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Problem with Chronic constipation

Digestive Health | Last Active: Sep 8 9:41am | Replies (802)

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I’ve been feeling constipated since around fall 2020. Around that time, I would get the urge to go to the bathroom but I didn’t go and pushed it off, and that habit led to things getting worse. I’m going to the bathroom probably most days, but when I go I feel like I’m not getting everything out. There’s been several times when I’ve tried to go to the bathroom and might’ve gone a little, but then I feel like I need to go more and either nothing comes out, or it’s lose/liquid like. Other times I’ve felt like I needed to go and nothings coming out, but it feels like there’s something there to come out but it’s either too hard or it would hurt too much to push to get out.

Either in Summer or October of last year, there was blood in my stool. It was on/in my stool, but it wasn’t on the toilet paper when I wiped. It lasted for maybe a few days to a couple weeks, went away, and then came back for a few days later in the month. I think maybe in March of this year, I noticed blood in my stool again. Since then I haven’t really noticed it like before, but there were times maybe around May when it looked like there was red in my stool but I couldn’t tell if it was blood.

Around last summer I started having a feeling of pressure and fullness right below my chest. Sometimes it felt like chest pain. When I felt it, sometimes it would radiate to my back too and it was like it was at the same place on my front side as well as my back. Since then I’ve had kind of a pinching feeling maybe in my stomach or near my sternum, and it comes and goes. Every now and then I’ve felt like there’s times when I feel kind of like a pain or uncomfortable feeling either where my stomach would be or maybe near my sternum. It seems like I get the pain/uncomfortable feeling and it lasts for a few days, and then it seems like I don’t notice it as much.

For a few months now, at times I’ve had what feels like weird twitches on different parts of my body. One time I felt it near my back pant pocket, and sometimes I’ve felt it in my arm, and it almost feels like my arm has a heartbeat when it happens. I feel like I’m scared to let myself and my body relax because I’m worried if I'm relaxed that I’ll feel the symptoms more. I want to think I’m feeling somewhat better than last fall, but I don’t know if I am, or if I’m telling myself that and trying to tell myself I’m fine to avoid feeling bad. I’ve also felt scared to relax because I’m worried if something is really wrong, and like something bad would happen if I’m relaxed. Sometimes I’ve had a feeling of impending doom and a feeling like something bad is gonna happen. At times I’ve thought it’s maybe from stress from situations in life, but other times it almost feels like a fact of something bad happening. I’ve had this feeling off and on for close to a year now, and don't know if it’s serious.

Sometimes I’ve also felt like my nose is stuffed and have sinus pressure, but I don’t feel sick and I feel it often. Sometimes I feel kind of full in my stomach too, and I wonder if there’s pressure built up that’s putting pressure on my sinuses.

I’ve been stressed by what’s going on physically, and I’ve felt like I have a gut feeling like something isn’t right and I think I know something isn’t right. I feel like I’m stressed and tense a lot because I’ve been having these symptoms and haven’t dealt with it, and I’m worried something is actually wrong. I’ve felt like I’m not sleeping well at night, and when I dream I feel like it’s just me thinking and like I’m scared to let myself relax. I’m sleeping most of the night I want to think, but it seems like when I enter rem sleep and start dreaming, that’s when I feel like I’m dreaming but I’m aware and thinking at the same time. This started happening may/June last year, and at the time I didn’t think I was worried that much about how I was feeling physically. I could’ve been stressed by other things in life. It seems like there’s been a handful of times between now and May/June last year when I’ve felt like I’ve actually felt good in the morning and like my dreams weren’t just me thinking. Sometimes I think the problem is I’m constantly thinking, and like I’m trying to keep myself thinking because I don’t want to feel the symptoms and feel like something is wrong.

For maybe the past few months, during the morning while still in bed and sleeping off and on, it’s sounded like my bowels are making noises. This has seemed like a new symptom within the last maybe 3-6 months.

I don’t know if some of this could be stress related and maybe worrying is causing this to feel worse, but I feel off and like something isn’t right. I think some symptoms I’m stressed about, and stressing about it makes me feel them more or feel more like something is wrong. At the same time something isn’t right.

Does anyone have advice about this, or what could be going on? I have a doctors appointment next month.

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Replies to "I’ve been feeling constipated since around fall 2020. Around that time, I would get the urge..."

Good Day,
It sounds like you are going to tell your doctor about your symptoms and have him/her help you determine what might be going on. That will help.
The constant stress is not good for your body though. Perhaps you can take some measures to help you relax. Meditation, a walk, light excercise, reminding yourself of the good things you have in life, spending time with friends and family ,listening to music, and reading books are all things you might allow yourself to enjoy so you can feel better about life in general. That might also help you to really understand what hurts and when so you can help your doctor find the problem. Wishing you the very best.

I agree with the other message, perhaps seeing a doctor might be a good step. From my experience I like to touch base with my MD and my Naturopathic doctor. Often I learn the basic issues and problems from my MD and get their suggestions. These are often medications or procedures. Then I go to my Naturopath and talk about starting with stress and body balancing, food and supplements which often fix the issue. My husband and I have avoided being on drugs that way. We are both 73 yrs old. Also I can not over state the value of lifestyle attention. Are you physically active, do you drink ample water, is your diet riddled with typical American fast food especially processed packaged, loaded with chemicals, sugar and excess salt? Our Naturopath stresses eating whole organic food is paramount for good health in general. When you get a chance look up a Food Coop in your area. They even may be able to help you with diet changes. Best of luck to you, @farmersmith

Hello @emilystewart30

I am so glad to hear that you have a doctor's appointment next month. I would encourage you to take a list of all of these symptoms with you to the doctor's appointment. The list is important because when you have a lot of symptoms, many of which seem unrelated, it is often difficult to remember them all, especially when you are anxious.

I see that @parrot53 and @farmersmith have already offered you some suggestions. I'd encourage you to eat as healthy as possible, take short walks or other exercise that you enjoy, drink water on a regular basis throughout the day. All of these suggestions will help you as you wait for your appointment.

Will you post again and let me know how you are doing?

For sure see a doctor. I have had similar GI issues and for the last 7 months working on gut dybiosis. Had to change my diet. No soda no sweets fruits veggies beans. No junk food. Yogurt daily. Take a probiotic. Take fiber supplement and docusate. Green and black tea help a lot. Lots of water. I have a GI appt in november..Stress reduction helps. I have ptsd. One of my prescription meds was reduced in dosage under doctor supervision..I do better with home made bread. My TSH was low so I had hyperthyroidism..please see a doctor.

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I just realized I think I posted this under someone else’s post. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that