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Any experience with rectocele? No one EVER talks about this!
My situation: Self-diagnosed rectocele. Have appointment in 4 days to hopefully confirm or R/O. After 20 years on anti-depressants my constipation was so bad that I developed a rectocele. I hope to find out soon how large it is and how to treat it... Have been doing Kegels. Have had no other pelvic issues of any kind - ever (lucky, I know). Am post-menopausal, age 62. After ~4 months I successfully tapered off Venlafaxine down to zero (was NOT easy and that Mayo group was VERY helpful to me). One of the first things I noticed in tapering/ending AD's was being able to poop again! Hallelujah! But 20 years of constipation had taken its toll. Caution The Following is not for the faint of heart/squeamish (but this is a topic no one is talking about and I KNOW I can't be "the only one"...): I am getting too old for the physical contortionism necessary to extract poop from my rectum, not to mention sick of it. I go for annual gyno exam EVERY YEAR. Every visit I have complained about severe constipation. Lately I have even described how difficult it is to completely eliminate and having to use my fingers to get the poop out. Why has NO ONE ever said "rectocele"????? It took me several hours of sleuthing online to even find a word for it. And when I did it seemed like a fairly common physical ailment for women - and yet - there is very little out there about this condition. Most of the sites that mention rectocele do so 'in passing' while discussing pelvic prolapses. I in no way mean to belittle THAT horrible state of affairs... it's just not my personal issue and I want to know more about my personal issue. But everytime I try to find more info I end up reading stories about OTHER pelvic issues because if rectocele is mentioned at all it is in conjunction with these others. Please... has anyone else had this as their main or single issue who would be willing to share diagnosis, procedures, outcomes, what to expect/avoid? If so I would be truly grateful!
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I had the surgery a few years ago and I think it’s back. I am now in the process of doing the colonoscopy prep and I hope it works.
Joyce, all is well now. The UTI went away but then I developed bacterial vaginosis, never had that before! It has been frustrating but it’s getting better and my primary care doc says it will eventually get better…I am taking refrigerated probiotics for it. As for the surgery itself….definitely needed6 weeks to recover
Hi aethos. Sorry to hear about your pains d problems. Concerning your surgery, how was it? Was it very painful and how was your recovery besides the uti?
Hi helping1. I have stage 3 rectocele and I do splinting to help get the poo out of the poo pocket. I make a cushion out of toilet paper and use that instead of my bare fingers to push up against the bulge. Hope this helps.
Posted this before but what is working for me is using a small enema after my rectal poo. What is left is easily washed out after the enema.I still have to push between vagina and rectum but everything is washed out easily.All physicians I’ve talked with seem to think this is safe. They’ve offered no other solutions.Heal thyself.Hate my body but at least I get through the day.
Hello @cory0005 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I can understand that you would like to discuss your options with others who have had this problem. On Connect, we have some other discussions in Women's Health. Here are the links to those discussions:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/i-am-looking-to-discuss-prolapse-bladder-or-any-kind-of-prolapse/
In this discussion you will meet @sandbarry @gardeningjunkie and others who have had surgeries.
Here is a link to a discussion specifically about rectocele:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/any-experience-with-rectocele-no-one-ever-talks-about-this/?commentsorder=newest#chv4-comment-stream-header
Here you will meet @aethos and others. Will you look at these discussions and then if you want to ask a question, just hit "Reply" and post your question.
What is your greatest concern as you approach the decision to have surgery?
Hello everyone,
I’m a 39 year old Mum of three who has suffered chronic constipation most of my life. Doctors are finally looking at my long and looping sigmoid as the cause. Last colonoscopy was abandoned as it’s so twisted now. I’m lucky I think that I’ve only had one emergency visit to hospital with a temporary blockage. Subsequently, I have a rapidly worsening rectocele and posterior vaginal prolapse. Birthing three babies has of course contributed as well. My gynaecologist wants to do a prolapse repair but the bowel problems need to be corrected first.
My question is, has anyone had surgery to the bowel and rectocele/prolapse repair simultaneously? Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Possibly need surgery for rectocele. Mine lasted 15 years, now prolapsed again, and bladder. 72 years young and need another surgery. New love interest not happy.
I had rectocele repair surgery 6 weeks ago for UTI issues due to my bladder not being able to completely empty. Three weeks after surgery I got a UTI and haven’t been able to get rid of it…have taken Cephlex, Flagyl and Leviflaxen, still have symptom…vey difficult to sleep at night with burning and pee urgency. It gets worse starting early afternoon and I am constantly making trip to the bathroom. I also ache and have to use a heating pad starting in the afternoon. I am starting to wonder if something is amiss with the surgery but the urogynecologist who did my surgery seems to have washed her hands of me…she did ask me to come back in a week after being off antibiotics to get another urine sample. In the meantime I have an appt with a Urolgy PA next week. I am scared I have some type of chronic issue now!
I have had three prolapse surgeries, uterine prolapse in 2011, vaginal prolapse in 2018 and rectocele repair 5 weeks ago. The rectocele repair was due to urinary incontinence/pelvic floor prolapse.I have also had chronic constipation issues but that was not part of my discussion with urogynocologist who did my rectocele repair. Three weeks into recovery I developed a UTI caused by gardnerella vaginalis and am currently on my third antibiotic…Leviflaxen. I’ve have the “ urgency to pee” 24/7 and have had to cancel pretty much everything on my calendar for the past two weeks and am up and down all night long. Has anyone else had experience with this type of UTI after surgery? Seems like I should’ve been put on some type of antibiotic for this just prior to surgery to prevent this from happening.