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Problems with constipation and toilet use

Twohalves

Hi

I've been suffering bouts of what I think is constipation recently. It's been and off for a while and affects me both at home and when I have been in the office. My GP initially thought I had irritable bowel syndrome after medical tests ruled out more sinister possibilities. But I don't really get pain, just discomfort. From what I've read, it's probably 'functional' or chronic constipation and is largely affected by stress and anxiety which I have suffered from a lot in recent years due to issues at home and at work.

I have just been diagnosed as autistic in the last week and from what I've read, there may be a connection between my autism and my toilet problems.

I have been seeing a counsellor and he suggested I may be hyper focussing on my bowel/bodily sensations. I often have difficulty knowing whether I'm about to pass wind or need to pass a stool. When I get to the toilet, it's often just wind but my fear/anxiety is that I will poo myself and that in itself can lead to stool withholding temporarily. I wear incontinence pants most of the time for protection. I usually end up passing a stool at least once day, sometimes more but I need to relax more and not overthink it! I'm also taking a herbal tablet to help with the anxiety which does a bit with overall anxiety.

Sorry if this is rather long. It's a little embarrassing writing such personal information.

Does anyone else have these issues?

 

Parents

  • Well done Thumbsup TwoHalves, it is courageous of you to raise this important subject. 

    So yes I suffer similarly too. I have an acute sense of internal bodily functions and stimuli. Sometimes its utterly overwhelming but Ive no choice but to deal with it. My mind on waking is often bombarded by messages from the digestive tract, eyes, mouth, skin, and pain too as I live with fibromyalgia. This has become much worse since diagnosis, though had I known I would still have sought assessment. Like you theres nothing physically wrong with me, med side effects are probably a contributor but its one I need to deal with myself unfortunately.

    It is dreadful as you will know when out and about. I have a RADAR key for public loos though which can be a lifesaver (you can just buy them at pharmacies). We used to travel on a lot of driving trips round the UK and got to know wherthe cleanest loos were Toilet Joy. Im trying to include more fibre in my diet by way of vegetables and whole grain bread but it is so hard (unintentional pun Flushed) isn’t it.

    Thanks for raising this, despite my apparent confidence this is a problem I find extremely difficult to deal with both mentally and physically 

    Alice

Reply

  • Well done Thumbsup TwoHalves, it is courageous of you to raise this important subject. 

    So yes I suffer similarly too. I have an acute sense of internal bodily functions and stimuli. Sometimes its utterly overwhelming but Ive no choice but to deal with it. My mind on waking is often bombarded by messages from the digestive tract, eyes, mouth, skin, and pain too as I live with fibromyalgia. This has become much worse since diagnosis, though had I known I would still have sought assessment. Like you theres nothing physically wrong with me, med side effects are probably a contributor but its one I need to deal with myself unfortunately.

    It is dreadful as you will know when out and about. I have a RADAR key for public loos though which can be a lifesaver (you can just buy them at pharmacies). We used to travel on a lot of driving trips round the UK and got to know wherthe cleanest loos were Toilet Joy. Im trying to include more fibre in my diet by way of vegetables and whole grain bread but it is so hard (unintentional pun Flushed) isn’t it.

    Thanks for raising this, despite my apparent confidence this is a problem I find extremely difficult to deal with both mentally and physically 

    Alice

Children
  • in reply to Alice-nice-Alice

    And lastly - I find it emotionally impossible to reconcile the (to me) disgusting outpourings of my gut with being (I think) a decent human being! It is at the root from childhood of my intense dislike of the colour brown in all its animal-vegetation-mineral permutations. I appreciate this is faulty thinking but knowing that does not give me a way of not feeling disgust at brown …..

    A