Health Organization for Pudendal Education

i have been having some issues with my bms and constipation, this is a new thing for me as due to having my gallbladder removed it has left me with bile acid malabsorption which means i have to have a very low fat diet and take imodium every day otherwise i have diarhheah.
recently my no 2s are pellet like and seem very hard, so much so i am having to remove them manually sorry to be soooooooooo graphic.
i am suffering with a lot of griping pain, bloating and trapped wind especially after i have eaten and i always feel like there is something there and what is really strange is that i cant seen to feel when to push like the sensation is numbed.
i am not taking my imodium at the moment to see if i can get things moving, i feel like i want to go but when i get there i cant seem to go. its really freaking me out

andrea

Hi Andrea - yes it can indeed be an issue, although it isn't for all of us.

First of all, I would suggest that you see either your GP or your practice nurse asap to get some practical advice. I have found the nurse practitioner at my local GP surgery the best person to see with regard to this particular problem - but do see someone, whoever it is, and as soon as you can. This needs sorting. Glad you have stopped the imodium for the moment, that sounds very sensible.

I cannot remember what you are taking by the way of medication, but many meds can cause constipation. For people with PN, passing a BM is often a trigger for increased pain, but constipation can cause pain too, in general it is really important for us to avoid getting constipated.

What you are having to do is called digitation, btw. The lack of sensation and difficulty in getting things to work properly is something that quite a few of us have, including me.

I would expect your GP surgery to recommend you take Movicol, or something similar. You can get this over the counter but really it is sensible to be under medical supervision when you are as blocked up as this, because you may need to take the dose higher than it says on the packet - I would emphasise that you should not do this without being told to by the nurse or doctor.

Treatment with Movicol usually lasts up to three days but it is safe for long term use as well, they use it on stroke wards. It is very gentle, it works by bringing water into the large bowel, it is not a stimulant. By the way, one useful tip - it is a good idea to have a hot drink about half an hour after you have each dose, and in general make sure that you keep your fluid intake up.

Hope you feel better soon, I know how miserable this can be.