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How do you deal with constipation?
Digestive Health | Last Active: 4 hours ago | Replies (101)Comment receiving replies
I have dealt with constipation my entire life, even when I was a child. I strained so hard in my teens to be able to have bowel movements that I ended up damaging my rectal opening and then dealt regularly with the inability to have bowel control. I've had so many incredibly embarrassing situations throughout my adult life. I've now had two surgeries on my rectum to help with bowel control. It is much better, but I still will have problems on occasion. I go back and forth between loose stool to not being able to have a bowel movement for 4 or 5 days. When I finally am able to start going again, my bm comes out like little poop balls, and other times in tiny bits. I am so tired of having bowel issues and not feeling good. It affects every part of my body. I just listened to the sales pitch for "Emma", a supposed fix for bowel issues, but not all the reviews are positive and it is quite expensive. Over the counter remedies don't get to the root of the issue, and I just want someone to stop prescribing pharmaceutical or OTC options like Metamucil or laxatives. These things don't fix the bad bacteria in our guts. Has anyone experienced REAL help?
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Hi @reulrey, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I’m sorry to hear how much these bowel issues have affected your life. Living with constipation since childhood, going through surgeries to improve bowel control, and still dealing with the unpredictability of constipation alternating with loose stools sounds incredibly frustrating.
It sounds like you’ve tried many of the usual approaches and are hoping to find something that addresses the underlying cause rather than simply treating symptoms. I love where you’re headed! I am attaching a link to Mayo Clinic’s overview you may find valuable if you haven’t seen it. It addresses causes, testing, treatments and providers treating constipation.
- Mayo Clinic Constipation Overview
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354253
While members here won’t be able to confirm whether a supplement like Emma will work for you, many have shared that getting to the root of long-standing bowel problems sometimes requires looking beyond constipation alone. For some, additional testing for things like pelvic floor dysfunction, slow-transit constipation, or other digestive conditions helped guide treatment in a different direction.
I’m hoping other members who have lived with chronic constipation or alternating constipation and diarrhea will join the conversation to share what has, or hasn’t been helpful for them. It may help others know how to comment to learn more about your experience.
Has a gastroenterologist ever recommended specialized testing, such as anorectal manometry, colonic transit studies, or pelvic floor evaluation, to better understand why this has been happening since childhood?