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I’ve been constipated since fall 2020. I’m going to the bathroom and having bowel movements most days, and sometimes they’re decent sized (sometimes I think more than what’s been normal when I’m feeling alright). Last spring or summer, I started having a feeling of fullness under my chest. Either in July or October last year, I noticed like a line of blood in my stool. There was no blood on the toilet paper when I wiped. This lasted maybe a few days, went away, and then came back. The blood eventually went away, but every now and then I’ve seen blood on my stool but not the paper. Around October I started having a feeling of pain either in my chest or right below it. Sometimes the pain would radiate to my back, and it felt like the pain was in the same place on my frontside as backside. I’ve been having that pain off and on since October, and I don’t know if it’s gotten worse. I think lately it’s kind of felt like a sharp pain, but I don’t know if it’s gotten worse or if it’s in my head. I feel like a lot of the time I’m trying to convince myself I’m alright because I don’t want to think I’m not alright and feel that pain again.Around an hour ago, I started feeling a pain in the area near my sternum to below my chest. I’m not sure how much was physical and if I was stressed and that was affecting anything, but it kind of scared me to feel that way again. I’ve felt the pain off and on since then, and at times have felt it in my back too.A few days ago I was on my cycle and went to the bathroom, and it looked like there was an area on my stool where it looked like there were dots of blood. I don’t know if it was from my cycle, or if there was blood on/in my stool.Today I was having a bowel movement and felt like maybe I was using my muscles in my upper body to push more, but my body felt kind of weird after doing that and like it wasn’t used to it.Sometimes my sinuses and around my nose feel weird, and my nose often feels stuffed but it’s like I can’t blow and get relief. I don’t know if it’s from being constipated, or maybe if my breathing is somehow affecting it. Sometimes I’ve felt weird physically, almost like there’s a bump or something near my sternum. Sometimes when I’ve tried to have a bowel movement, I went and then felt I needed to go more, but like it was too hard to come out on its own. I’ve wondered if I have a blockage of some kind, or if there’s some kind of impaction. At times I’ve felt confused because I’m going to the bathroom most days, but still feel like there’s more. The area around my ribs has felt weird sometimes, and like they feel kind of sore or weak. For a while now during the night or in the morning, I’ve heard what sounds like my bowels making noises. This has been new, and seems unusual.Since June last year, I haven’t been sleeping well and have felt like my dreams are just me thinking, and like I’m not really actually sleeping. Sometimes I’ve felt scared to go into a deep sleep, partly because of things going on in my mind, but sometimes I think I’ve been worried about how I’m feeling physically. When I wake up in the mornings, sometimes I’ve felt like I’ve been awake and thinking and had my eyes closed, instead of waking up feeling like I’ve been sleeping.What could be going on? I have a doctors appointment this week, but in the past I haven’t mentioned anything going on. I’m kind of nervous to mention what’s been going on to someone because I don’t know if it’s serious, and it’s been going on for a long time and I haven’t dealt with it.
Replies to "I’ve been constipated since fall 2020. I’m going to the bathroom and having bowel movements most..."
Hi, I do think if you’re going a good amount daily I would not say your suffering constipation. Typically constipation is having a bowel movement three or less days per week.
I think this is good. You can get a painless stool blood test. You place some stool on these cards and mail or return to the lab. Very easy or your pcp would do labs, easy, and some stool testing, also easy. They can start off slowly and go from there. You don’t need to add stress to getting scheduled for a lot of tests.
I do think it’s good you have an appointment. Best of luck.
Hey Nicole,
I would recommend that you print off your post and bring it to your doctor appointment. Let your doctor read your document because most times we (meaning me) forget some of the things we need to ask about.
Your primary physician may recommend a colonoscopy?
As for feeling like you could be impacted; my mom after many years of chronic diarrhea found that she actually was impacted.
How this came to tuition is while I was visiting from out of state last year I thought she was in congestive heart failure. Her breathing was that of CHF, so I insisted we go to the ER.
Well after all the testing, the cardiologist informed us that she was in Afib. He said the reason her breathing mimicked CHF was because the gastroenterologist found an obstruction which caused fluids to gather around the heart.
So excuse the language but basically she had a poop blockage but some liquid was able to pass by the hardened poop and come out as diarrhea.
As for blood on poop; my dad, a few years ago had that same issue and actually had to go to the ER. He was found to have either diverticulitis or diverticulosis. Anyway that can be found during a colonoscopy.
I was also found to have that during my colonoscopy.
Again excuse the language: I too have had blood streaks but it was when my poop is super solid. I have a tight rectum and the larger solid poop causes some blood but most times not on the toilet paper 🧻.
Anyway, I wish you the best and please share your concerns with your doctor!
Keep us updated or pm me if you’d prefer.
MOJO
Don't ignore your symptoms. It's always better to share this with your doctor because if you do have a problem, early detection is always better for you. You can check with a proctologist if you have hemorrhoids, which could cause the blood if you're pushing when you're constipated. So, you need to address the constipation by drinking a lot, eating prunes, don't eat too much rice, and the like. Or, there are medicines to treat it. If the blood is not because of hemorrhoids or stomach irritation, then you should probably do a colonoscopy. Go to a gastroenterologist. Pushing when you're constipated could also cause acid reflux, which sometimes also causes funny feelings in the chest area. This also can be discussed with the gastroenterologist. As I said, dealing with issues earlier is always better than ignoring. Best of luck.
I have a couple thoughts to throw in, @nicolerose30. First of all, I am extremely sorry you are in this exhausting position of trying to sort this all out. While I relate to quite a bit of what you describe I also see super helpful responses from wonderful Connect members commenting to help you through this process. You are not alone, and you can do this!
With this, I want to address a couple items you mentioned that have not been discussed yet:
- Is your problem stress or something wrong? My encouragement is this…your decision to pursue improving your quality of life does not hinge on figuring out the answer to this question. It just may be both. Stress causes physical problems, physical problems cause stress, it all becomes a big huge cycle of ugliness.
Part of my care at Mayo Clinic has been a book recommendation addressing this very dilemma. The read helped me understand the various type of anxiety disorders so I could figure out where I fit (and didn’t), then some practical steps as to what to do about it. Digging out of my deep, isolating hole to make progress would require confidence of knowing I did have health problems and understanding I would need control the stress that came along with it. I am happy to share more about this book if you are interested.
- Did I sleep last night? It sure felt like I was awake. This will sound silly but a huge stressor relieved…my husband and I set up our cuckoo clock to play its goofy song every hour on the hour, yes all night long. There were times I was awake, but there were many I woke up realizing I must have slept because I never heard the darn thing. That in itself was a destressor, and it helped me figure out one more thing in my puzzle. By now I have trained myself to know the difference, which of course helps me help my doctors as well. We did a similar thing after a doctor told me my arm was asleep when I woke up during the night only because I had simply rolled over on it for a bit. My husband stacked pillows around me that would get dented if pressure was put on them. It didn’t help the doctor believe me but it helped my confidence, and I pinned down one more physical symptom that eventually became more significant.
I want to encourage you to move forward, one step at a time. Just do the next, best thing and you will make progress.
You mention having a doctors appointment this week, maybe already. If there is one thing you want to walk away making sure your doctor knows (and you are ok sharing), what would that be? Do you have someone walking through this process with you?
Sounds like my 5am disturbed sleep. Every morning hot-flash feelings and followed by stressful, overwhelmed feeling dream "snipets"....Very uncomfortable. Been going on for 5 years since some traumatic life events, including a hysterectomy for early stage cancer. I know some of this is hormonal, but the psychological aspect is very hard. I 've resisted going on psych meds ,so I try all kinds of supplements but nothing seems to help.
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Wow, you’re going through some rough stuff. I am a nurse. I understand your reluctance to complain. You need to share though. Most conditions are common but you definitely need help sorting them out. We all need that guidance and reassurance when we just can’t figure it out ourselves. I’m so sorry you feel nervous telling your provider. I find myself rehearsing in my mind the details and my timeline. Fearful that you will leave an important detail out. They have seen and heard it all! Hope you feel better soon.