# confused, sad, alone... Docs & biofeedback



## amy22 (Mar 6, 2001)

Hey all,You senior members will recognize me. Yes, I did get married in May.







My new last name is Higgins.I'm ready to give up. Nothing I do works. I'm beginning to wonder if there's anyone with the same problem I have. It's not really that I *can't* go, it's just that I never have to. I hardly ever have an urge. When I get an urge, I can go, and it only takes a few minutes, usually. But I don't ever feel like I have to go.I honestly think that increased water (I'm usually dehydrated), more fruits and veggies, and maybe a fiber supplement, I would be a hundred percent better. I'm not "good" all the time, though. I can't get the hang of it.I went to a GI doc and he made me do some sort of test involving "squeezing" around a sensor and pooping out a balloon. Based on that test and an examination and an interview, he says he wants me to sign up for biofeedback training. He sent me info about it and it looks horrible. I mean, the worst part, for me, would be someone watching me poop. I'm sorry, but when it comes to my IBS, I am extremely embarassed. So I cry just thinking about it. I don't want to. If it's the only way, it'll still take me a while to come around.Anyway, my real questions are:1) Does anyone not get the "urge" like me?2) Has anyone done biofeedback, and if so, what's it like, and did it help?3) Is there any other way?4) Any "tricks" or advice on how to remember to incorporate water, fruits, and veggies every day?Please help. I'm getting so discouraged. I feel like a failure just because I can't poop on my own.-Amy








P.S. I don't get how the whole "urge" thing works anyway. Do I not get the urge because my muscles aren't working, or are my muscles not working because I'm never getting an urge?


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## trbell (Nov 1, 2000)

I thought I had posted an article here about the specific help of bio for IBS-C but now can't seem to find it. In any case it basically said that specialized bio was helpful with C. Maybe I posted it under C? my mind is going. good lucktom


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## cloverleaf (Dec 18, 2001)

Amy~I don't have any experience with biofeedback, so I can't give you any advice. I would talk with the doc again and ask why s/he is recommending biofeedback. What, exactly, are the test results that are leading him/her to recommend biofeedback? Then, you can come back here and ask specific questions about your problem.As for the non-urge issue, I used to have that problem. If you have pain when you go, is it due to straining or because your stool is hard? Do you have little "rabbit" poops? If so, then increasing fiber will help, because your body won't produce little poops, but one or two bigger stools. The larger your stool is, the higher your urge, in general. If you have little poops, then they slowly enter your rectum and fill it up. (docs can even feel this if they do a rectal exam) When the process is slow, then a big urge doesn't occur. The urge is a combination of a mass peristaltic wave, and the sudden (within an hour or minutes) filling of your sigmoid colon/rectum. TAKE FIBER! It's the first step, but my no means always the most successful step, in normalizing your stool. Of course, you can see discussions elsewhere about the type of fiber that's most successful. My urge is best when I use Perdium fiber, sometimes Fibercon, and a "new fiber-type supplement with inulin, Fructo-oligosaccharides, and oat bran. Metamucil and Citracil are less effective for me.Good luck.


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## veronica_delk (Nov 13, 2001)

I'm just beginning to learn about biofeedback for constipation because my mom is having to deal with it. Her problem is different from yours, though. She gets the urge to go very strongly, but nothing comes out. The problem, her doctor explained, was that the muscle was tightening up rather than relaxing. This is apparently called "anismus" and is very common. The biofeedback is supposed to help train her how to relax the muscle. I'm not sure why your doctor has recommended biofeedback. Maybe you should ask your doctor if he/she thinks you have anismus, and why.A tip: Try adding some pureed pumpkin to cooked breakfast cereal every morning. This is a way to sneak in a high-fiber veggie at a meal that doesn't usually include veggies. Also, I read somewhere that pumpkin is often recommended for cat constipation. Maybe it helps with humans too?


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## AZMom (Oct 13, 1999)

I did this kind of biofeedback. I don't know what info you got, but nobody watches you poop! You do practice relaxing and tensing the muscles involved in evacuation, but don't actually do it.You will probably have it done by a physical therapist. They should help you establish a pattern. My PT recommended trying to go at the same time everyday, after meals. Try to go, practice relaxing the muscles of the anus while bearing down. If you can't go, get up. But the idea is to establish habit patterns. The PT and biofeedback showed me that I was pushing too hard, which caused the anus to contract. It is an interesting therapy and may very well help you.AZ


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## amy22 (Mar 6, 2001)

Thanx for the info, guys. It's good to be back and getting great support.I had a bad IBS day today... actually pretty unusual, really. I had an urge but couldn't go. This hardly ever happens. On the 3rd try, after some peppermint tea and metamucil, I finally went and it felt like my colon fell out!! AGH! A good feeling though.I wrote a note to my GI doc, asking all my questions and voicing my concerns. I hope to get a letter back soon. I'll let you know if I'm going on biofeedback so maybe I can have some shoulders to cry on if it isn't going well.My husband, Matt, roots me on. I can talk to him about everything and he's so supportive. When I was feeling icky tonight and was doing other things, he said, "I'll handle this, you go poop"







It was cute. I'm so glad he's supportive.Love you guys,Amy Higgins


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## honeybee (Sep 12, 1999)

Hi, I just finished biofeedback for anal shincter dysfunction, my shincter tightened instead of relaxing. It worked really great for me. I am confused about the type you will doing as the pt didn't even put the sensor in my rectum much less watch me poop! I put sensor in (it was uncomfortable to me thou as I have a buttburn problem due to only 4 inches of colon and constant diarrhea) and then would be hooked up to computer so that I could watch when I tightened and see what the numbers were. 2 is normal, mine was at 14 or so in beginning and at around 3 at the end. It was definately NOT a bad experience at all. I have had much worse (like the defacography test I had three times!) in which they do watch you poop! Good luck and relax, it'll be alright!


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