# New here, hoping for a possible diagnosis of my condition



## pinchharmonic (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi everyone,I'm 26 years of age and I've been suffering with constpiation problems for about 5 years now.A bit of history... it all started iwth the standard constipation when I was in college. One day, a dry big stool tried to pass and it caused my toilet bowl to be drenched in blood. This was scary to say the least, and I did not finish that bowel movement.Well for the next few months, I was afraid to defecate fully. In other words, I only let some of the stool come out before I clenched and would just wipe and continue with my day.It took me another year to realize that it was only hemorrhoids, nothing to be too concerned about. But at that point it was too late. Now I was constpiated everytime I went to the bathroom. The ironic thing is, I still used the bathroom once a day. it's just that I'd go a certain amount and my spincter would "close up". perhaps because I trained it that way.Fast forward 3-4 years later. I was still living with those hemorrhoids because frequently after bowel movements I'd have an itchy and blood anal area, as seen by my boxers, or wiping, etc. I finally found out about hemorrhoidal suppositories and used them. Boy was that a relief. The hemmorhoids went away, I felt great... but STILL constipated.Now a year later, I have a single bowel movement each day. It comes out fine initially, but then I never feel "done". I use up to 6 glycerin suppositories daily just to get the rest out. Successive movements are always puffier, wetter, and thinner stools. Only the original one looks normal. By the end of 6 suppositories it looks very light in color and super fluffy. I never have hard compacted stools ever, leading me to believe my problem is very unique. I also never have diarrhea.I recently saw a doctor and explained everything. He had me try miralax, which to no surprise, has not done anything for me in 3 days except bloat me. I also started taking psyllium whole husk, which helped marginally, but the same symptoms persist.and now, I think i have a thrombosed hemmroid from the repeated suppository usage (hard lump size of a pea right next to anus), excessive wiping, and straining. I spend an hour everyday on the can and it's making my life miserable. What made me go to the doctor after so many years was because these past 2-3 weeks I started getting bloated after every meal. Even meals with just WATER, i would get bloated. I'm even considering eating honey instead of whole grain breads to get my carbs in simply because volume is such an issue for me. I know I'm backed up, and I know something in the GI tract is not working as my stomach doesn't empty as fast as it used to...anyway back to the doctor...The doctor said that if the miralax doesn't work ( i bet it won't), he's going to refer me to a GI doctor to have me do a colonoscopy. At this point, I'm not really afraid of that. It's just kind of sad considering I'm only 26, very physically active, with a diet that's incredibly healthy and full of fiber, veggies, fruits, low glycemic carbs and low fat proteins. To know that my own health is seemingly worse than my own parents' at age 50+ makes me really depressed as this time in my life I should be at my best!another thing I'd liek to ad is the area below my navel has been constantly distended for as long as I can remember. I've compared it to others and it's almost like I have a implant below the navel. It portrudes about 2-3 inches, but it's just the whole area, not a small part.. it feels as though it's filled with water and pushing on it makes me want to pee. In the past 4 years, the only few times that pouch has ever went away was from colon cleansers. After several bowel movements in the morning, that pouch will disappear and I will look normal. However, afterwards, even if I just drink water, the pouch comes back IMMEDIATELY. weird..any advice is much much appreciated as I've read over and over that often times these colonoscopies come up wtih nothing, and then IBS becomes the waste basket diagnosis.does anyone have symptoms like me? Am I even an IBS-C?Things I have tried:aloe veracolon cleansers (various brands)senna teaglycerin suppositoriesbenefiberacacia fibermetamucuilpsyllium whole huskprune juicethe only things that work are the colon cleansesr and senna tea, but these just cause incredible pain that forces me to pass a watery stool. It does seem to "cleanse" me, but my normal problematic bowel movements come back right afterwards.


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## Ashers86 (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi,It certainly does sound like you're IBS-C...I would stop with those suppositories immediately BTW, and for good. 6 is a lot... and if they don't work, just don't bother... it'll just seem to make things worse. I suggest you have a look around our constipation board, and will bet you that others feel similarly - like myself. I started in college too, just after my 20th birthday... diagnosed as IBS-D. I'm 22 now, and for the past few months I've had severe constipation like you describe - it's very hard to move, and would require me to strain and push it. However, pushing is also just going to make it worse. It appears that I now have fissures (tears in the rectum, as opposed to hemorrhoids) from trying to hard. I agree that you should be seeing a GI and have a colonscopy done. I would actually ask your doctor to send off your referral now so you can have an appointment booked. If medicinal relief isn't helping, it is something that needs to be looked at - that's my final opinion (even for me too).Hang in there!


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## baz22p (Dec 1, 2008)

Hi.You may feel debiltated and concerned at the lack of a firm diagnosis up 'til now, but don't be. IBS is diagnosed by the elimnation of all the other possible causes - the various tests will be looks for 'specifics', but if these tests come back negative then IBS will be diagnosed. Although extremely similar, no 2 people will necessarily have identical IBS - it can be as individual as the sufferers themselves (effecs may be the same but the cause may be different, or vice versa).Identifying your personnal 'triggers', and how to cope with your IBS, will result in a better quality of life. I would recommend the readng of some of the wealth of material now available on IBS; beit in books, on the 'net, in the media, etc. That way you can learn more about YOU, and discover how you can work with your doctor.I wish you all the very best with your health.


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

Yeah, 6 glycerin supps is a lot for one day! In the hopsital we usually give people 2 for severe constipation! They are not really dangerous, its just if you keep using them you will become dependent on them, and that is not what you want!


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## Danevans (Dec 23, 2008)

pincharmonic,I've been having similar symptoms over the past couple of months and I just had a colonoscopy done on the 18th and my GI said nothing was abnormal and that he took a tissue sample. But I did have internal hemroids and the doc said to just let them be.-feeling bloated even when stomach is empty-feeling even more bloated after a meal (any food)-A Sense of pressure in the morning that makes me strain to go-going only small amounts at a time and feeling incompletely evacuated-loose stools usually smaller in size, sometimes compacted, sometimes thin-diarrhea is rare except a day after too much alcohol-no bloodI've been uncomfortable 24/7 for the past two months and I don't know if I should call it pain, pressure, cramps or what. I'm confused and don't know what's wrong. Food seems to take a few days to pass through me. I know how you feel, your symptoms seem similar to mine. I don't know if I fall under the constipation IBS group, or if I have something worse. I think my GI may schedule an Upper endoscopy, and I'm going to ask for a barium enema, and for blood work to be done to look for signs of inflammation. I too am young (24yrs.) and this discomfort is beginning to change my life. I used to go to bars a lot and party with college friends but now I've been unable to do much, anxiously awaiting a diagnosis.I'll let you know how my appointment goes and good luck to you!


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