Catch-22

Submitted by hockeyMom on January 23, 2013 - 6:15pm
Body: 

The wacky hormones of perimenopause are causing me some grief lately. My period has become totally random, I'm never sure when it's going to show up anymore. This month I was getting close to when I normally would get my period (2 days before), when I started getting lots of inflammation and swelling in the pelvis. I also noticed that my vaginal mucous became very clear and thick like when ovulating. When this happens I get lots of swelling around my anus (hemmorhoids but general tissue swelling as well). It becomes difficult for me to complete my BMs without pushing (not straining, exactly, because the poop has no problem coming down to the anus, but then it is so swollen there that it can't get through without me bearing down a bit). I have yet to get my period ...

I think because of this pushing I have worsened my POP (uterine prolapse mainly, with small rect/cyst just like Chrisine calls nature's pessary) and yesterday everything was so painful ... and I couldn't believe the aches I had in my pelvis, lower back and down my inner thighs. So today I decided to take the bull by the horns and focus on all the things you ladies recommend. So I started the day with some wide-stance plies and then did some jiggling (I liked how Fab described it once, I like to lean my elbows onto the couch and sort of bounce up and down on the balls of my feet). I was careful to stay in WW posture on the toilet and only pushed minimally at the very end. I sat all day at my computer with my legs quite wide pulled up into WW (at first my pelvis really ached but then the ache just suddenly went away). I did repeated plies and jiggling throughout the day.

You know, I have been applying WW for over 2 years now, and you think I would get over being surprised, but I cannot believe how much better I feel tonight compared to last night. My hemmorhoids are still sore but the intense pressure on them is relieved. So thanks for that!

However, I wondered if anyone else has this problem, with the swollen rectum and the need to push compromising their POP. It gets so swollen that splinting doesn't really work. I wish I could find something to reduce the swelling. The red clover tea usually seems to help but there are times like this when it just goes out the window. Any ideas out there?

Forum:

Aging gracefully

January 23, 2013 - 6:28pm

Hi hockeymom,
I am going through perimenopause too. It can literally be a pain, can't it. I also have been getting the random periods, when I used to have my periods right on the 28th day like clockwork. Now I know my period is close by constipation only, and I also get that swelling you are talking about. I don't have any great advice; just wanted you to know you are not the only one out there. I just know it is such a relief to finally get my period, so I can have a decent bm, and then I can't wait till my period is over so I can do some serious firebreathing. You said you have been doing this for 2 years. Do you get the pulling feeling on your uterus before and during your periods??

hockeyMom

January 23, 2013 - 6:52pm

Thanks for your reply, It is nice (although I really don't wish it on anyone else :-) to hear that I am not the only one with this problem. So it probably is my hormones ... I seem to blame everything on them lately.

I don't get any pulling feeling on my uterus. When I first prolapsed I had a fair amount of pain on one side (I like how doctors say that prolapse doesn't hurt - argh) that felt like ligament pain to me. It took a few months but it subsided. I think (up until lately that is) that I have managed to shift my uterus up a bit over the years and it now usually resides in a more comfortable location. The one thing I notice as my monthly cycle (such as it is) goes along is that sometimes my cervix seems to poke into the back wall of my vagina more now (maybe because it is coming more from the front?) and I feel it in my rectum rather than that falling-tampon sensation. Generally my POP feels much better except when I get all the swelling and then I just think there isn't room for everything down there :-). My problem with my periods, when they show up, is that I have one day with gushy flow and lots of clotting - yuck.

Aging gracefully

January 23, 2013 - 7:51pm

Me too! Man, that is scarey wondering if the pad I am wearing is going to hold it long enough for me to change into the next one! Just wondering what actual menopause is going to feel like. Hmmm....

oceangirl08006

January 23, 2013 - 9:41pm

I admire your perseverance, good job! Sometimes when things begin to get complicated for me, I go back to the basics, like diet. I can see the problem you have with the swelling, and one thing that might help is reviewing your overall diet again. for example, I know one thing that keeps my stools regular, soft, and very easy to pass is not underestimating the importance of healthy fats in my diet. Avocados are my favorite, and really do the trick along with a generally healthy diet. Keep going, I am glad you saw improvements in one night! Your doing a great job!

fab

January 24, 2013 - 1:16am

Dear HockeyMom

I am post menopause, but perimenopause is not that long ago that I can’t relate to what you and aging gracefully are saying; the irregularity of periods , the inflammation and in my case I was happy to get the period started with and then I could poo. Unfortunately, I still get the swelling occasionally similar to what you are talking about. In my case the stool is still in the intestine, nowhere near the rectum and it won’t budge. When it does come it is mostly a good type stool, which I find a further paradox, not like the tarry or constipated stool of peri menopause. I have done a pretty thorough job on my diet and that really helps a lot. Why I get these occasional bouts of inflammation is a real mystery, but I can’t help thinking that it is a combination of allergies; bacteria, food and weather included, it often coincides with an ache in my arthritic shoulder or a dose of hay fever, and stress.

I find a self massage of my stomach does help to get things moving. I start above the public bone and follow my intestines around my right side over my navel and down my left side (ascending column, transverse colon, descending colon and then the sigmoid colon). With the period due you may find it too painful. You would need to see how you go.

Another way is to lie on your stomach and raise your legs bent at the knees over your buttocks and hold them stretched towards your head for as long as you can. If you can only do it for thirty seconds or so, repeat a few times. But preferably it would be possible to hold your legs tight at stretch for a five to ten minute interval.

If the inflammation lasts for a few days an anti inflammatory helps; a paracetamol or an anti histamine.

Also, the distension and consequent rubbing that the inflammation creates in your vagina and prolapsed organs can be eased with soft flannel washing with warm water and a liberal smear of Vaseline or other lubricant.

The only other thing I can think to suggest is that if the stool is too wide and that this is what is preventing it from sliding out easily, an easing back on the amount of insoluble fibre you eat in the last 2-3 days before the period might not be a bad idea. If you don't eat much fibre then the stool has accumulated and maybe an earlier enema may prove beneficial to moving the stool before it compacts. However, this might not be user friendly to hemorrhoids, so maybe a probiotic course the week before the period's onset. Worth thinking on these things.

Glad to hear of your progress otherwise.

best wishes, Fab.

Surviving60

January 24, 2013 - 8:47am

This might be a good discussion for Ikam. I know you are in early menopause and maybe your discomfort after pooping might be an inflammation thing. - Surviving

Aging gracefully

January 24, 2013 - 9:52am

It is so nice that women can talk about these things. Great tips Fab; I will definetly try some of these, and also more plies throughout the day!

hockeyMom

January 24, 2013 - 11:05am

Thanks very much for all the ideas. I have tried to make sure my diet is better. I seem to have more problem when the stool is too soft - when it is a little firmer it stays together better and pushes through better. And before/during my period the stool is always softer. Thanks for the food ideas, I love avocados and do usually try to eat them often, but right now where I live (northern canada) they are expensive and not of good quality so I haven't had them regularly. I have been adding coconut oil to my diet as a way of getting some good fats. Also back to the daily apple.

Probably it got worse this month from a perfect storm of hormones, diet a little off post-Christmas, less exercise (extremely wintry here at the mo' so a person sits around a lot more), etc. It really is great to have a place to talk about these things ... it makes a big difference to suffering in silence. Thanks again.

hockeyMom

January 24, 2013 - 12:17pm

Gracefully, I had fallen off my WW-specific exercises a bit, and for me the wide-stance feet-turned-out squat works really well and feels great. I don't know why but it seems to work even better than firebreathing for me. And you can do it even with your period, bonus. When I first started WW, I couldn't believe how tight my hips were and my turn-out and squat were pathetic. Keeping my knees out over my feet was so hard.

I guess these set-backs are just a reminder that I have probably fallen into some bad old habits. I too wonder what menopause will be like after all this ... hopefully a relief :-)

Aging gracefully

January 24, 2013 - 12:56pm

Hockeymom, I can certainly relate to the tight hips thing. I have been doing the DVDs for a couple of months now, and my hips are pretty tight most of the time. That second yoga DVD really gives them a nice stretch though. That one should be renamed post partum ladies and old lady hips dvd, because it really helps my tired old hips!! Of course, I know it will take quite some time to get looser.
I know you were the one looking for help here, but you have really helped me with some of the issues I was having also. I really get freaked out during my periods, because I can't do firebreathing and I feel that pulling on my uterus. I am definetly going to do those turned out squats, especially during my period.
Thanks so much!!

fab

January 24, 2013 - 3:46pm

The too soft stool can be from some food that accelerates through. For that reason I gave away chocolate. Just keep an eye out for what it might be in your case. If you can’t isolate what it is then magnesium citrate (as suggested by Christine) certainly helps to keep stool together. Maybe, if you take one tablet on two or three days before your period could be the way to go.

Cheers, Fab

Mika

January 24, 2013 - 5:36pm

Where can I see the wide stance feet turned out swat?

Bebe

January 24, 2013 - 9:24pm

I wash with jewel weed soap and use a tiny dab of hydrocortisone cream for rectal swelling for hemorroids and for generally being on my feet too long. It's not good, of course, to use hydrocortisone continually. My husband washes with Noxema for hemorroids and swears by it, but the menthol irritates my skin. Sometimes the swelling will make me feel like I still need to poo, but (sorry girls) a finger check proves otherwise. We do what we gotta do.

Bebe

hockeyMom

January 25, 2013 - 2:27pm

Bebe, you made me laugh! Indeed we do what we gotta do :-)

Gracefully, thanks it is nice to think that one has helped another - I have been helped so much by all the ladies that post here I am forever grateful.

I added some bulky fiber to my diet and that seems to have helped a bit in going. As long as the BM is still soft it works better for me if there is more, it is easier to get out, seems to have more of its own force at the end. I don't think I want to do the magnesium citrate, already food goes through me pretty fast. Hopefully with less pushing my hemmorhoids will go down and my uterus/rectum will stay up. If I ever get my period ... still waiting ... usually then the swelling goes down as well.

I hope I don't have to give up chocolate :-). Actually I don't eat it very often. I think I may have eaten too much dried fruit lately, or frozen fruit in smoothie form. We don't have as good a selection of the fruit that I like in winter here (berries mostly) so I tend to eat dried/frozen and then I probably consume way more that I would if I actually ate the fruit itself. I'm thinking specifically of mango which I may have overindulged in last week. So I will avoid that for now. I think I remember mango as having a laxative effect so maybe that's why things were so speedy.

hockeyMom

January 25, 2013 - 2:30pm

If I state something incorrectly here please someone correct me:

I don't know where there is a good picture of the plie squat. Christine does them in various ways in her videos. Basically, you stand with your feet more than shoulder width apart, turn out your feet (you turn out from the hip, so your entire leg rotates out) and then squat down, keeping your back straight up (don't lean forward), knees out over your feet (don't let knees rotate forward). Keep a nice lumbar curve, chest up while squatting. I like to hold the squat for a bit, then return to standing. If your hips are tight and you have a hard time keeping your knees out over your feet, don't turn out as far.

fab

January 25, 2013 - 6:19pm

Apart from the possibly eating too much of the fruit or having some type of allergy to it, dried fruits contain Sulphites and although used through the ages to preserve food are now increasingly being implicated in food intolerances; a symptom of which can be inflammed intestines. Frozen Mangoes, on the other hand, are often frozen in a sugary syrup or something similar (aspartame comes to mind). You could check the pack for any additives.

Bebe

January 25, 2013 - 6:54pm

Oh, how I love it, but it burns my butt up. I have to hold myself down to no more than two fresh slices, but it doesn't bother me so much fried like apples or on pizza. I haven't tried them frozen. Bet you'll be feeling better if you lay off those mangoes for a while.

You know those candy covered colorful delicious little chocolate yummmmms? I keep them around because just five or six of them will do instead of a whole candy bar or piece of cake. Bonus - they come in supposedly heart-healthy dark chocolate now.

Fab is absolutely right about sulfites. We've been avoiding them for a long time. Hope you find some relief.

fab

January 25, 2013 - 6:59pm

Bebe, you have brought to mind why I gave up beautiful, fresh mangos. (Where man goes, women follow.) When I had the meniere's, they made me dizzy. Someone suggested at the time that it was the insecticide that they were sprayed with which affected some people that way. I never looked into it, I just gave them up.

cheers, Fab

oceangirl08006

January 25, 2013 - 7:39pm

Thanks for that above tip, fab. I used to use magnesium calming drink, and I've completely forgotten that that helped my bm so much. You really are fab ;)

hockeyMom

January 26, 2013 - 2:02am

Checked the frozen mango and it is just mangos nothing else. Good reminder about the sulfites. The dried mango that I get occasionally is not supposed to have any. But I think I'll steer clear of mango for awhile.

louiseds

January 27, 2013 - 7:52am

When they are plentiful and cheap I slice them up, no matter how mooshy, and dehydrate them. They make a great snack for long drives.