IBS and constipation cycle - anyone been on this journey.

[Whyismycatanasshat]

I can’t seem to update my original thread but I was in a spin because I keep having urges to poop that came on very rapidly; I’ve been having feelings of hot, trapped wind and then seconds later I had to poop and couldn’t hold it. Predominantly in the mornings. Not diarrhoea, just soft poop.
This could go on for a few days then I may have a day of not pooping but sometimes Feeling like poop was there.And then the next day, Boom, Trapped wind and 3 minutes later desperately trying to get to the toilet.

I posted in here asking about kegels. For some reason I didn’t think it could be related to constipation.

An update. After a spike in anxiety I rang my GP, and was obviously in enough of a state on the phone to the usually unhelpful receptionist to get a same day call back.

As I’m either having the “wind then need run to the toilet all in 3 minutes” or “not going at all, feeling like I could go but nothing happening and my stomach bubbling all day” and there’s no pattern or predictability the GP thinks I’m in an IBS and constipation cycle.

I have been told to take a sachet of movicol in the evening if I don’t go in that day.

I just want to feel normal again. Im bubbling stomach today so will take movicol tonight if nothing happens; I’m finding it very stressful. I’m worried about things like taking my DD out for a walk as it could happen when we’re out. What if I can’t get sorted and this is it, how could I take DD to playgroup and swimming if I’m worried about my bowels...

Anyone been on this journey and can offer me hope. Thank you.

Gentle, hopeful bump for the evening crowd.

I read your other post too. I get your problems because I lived with similar issues off and on for years. Mine started after c section , I believe you have similar experience as well.

I tried a lot of things to sort my problem and the best that worked for me was whenever I got stuck in this wind , urgency, then constipation cycle was to drink fennel and peppermint tea for 15 days and taking a stool softener every night. If I did that for 15 days my problems were sorted for few months.
To make fennel tea - take a spoon of fennel seeds , add a teaspoon of a sugar and pour hit water on top , add a peppermint tea bag if you want and let seep for 5 minutes then drink it.
You will get rid of the wind.
If you don't want to drink the tea then try maalox plus - it has similar effects.

Thank you for your reply.
Do you find you have the wind then almost instantaneously need to go?
The Dr said if I didn’t manage to go today to take the movicol, and man alive it tastes vile. Had me retching just to take one dose.
I cried.

Movicol tastes a bit better if you add in squash. Not nice but very effective.

I have IBS. It sucks! Have you ever had it properly investigated such as a colonoscopy to check there’s not an underlying cause?

I had very similar symptoms for many years, not quite as bad as yours though.
About 6 months ago I got a very nasty deep-seated infection on my leg, possibly from an insect bite or something. Anyway the GP gave me some seriously powerful antibiotics and by the time I finished the course of tablets, my bowel issues disappeared completely and haven't come back.

Movicol is too violent in effect for me. I take a sachet of fybogel every day. Isphagula husk is similar. Both are a source of soluble fibre which move through you in a gentler more predictable way. Have you been referred to a dietitian to guide you through an elimination diet, to find out what did is triggering your IBS? My symptoms aren't the same as yours, but still IBS.

@pickingdaisies my DR advised me to To keep a food diary and see if anything seemed to trigger it. I’ve done all this with my DD’s reflux so am a bit of a food tracking pro!

@FaithInfinity
thanks for that squash tip; I’ll give it a go tomorrow. Right now my guts are making the odd noise but I feel really sick. Possibly a movicol side affect. I’d much sooner take a capsule than powders. Not sure if any exist.

I take movicol for constipation from pain killers. I find it's best to dissolve it in a whole glass of very cold water (so 350ml-ish) and then add a sharp lemon and lime squash. Sometime I add fresh lime juice as well. The sharpness seems to balance the salty taste. Drinking it slowly with a meal helps with the nausea. I had the worst nausea ever from bowel prep (which is similar to movicol, but stronger and more of it!). Unfortunately I don't think it exists as a pill!

If you are taking movicol make sure you dissolve it properly. Wait for the solution to go transparent before you drink then it won't taste that bad and work properly. Movicol is available in chocolate flavor too but adding lemon also works. But let the solution becomes transparent first( takes about 2-3 minutes) .
For your question - yes I had urgency too. I just had to rush. Eventually I realised my urgency caused by a combination of sluggish bowel and wind. I felt the urgency because of wind which felt like urge for bowel movement. When I went , though i did had a BM I was never completely done but I did not realize it. So I started to wait in the toilet even after I was done and then got another urge after few more minutes ( sluggish bowel). Once I followed this routine , I never had problem of wind again nor the urgency. It kept repeating every few months.
My gp thought I had IBS too but then I had laparoscopy for another reason and my surgeon found a lot of fibrous adhesions on my bowel. A part of my bowel was partially blocked hence sluggish. It was 14 miserable years but now I am sorted.

Some things that helped me were

Taking peppermint capsules
Drinking plenty of water
Keeping a food diary (any sort of gluten brings my insides to a halt)
Meditation and relaxation. Google somatic meditation which works with the body and breathing. It shifts a lot of wind in me!

HTH

Food diary is good but not great. If you are intolerant to something that you eat every day (wheat, dairy, onions, yeast, potatoes) a diary won't highlight it. A more exact way is by eliminating a food group from your diet for 2 weeks then reintroduce it and use your food diary then. Your body's reaction will be more obvious after the break from the culprit. Lots of people find a low fodmap diet helps them.

Thank you all for responding.

My guts are making interesting noises this morning; I’m hopeful something might come of it.

The movicol and water solution was definitely clear by the time I managed to drink it last night but to me it almost tasted salty.
I suspect I’ll need to take another sachet later today but I can’t handle the nausea. I’m parenting DD - 16 months - solo for the duration Of lockdown as my Partner is on the family farm and I really struggle to manage with her when I’m Off like I was last night.

Deflatine chewable tablets are good for dispersing excess gas. Sorry you're having such a tough time with it. Following an exclusion diet is quite tough, probably you've got enough going on right now, but you could try a low fodmap cookbook and see if it helps. Try The Fodmap friendly Kitchen by Emma Hatcher. Hope the movicol helps today.

Could I ask for some advice from movicol users please?
So I’ve had a movement mid morning; without the burning wind feeling, hurrah. The last time I had had a movement before then was Tuesday. Currently I don’t feel the -too much information, sorry- pressure at my back end like I have done since Tuesday.
Do I take another sachet tonight and keep things moving or do I not take any and see what happens tomorrow.

My Dr said take it on days when I don’t have a movement but what if today’s one isn’t all of it! I’m not sure how potent a sachet is.
Can’t ring for clarity as my Dr’s surgery is shut for half day training from 11am and nothing had happened before then.

I should add that before all this started, going every two or three days wasn’t uncommon for me.

Think it’ll be another sachet tonight as the pressure at my back end has resumed. Lots of wind though so I think that’s a good sign?

I’m going to try chilling the water for the movicol and adding squash.

Also, does anyone know of dulcoease does the same thing as movicol? That’s available in tablet form and I wondered if that could be a solution in future

Feel like I’m the Adrian Mole of Poop threads today.

Trying to do as my Dr said; as I’ve been today I’m not having the movicol.
I’m also wondering if I’ve strained myself as my bum hurts! Rather than still being full.

Struggling today; I’m still not convinced by my Dr’s theory of constipation as I don’t feel like I am, But I’ve had another very soft, not as thick/bulky as usual movement. Much like yesterday, still got dull pain or pressure at my back end but no hard movements like something is stuck. So not taking movicol today.

I feel rough though, got bubbling wind which nothing is shifting. Struggling with DD today too.

Wish I could click my fingers and feel normal again. My mood is so low.

Trying to drink more water today, switched to weetabix for breakfast since yesterday too.

Seriously, ditch the wheat products for the time being. Oats are much better for you. Again, try isphagula husk, I think you can get it from Holland and Barrett. Or fybogel. They both turn into a gel that eases through your system. Weirdly, help with constipation and diarrhoea. Look at people's reviews, it could make a huge difference for you. The worst that will happen is they won't make any difference. Mild, natural, and you're not throwing more chemicals at your system. (Have you been tested for celiac disease btw?) For what it's worth, IMHO, movicol is treating the symptoms, but the underlying cause is still there. You need to look to your diet.

Thanks @pickingdaisies, two days off the wheat and nothing has improved yet; I’ve ordered some fybogel this morning. Hopefully speaking to my GP on Tuesday as something just isn’t right.
I will also look at my diet and eliminating certain things. Interesting as my diet really hasn’t changed in 10 years!
Thanks again.

Hope you find the problem. I was lucky, I got an NHS funded visit to a dietician who guided me through the elimination diet, but it's possible to do it yourself. In my case it's a combination of wheat, dairy, potato, nuts and onion, and I can tolerate all of them now in small amounts. Good luck with your GP.