Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it

@jackiem95 ...I do best with Miralax or the various Big Box Stores' generics. I take a 12 oz glass of water with a large measure of the lax about every third day. I do eat a few prunes, but I have better luck with a good bowl of grits and eggs.

@lacy2 - It is very upsetting to read what you and others have to live with. I have a minor problem, but I notice it’s little too frequent now. I had damage to the Amal sphincter during childbirth.
I am aware that some people need ostomies to deal with constipation and I’m sure it could work with diarrhea too.
I have thought about having one since my sphincter is getting weaker, not yet though. It comes down to quality of life.

@lacy2 - I have not done pelvic floor exercises- even though I read about everyone doing them! It’s time.
You are most likely correct in that radiation caused your damage. Chemotherapy damaged my intestines.
It’s a sad story- the book you mentioned. IBS has been a diagnosis that covers everything that can’t easily be diagnosed. Lactose intolerance is a relatively “new” diagnosed condition, especially in Northern Europe. Most doctors nowadays include that in a work up.
You are not old yet. I’m your age and I try to fix things not working, including the brain!

@astaingegerdm I too had damage to my anal sphincter during childbirth, I ripped all the way through it. It has been suggested that is the cause of my problem. I went to a urogynecologist for my urinary incontinence and also brought up the fecal incontinence. It seems implausible that what happened so long ago would take this long to affect me but she and the special physical therapist I went to both thought that was the probable cause. Reading that you say yours is getting weaker makes me realize that may be why I haven't had a problem up until the last couple of years. Initially the problem presented itself because I was having diarrhea. It turned out that my immunosuppressants had triggered lactose intolerance. I am not having that problem anymore but when active/exercising sometimes small solid feces will leak out.

The urogynecologist I went to told me about a surgeon at a different hospital who has had great success repairing this problem. I am considering going to him after things loosen up a bit. I was very involved in water exercise but right now I am thinking I may not be able to do that anymore.
JK

@lacy2 that sounds like an interesting book, and what you say about childbirth is interesting too. Did they find there is a connection between IBS and fecal incontinence? I doubt I have IBS but it's an interesting theory.
JK

Thank you, @lacy2 I appreciate your offer but I don't need the book. I was just curious if fecal incontinence can actually be IBS. I am quite certain that mine is not.

I was not cut when my son was born, I ripped. My son was large and back labor. The doctor who delivered him was an absolute jerk, and sometime after that was sued and may even have lost his license. He was covering for my doctor who was on vacation. He said he couldn't do a caesarian because I was overweight and there would be too much risk of infection! Then, when he was delivering my son he actually told my husband that he might have to jump up on me and crush the baby's shoulders because they were big shoulders for a baby and may not fit through!

Of course I switched doctors for my next child, I didn't want to risk him being the backup again for my doctor.
JK

@lacy2 - The photo doesn’t show all my wrinkles and worn out body parts! My kids “force” me to laugh a lot- makes one forget any ongoing ailment for a while!

@contentandwell - Giving birth is definitely not for sissies! My doctor told me right away what problems I might have.

@astaingegerdm Sounds like you had a much better doctor than the one who delivered my son. As soon as I realized he was in charge I groaned. If I was more of a self-advocate then I would have right then gotten a different doctor. The doctor also delivered the baby of a woman I know and the boy was permanently mentally and physically damaged severely. That was the lawsuit against him that I know about.
JK

@contentandwell - I was lucky to have a caring OB. There are some that should find another specialty. When I was a resident in Peds, we had to be present at C sections and difficult births. Some OBs were lucky to have good nurses helping them out.