The constipation didn't came suddenly, a few months before that my stool would be often hard, but I didn't have problems with the urge and passing the stool. Then I started having problems with urge and couldn't go for 4 or more days. Then I started going at the gym and things changed: I was having a bowel movement almost every day, but still HARD and and looked like it was made of many very small stools. Sometimes there was something like something sticky on the stool. I was still having problems with the urge. My "urge" became feeling heavy in the rectum. Of course I was searching my symptoms on the internet and forums and got afraid of colon cancer. Then after a month or two I started experiencing pelvic/bladder pressure and heavyness, a little weaker urinary stream, muffled urge to urinate, and urinating more often then usual. Rectal pressure and a feeling like something was stuck. I had an abdominal ultrasound and the doctor said my bladder was 'upset', most likely I was exposed to a cold weather for too long. Also he said my colon was very full of gas. Everything else normal. He said eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, mint tea for the gas, parafin oil, etc. Here and there I would have a softer stool but still I was not normal.
4-5 months dealing with tnis, I had a colonoscopy which showed that my colon had a lot of very pronounced spasms. I was diagnosed with irritable colon and was prescribed anti spasmodic medicine. I was taking the medicine for month and a half with no improvement in symptoms.
Other symptoms I experience are
Lower back pain (not very often and not very intense tho).
Sometimes I have days when I'm bloated and gassy.
A few hours before a bowel movement I experience mild pressure deep in the rectum. Feels like the stool has difficulties entering the rectum.
Often I feel like my anus/rectum are tense, and that pressure spreads to the perineum and/or tailbone.
When I use an osmotic laxative like macrogol or magnesium I get diarrhea and rectal descomfort. According to my logic, if I have diarrhea when taking laxative that means I'm not constipated, I don't have slow transit, but the stool slows down at the end of the colon for some reason (internal rectal prolapse??)
Lately sometimes I have soft stool, but I still lack the urge (have to stimulate myself with coffee) and after the bowel movement I feel weird discomfort in the rectum (hypersensitivity?). Sometimes I feel like there is still small piece of stool deep inside which is vert distractive.
I know that I shouldn't read on internet boards because it increases my anxiety,but I found a few people with simillar symptoms being diagnosed with rectal intussusception or internal rectal prolapse. Now I'm scared.
When I insert my finger in the rectum I feel like it's somewhat mushy and I have difficulty inserting the finger deeper (tight pelvic floor muscles??).
Very often I feel like gas pressure in the rectum, like I need to pass gas but can't. Often I feel warm sensation on/in the anus.
Another thing, when I touch my anus it feels like the area around it's kinda "swollen". Not like painful red swollen, but kinda like a little dropped down and firm. I think that ring around the anus is the sphincter and it is really tense.
This is really affecting my quality of life because with this near constant rectal discomfort and pressure I can't really enjoy anything and I'm losing my will to socialise, work, study and live. I feel like I'm slowly isolating myself from people. My parents are of no help, constantly saying to me that this is all psychological.
I was slowly becoming anxious and depressed, had difficulties getting out of bed , so I had an appointment with a psychiatrist who prescribed me Zoloft (sertraline) and Helex (alprazolam), I am taking them for 5 days now.
PLEASE give me some advice, this is destroying my grades, my friendships, my LIFE. If you have a friend who is gastroenterologist or rectal surgeon please ask him for an opinion....
Thank you very much, I really apreciate it

P.S.

The thing that worries me is that when I insert my finger I sense like the rectal walls are looser then usual and it's hard to insert the whole finger beccause the walls are kinda tight...

I have had my urine testred. Everything normal. I forgot to mention I went to a urologist a week ago and he said my bladder wall thickened on the lower side. Maybe that ia causing my duscomfort (I feel it the most when I sit). These urinary symptoms scare me more because I found few people with rectal intussusception who also had urinary problems. I don't know the medical connection but maybe somehow the prolapse presses on the prostate or something.
I experience discomfort in rectum/anus/perineum even when the stool is soft. For example two dsays ago I ate a kind of very high fiber bread, yesterday mt stool was soft but I still had the feeling of incomplete evacuation and pressure.
Maybe my IBS was caused by stress and low levels of serotonine, but now my depression is caused by the IBS, not the other way around. Actually I think it is a vicious circle.
I don't know if I mentioned that someimes I have undigested pieces of food in the stool, like apple skin for example. Especially when the stool is soft.
Today I had a soft bowel movement too and it had apple skin in it. The stool was soft but I still have rectal/perineal discomfort.
I don't know if the tenesmus is exactlt what I feel. Tenesmus is described like constasnt urge to poop when there is no poop. I feel like something is stuck deep in the rectum and rectal pressure. Sometimes combined with a very mild urge to poop.

[flossy]

You certainly sound like you might have a rectal prolapse or internal hemorrhoids. Have you been checked for rectal prolapse or no?

 

I would still take something every day to help you go. I think I've said this before. If you get diarrhea, take a little less. But if you have a prolapse that might be the only way it can come out.

[anonanonski]

You certainly sound like you might have a rectal prolapse or internal hemorrhoids. Have you been checked for rectal prolapse or no?
 
I would still take something every day to help you go. I think I've said this before. If you get diarrhea, take a little less. But if you have a prolapse that might be the only way it can come out.

Im not sure.
Some things make me think I don't have a prolapse. There were periods in these 9 months when I didn't feel the symptoms pointing to prolapse (pressure, etc...). I don't have thin flat stool like some people here with prolapses, I don't have rectal discharge of mucus/blood, no leaky gas, when the urge arrives I don't strain a lot.

One thing I noticed is that my "rectal prolapse" symptoms became more prominent after I read about it. This makes me think my brain is playing tricks on me and makes me hypersensitive. Tho I had periods of rectal pressure long before I found out about the possibility of prolapse, but those times I was worried about a tumor (haven't had the colonoscopy back then). It's all a mess.

[flossy]

Has anyone in your family ever have rectal prolapse?

 

How 'bout IBS? I know IBS-D runs in my family. I always say, almost everything is hereditary. From aches and pains to personality even.

 

If I were you I would definitely get checked for rectal prolapse. Ease you mind. Chronic constipation can drive one crazy. I know I was really bad off before I had my hemorrhoidectomy.

 

 

[anonanonski]

Nope, noone had it. My mother is on anti anxiety meds for 15 years tho.

I have an appointment with an internist in two days who hopefully will refer me to gastroenterologist. I will ask the gastro for the rectal prolapse test.

As for you, digital examination may not be that accurate for deeper or mild prolapse. Maybe you should check too.

How bad were you? What symptoms did you hemorrhoids produce and what symptoms do you have now?

Has anyone in your family ever have rectal prolapse?
 
How 'bout IBS? I know IBS-D runs in my family. I always say, almost everything is hereditary. From aches and pains to personality even.
 
If I were you I would definitely get checked for rectal prolapse. Ease you mind. Chronic constipation can drive one crazy. I know I was really bad off before I had my hemorrhoidectomy.

[flossy]

As I stated before I was already checked for rectal prolapse, I didn't have it, I had hemorrhoids (as bad as they get). And it wasn't just a digital examination. 

 

Here is a link to that, click on to read more, if interested:

 

http://www.ibsgroup....morrhoidectomy/

[annie7]

maybe this video on how to have a bowel movement without straining will help you go.  the physical therapist in the video mentions a lot of things that my own biofeedback therapist taught me.

 

               

 

i do hope you will be able to get a referral to a good gastroenterologist.    good with with your appointment with the internist.

[southernbelle830]

Everything you described sounds like classic IBS. I would just take your doctor's word for it and try not to consume yourself in it. And if anything was wrong with your rectum, your doctor would have seen it in your colonoscopy. If your abnormal bowel habits are getting in the way, fiber supplements often work wonders. You didn't mention your age but I suspect you're way too young to be concerned about colon cancer. Nonetheless, try to get your mind off of it as best you can (easier said than done, I know). Stressing about it will just make your symptoms worse.

[anonanonski]

Everything you described sounds like classic IBS. I would just take your doctor's word for it and try not to consume yourself in it. And if anything was wrong with your rectum, your doctor would have seen it in your colonoscopy. If your abnormal bowel habits are getting in the way, fiber supplements often work wonders. You didn't mention your age but I suspect you're way too young to be concerned about colon cancer. Nonetheless, try to get your mind off of it as best you can (easier said than done, I know). Stressing about it will just make your symptoms worse.

I don't think I have cancer after the colonoscopy.
I suspect internal prolapse because a few people on this forum with similar symptoms like mine were diagnosed with it. Their colonoscopies also were clean, so the colonoscopy doesn't show rectal prolapse for some reason. That scares me, because if I have prolapse surgery rarely fixes the symptoms.
Thanks for your answer anyway.