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Original poster

Bowel issues after pregnancy

12 replies

Sandsea · 09/12/2020 08:17

Hi ,

I am wondering if anyone experience or experienced issues with their bowels after pregnancy. I had my baby 15 months ago via c section and since then I am experiencing loads of symtoms : changed frequency ( I am more regular ) , 90 out of 100 I have diarrhea or loose motions ( sorry TMI ), I also have loads of urgency, I never had before . I almost never have normal bowel movements, it happens but it is very rare. Because of these things I had numerous tests and all of them came back fine, including the recent one sigmoidoscopy ( camera inside my bowels). I am confused what is this and if this is IBS D , but I never have pain, usual with IBS , gallblader - but I never have pain and liver function tests are clear.

OP posts:
lostandfound55 · 09/12/2020 09:39

Thought I would reply on your thread rather than the other.

I am surprised that you have not been offered anymore help since the colonoscopy. I was advised by the gastroenterologist that if it came back clear there was different medication that could be tried to try to resolve issues.

Are you having to go several times a day? Have you been given any medication to try?

Have you been tested for celiac disease or had stool samples?

Original poster
Sandsea · 09/12/2020 09:54

lostandfound55 - thank you for your reply , I been tested for all things IBD stool sample, pancreas stool sample , liver , celiac , anemia - all negative. Noone prescribed any medication , just saw my bowels on a screen and it is completely healthy ! I am pretty sure gallstones would give some pain right ? As this is the only thing , what can cause, but I have no pain ! I only go in the mornings, sometimes 1 time , sometimes two times with literally 1 minute notice and is 90 % of time just loose! Sometimes it hits me if I have say something fatty and then I have diarrhea within half an hour , but that does not happen often.I asked them maybe this is adhesions from scar they say that I would be in a lot if pain. Maybe , I need to go back to GP and ask for medication .

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lostandfound55 · 09/12/2020 10:13

Yes I think gallstones would cause pain, I know some don’t get the really bad labour type pains and just get a dull pain instead. A friend of dh just had a pain in his back from gallstones and nowhere else.

There is bile acid malabsorption which I know causes diarreah, but I think that is meant to cause multiple bowel movements a day.

I would go back to your gp to see what they advise as if it is ibs there are medications to try or a referral to a dietitian.

CescaNicole · 09/12/2020 10:15

Hi! I have the urgency thing which is IBS related for me. I had it before babies too but it is worse now after kids. I have to avoid things like coffee and milk unless I am with 30 seconds of a toilet!

tyrannosaurustrip · 09/12/2020 10:16

Are you breastfeeding? Did you tear? I had increased urgency but was under a postpartum physio team anyway because of a third degree tear and it seemed to be linked to that, they also wanted to investigate the possibility of nerve damage. I was also told hormones from breast-feeding (essentially lower oestrogen) could have an effect.

Is it possible you could have had a tear/nerve damage not picked up at the time? And that there could still be a hormonal issue? It sounds like everything had been investigated from the point of view of it being a bowel issue rather than possibly linked to childbirth so I don't know if that angle has been checked out?

Original poster
Sandsea · 09/12/2020 10:25

CescaNicole, I noticed that so many foods cause diarrhea. I tried probiotics Symprove , it helped somehow, but then caused loads of gas . Do you get pain with IBS? - I never get any pain ! I just get the urgency but no pain . It is embarrassing as you dont know when it will hit you!

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Original poster
Sandsea · 09/12/2020 10:45

tyrannosaurustrip - no I had no tears as I had a planned c section, I stopped breastfeeding a while ago now, I somehow think this been caused by c - section, as I never had those issues. I used to go maybe 1 time every second day, now literally everyday or twice a day and is almost always loose. At least I know is not something serious like bowel cancer or issues with pancreas, liver etc. Maybe is pelvic floor , but will it cause diarrhoea?

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Original poster
Sandsea · 09/12/2020 10:59

lostandfound55 - bile acid malabsorption was ruled out for me , just wanted to say that not all alarming things is straight forward something serious. In your case your answer is most likely a gallstones ! For me it is just a mystery ! never thought I will have these problems and now I understand how people feel who suffer from IBS

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CescaNicole · 09/12/2020 12:12

I don't really get a lot of pain to be honest. I went to the gp years ago about the urgency and the loose movements because I work out on the road, so you can imagine I have been in some interesting situations trying to park up and leg it to the nearest loo 😂😩
They told me to try the fodmap diet but I didn't really ever take it seriously as now I am home all the time I jus run to the loo and avoid coffee and dairy. I think stress is also a trigger too a sometimes I can go a few weeks without it then it comes back.

Original poster
Sandsea · 09/12/2020 12:39

@CescaNicole

I don't really get a lot of pain to be honest. I went to the gp years ago about the urgency and the loose movements because I work out on the road, so you can imagine I have been in some interesting situations trying to park up and leg it to the nearest loo 😂😩 They told me to try the fodmap diet but I didn't really ever take it seriously as now I am home all the time I jus run to the loo and avoid coffee and dairy. I think stress is also a trigger too a sometimes I can go a few weeks without it then it comes back.
CescaNicole, I almost never get normal bowel movements, I had it maybe handful of times in the past year. It is always dodgy and weird in some form, either loose either diarrhoea, either weird shape ( sorry TMI). It might be IBS D for me , I heard about Fodmap diet, will start trying this! Probiotics helped, but did not like the gas bit, it was awful. I was convinced this can not be IBS as I had no pain. I can imagine, how embarrassing, I always think what would I do if it hits me and there is no loo around :D
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2020nymph · 09/12/2020 12:44

I had this, I kept spare pants in the change bag just in case. Blush

Turned out to be a food intolerances I had developed. I got tested privately and feel much better since cutting the food out.

Original poster
Sandsea · 10/12/2020 10:12

@2020nymph

I had this, I kept spare pants in the change bag just in case. Blush

Turned out to be a food intolerances I had developed. I got tested privately and feel much better since cutting the food out.

I might go back to my private one to ask for this ! This is really really strange. It might be that too. Thank you
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