# Incomplete evacuation since October 2013



## Dan321 (Jul 10, 2015)

Whats up guys. I just came across this site and I would like to share with you an issue that has negatively impacted my life in somewhat severe fashion.

I always had complete bowel movements, never had constipation in my life. I am now a 22 year old male. One morning I woke up, and simply couldn't finish. Before this issue, I would go at 8 AM, empty fine. I then would go at 9 AM, empty fine and feel great all day. I still have the same exact bowel habits, however I am not 'finishing' during either bowel movement. This has been on going every single day for about two years. I don't have problems going, I just have problems finishing. I have tried it all - from magnesium citrate, metamucil, miralax, milk of magnesia - nothing works.

I don't know what to do and it boggles my mind. My stools aren't nearly as thick as they were, they come out in small bunches. Passing gas isn't as smooth as it used to be either, it seems like I'm squeezing it out when I do pass it.

It's really my only symptom until the IE leads to other symptoms such as bloating, rib pain, and abdominal pain. I'm heading to my GI this week and trying my last option that I know of - Linzess, in hopes that it completely flushes me out. I just want that feeling of emptiness, of being completely flushed out again. I don't care for anything else, I'd go to crazy extremes to get that feeling again. Any help would be deeply appreciated, thank you.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

Hi Dan so sorry you are having this problem.

if you have incomplete bowel movements and keep feeling like you need to go all day, you could have pelvic floor dysfunction. men can develop this too--it is not something that just women get. have you been tested for that? with pfd, the pelvic floor muscles don't 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. this problem also can make it hard to pass gas.

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

biofeedback and physical therapy can be effective in correcting pfd.

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 mention this to your gastroenterologist and ask to get tested for it. and, as i said, men can have this problem, too--it's not just a womens' problem. i know men who have it and also who found that biofeedback helped them. here is one link explaining pfd--there are many others online as well:

http://www.mccc.edu/~behrensb/documents/pelvicfloordisorderpresentation.pdf

i do hope you can find some relief. take care.


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## Dan321 (Jul 10, 2015)

Thank you Annie, I really appreciate your help, it means a LOT.

Pelvic floor dysfunction sounds exactly like the problem, as I always doubted it was an intestine issue. I will definitely talk to my GI about this, possibly even show him your post.

I do have one question though. I'm sure you're aware of Linzess. Since this does't seem like a digestive issue, do you think there's a point in me taking it? I ask because a year ago I was on it for about a week. On the 7th day, I noticed extra relief I hadnt felt since this issue started occuring. Not full relief, but it felt I was well on my way, it was working. But I stopped taking it because some issues popped up at work where I had to be there more often, and I wasnt confined to my home as much. I have a week off this week and since it seemed like Linzess was on its way to flushing me out completely, I figured its a must I give it a second try and at least take the pill consecutively for a few weeks. Thank you, I appreciate your hell.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh yes--i'm very familiar with linzess. we have a lot of linzess threads here on the board.

and yes, I think it's a great idea to try taking it again, especially since you have a week off and it worked a bit the last time you took it. . definitely give it a second try. I know of people with pfd who take linzess and it helps them go more completely. of course, we're all different in how we react to meds but if I were in your shoes, I would definitely give it another go. some people have said their docs told them that Linzess can take a little while--a week or two--to "normalize" them, as they put it.

anything is worth a try, I always say. I've been dx'd with pfd and couldn't wait to try linzess. I used it for cleanouts.

one thing i found out about linzess--the closer you take linzess to eating--ie: 20 minutes before breakfast or even right after you eat breakfast--or whatever meal--the quicker it works. generally speaking that is. like everything, your mileage may vary.

I found this out when experimenting with linzess and when I took it. i found that if I took it right after breakfast ( a warm breakfast with some healthy fat in it) instead of taking it a half hour before breakfast as prescribed , I had diarrhea off and on for about 6 hours or so. a real cleanout lol.. if I took it as prescribed, a half hour before breakfast, it didn't work much--if any--at all. but that's me--i'm complicated and have other problems beside pfd.. many people have had success with it.

I told my gastro doc about all this with linzess and food and he agreed. he's done a lot of research on linzess and ran clinical trials on it. the closer you take it to eating, the more D you get. he advises people who say they get too much D with linzess to try taking it an hour before breakfast.

anyway--just wanted to mention that. good luck with everything! take care.


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## Dan321 (Jul 10, 2015)

Thank you so much for input. Im terribly sorry to hear it didnt work for you and that you have experienced other issues. I couldnt believe people actually lived permanantly with this till I had to do it myself.

One thing you said caught my eye, you said you had used it for cleanouts. Did you mean Linzess actually gave you a feeling of COMPLETE emptiness, even if it was only temporarily? It seems like a drug that would do a good job of flushing out since I was going six times a day the first few days on it.

My dream scenario is to finally have complete emptiness (been so long Ive forgotten what it feels like) and eventually ween myself off of it, slowly.

I dont think my issue is too severe, as my issue seems to be only incomplete bowel movements. I have my movements every day, just wish I could get all of it out.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh yes--when i took linzess with food, it did clean me out--felt empty...

and yes--i hear you. incomplete evacuation is truly miserable..... we just want to get it all out...


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## rewinj (Apr 19, 2012)

http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/866/opendoc/140172

pelvic floor exercises have been by far the most beneficial thing for my own obstructed defecation, fwiw


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

thanks for posting that, Rewinj.

yes, those exercises were the ones ,my pelvic floor physical therapist had me doing, too. and they did help teach me to identify those muscles and to learn how to relax them. working with the biofeedback machine helped too. i also bought a home biofeedback machine and used it daily as well.


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

Have you tried squatting? Enema?

Is it possible that the ie feeling is because the gut lining is irritated?


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

Have you tried squatting? Enema?

Is it possible that the ie feeling is because the gut lining is irritated?


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## tummyrumbles (Aug 14, 2005)

I too like to prop my feet up on books as Annie suggests, but not to bear down as such but it's just that with so much time spent in there it's more comfortable. In my case I get a lot of variation in evacuation time depending on what I eat and how much I eat. I had a tendency to overeat as well and this causes digestion problems. It's really easy to overeat. Our westernised standard is no more than 4 handfuls of food at one sitting but Ayurvedic guidelines are about 2 handfuls of food which seems tiny in comparison. There's a lot of good information if you google ayurvedic and overeating. I'm wondering whether the overeating caused my IBS as I had GERD, sleep apnea etc as well. I found that reducing food portion sizes helps a lot, but I still have to eat mainly low-starch and this is the hardest thing. You crave grains - breads, biscuits etc and just eating meat and veges all the time is really hard, especially when you get sudden hunger pangs and just want something straight away. I'm sure I still have the bacterial overgrowth and this is what's causing the gas during the day if I do eat a lot of starches. I'm not sure about the theory of pelvic floor dysfunction only because I get such drastic variation depending on what I eat. The best diet for me is still porridge in the morning, salad & meat for lunch and meat or fish & well cooked veges for dinner. But I space out the food portions so I try to have the meat on its own then the vegetables some time after. Anyway if I don't eat grains this works really well, with complete evacuation and I can go the whole day at work with no gas at all. But it's a really hard diet to stick to.


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## dlqc (May 17, 2018)

annie7 said:


> Hi Dan so sorry you are having this problem.
> 
> if you have incomplete bowel movements and keep feeling like you need to go all day, you could have pelvic floor dysfunction. men can develop this too--it is not something that just women get. have you been tested for that? with pfd, the pelvic floor muscles don't 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. this problem also can make it hard to pass gas.
> 
> ...


thank you very much for sharing the pdf document


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## flossy (Dec 8, 2012)

Incomplete evacuation: I usually have two or three BM's a day. I go, wait an hour, then go again. Then same thing again. But lately? Four times today, about one every hour, and I can feel another on the way. THIS DRIVES ME CRAZY. At least my Intestinal Formula # 1 makes it a lot easier to go, but still? Incomplete evacuation.

I guess I'm not going out today!?! You'all know why.

ANGRY


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## inflamez666 (Aug 14, 2015)

I have somewhat similar symptoms 2. I also dislocated my pelvic bone a few years ago could that have caused it.

What exactly is this and how is it diagnosed?


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

about incomplete evacuation--one of the causes can be pelvic floor dysfunction. i mentioned the tests to diagnose pelvic floor dysfunction, explained it and also posted a link about it in my first post on this thread.

i don't know if dislocating your pelvic bone could have caused it or not--ask your gastroenterologist.


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