Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it

@myladybug52 That is exactly what happens to me. I have been in airports, Hobby Lobby, Home Depot, the side of a highway or interstate at 4:30am, resturants, etc. I find that if I seem constipated on a given day and bloated, I can count on the following day, having a few good bowl movements, then the blowouts come. Did you know that constipation and diarrhea are connected? I read Wayne Persky's Microscoptic Colitis book. There is reference to a lab in the UK (Enterolab, I think) that can test you. I had the gluten test. The results were highly intolerant. It has helped to eliminate gluten. It is fairly easy to be GF these days with GF breads, rice & corn speghetti, etc. He also has a diet book I just ordered. Most people with MC are gluten intolerant and many are dairy sensitive. I got off the budesonide steroid a couple years ago because it has many side effects. I didn't wean off properly after being on it 15 years and went into adrenal crisis and could have died. My GI had only given me half the instructions to wean off but didn't complete the instructions. He sent me to an endocrinologist to wean off correctly. Can you believe a GI that has no problem giving it to you for years but doesn't know how to wean you off after years of prescribing it?!

@donnagail
Oh my goodness!! That is a definite nightmare. I am now considering tests for gluten and dairy allergies or intolerance. When I recently developed an ulcers in my stomach and esophagus, my doctor said I can only drink decaffeinated coffee. In order to try to temper the pain, I added half-and-half to my coffee. This seemed to really exacerbate my symptoms so I am now breaking it black. It hasn’t gone away, but it does seem to have limited it a little bit. We shall see! You have really been through it haven’t you?

@myladybug52 Yes, the past year has been a wild ride. It started in March last year when I was in Europe and Morrocco for 3 months. 2 weeks in, the diarrhea started and didn't stop. 70% of every day was spend looking for restrooms, hoping to find one, that there was no line, didn't require a euro that I didn't have on me, or I found them closed. I lived in fear everyday. Had about 15 episodes in public. After getting hime, I had 3 back to back UTI's that resulted in C-diff for 2 months! It been a total nightmare.

@donnagail Oh no! C-diff is absolutely terrible and terrifying! My brother almost died from it while on radiation for melanoma. I just hate having to look for the bathroom every I go.

@myladybug52 Yes, it was scary. You feel like your guts are going to come out. Hope your brother make it through OK. That's a problem for those of us with MC incontinance. Contract a UTI, have to take a broad spectrum antibiotic and end up with C-Diff.

@donnagail
Oh my goodness!! That is a definite nightmare. I am now considering tests for gluten and dairy allergies or intolerance. When I recently developed an ulcers in my stomach and esophagus, my doctor said I can only drink decaffeinated coffee. In order to try to temper the pain, I added half-and-half to my coffee. This seemed to really exacerbate my symptoms so I am now breaking it black. It hasn’t gone away, but it does seem to have limited it a little bit. We shall see! You have really been through it haven’t you?

@myladybug52 We love our coffee for sure. It is one of the few troublesome things I have not eliminated but limit. I switched to black also but there are “milk” alternatives to dairy. Oat milk works great and does not separate. I either warm it up and use in the coffee or keep the coffee black and sip the warmed oat milk separately. This has not produced undesirable symptoms for me (Reflux, IBS) but we are all different. Maybe trying this might add some joy to your day.

@cezanne Good morning! It is very funny that you mentioned dairy alternatives. My husband and I went to the yesterday and actually picked up coffee creamer made with almonds! No carrageenan! I am sitting here sipping on a cup of coffee right now. I sure do enjoy my morning Joe. I love going to Dunkin’ and ordering my lattes. Convoluted as they may be - medium, iced, sugar-free vanilla, decaf, almond milk, and two Stevia. LOL

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.