Constipation for fecking years

[Lazyguts23]

This might be a bit graphic! My apologies, I just don’t have the energy to try to make it any nicer. (I have name-changed for this too!)

I’ve been struggling with constipation for nearly 6 years. I’ve had tests, and they’ve found slow transit in my sigmoid, grade 4 rectoanal intussusception and a 3 cm rectocele. I’ve tried lots of diet-related changes, medications, and irrigation and none have helped. I’m stuck taking a large ish dose of sodium picosulfate once or twice a week - this then gives me diarrhoea the following day, which clears me out. If I don’t take it, the pain just gets worse and nothing will come out. When I do take it, I’m stuck in the house the following day on & off the loo, in pain from cramping and feeling woozy and drained.

I can’t carry on like this. I feel terrible most of the time, and my life, and that of my children, is restricted as I need one weekend day at home. I’ve managed to negotiate a day in the week wfh, but that means I’m stuck in this job.

My consultant now sees me annually and just tells me that lots of people have constipation and there’s nothing more he can do at my age.

I’m 39 now and feel like I’m losing so much, this has blighted my 30s.

Has anyone had similar? Is there anything else I can do or try? Or anyone else I can see? Any advice or words appreciated.

I think a second opinion via NHS might be difficult, because there’s only one NHS hospital anywhere near me and my consultant is supposedly the specialist there for this kind of thing?
The next two nearest hospitals are private hospitals - I’ve just checked and they both look like a mixture of consultants from my hospital and others. Most of the colorectal seem focused on hernias, haemorrhoids and fistulas, but I’ll have more of a look.

@Soupwithstring you are right in that my quality of life is abysmal. The doctor just doesn’t seem bothered by that.

Apologies if this sounds daft. Have you tried yoga? There's poses / breathing that are supposed to internally massage your gut to improve transit. Sounds a bit out there, but might be worth looking at if you have tried everything else.

They’re doing nothing about it. I had my proctogram where they found that 4 years ago - they said they found that, but it’s just been medications since.

Have you changed your diet at all? I suffered with constipation due to gluten intolerance but it took years to realise that was the issue.

What bloods have you had done? Various things can cause constipation, like high calcium levels.

@Lazyguts23

I have so much experience with private hospitals as a patient.

You can write to the consultants secretary and ask if they deal with your specific issues before committing to an appointment.

And absolutely stress your age and lack of quality of life.

I had one fixed - it was different circumstances and it was an emergency situation, so not suggesting it’s routine, but it seems strange it hasn’t been addressed somehow. They did suggest follow up surgery might be required, but it wasn’t luckily.

I totally understand , I was diagnosed 25 yrs ago with Slow Transit Constipation which is further compounded by a spinal injury a few years later.

Like you I've tried every medication, therapy, irrigation and tablets available but nothing improves it. Relief can be obtained by huge amounts of laxatives and a couple of litres if prune juice but at the expense of not leaving the house for 3 days. Even Sodium Pucosulfate is only mildly effective for me as we found at my last colonoscopy !

I'm back under GI physiology at the request of my gastro consultant about to go back on irrigation but short of a hemicolectomy I'm not sure what options are available:-(

Might be worth looking into other things like MCAS and hypermobility

Same here.
Mine is caused mainly by three different drugs I have to take for other things, I also have a long and twisty bowel.
I used to manage it with a diet of all the things mentioned on here but it doesn't work on it's own.
I won't suggest anything dietary as I think you would have found a solution if there was one.
Do you take any medication or supplements that might, if not causing the problem then certainly not helping?
Magnesium citrate helps a bit, most people take it for other reasons but it has some laxative effect.

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Hypothyroidism can cause constipation.

Did you get checked for celiac?

Please do seek a second opinion, OP, even if it means going a bit further afield

• there are usually surgical options for rectoanal intussusception. It sounds like conservative management has not been successful and your quality of life is really poor. I would tell the specialist exactly what you've put in your first post, and that you cannot go on like this.

Have you had problems with your spine that could affect the nerves to this part of your colon?

I eat prunes, sourdough bread (that I make myself), whole plain yogurt with live bacteria inside and very high probiotics amzn.eu/d/0GwaQZV

Hi OP.

I completely get where you are with this nightmare, OP. It was me up till 10 years ago after decades trying to get a diagnosis.

I had some awful tests, eventually culminating in being examined under general anaesthetic which was deemed necessary to confirm the diagnosis. It was an internal rectal prolapse (also called intussusception), and without surgery would have led to an external rectal prolapse. Definitely something to be avoided.

They did a Laparoscopic Ventral Rectopexy surgery to fix the internal rectal prolapse. I had mine done at a private hospital in Oxford but I have found a link about the operation at an NHS hospital here:

Laparoscopic Ventral Rectopexy | Display Patient Information Leaflets | University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk)

Generally these days I am fine as long as I exercise (walking) and am careful with my diet (porridge with linseeds, probiotics, plenty of vegetables, drink water etc). It worked for me though I know operations involving mesh can lead to problems, which I think is the reason it's not routinely offered by the NHS. It is also very hard to diagnose but it sounds like you have already been diagnosed.

I had to do lots of research to find the right help as my GP really didn't have a clue, and even had an unnecessary hysterectomy on my journey to proper diagnosis and treatment.

This is interesting as my DD is always loose when she comes home from uni where it's a soft water area and we are hard water here. I always think it's because I use brown 'everything' at home and she eats more fruit/veg here but maybe it's the water!
As for OP - I would go back to the consultant as it sounds like it's structural and not something eating more of x or less of z will help. Good luck.

Sorry, this sounds horrible for you. I have had problems since peri menopause started when I think about it. I have had a bit of success by almost entirely eliminating caffeine apart from first coffee in the morning. I also started taking a magnesium supplement called Magnesium ok. I think this may also help. I do sympathise. There is nothing worse and you absolutely should get this fixed and get your life back.

Obvious question, but are you on any other medications? Things like iron tablets can cause problems….sorry if not helpful

Seeing as your problem is structural, have you tried using something to raise up your feet so you are in a squatting position when going to the toilet? It's the natural position that humans were designed to use when emptying their bowels. Google squatty potty so you can get the idea. It doesn't have to be this device, you can try using a box or anything sturdy that raises your legs up.