Recently much, much worse. Horrible constipation followed by urgent, painful "going" - little after that it turns to urgent diarrhea, to the point I can''t leave the house and soil myself. Then everything stops. Now, pooping small blood clots, lots of air, but no BMs.
Rinse. Repeat.
Help!
Every time my doctor calls me she talks about one symptom and I have to tell her I'm on to the next.
Colonoscopy a few weeks ago showed no polyps. Inflammation lower colon/rectum which she biopsied and no results yet. One internal hemmerhoid - some external.
Beside myself. 70 and sick, housebound because I never know what's coming next.
Written by
NewEnglander
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Hi, sorry to hear you are going through this. It sounds a lot like colitis (not a doctor but is sounds very similar), I've had it since age 16. It is miserable when first diagnosed and very debilitating. Best to stay near the toilet for a bit until you are on treatment. Don't worry though if it is colitis there are good treatments available and your symptoms will improve. If it is colitis post back here and I and other can give you some tips to speed up your recovery as most people go through years of trying stuff before they hit on something that really helps. Hope you feel better soon and stay close to that toilet it will be a best friend for a while.
My colonoscopy was sent for further eval and came back as: "Patchy active colitis with changes suggestive of chronic colitis; mucosal granulomas present" - they are now doing more indepth analysis from biopsies. Colitis is interchangeable for inflammation. So I'm not sure yet what my diagnosis will be. Oddly enough as I type this I still have not heard from my gastro doc - I READ IT ON my patient portal!!!
Yes that is not good follow up they should get back to you pretty much straight away after the scope and then a week or so later for a more in depth appointment. Very true, they don't know what colitis actually is, from what I understand it is grab back for inflammation of the colon. So chances are you will go on anti-inflammatories pretty soon which will bring things under control. Let me know if you want any tips on other things that might be helpful. There is a lot of advice out there on diet that is very confusing but there a simple things to do right away like cutting out: alcohol, refined sugar and processed food. I hope you feel better soon, wishing you peace and health.
Hi NewEnglander, have you ever tried to used glycerol suppositories. I have an issue with what appears to be constipation. After years of tests my Gastroenterologist examined my rectum on 2 separate occasions and said that I was not completely emptying my rectum, leaving behind poop in the area that dries up during the time the body is getting ready for the next bowel movement which then makes me constipated. She recommended glycerol suppositories which act quite quickly and can be used as and when required. I have also been given poop softeners called docusate which I take before bedtime, if I have not been to the bathroom the next morning I then use the glycerol suppository. I was a bit taken aback and wondered why my body was holding onto the poop.
Recently had a MRI called a Proctogram or Defecating MRI, it looks at all if the pelvic floor, how it is working with your bladder, vagina and rectum, identifies any problems like prolapses, blockages, if you are holding back any poop, letting go of urine, checks your muscles etc all in the pelvic region. A very detailed close look at your insides like no other scan.
You go through the MRI with doing nothing, then asked to do pelvic floor exercises and other exercises whilst in the machine, then taken out of the machine and they put contrast in the rectum, take you back into the MRI machine and you are asked to go through the pelvic floor exercises again whilst keeping the contrast inside you and then asked to strain as though going for a poop but not letting go of the contrast. After this you are asked to strain and let the contrast come out if your rectum fully as if going for a poop, the MRI will see if you have any contrast left in the rectum. If you are not able to let go of the contrast in the machine whist laying down with your knees bent, then you go to the toilet and then back in the machine to check if any contrast remains inside. I have also read this MRI can be carried out with contrast in the vaginal cavity or both vagina and rectum.
I had seen a Gynaecologist a few weeks before this Proctogram MRI who had little interest in the fact I personally felt my bowel was involved in my vaginal symptoms. He gave me an examination and diagnosis of Hypertonic Pelvic Floor and sent me off with a referral to the pelvic dysfunction team to teach me how to relax my pelvic floor and then start doing pelvic floor exercises, I'm still waiting for the appointment.
I decided because the Gastroenterologist, who I have been seeing for years and now Gynaecologist had found really, in my opinion, nothing that accounted for my full symptoms that I would pay privately for the Proctogram MRI. I was shocked with the results, I was diagnosed with a grade 3 sigmoidocele as well as a rectocele. This is sitting/dropping in between the vagina and rectum, as I understand it. The sigmoid colon has dropped down and this is what is affecting my variety bowel emptying issues. Some call it a colon prolapse other a hernia.
I sent the clinic report back to the Gastroenterologist who sent it to a Colorectal Surgeon for advice and I sent it to the same Gynaecologist. Waited nearly 4 months to hear the Colorectal Surgeon says its not his field but is Gynaecology, not sure if that is just this hospital since I read other Colorectal Surgeons do operate with assistance of Gynaecology. Anyway I chased up the Gynaecologist secretary and I have been told he will call me on the telephone in December.
I have relayed my experience here after years of nothing from consultants. It was only because I have had most MRI's and other scans over these years to try and ascertain what the issue is, and speaking to the Gastroenterologist around 18 - 24 months ago when she spoke about this strange kind of MRI. Making that decision to book and pay privately for this Proctogram MRI after being discharged by consultants is one of the best decisions I have ever made. No idea where it is going to right now but I do know what it is that has been causing my long-term issues. I understand no examination or the other 5 pelvic MRI/CT scans would have picked this Sigmoidocele up.
Had it been picked up earlier, grade 1 or grade 2, then I read pelvic floor exercises can help. I have been doing exercises for years but perhaps the tightness in my vagina is due to the Sigmoidocele not being able to go up and down properly due to where it has dropped and the weight inside the sigmoid itself. Too many questions still spinning around my head. I do have a Ehlers Danlos diagnosis too which probably has not helped matters.
If you have reached this far then I do hope it gives you an insight into how some of these experts around us just do not always get it right. Other tests are available but they rarely talk about them.
Wow - I have had that MRI mentioned to me by a surgeon because everything else was negative and I said - at 70, I'm done with this. How much insult can one body take? But I'm intrigued now. I at least have a "chronic colitis" diagnosis - and now waiting for biopsies - and we will go from there. No cancer. That was my fear. My gastro doc is also a pelvic floor specialist so let's see about that, too. You have been through the ringer! I also had an internal vaginal ultrasound and abdominal ultrasound, all kinds of blood work, and a CT scan - everything inconclusive and normal - no polyps throughout the entire colon, either.
Each day I learn more about this Proctogram MRI it literally can identify lots of the tiniest things. I had a list of things written down for the consultant radiologist to consider when reviewing this Proctogram MRI that had been picked up from other pelvic CT and MRI's. The consultant looked at the Proctogram MRI and was identified from my list those picked up from Urology, a small urethral diverticulum and further confirmed it was not symptomatic, he identified an old bartholin's cyst which nobody else ever had etc.
I contacted this consultant radiologist who reviewed the Proctogram MRI on Friday asking if he knew any consultants that might be able to help he replied with 2 consultants names and both are gynae/colorectal experienced. I made the enquiry because I learnt after I replied to your message that the Gynaecologist who will call me in December is not experienced in colorectal only gynae/urology.
My bowel habits over the years have been all over the place going from one extreme to another and then all OK but soon back to something else again. My gastric issues include bloating, abdominal pain, pressure under ribcage. I have for years seen a Gastroenterologist and for whatever reason has never put me forward to colorectal or gynaecology. Everything she considered was gastric, it was her who told me about this MRI a while ago, I just wished she had put me forward for it then, I truly believe more damage has been done.
Take care and I wish you all the best in finding out what is going on inside your body. X
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Imodium plus comfort
IBS or IBD 
i am so fed up of living in pain and having flare non stop!
Please help? Does this sound like IBD? 
Do you guys have had experienced pooping with brown blood or red blood clots?
