Stress and Constipation

Thank you for responding.

I’ve considered seeing about a stool test before, but I haven’t mentioned the blood to a doctor. It’s come and gone for months now, but I should have it looked at to see if somethings going on. I don’t see blood all the time and don’t know if it would show up on a stool test, but sometimes it looks like blood.

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.

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?

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?

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.

thank you for all you wrote, which I found very comforting in terms of my own situation. If you are willing to share I'd love to know about the book that Mayo has recommended to you. Many thanks!

thank you for all you wrote, which I found very comforting in terms of my own situation. If you are willing to share I'd love to know about the book that Mayo has recommended to you. Many thanks!

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.

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?

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?