Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it

Posted by Sarah @emyliander, Jun 11, 2019

I am 73 yr old femal with diagnosed Celiac, Microscopic Colitis and IBS. i don’t have diarrhea, BM’s are either soft formed or constipated small hard stool, but either way I can be incontenant of small amount of stool. I wear a pad in close knit underwear with legs, so nothing can escape. Any advice from people with same problem would be comforting and useful. I would like to know how you handled it on social occasions.
Thank you, Emyliander

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Profile picture for JK @contentandwell

@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

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

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Profile picture for Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor @astaingegerdm

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

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@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

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@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.

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Profile picture for Sarah @emyliander

Thank you, @astaingegerdm . Even though you had muscle damage, were you able to be helped by Urogynecologist. Have you tried PT ? I too wear a pad, I am not even aware when the incontinence happens, so until I go to the bathroom I’m unaware of it and worry about odors. Then theres the major cleanup with wet wipes that can’t be flushed even if they say they can. Apparently they still clog pipes. At night I wear adult disposable pants,
Thank you again for your input.

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@emyliander I have have bowel incontinance ever since I was diagnosed with MCTD. I have been to a gastroenterologist and a woman’s PT. All of their advice hasn’t helped a lot. I am totally unaware that is has happened so I wear a pad. Very embarrassing. I have done research on MCTD and found that leakage is common in scleroderma, which is part of MCTD. Thank you for sharing.

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I’ve had IBS-D for many years. By trying various remedies, I’ve hit upon what I think is the cause, though sometimes I have a blowout that dispels my theory. Anyway, milk and milk products seem to be to cause my diarrhea. But I continued to wander. What, besides lactose, does milk contain that could cause diarrhea? Thank you

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Profile picture for catstx @catstx

I’ve had IBS-D for many years. By trying various remedies, I’ve hit upon what I think is the cause, though sometimes I have a blowout that dispels my theory. Anyway, milk and milk products seem to be to cause my diarrhea. But I continued to wander. What, besides lactose, does milk contain that could cause diarrhea? Thank you

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The milk protein itself can cause an allergic reaction that will cause diarrhea.
Have you been tested for celiac disease?

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Profile picture for Ingegerd Enscoe, Alumni Mentor @astaingegerdm

The milk protein itself can cause an allergic reaction that will cause diarrhea.
Have you been tested for celiac disease?

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No. But, this will lead me to. Many thanks. I just learned something

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Profile picture for catstx @catstx

I’ve had IBS-D for many years. By trying various remedies, I’ve hit upon what I think is the cause, though sometimes I have a blowout that dispels my theory. Anyway, milk and milk products seem to be to cause my diarrhea. But I continued to wander. What, besides lactose, does milk contain that could cause diarrhea? Thank you

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@catstx I'm coming in late here, but if you have diarrhea after consuming milk products why would you think it is something more than lactose intolerance? I went through that and as with most lactose-intolerant people I was able to eat aged cheeses and some yogurt. For some reason, my lactose intolerance, which was actually triggered by medication, seems to have subsided. I don't eat a lot of heavy milk products like cream and ice cream but I eat goat cheese again and occasionally cream cheese on a bagel. I drink lactose-free milk, Fairlife, which really is good tasting, better than Lactaid milk, and it has more protein and calcium which is important to me because I have osteoporosis. I was tested for celiac and I did not have it which I tried to tell the NP because I have never had a reaction to wheat products.
JK

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Profile picture for JK @contentandwell

@catstx I'm coming in late here, but if you have diarrhea after consuming milk products why would you think it is something more than lactose intolerance? I went through that and as with most lactose-intolerant people I was able to eat aged cheeses and some yogurt. For some reason, my lactose intolerance, which was actually triggered by medication, seems to have subsided. I don't eat a lot of heavy milk products like cream and ice cream but I eat goat cheese again and occasionally cream cheese on a bagel. I drink lactose-free milk, Fairlife, which really is good tasting, better than Lactaid milk, and it has more protein and calcium which is important to me because I have osteoporosis. I was tested for celiac and I did not have it which I tried to tell the NP because I have never had a reaction to wheat products.
JK

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Thanks. I can drink lactose free milk and most LF milk products. The reason I’m asking about other potential triggers is that I occasionally get diarrhea with even breathing in milk. I’m going to get tested for celiac

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Profile picture for catstx @catstx

Thanks. I can drink lactose free milk and most LF milk products. The reason I’m asking about other potential triggers is that I occasionally get diarrhea with even breathing in milk. I’m going to get tested for celiac

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@catstx Celiac of course is a wheat sensitivity. Do you find that eating wheat products causes you problems too?
I hope your gastroenterologist is able to help you.
JK

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