[ClaraTaylor]

I used to have 99% normal functioning bowels (part of my barely incomplete perks) but the continued deterioration and side effects from the pain killers mean that things aren't working... well at all.

It used to be that I'd keep a little note in the diary and take a mug of laxatives when needed but now I am reliant on the laxatives (movicol being tonights weapon of choice) to get anything moving and have spent most of this year bouncing between being scared to sneeze and bunged up. This is not fun! (Especially when you have a shocking memory). If anyone has any recommendations.... help!

What I have noticed during the "able to sneeze without fear of accidents" days when my body refuses to let go of anything is that my pain level rises and this is the only reason I can find behind the increase. Is this something other people experience? Because of the sudden pain rise I become a right grumpy cow so if I bite your head off because you've not washed the mugs up... you'll know why.

[edlee]

Being constipated, at least when I was AB, always made me grumpy,, but I don't notice any increase in the pain from it now. In fact I welcome it. No accidents.

It's as good a reason as any for snapping at the dirty mug crew,, but the pain,,,, I don't know.
ed

[chickadee]

Clara, it's like you read my mind. Or rather, my guts' (collective) mind. I have to be super careful with laxatives, but I hate hate hate suppositories, which are my necessary evil.

In my very nonmedical opinion, I think the fact we have lower (and incomplete) injuries make our sensations down there very real, but very very confused. All of my wires seem crossed, and when I feel sick, it takes all of my concentration and willpower to not throw up or turn into a knotted ball of spasms. I know that it can't hurt that bad, and just try to sort it out as best as possible.

I think the big thing that helps me out is super routine to time up the plumbing as best I can, and tons of fruits and water - natural happy plumbing ingredients. Hope it helps to have at least someone else in the same boat as you.

[guido]

Generally I have a fairly easy time of it, but stress causes my constipation, and constipation is definitely uncomfortable. Stress and pain are also linked. CT, from recent posts, you have sounded like you have quite a lot of annoyance going on. Fear of accidents just makes this whole cycle worse. I go at least once a day if not more, and always before going out or exercising - any activity that is likely to cause a problem. And this way I go out without fear and can relax and enjoy. Bowels are like a loaded weapon when constipated, but I've learnt to relax and go with it. If you're walking, why not wear those rather sexy tena pants so that you can be sure you won't have any visible "signs" if you blow a nice wet one! In the meantime, you need to get back to a stage where you stop making it an issue that takes over, otherwise it will hang around for ages.

Drink water, eat fruit, Activia prune bio yogurts, worry less, avoid the blocking up foods and try to regulate more naturally. Meds are a bloody nightmare for bowels, one way or other. And it takes a few days for any food cycle to take full effect. I also have found that cooking with lots of garlic seems to help when I'm blocked up. And chilli. Fire things up a little.

For the pain, you need to get over this little hummock, because the cycle seems to be feeding itself. Have you tried acupuncture? This is available on the NHS depending on your GP.

[Tetracyclone]

Ahh Clara,

I totally commiserate. I'm sure it makes sense to trust your analysis that the pain killers are a big culprit in your difficulties. I'm also sure that the decrease in movement for all of us makes it quite difficult for material to move through the intestines. They are designed to be stimulated by movement, and we ain't got much.

I do some intestinal massage every time I wake up at night, plus lots when I am on the commode. It helps. Without it my suppository would not work at times.

I plan to work hard to reduce my med load in May, when the weather gets warm. Warm weather reduces my problems, so I will use that advantage. Over time I've accustomed my mind to treat this pain as non-threatening. I'm sure there will be a new level of challenge as i try to reduce med load, but I'm going to try like crazy because it's possible I could have nearly normal BMs without the meds. What i do not know is if the spasticity will become too limiting for this plan to work, but I know the mental adjustment is possible. I read numerous posts on this site from folks who manage it, so it's just a question of implementing what I know to be theoretically possible.

A great race car runs without a muffler, after all, and while the noise may be painful, many fans manage to interpret the sound as sexy.

[Tinbasher]

My back pain is definately worse when i am badly constipated.

[ClaraTaylor]

guido, on Mar 16 2010, 08:26 AM, said:

Generally I have a fairly easy time of it, but stress causes my constipation, and constipation is definitely uncomfortable. Stress and pain are also linked. CT, from recent posts, you have sounded like you have quite a lot of annoyance going on. Fear of accidents just makes this whole cycle worse. I go at least once a day if not more, and always before going out or exercising - any activity that is likely to cause a problem. And this way I go out without fear and can relax and enjoy. Bowels are like a loaded weapon when constipated, but I've learnt to relax and go with it. If you're walking, why not wear those rather sexy tena pants so that you can be sure you won't have any visible "signs" if you blow a nice wet one! In the meantime, you need to get back to a stage where you stop making it an issue that takes over, otherwise it will hang around for ages.

Drink water, eat fruit, Activia prune bio yogurts, worry less, avoid the blocking up foods and try to regulate more naturally. Meds are a bloody nightmare for bowels, one way or other. And it takes a few days for any food cycle to take full effect. I also have found that cooking with lots of garlic seems to help when I'm blocked up. And chilli. Fire things up a little.

For the pain, you need to get over this little hummock, because the cycle seems to be feeding itself. Have you tried acupuncture? This is available on the NHS depending on your GP.

I did not know about the stress bit. My life is always stressful one way or another - I think that's what keeps me going sometimes. Lots of stress means I can't think about the bad stuff in life because I'm usually too busy sorting out the bad stuff in the workshop (expect there to be blood shed on Thursday!)

The accidents bit is less of a problem, because I am constantly in the bathroom owing to having what appears to be the smallest bladder around (not helped by all of the water / juice / tea I drink to keep everything flushed through) and what accidents I have usually happen after I've managed to (TMI ALERT) resolve a recent bunged up issue so there isn't anything of interest left inside. It's more a mild annoyance than something I fear (much rather that way than the constipation in a way to be honest).

I eat lots of fruit and raw veg, but know that my diet right now leaves a little bit to be desired (hopefully a friend will be cooking me some freezer meals when she cooks her meals so that I'll already have prepared food available if I don't have the energy / time / positive attitude to make my own. I end up living on fruit and raw veg for days until I can kick my arse into gear. Must get a sign made up reminding me that I am not a rabbit).

As for the pain thing, it's starting to dawn on me (finally!!) just how much it's affecting my life - it affects everything. A friend (who happens to be a nurse) is doing a course in pain management and chose me as her little guinea pig (told you I wasn't a rabbit) and asked me to write a few posts each day updating her on what I was doing, how much it hurt, what I hadn't been able to do..... any who that set off the PTSD (constantly reminding me about the accident and making me think about it) resulting in my ensuring Kleenex wont go out of business this year and lots of thinking. I see the doctor on Monday (yipee) about getting the disc that is pressing on the spinal cord whipped out and replaced. Doubt this'll actually happen (the op not the appointment) but we'll be pushing for more efforts in the pain management - I'm on pregablin for the nerve pain and morphine for the rest of the pain. I've already done one round of the pain management clinic / 8 week course without much useful information being extracted. There is a natural healing clinic in my town that positively bounced up and down with excitement at the thought of "curing" me - unfortunately my wallet is rather tight right (hemeraging caused by house improvements) now so things like acupuncture / crystal healing / reflexology / Alexander Technique / pilates / and the many many other things I have on my list of things to try is going to have to wait (at the moment the NHS around here is running on "minimal" when it comes to offering things like acupuncture).

Perhaps I should buy Scribs some darts.

[Tetracyclone]

Suggest to the natural healing clinic that they offer you a month of intensive treatment, and that if it is successful you will happily pay them lots of money. If not, you can offer career change counseling to them.

All those tissues have a positive effect?