Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it

I have MC and am very socialable. Its been tough to be with friends, mostly in the mornings. I have to take a short walk and make sure I have evacuated prior to leaving the house. I live with diarrhea and it has weakened my sphincter muscle. I have an appt April 15th with a new GI that uses techniques to tighten. Can't tell you if that works yet. I keep a toiletry bag everywhere I go with wet wipes, ziplock bags, underwear and change of clothing. If I am in the car and can't make it to a restroom, I oull over and use a waste bag also known as WAG bags and get in the back seat. I had to use them when backpacking in some of the national parks because some require you carry your poo out. I carry a bag in my toiletries. I keep a toiletry bag in each car at all times..

@donnagail how awful! I look forward to bowel movements about like I look forward to a tornado. It seems like the problem is that I never completely empty, so I go about my business in the kitchen or whatever, and suddenly, with no warning, fecal matter pours out onto the large pad I have to wear. It usually looks like gelatin! What in the world?? My gastroenterologist keeps telling me to just increase my lactulose and take my Linzess. It seems so hopeless.

Oh goodness. I thought I was the only person that has this. It is so annoying! I have to wear a pad every single day, which causes irritation.

@myladybug52 as I’ve said in other posts - I have struggled with fecal incontinence for years. My drs have always said there are so many of us, and I always said, “I wish I could meet JUST ONE other person!!!” This online community is so helpful. I would love to connect personally with anyone who wants to share their experiences!

Oh goodness. I thought I was the only person that has this. It is so annoying! I have to wear a pad every single day, which causes irritation.

@myladybug52 That is exactly what happens to me. I have been in airports, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, the side of a highway or interstate at 4:30am, resturants, etc. I find that if I seem constipated on a given day and bloated, I can count on the following day, having a few good bowl movements, then the blowouts come. Did you know that constipation and diarrhea are connected? I read Wayne Persky's Microscoptic Colitis book. There is reference to a lab in the UK (Enterolab, I think) that can test you. I had the gluten test. The results were highly intolerant. It has helped to eliminate gluten. It is fairly easy to be GF these days with GF breads, rice & corn speghetti, etc. He also has a diet book I just ordered. Most people with MC are gluten intolerant and many are dairy sensitive. I got off the budesonide steroid a couple years ago because it has many side effects. I didn't wean off properly after being on it 15 years and went into adrenal crisis and could have died. My GI had only given me half the instructions to wean off but didn't complete the instructions. He sent me to an endocrinologist to wean off correctly. Can you believe a GI that has no problem giving it to you for years but doesn't know how to wean you off after years of prescribing it?!

@donnagail
Oh my goodness!! That is a definite nightmare. I am now considering tests for gluten and dairy allergies or intolerance. When I recently developed an ulcers in my stomach and esophagus, my doctor said I can only drink decaffeinated coffee. In order to try to temper the pain, I added half-and-half to my coffee. This seemed to really exacerbate my symptoms so I am now breaking it black. It hasn’t gone away, but it does seem to have limited it a little bit. We shall see! You have really been through it haven’t you?

@myladybug52 Yes, the past year has been a wild ride. It started in March last year when I was in Europe and Morrocco for 3 months. 2 weeks in, the diarrhea started and didn't stop. 70% of every day was spend looking for restrooms, hoping to find one, that there was no line, didn't require a euro that I didn't have on me, or I found them closed. I lived in fear everyday. Had about 15 episodes in public. After getting hime, I had 3 back to back UTI's that resulted in C-diff for 2 months! It been a total nightmare.