[davepoiuy]

In a normal functioning bowel (i.e. not in a person with IBS) do people usually retain waste in their colon but are able to hold onto it without distress (in the same way that with urination, your bladder may not be urgently telling you to go but equally you may be able to produce some urine if you wanted to do so)?I was wondering as I think that with IBS you get a bit paranoid and so can get into a patern of constantly checking (and then if you produce something thinking that it was lucky that you went because otherwise you would have had a BM).

 

[prabax]

I have yet to see a normal functioning bowel.

 

[overitnow]

Dave, that was my experience before I lost control of my control. Since returning to health, my bowel function has also returned to something close to that, although that took years to achieve. There are still occasions when I can't just hold it until it is convenient, normally restricted to mornings, usually when I am out of the house. I am hoping that will disappear in time, as well.Mark

 

[Kathleen M.]

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/bristol-stool-scale.html shows normal consistency.Usually people who are normal have from 3 BM's a day to 3 BM's a week and will be able to hold it for awhile without severe pain or urgency (at least for awhile, if they wait long enough anyone can get pain and urgency) but will also pass the stool without trouble when they choose to.IBSers tend to have rectal hypersensitivity where instead of the rectum is way too full it sends the "get it out now!!!!!" pain and urgency it will do so at fullness levels you either shouldn't notice or should just cause a mild "um, you might want to go soon" signal.

 

[davepoiuy]

If the urgency is caused by rectal hypersensitivity does this mean that if you just ignored the urgency sensations that you would not soil yourself (i.e. are the sensations not a real indication of needing to go)?

 

[Kathleen M.]

If the urgency gets bad enough for long enough it can over-ride the sphincter control. Depends on how bad your urgency is and how good your sphincter control is. Some IBSers have had accidents from trying to wait it out. Just like if you refuse to pee no matter how urgently your bladder says it is way past time to go eventually your body will empty the bladder to protect it.Usually what would happen to me is the longer I held it the urgency didn't increase past control, but the pain would get worse and worse and eventually it would be so bad I couldn't walk. So I usually tried to get to the bathroom before I'd have to crawl to get there.

 

[jmc09]

Very good description Kathleen.I find that even if I eat a small amount my bowel tells me I need to go even when I know I'm not going to pass either a very small amount or nothing at all.It's an urgency feeling but without the actual urgency sometimes.The pay off for holding it in,I find is bloating,spasms and stomach cramps which are just as bad as going and not being able to pass much.I vaguely remember the days when I could hold things in and the feeling would pass until maybe the following day but they are long past!