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Bowel or fecal incontinence and how to manage it
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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Thanks for the tips.
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1 ReactionThis is a terrible problem for you. Did the GI who recommended Metamucil and suggested that you have IBS explain the dietary connections and refer you to a nutritionist? Have you had testing to rule out conditions like celiac? Have you had a colonoscopy? I had a similar problem with “the urges” and do have IBS. The low Fodmap diet is terrible but has mostly solved the bathroom emergencies. I can’t imagine all of that Metamucil.
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2 ReactionsNo. No. No. Yes. I will research Fodmap. Metamucil does not alleviate the problem, but only increases it. Thanks for the tip.
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2 Reactions@jackiem95 @dnikulas When I first started having the problem with diarrhea I was told to use Metamucil. It did not help at all. I did find that Imodium helped a bit but I am not supposed to use that much. Apparently it is not good to take when you are on immunosuppressants. Then I finally figured out that the darned immunosuppressants had actually triggered lactose intolerance and since then, as I said in my earlier post, I am doing much better. If I do have something questionable I take Lactaid which is very little help if at all, and then Imodium which I can take occasionally and between the two of them the problem is much less.
As @fourof5zs said, keep a food diary. That's pretty much what made me finally aware that lactose was my problem.
No ice cream? Sob. 🙁
JK
I have been reluctant to ask my family doctor for a consult with a Urogynecologist, I eventually called. Her nurse called back and said the doctor had never heard of Pelvic Floor PT. The nurse however had looked it up and showed it to the doc. She told the nurse to call my Gastroenterologist to ask if it was something he would recommend for me. So now I have to wait to hear the result. Meanwhile I am wondering how I’m going to make out traveling to Spain in August. On a 7 hr flight and traveling and going to beaches.
Emy.
@emyliander She’s a urogynecologist and she never heard of pelvic floor PT? Good thing she has a smart nurse. I can’t imagine that she would have a gastroenterologist prescribe it, that should be her call.
Doctors here, in NH and Maine, are often not as up on things as doctors in more densely populated areas, but the urogynecologist in Manchester is supposed to be good if you don’t mind waiting forever for an appointment. As I have mentioned though, I have basically all of my care at Mass General now except for my PCP. I really love that hospital. All of the doctors and nurses there are phenomenal.
JK
I didn’t make myself clear. It was my GP that hadn’t heard of Pelvic Floor PT. I still would have expected her to know about it though. I guess if she doesn’t know about it, it would be hard to make the decision as to whether it is nessasary. They could make a decision that it’s not, but not nessasarily be right. I’ll have to wait and see.
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1 ReactionI have over production of bile. I also have problems unaware i soiled my self. I am now taking collestipol 1gm in am and if I go out I take another. My problem started 10 years ago. I had my gallbladder out 40 years ago. I hate jt. But the medicine helps. I also know what foods set me off. I had to do my own research and come up with the diagnosis. Very frustrating when doctors do not help. I am retired nurse had never heard of this condition. I wear pads when I go places. Always carry xtra stuff. But I am thankful for the meds. Maybe try and see if it would work for you . It can. Constipate though but I find that better then standing in the middle of a store with poop running down my legs. Also sorbitol, malitol etc causes diahrea. I hate this condition.
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2 ReactionsHello @tjitske, I admire how proactive you have been. You said, " I had to do my own research and come up with the diagnosis." For many of us, this has been the way we have learned about a difficult and/or hard to diagnose problem. In addition, you have worked to find out what foods and products will set off the loose stools. Undoubtedly, being a retired nurse has given you some insight and investigative skills.
You mentioned that you had your gallbladder out 40 years ago. Did this problem start at that time?
Could you have IBS? Your sensitivity to sorbitol etc is one of the symptoms of that condition—along with Intolerances of many other foods and their contents.
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