Constipation?!

[LuSmithTheMyth]

Hey guys..

I know this isn't the loveliest of subjects but was wondering what symptoms you get if you've been constipated! I've been told I am and at times I find it hard to go (but I do have hemmorhoids which contributes to the pain of making BM at all), but when I do it's soft and sticky. I know there's still some problem though because I never feel relieved, like I've got an incomplete evacuation, and lately I've started getting rectal pain, lower back and coxyx pain, and leg pains as well as abdominal cramping... but sometimes I feel all this pressure in my vagina and perineum... I just wondered whether this is normal??? I've never actually been constipated before, only since giving birth, so now I'm all worried that I'm not gonna be able to go to the toilet properly for the rest of my life (irrational fear I know...)

Is it normal to feel these weird symptoms?? I get constant achiness and spasms in my rectum!! It's driving me crazy...

If anything what do you do to relieve your symptoms? I've only been prescribed laxatives, colofac and been told to drink loads of water but I have a problem with frequent urination which isnt fun! Guess the hot water bottle calms the pain sometimes... Is there anything which will make me just go?! :(

I had an allergic reaction to movicol and discovered that a bowl of All Bran everyday did the job perfectly! I try to have OJ and get out for a walk with DC too. Def avoid bread and pasta on the same day.

Yeah I try and have high fibre cereal daily now... though it doesn't feel as bad everyday, its still very annoying. Thanks though, will keep all this advice to mind x

FIBRE IS THE ANSWER
If this is a reoccurring problem, then try and incorporate more fruit/veg into your diet; sounds a little patronizing I know - sorry! Fibre clears the ol' tubes and helps the stuff slide out with no trouble. Be careful though - too much fibre can have disastrous consequences, as my DD1 discovered (shudder).

Constipation can actually cause some symptoms you might mistake for others: For example, the violent straining that some of us may have experienced can cause certain blood vessels in the skin to rupture, resulting in purple formations on the skin which don't disappear under pressure. This purple rash is one symptom of meningitis :| This purple rash effect can also be achieved from violent vomiting, as was the case with DS4; caused quite a scare...

I normally use 1 or 2 teaspoons of Epsom Salts dissolved in a glass of warm water. Down the hatch and wait. Does the trick for me and I've a regular problem with faecal impaction with the pills I'm on for back pain.

Haha, I'm trying to drink more water and eat more veg and stuff, my only problem is I don't really like fruit so I struggle having it. But I do try and have apples and stuff when I can. I know I have external hemmorhoids so I'm wondering if these are causing alot of the pressure feeling too, I have no idea how they are meant to feel as this is the first time I've ever had them!

Thanks for the insights guys. I'm slightly worried about faecal impaction, I don't know the signs tbh or if I have it at all.Would I know?

so, have you tried the linseeds yet ?

Thank you Willowisp and chablislover for the linseeds tip. I had never heard of this before.
Brilliant results for me

Hi, I suffer with bowel problems and chronic constipation ever since my spinal cord injury. I've had several admissions to hospital due to being so impacted. My longest record of no bowel motion at all is 52 days. It made me very ill. I use lots of different laxatives, a peristeen (bowel catheter irrigation system) and on a new laxative called prucalopride.
For me, it will never get better because of the nerve damage and for the long term I've been told I might have to have bowel surgery and a stoma.

Laxatives can cause the spasms your describing.

you mean flaxseed? I haven't yet but I might have to. I'm not sure if I do have constipation, I ate some shredded wheat this morning and went 3 times today.

Ouch, sorry to hear that reenypip. :( I hope you don't suffer too much. I don't take the laxatives all the time so I don't think my spasms are from it.. it literally happens most of the time even when I'm relaxing, even when I don't feel the need to go. Not sure what it is.

esperance, nothing like a good poo

In some folk, faecal impaction can be very painful, and for me, I rarely feel a thing, but it all depends on the individual person. I just seem to feel bloated and have a very hard spot where my bowels are impacted with poo. That moves v. v. slowly (last impaction moved about 2cm in 3 days) and then the Epsom Salts come out to play. I have never taken any more that 2tsp dissolved in warm water, 3 times a day max alongside 2+ltrs of water a day, plus other fluids.

A lot of other laxatives draw moisture from other surrounding areas of the body to soften poo, but Epsom Salts only use what ever fluids are already in the bowels to do that (it's a bit like Movicol, except Movicol tastes better), so theoretically, the more you drink, the more fluids go into the bowels and so the softer your poo will be.

All in all, prevention is always better than cure, so keep the fibre up (apples, weetabix/all bran/porridge with fruit, and plenty of veg)

HTH

LYSMITH THE MYTH HI IVE JUST READ YOR POST AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE ITS PELVIC FLOOR DYSFUNCTION. ITS A GYNAECOLOGIST U NEED IF IT IS THAT PROB
THERES SURGERY FOR IT OR PHYSIO. THERES A SIGHT ON HERE FOR RECTOCELES/PFD.

Just wanted to add that painkillers can often cause constipation, don't know if that's relevant to your situation OP. I recently had an operation and was on a cocktail of codeine, paracetamol and ibuprofen. After 3 days I was cemented and so uncomfortable to the point of tears. Had to use a suppository to get things going and swiftly came of the painkillers. I've been prone to constipation at times if I don't eat enough fibre, drink enough water. Now I use pure bran (from a health food store) about 80p for 500g which will last you for months. Haven't seen it in the supermarkets. I mix one desert spoon with my porridge before cooking and have found that is the most palatable way of taking it. It's not digested, but absorbs water and so has no calorific value. Don't over do it though. Another way I took it was to put some in a little dish and dip pieces of fruit or olives in. It sounds horrendous for you, hope you get some relief soon by adjusting your diet if needs be and retraining your body. If that fails you need to insist they take a closer look at you. At least you can tell them that you have tried X,Y & Z but it hasn't worked, if it comes to that.