Any experience with rectocele? No one EVER talks about this!

Posted by flind @flind, Mar 7, 2020

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!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.

I have had 3 surgeries for vaginal prolapse that included rectocele, cystocele and enterocoele. How much of each I don't really know but I do know that the rectocele part of it is the worst and what I notice. Honestly I think all of it goes together and I don't know of anyone personally who has one without the others. I had one surgery in late 2013 and I could see it so obviously like a dome at the vaginal opening, then had a reoccurrence in early 2015 after a bout of the flu or a bad cold and I coughed like crazy for 2 weeks straight then one evening I felt something "give way" on the inside then felt something fall in. The coughing had created another relapse and again I had one in 2016 after only 3 months that I live with now. I have just turned 68. I do understand about the constipation issue that I manage with a very close to vegan diet. I do eat some sugar but no meat, I have switched to gluten free and a low FODMAP plan to eliminate foods that I have had trouble with in the past. I learned a lot about irritable bowels. I take Miralax daily and also Agiolax which is like the old Perdiem that I took for many years at the suggestion of my gyn doc back when I was 40 years old. I have always had a nervous system and it helped me so much it was like a miracle cure then was discontinued and I struggled for many years which I do think contributed to the prolapsing. I also drink a minimum of 1 liter of water per day. I have had some serious traumatic things happen in the last several years which don't help so I work through the stress related physical symptoms of all that as well. I am learning to live by, "To thine own self be true." I have never done that but I am slowly learning to put my own life and concerns before the rest of the people in my life. I am not a candidate for more surgery so unless they come up with a new way to fix the prolapse I will have to live with it and I can do it as long as I am careful not to become constipated for very long. It does happen and it lasts about a week when it does. Then I add Milk of Mag or the Dulcolax variety of Milk of Mag which is the same thing. The pandemic and staying in so much hasn't helped either because I don't walk all the time like I used to living in NYC - I was out and about all the time. I do what I have to do to take care of myself and to be true to me.

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Girl I think I can help… it’s really not glamorous but it works for me. I’m not a fan of Drs. or surgery.I religiously take fiber supplements and after my business in the AM I find I’m still full of it.I use a purified water enema while standing up we don’t need to lay down. Hold for a few moments and then push with fingers between the bowel and the vagina and release the impacted contents of the pouch.Voila… jobs done.Hope this is helpful to all sufferers!

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I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

REPLY
@nobm56

I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

Jump to this post

My heart breaks for what you're going through. Lots of stories (including myself, family members, on this site and others) about going to numerous doctors for help and getting no help at all.

I was diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) this past January based on a fecal elastase test. It confirmed my pancreas isn't producing the enzymes to digest food and was put on pancreatic enzymes to help digest food and absorb nutrients. I was suffering from the fatty stools, major weight loss (I lost 42.5 lbs. since mid-November), malabsorption and the inability to eat much food because I got full so quickly.

Have you had a fecal elastase test?

REPLY
@nobm56

I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

Jump to this post

My experience has been due to malabsorption

REPLY
@nobm56

I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

Jump to this post

There definitely could be an issue with your pancreas. You mood two tests: a stool fat test and a fecal elastase. What you are describing sounds like E.P.I. (Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency). At least one of your gastroenterologists should have ordered these.

REPLY
@kell4042

My experience has been due to malabsorption

Jump to this post

I'm sure that's what I have. I just need my doctor to look at my diagnosis from a new perspective.

REPLY
@winter2023

My heart breaks for what you're going through. Lots of stories (including myself, family members, on this site and others) about going to numerous doctors for help and getting no help at all.

I was diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) this past January based on a fecal elastase test. It confirmed my pancreas isn't producing the enzymes to digest food and was put on pancreatic enzymes to help digest food and absorb nutrients. I was suffering from the fatty stools, major weight loss (I lost 42.5 lbs. since mid-November), malabsorption and the inability to eat much food because I got full so quickly.

Have you had a fecal elastase test?

Jump to this post

No

REPLY
@nobm56

I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

Jump to this post

I suffered for 30+ years misdiagnosed with IBS-D,
finally diagnosed with EPI at age 67 and my entire life has changed for the better!
Please get tested for EPI as soon as possible!!!
There is hope!

REPLY
@nobm56

I am unable to have a bowel movement on my own, have a rectocele, had stool in my vagina, and an inability to digest food. What other type of specialist should I see, what other tests can be done, and any ideas on other possible medical causes for my condition besides SIBO and chronic constipation? How can I better advocate for myself when no one has been able to help me regarding this condition? Any Diet or treatment suggestions, and how to manage this pain would be appreciated.

Here is my story:

Diagnosed with sibo & chronic constipation 3 years ago
Suffering from:
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Rib pain
• Cold all the time
• Foul-smelling gas
• Muscle spasms
• 30 lb. weight loss
• No appetite
• Bloating
• Rectocele
• Stool in the vagina
• Fatty stools
• Malnutrition
• Inability to have a bm on my own
Present day:
• No regular bm since Jan 19 after MR enterography & drinking barium
• Diagnosed with fecal impaction
• Have tried:
• Magnesium citrate
• Miriax 3x daily
• 2 colon prep
• enema
• went to Er with no help
• As no one was able to help me decided to do colon hydrotherapy on my own
• did 8 colonics in 3 weeks, felt better
• Went off all supplements and motility meds for 2 weeks in preparation for another breath test
• no bm in 5 days after the last colonic
• Had one small bm on Sunday covered in fat and floating
• I restarted all my constipation meds that night.
• The following morning had diarrhea 4 x which had a layer of grease floating and bubbles on top and felt better
• Have not had a bm since even with meds.
• Can’t eat, sick stomach, can’t do anything, hopeless, no one can help me

Have had:
• 29 tests and procedures
• 3 gastroenterologists
• 2 functional medicine doctors
• 2 nutritionists
• 5 diets
• 5 physical therapists
• Acupuncturist
• Colon hydrotherapy
• Meditation
• Colon massage

Prescriptions tried:
• Linzess
• Motegrity
• Amitiza
• Sutab colonoscopy prep (2 X)
• 8 rounds of antibiotics (xifaxin 3 rounds, doxycycline, ciproflaxin, neomycin, Bactrim, tried augmentin but too strong)

every supplement imaginable including herbal antibiotics

• Mirilax
• Stool softener
• Magnesium citrate
• Digestive enzymes
• Probiotics
• Prebiotics
• Cod liver oil
• electrolytes

I've researched other probable causes and found that issues regarding your pancreas, liver and other organs involved in digestion could be compromised.

Please help with any path to wellness that I haven't tried for my condition and how to better advocate for myself.

Jump to this post

I'm just shooting from the hip from my own testing with gastro and bowel issues. They probably tested for these things but maybe not.
1. Elius
2. Diverticulitis
3. Twisted colon
4. Ulcerative colitis
5. Polyps
6. Celiacs ( although my celiacs doesn't cause any constipation). I hope you can find some answers. God bless.

REPLY
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