Retraining bowel?

Body: 

Its been awhile since I have posted ( before the big crash/attack) and I have some ?s. My original diagnosis was a grade1 recto that has grown into a grade 3 in a year, though it looks nothing like some Grade 3s I have seen during my research online. Here whats up. 1st doc my regular Gyno says: Grade 1 ,no surgery, just do high fiber /Pericolace, 2nd doc Urogyno. no surgery now wait and see (I wanted 2nd opp.) Fast forward a year doing what 1st doc advised ,but seem to be getting more constipated, stool bulging into vajayjay requiring splinting, lots of bearing down. So I go to another Urogyno to check on Recto now a grade 3, did I do this to myself, they launch into of course Surgical options. I do have lots of fibriods my be these are making my recto worse? anyway.... what I want to do is to retrain my bowel to go poo the natural way. How do I do this? Please help.

First step is to keep up the water and reduce the fibre. Do it bit by bit. I do not know how the stool softener works, but there is a note that says to take more fluids and to have an extra glass of water when you take it. Perhaps it is absorbing some of the extra water???

I also note that on the product website, Pericolace has a stimulant in it. Colace does not. It says Peri-colace is useful for conditions like rectocele where you need to not strain with evacuation , but I wonder if it is actually causing part of your problem because the stimulant part might be driving the stool down and it simply expands the rectum into your vagina, rather than producing a bowel motion out through your anus. I would suggest the possibility of using Colace instead of Peri-colace. Perhaps you could discuss this possibility with your doctor? I also note that both products are for occasional constipation. Yours sounds more long term than 'occasional'. Ask the doctor about that too.

I think you have two or three separate things happening. Too much fibre will be causing extra bulk in your intestines which will mean that they cannot wriggle around and adjust themselves as easily as they could with less bulk. Not enough water to satisfy the water needs of the fibre and the Peri-colace, causing stool hardening which makes evacuation difficult. The *possibility* of the stimulant action of the Pericolace blowing out your rectocele too vigorously.

If all else fails you could look at an occasional enema to 'clear the log jam' and get back to baseline again. An occasional enema can be very helpful, certainly more helpful than having your rectum permanently distended, which is bound to worsen your rectocele by stretching all the fascia surrounding the rectum.

Good luck.

Louise

Thanks for the suggestions I will try them Because I hate the feeling of the "Log jam" I always like reading your suggestions, they have been very helpful in the past :-) Pandora