Anybody here have chronic constipation & pelvic floor dysfunction?

Posted by ltarashuk @ltarashuk, Mar 31 2:22pm

Hi,
I have slow transit constipation and have been going to pelvic floor PT and have been treated with various medication and laxatives but I feel like I am dealing with so much diarrhea it’s interfering with my daily living. I was wondering if anyone has had any success living with these issues? Thank you

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@deborahwrites

I did it myself. I kept a food diary, writing down everything I ate, and I eliminated the most common food allergens ... wheat, corn, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, and eggs. After two weeks of not eating any of those foods, I would eat one. You could have a reaction up to a day or two, but I'd usually have a stomachache or reflux within 15 minutes and then not poop for 3-4 days. You need to wait until all reactions have stopped before introducing another food. Since I reacted to almost everything, it took me several weeks to reintroduce all the foods.

If you eat packaged foods, you need to read the ingredients and write down everything on the label. People would always ask what I could eat, and it's actually a lot ... all kinds of meat and seafood, all the vegetables and fruits, plus grains like rice and quinoa. This is also a pretty cheap and easy way to eat. Grill or bake meat or seafood and steam or stir-fry veggies. Plain rice is super cheap (not a boxed mix, which includes soy and corn derivatives). If you have salads, be sure to read the ingredients on the dressing because they can include corn and soy derivatives like corn syrup, corn starch, dextrose, etc. There are about 100 different food additives that are made from corn.

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Thank you

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@januaryjane

I have slow transit constipation and ibs. So I rarely have diarrhea. If you have overflow diarrhea maybe slow down on the miralax..this can cause lots of diarrhea as it is also used to prep for colonoscopies. But your issue may be different especially if you're not taking as much. But you can also cause diarrhea from doing a little too much of everything to try to get things moving. I'm not experienced as much with that area. A diet change, food sensitivity trial could be good but it can be overwhelming so I'd recommend a dietitian to help you. There are other certain diets you can try just look them up. Low fodmap diet, gluten diet, inflammation diet, ibs diet. Hope you figure something out! Remember to hydrate if you are having lots of diarrhea.

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All of this is so overwhelming. Do you manage yourself or do you see a doctor

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@ltarashuk

All of this is so overwhelming. Do you manage yourself or do you see a doctor

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I've been given tips through the years by medical professionals but I've done a lot of my own research and trial and error, figuring out my body. I do work with my gp and specialists.

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Has anyone had any experience with this and if so has anything helped you?

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If some of your constipation problems are due difficulty with relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, the best recommendation my PT made for me was a pelvic wand. It is silicone hook-shaped device that you insert through the rectum to "stretch" those muscles. It is very intimidating at first, but now I don't know what I would do without it. I bought mine through a company called Intimate Rose. Abdominal massage and a TENS unit have also been helpful for me.

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@jlstjohn

If some of your constipation problems are due difficulty with relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, the best recommendation my PT made for me was a pelvic wand. It is silicone hook-shaped device that you insert through the rectum to "stretch" those muscles. It is very intimidating at first, but now I don't know what I would do without it. I bought mine through a company called Intimate Rose. Abdominal massage and a TENS unit have also been helpful for me.

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Thank you for the suggestion. I bought some rectal dilators from that company based on my physical therapist suggestion but not helping. I am going to inquire about the wand. I am very happy to hear it’s helping you. Thank you again for your suggestion.

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Hi, I am still having so much trouble with overflow diarrhea to the point I can’t leave the house. My doctor keeps increasing and adding more laxatives. Now I am waking up at 2 am and going all day until bed time at 10 pm. I am exhausted, losing weight and my hemorrhoids are bleeding. I don’t know what to do…

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@ltarashuk

Hi, I am still having so much trouble with overflow diarrhea to the point I can’t leave the house. My doctor keeps increasing and adding more laxatives. Now I am waking up at 2 am and going all day until bed time at 10 pm. I am exhausted, losing weight and my hemorrhoids are bleeding. I don’t know what to do…

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Has your dr mentioned trying the Interstim? It suppose to help with urinary as well as fecal incontinence. I’m scheduled for the trial period at the end of June. Wishing you the best.

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@margaretsmith328

Has your dr mentioned trying the Interstim? It suppose to help with urinary as well as fecal incontinence. I’m scheduled for the trial period at the end of June. Wishing you the best.

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Thank you. I have not. The Pelvic floor PT has helped with fecal incontinence and I haven’t had any in 2 months. I just can’t stop the overflow diarrhea that happens every weekend. Thank you and best of luck to you.

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Has anyone suggested you’re dehydrated? Being dehydrated means you’re constipated or you have loose stools. The rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces plus more if you sweat. I am 104 lbs and drink a minimum of 52 oz daily. And if you drink coffee or alcohol, for every cup of coffee, drink a cup of water and for every glass of alcohol, drink a glass of water. Be sure to also eat plenty of fiber with fruits and vegetables. Add electrolytes to your water which also helps to hydrate you.
Best to you.

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