# Is this constipation, what can I do about it



## anonymousgyrl (Sep 21, 2015)

Sometimes I feel that I can go to the bathroom, and I think my stool will just come out without me having to push so much. However, sometimes my stool comes out, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes, when my stool does come out, it may come out mushy; like apple sauce or sand. Is this still constipation, even know my stool was mushy, but I still had to push? I also feel incomplete evacuation. If I try to go again, it may or not come out.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

in your other post about pressure, i discussed the possibility of a rectocele. that can cause a feeling of incomplete evacuation.

also--another cause of incomplete evacuation can be pelvic floor dysfunction (pfd)

if you are having trouble with incomplete bowel movements and keep feeling like you need to go all day, you could have pelvic floor dysfunction. have you been tested for that? with pfd, the pelvic floor muscles do not coordinate and/or relax properly to allow easy passage of stool. ineffective pelvic floor muscle coordination results in inadequate relaxation of the pelvic floor while attempting to have a BM. the puborectalis muscle tightens and contracts when it is supposed to relax to allow passage of stool. so you can't get it all out (incomplete) and keep having that "have to go " feeling all day.

a defecatory proctogram test will show if you have pfd as well as reveal if you have any other outlet problems like a rectocele, vaginal prolapse, rectal prolapse, etc. an anal manometry also helps diagnose pelvic floor problems.

biofeedback and physical therapy can be effective in correcting pfd.

https://www.fascrs.org/patients/disease-condition/pelvic-floor-dysfunction-expanded-version

also elevating your feet on something like a footstool, shoebox etc while sitting on a toilet can help straighten out the anorectal angle and allow for a more complete evacuation. so can using a squatty potty. so you might want to give this a try. it helped me. i started with a large shoebox and then bought a squatty potty.


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## anonymousgyrl (Sep 21, 2015)

annie7 said:


> in your other post about pressure, i discussed the possibility of a rectocele. that can cause a feeling of incomplete evacuation.
> 
> also--another cause of incomplete evacuation can be pelvic floor dysfunction (pfd)
> 
> ...


Hello, thanks for your responses. I never had a test for pfd, but suspected I could have pfd because a part of my anus muscles feels tight when I have a bowel movement. But I am also unsure if the tight anus feeling could also be the pressure that I feel in my perineum, which you said may be a possibility of a rectocele. I'd like to try the defecatory proctogram test, but am hesitant....have you ever had this test?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Oh yes --i've had it. No problems with it either. The women who helped me with it were very understanding, caring and professional.

it really is a very good test to have. It can diagnose a number of things.


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## Frankie0344 (Oct 2, 2015)

HI: Not sure about your full illness here on-line, but I can tell you the easy way to get things moving on a daily bases is to eat more Fruit if this is not restricted in your diet. Prune juice or just a small dish of prunes once a day keeps the doctor away. A reasonable amount of water intake helps too. But not the full cure by far. When I could eat anything myself, I always ate whole grain bread products, flack seed powder in my morning muffins, bran etc. But now have celiac so have to stay away from grains. But fruit is the alternative natural way to go. Try to stay away from Industrial Laxatives they are just a temp. cure and will stop helping within 2 weeks. They are just more chemicals in your system that you don't need, Period. Good luck, hope it helps.


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