Rectocele - and worsening

Submitted by SaraC on March 20, 2009 - 5:00pm
Body: 

My rectocle problelms started nearly 5-7 yrs ago when I was in my late 40's. But this last year it has become far worse. My main problem is that I can't go when I have the immediate urge to go #2. The urge is so great, but it won't start out of me. It nearly kills me to go before I can make it come out. This has now become a daily morning event. When I finally get my poop to find its way out, it usualy just rips out of me...lots of it and I'm done. But the ripping out of me and the difficulty in getting the poop to first start to poo is extreme discomfort. I've got blood too because of the diametre of the initial poop trying to get through my bum hole out. My rectocele is right at my rectum. I'm not constipated. But the actual starting of the poop to come out is my problem. By the time it moves out usually in one big urgent rush, my whole pelvis floor is engrossed and I've had to press and press on the pelvic floor around my vagina, but pressing in and around my vagina doesn't seem to really work the best...you think that it would. I find pressing with my hand more on the side of my rectum works much better and I have to do this every time to get a BM and often it takes at least a minute or more before pooing starts and the whole time it is bursting to get out of me...painfull. The poo is right there just formed to big for my rectrum to pass at the start. Also, often when I finish I'm not emptied out. some of the poo is trapped in the bulge into my vaginal wall despite my rectum being so stretched out when I finally have a BM. It is uncomfortable until I can get it to move out too. This usually means another bathroom trip when I feel that it might be time to start urging it to move too. At times for this to happen (or be uncomfortable all day) I even fill a plastic squirt type bottle with hot water and insert water into my rectrum and take in a fair bit of water. The urge for a BM happens fairly soon. Evactuating the water usually brings out what I need out to feel comfortable and it is usually fully formed and round as it has been lodged in the rectocele, again causing some rectum bleeding.

My other problems along with my rectocele problem, are that I dribble a bit of pee and it seems worse if my BM is not fully gone. My orgasm is not like it used to be either...hardly at all and not strong...more like did I have one. I know all this is connected. [getting old is not for sissies] I've seen a doctor and had tests - that was humbling to say the least when a male doctor has his fingers and hands on and in you and you are asked to bare down, cough, stop and stop your pee and do kegles. He wants me to wait before even considering any operation as he says it isn't always the answer and in some cases, it can be made worse. However, there are days when I think that I won't get the poo out even though the urge to have a BM is there and extreme to go.

I'm just so happy that I've found this site. I realize that I've gone on a bit on the subject, but hopefully because I put in some details so you know better what I am experiencing, I will learn a couple of things that I want to know in order to cope better:

- are my pooing experiences similar to those of you who have a rectocele problem and can you tell at what stage I'm at with it. Mine is definately lower by my rectrum than higher up the vaginal wall
- does anyone know of a pessary and where to get one that is quite thick in diametre but long like the shape of the vagina to insert and press back the rectrum especially when the need to go is there and you have to help it out
- what else can I do to help my situation. I don't need laxitives and I'm already eating a fair bit of fibre as I have long formed bowel movements when the poo finally does start out of me...wham it is gone
- what are your experiences with surgery and when would you think I should look at doing that. Basically how were you managing before surgery, like me - same, better or worse.

I thank everyone so much for their kind responses regarding their situations. SaraC

kaismom

March 21, 2009 - 6:26am

Welcome Sara! I'm not sure how much help I will be but I really wanted you to know you are not alone in this. I too have a very low, very bad rectocele. It causes me daily problems going and I have pain 24/7. I have the same experience as you describe once I get the pooh going. It comes out really quickly and sort of all at once. However, to make that happen I have to push on the vaginal wall every single time. When I am done I push the wall back in as it protrudes somewhat. I have a pessary but cannot say it helps with bowel movements as I only wear it sometimes. There are some available for rectoceles(mine is for all three organs). You might consider checking those out. My only hesitation is that if your rectocele is as low as mine is there is no way a pessary will help. It would have to sit too low and would probably fall out. I do think surgery might create more problems than it would help. My fear is since the tissue is already weak, fixing the problem lower down might cause a blowout higher up(does that make sense?) My obgyn discouraged surgery but the colorectal doc said I should think about it before I get too old(I am 39). Go figure!

I haven't given you much to work with but I wanted you to know you are not alone. I find the stress of this worse than anything. Knowing others are out there helps a lot! So, welcome aboard!

Mellie

rhodia

June 17, 2009 - 10:56pm

Sara, you have described word by word what I have and feel yet my doctor says take more fibre and I know that is not the problem. I do get urges and go everyday sometimes more than once or twice but the real problem is getting it to start coming out. After every BM I feel there is still something left right at the opening site. Who do I see, a gynaecologist or a rectal specialist? Do let me know if you find any more useful info on this. Thank you.

Rhodia

louiseds

June 17, 2009 - 8:40pm

Hi SaraC

First take a deep breath in, and then slowly out. Relax. We will help you to get this sorted. Yours is a familiar story here. Gotta go out for a bit. Will respond later. Try inserting a thumb into yor vagina an depressing the back vaginal wall to kind of straighten out the pipe, as an alternative to massaging from the outside. TMI? It's not that bad, and can be a lifesaver. It's called splinting. Catch you later.

Louise

louiseds

June 18, 2009 - 2:05am

Hi SaraC
Now, I have a few minutes to expand my thoughts. Firstly, if the stool is very wide and too hard to compress as it comes out, I think that probably means it has been in there for so long that it has lost water content and has been pushed down on by other stool following. This may mean that you didn't attend to the fullness feeling when the rectum first filled, or else you didn't feel it. My daughter experienced this as a child, and chiropractic treatment gave her back the sensation. It appears that she previously did not feel the need to go, or even the difference between the sensations of weeing or pooing. I think our brains can get a bit mixed up about what the signals mean.

The other consideration is that you might be getting enough fibre, but high fibre diet means that you need more water, because it is the fibre interacting with the water that gives the bulking effect which means that the stools are not dense and can move around as necessary to get around the corners etc.

When you have rectocele, the bend in the rectum can get stuck in the rectocele, but I think that sometimes a breach in the fascia allows the rectum to expand almost indefinitely without the pressure telling the brain that it is full and needs to empty. The rectum just gets fuller and bigger, and the stool loses water all the time, so it gets harder too. The enormous 'download' experience you have when you can finally 'go' is because the bowel knows there is a blockage so it just leaves the next bit very liquidy, so it can kind of wash out the rectum when the pressure gets too much.

There is a post somewhere about the neurophysiology of the intestinal system, but I cannot find it at present. I posted the link about three weeks ago, I think, as a new topic. I have another couple of files on my computer that explain the workings of the bowel. Email me if you would like me to email them to you.

You might like to try using the toilet about 30 minutes after a meal, even if you don't feel like going. That is the time when the intestines move the load down to make room for the incoming food. You might find that you do have something in there, and can then evacuate it without straining. Not straining is the most important part of conserving the fascial structure and not tearing it further. You will find that the drive for a bowel motion comes from within the intestines themselves. To push stool out with the stomach muscles and holding your breath is likely to cause further damage.

I think your constant weeing might be because a full bowel is pressing on your bladder. If you can get the bowel emptying on demand, and keeping it from getting too full, you might find that the bladder problem solves itself.

The final thing is that there is nothing quite like worrying to cause a logjam. Educating yourself about how your body works is the first stage of getting rid of the worry. Learning to listen to your body is another important aspect. Adapting your behaviour and learning new tools, like splinting and using Fleet enemas will help you to outwit your bowel as well.

Always use your bowel as soon as you possibly can after the fullness sensation, then if you don't get complete emptying, go again after you eat, or any other time you get the signal. For bladder continence it is the opposite, ie learn to hang on for longer to build up bladder capacity.

Crystalbalou

June 21, 2009 - 1:33am

Hi am new on this site. I have a rectocele and I will be going for an ultra sound in July. I have pressure and can't do much walking . I have to lay down in my recliner after dinner and I am depressed about this whole thing. I was very active before this happened.
I hope this will help you with your rectocele.
I find if I eat light during the day. Apple or fruit in the morning with orange juice and fibre ( What works for me is BENEFIBRE it is all natural). I take some Benefibre,morning noon and night with an enzeme which I take out of the capsule and add to the fibre and orange juice. I also buy Absorb Plus Shakes from Jini... http://www.listen2yourgut.com It is really helping for my IBS and helps me poop. It actually heals the gut.
Christine's fire breathing is very helpful for me this far and really helps with the pressure I feel. I am walking more and work in my garden. My goal is to go back to bike riding and golfing.
I believe that we should stick toghether and learn from each other.
I am also one who will fight to the end ... I am not in favor of operations. Let's stick together and pull through this.. We can if we stay united.

~hugs~ Crystalbalou

ChannelD

August 28, 2009 - 12:35pm

Hi Sarah;

I too have a rectocele. I came to this site in despair because my primary symptom was an inability to completely empty my bladder. I always felt like I had to go. I welcomed it when pee dribbled because anything coming out was good! This site was a Godsend and I thank Him for it. Among the advice I received that really helped me was to try a stool softener. Miralax was the one suggested and I use the Target brand. It was like a miracle. I take one a day (and have for about a year now) and when I miss a couple of days (you know, we all have the tendency to forget our meds when things are going well) I really notice it right away. With my bowels emptying nicely, the rectocele no longer blocks my urethra as much and I am far more comfortable. Other suggestions like postures during urination have also helped enormously but you don't sound like this particular symptom is a problem for you. It was also suggested I regularly take magnesium and potassium and I have been. I also take a soy supplement faithfully because the link between my completely entering menopause (a full year w/o my period) and the development of my rectocele is very evident. I think you will have to experiement with assorted things (people recommend pessaries, sponges etc) to find the combination that works for you. All I want to say is that I came here thinking I would never be comfortable again - indeed, that I had been comfortable for the very last time at some point in the past and didn't even know it - and now I am. So don't give up, don't get discouraged, and keep writing in and trying out the suggestions you get. If someone has a more natural approach than the stool softener I too am open to suggestions. Increasing fiber has not helped me because I also suffer from IBS and the more fiber I take in the worse those symptoms are, and that worsens the rectocele.

Cynthia