I have been referred for anorectal manometry and biofeedback training at the end of November. I received some information from the hospital about both of these but I can't find much else about it all online.
If you have had either or both of these, what was your experience like? Did you find it helpful?
I haven't had any tests down there (not even an basic examination) and I have constant pressure and occasional pain in my anus, so I'm a bit nervous about it all.
I had this done but unfortunately it wasn’t very helpful for me. My nurse had me practice some bowel retraining exercises at home but no help.
I guess you’ll have a few tests done on the day to check pressure and sensitivity. There’s a balloon one where a balloon is entered into the bowel and blown up with air to check pressure. All my tests came back normal but I am struggling to open my bowels.
Thanks for your reply. Sorry that it didn't help you.
What did they suggest once they saw your tests came back normal? I honestly don't think it's going to be a problem with the muscles, etc. as I feel like I have good control. I'm not sure what the next step would be though!
They just came to the conclusion that I have colonic inertia so extremely slow transit. I just have a lot of laxatives as they’re reluctant to do any surgery as yet although I think it’s doing more harm than good as I am very much dependent on them
Is surgery an option for you if laxatives don't help? It's so frustrating that so many people are sent away to just put up with their symptoms. Sorry to hear that!
At the moment they’re very reluctant to, they said it’d be better for me to have a baby first and then consider it but I’m 22 and don’t see that happening for a good few years. I have also got a lot of gynae problems going on and have a strong feeling the bowel issues is due to endo so I’m pushing for a laparoscopy from them
If you've got Endometrial adhesions on your intestines that will definitely be causing bowel problems - laparoscopy and diathermy is a short term fix but the adhesions will return. I had severe endo for years, multiple laparoscopies etc, but was eventually totally cured by a Mirena coil. If you're not planning to have children for a while, it's worth considering a Mirena - the first couple of months can be grim with stomach cramps but the end result was brilliant.
I'm not sure if I have endometriosis yet - I've only had an internal ultrasound, which I know you can't be diagnosed by. That's interesting about Mirena though - I'm not on any birth control at the minute as I wanted to see if it was effecting my symptoms at all (it wasn't!) so I'll look into it. Thank you!
I was referred to a specialist physiotherapist for what was described as bio-feedback - basically it was teaching me how to do pelvic floor exercises and I then went on to try bowel irrigation with the Qufora system. The aim was to retrain my bowel but sadly it didn`t!
Thanks for replying! Sorry that it didn't work for you - do you mind me asking what they taught you? Did you have regular sessions or just the initial one and then you had to do the exercises at home by yourself?
I had about 6 sessions about a month apart - the exercises are sometimes called kegal exercises - taught to women after childbirth. Although it didn`t work for me I found it a positive experience as the physio was very experienced in bowel and bladder problems and it was good to talk to someone who had time to discuss everything - in fact I am just looking into seeing her again privately as I`m getting a lot of back pain associated with IBS and I think she will be more helpful than the GP
I'm glad you had such a positive experience! I've seen some forums suggesting that biofeedback involves the use of electrodes on the area - do you know if this is the case? I assume that may be if there is a problem with the nerves rather than the muscles.
Have you found anything that has helped you?
I didn`t have any electrodes but can`t say that is always the case. My physio specialises in women`s health issues, especially bowel and bladder and she just did an internal examination & was able to reassure me that I had good muscle tone and didn`t have a prolapse. I`m surprised you have got this far without anyone examining you!
I don`t want to depress you but I haven`t yet found anything helpful. Like you I have a constant feeling of pressure in the back passage - putting it bluntly, I feel as if the rectum is full all of the time. I have a major problem with incomplete evacuation which I`m sure causes the discomfort. I saw a dietician last week who has told me to start taking milled linseeds every day so I`ll see if that makes any difference.
Try not to be nervous about the test - I`m sure you will be treated with dignity and hopefully it will give you some answers. I`d be interested to hear how you get on so keep in touch
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