[Heal11]

So here goes

I haven't been diagnosed with ibs and haven't been tested

I am 22 years old (female) and have had stomach problems for a very long time
Back in 7th grade I started having issues with constipation. l would be unable to go to the bathroom in the morning and would force myself to go - I would not feel good afterwards

(my diet was pretty bad at the time - I did eat homecooked food but I also had a lot of junk food and would avoid vegetables, I would also eat icecream everyday - this probably caused the constipation

As things progressed further I found that I would never feel completely empty after I went to the bathroom - I would get a feeling of 'incomplete evacuation' and would try to get rid of this feeling by straining i would also feel a little bit of pressure in my abdomen - like I still had to go

This feeling would cause me discomfort and I would go to the bathroom again and again to get rid of it

I started spending longer times in the bathroom

I felt like I had constipation and diarrhoea at the same time as I had to strain to poop but what would come out would be soft

When I would go to the bathroom in the beginning everything would be normal and then these issues start to happen towards the end - especially when I felt like I needed to go 'just a little bit more' in order to feel empty

I would feel like there's something stuck in my anus and that feeling would make me stay in the bathroom and would also last for a while after I got out making me feel like I would ruin my underwear

I told my parents this but they said I was probably imagining the feeling (they are doctors) but I would not believe them because when I strained poop did come out

The problem got worse over the years and I tried to change my diet but gave up too easily - the frequent trips caused me to miss out on many things In life

I was afraid of eating things because it would make me feel like I had to go to the bathroom again and so eventually (in college) I started going to the bathroom and not eating much afterwards

In college it made me lose time and so I started staying up late at night since my stomach would feel calm then - I also Started eating at night - stuff like almonds and biscuits - in order to be able to study

This bad habit of staying up at night has continued

Now I go to the bathroom once a day and it takes a long time
I arbitrarily get up now and don't try to poop if it involves straining and the feeling of something being there is faint now and dosent continue after I get up

But I still can't go in the morning and have to go in the afternoon or early evening and it still takes a long time and I worry about it all day making me inefficient before I go to the bathroom - I have to plan my day around it - I go to college without going to the bathroom in the morning (I used to take a medicine called zedot which stopped me from going to the bathroom- but caused constipation)

If I took medicine for diarrhoea it caused me constipation and if I took medicine for constipation it would cause me diarrhoea and I would have to go to the bathroom multiple times

I have trouble figuring out an arbitrariy time to get up and feel anxious about it while in the bathroom

I also have ocd(and anxiety) and wash my hands too much which makes me take more time

So I'm asking for help with this - if somebody knows what this is or can suggest a diet/lifestyle change that can help

 

[steenie]

My advice is to see a doctor and a Gastroenterologist to rule other things out. Also a cousellor/psychologist to address the ocd and stress issues.

 

[minimalizer]

Sounds like you need regulating with a non-gassy fiber like methylcellulose in the Citrucel brand, but in their caplet form. I take two (1g worth of fiber) before everything I eat. Fiber supplements say they are laxative, but they can regulate bowel movements period as I found out on an eating for IBS forum. I looked at your health profile and it's not listed. I started out in my 20s with mostly gas and discomfort, and then the bad spasming pain set in when there was so much gas that it had started irritating my colon, then came eating the softer food to get the irritation down. Either way, GI doctor called it IBS. So, I hope you have Citrucel caplets there or can order from the internet. They are convenient and don't have the gassy artificial sugars or regular bad for us sugars in them like the mixes. I'm sorry your parents mis-judged your situation, but know things will improve in the long run.

Fiber ain't just for old folks

 

[minimalizer]

Also, one big thing that might help is using the Squatty Potty method, using a box if need be: The article explains better than the goofy video wellnessmama.com/7013/squatty-potty/