Bladder problems with rectocele

Submitted by lori459 on December 12, 2010 - 9:54pm
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Please help...i had a hysterectomy in 2008 with a cystocele and rectocele repair. Things were going good til about July when I started having shooting pains in my rectum area...went to my urogynecologist who did a complete exam and things were good.....October I went back because I was having more problems with the pain in my rectum ....he checked and now I have a bulge in the upper part of my vagina from my bowel. He says it's a small rectocele.....I am now (since November) been having bladder issues. In the mornings after my coffee I pee a lot, no problems but once I get on my feet and move around, it's like gravity takes over and if I have any stool in my bowels, then I have a hard time starting my urine stream and/or it's weak or there is hesitancy......anyone else out there with some guidance? I had a pelvic ct scan with contrast that shows nothing...i did get diagnosed with pelvic floor dysfunction.....help....

kiki

December 16, 2010 - 12:20am

HI Lori,
sorry no one has replied! Christine is having a much needed break, and some of the other mods / regulars are away...
I have to go super quick as need to run to work, but wanted to say welcome.
I can't give any wisdom on problems post hyst, but can give wisdom on pop in general.
everything you describe sounds very familiar--i have all three POP, rect being the worse, but started out with a severe bladder POP.
using the search tool will bring up lots of both pop but a few thoughts...
--reducing coffee may help avoid having to pee a lot and avoid your bladder being irritated.
--re the stools in bowel not moving, search on constipation and a ton comes up on that. it is super common with rectocele. i have learned to manage it much better through lots of fibre from raw veg, beans / pulses, walking lots...but it is still annoying at times, so i really sympathise. for me taking magnesium also helps as well.
--for the difficulty peeing, you may need to get your bladder into a new position. leaning forward, lifting your bottom up a bit, lets it fall into its normal position and empty better.

i found diet key in lots of ways. when i follow and anti inflammatory diet (not happening at moment, but must go back on it!) i am SOOOOO much better (again, use search for loads on this).

the posture is KEY. it iwll help your organs fall back into place. reading the book will really help you to understand what is going on, so get it if you can. there are great excercises, but i'm not sure what is good post hyst -- but if you read back on the hyst forum, you may find some threads on it. or, christine will be back in teh new year to share her wisdom.

in the mean time, reading the book, starting the posture, and looking at what you eat will really help.

again sorry for the quiet spell--we are usually a far more lively bunch ;-)

aza

December 16, 2010 - 11:30am

I hate to say it as it sounds like your morning coffee is a common part of your daily ritual, but it sounds like it is acting as a definite irritant to your bladder. Any chance you can change your routine for a bit and see if it helps? Switch to tea or something more nutritive (I begrudgingly switched to dandelion tea years ago instead of coffee, great for liver support but also tasty with honey and milk so almost like a cup of java ;)

mom30

December 17, 2010 - 1:48pm

I altogether switched from drinking coffee in the morning, to making it my afternoon treat instead. I would drink it, and it would make me have to pee a million times. So, now I drink one cup of green tea in the morning instead. It doesn't make me have to go as much.

Also, have you ever reached up your vaginal area with a clean thumb and pressed on the back? Just to see if there is any stool left in there? Even if it's a small amount, it usually will make you feel like "something" is in the way. Just a thought.

louiseds

December 19, 2010 - 4:43am

Hi Lori

I agree very much with the comments of the previous posters. I would add that we all pee more first thing in the morning. It is to do with clearing out the urine that has built up over night while our kidneys have been busy processing any extra fluid built up over the previous day and night. They work best when we are horizontal I think, because the heart doesn't have to pump so hard to get the blood around our bodies when it is all on the same level. I know that this certainly is the case with people who retain fluid, eg people with heart failure.

So, first thing in the morning might be a bad time to have your coffee. It might not create so much trouble if you have your coffee nearer lunch time or early afternoon, if you really cannot do without it. You might find that arabica coffee is less troublesome than the robusta that is used for most American coffee. Arabica is fuller in flavour and lower in caffeine, and more expensive.

About the scans. Almost all scans are done with the patient lying down. Does your prolapse bother you while lying down? Probably not. The doctor examines you lying down, right? So, how does he know what is happening in your body while you are upright, which is when the prolapse symptoms appear?

Our organs slosh around all over the place when we change positions. The horizontally positioned body is a different layout from the vertically positioned body. Doctors do operations with the patient lying down. That's why they generally examine with the patient lying. They know what they are feeling with their hands and they know what is underneath the skin when they do an incision. This is how they visualise it and this is the layout they are trained in. This may explain why your perceptions and your doctor's perceptions are different. Your perceptions are as true as his. He just needs to feel what you feel. Any chance of asking him to examine you standing up, if you want him to understand the problem?

Actually, I think you already know what is happening, even if he doesn't understand. There may be no point in a standing examination.
Louise