Unhappy tummy

It is hard to calm down in the midst of high anxiety. I had to do a whole overhaul on my diet and my outlook on life. I cut out foods with hormones, sugar, especially alcohol and caffeine because they both triggered severe anxiety attacks at the time. I took really long walks, tried everything I could, busy work, anything to distract from those feelings that seemed so real. That was 3 years ago, and I am much better now, especially this past year. I still get a thought and feeling, but it is not as severe and I am able to talk myself out of it more easily.
I think finally really paying attention to myself and caring for my well being as well as other paid off in the end. I always think to knock on wood, because I feel it looming back there ready to take back over, but so far it hasn't.
Mine was triggered by the onset of perimenopause, bad diet, and adrenal fatigue. I had way too much stress in my life that I had to say goodbye to.
What do you think has triggered yours?

really helped me with my arthritis and digestion - I started with 1 teaspoon/day and worked up to (over about 7 days) 1 tablespoon in a.m. and 1 tablespoon in p.m. (google it on amazon) I take with a full glass of water and add 1 tablespoon braggs vinegar. I drink a lot of water to prevent constipation. Also, one multizyme before each meal. Like AG I also added adrenal support in the way of whole food supplements.

I also have had very high stressors in my life for almost six years. During this time, I also went abruptly through menopause and my body was really bouncing on empty. This past spring, I did some flower essence therapy which I believe did wonders. In addition to the flower essences, the therapy included detox baths (mineral salt/baking soda), probiotics, increased vit. d and the multizyme mentioned above.

Praying you are on the right track and that your symptoms continue to improve. Recently coming back to this forum and finally starting to move my body again - in ww posture - is a piece I needed badly.

Re stressors. I have gone through terrible stress for the past 5 yrs or so. This was because my hubby (now deceased) suffered severe psychological probs (Delusional Disorder) and then developed Alzheimer as well. VERY bad combination, especially combined with other physical stuff such as diabetes, stage 3 kidney disease and heart probs. In other words - THE WORKS! And boy I was so stressed you couldn't even imagine how much. So. I now walk at least 2 hrs every day, sometimes more. This definitely de-stresses me wonderfully and sometimes I actually sing as I walk, I feel THAT good. I believe this walking helps a lot to keep my system regular and I drink half a cup of prune juice every evening. Not everybody likes the taste of prune juice and I don't like it that much either but it's doable and definitely also helps with regularity.

I have had some great luck lately with Tapioca. I know it sounds strange, but it definitely helps. I make Brazilian cheese bread, it's really good. I've been eating a good amount of it and it firms up and moves out. I am not bloated any more, and don't feel full of it either (unless I eat too many grapes/fruit). I can give you the recipe I have if you're interested. I was reading about Tapioca having resistant starch in it and how it feeds the bacteria in the lower large intestine causing good firm bowel movements. yeah!

Yes mom30, can you post this recipe? - Surviving

I occasionally take activated charcoal powder in a bit of water for indigestion. I also keep papaya enzymes handy to chew after eating food that I don't usually eat. I drink raw cow's milk and that has done wonders. Best to ease into that slowly since it does introduce lots of new (and good) bacteria to your system. I walk 1-2 miles a day.

Mom30. I am very interested in the recipe too!

Hi Kiki!

It’s so good to hear from you, but I’m sorry you have been struggling.

I’m going to take a huge leap and say that I believe sigmoid prolapse is a very real and common problem. All the gas and bloating give the sense that the problem is some sort of indigestion - and it is - but the issue is structural not metabolic.

The sigmoid colon forms a downward dip and then there is a sphincter to move through into the rectum (called the rectosigmoid junction). For reasons I believe are largely structural, feces can have a hard time moving past the sigmoid into the rectum. It is staggering how much disease occurs in this part of the bowel - most of the bowel cancer and the serious disorder, megacolon.

I would suggest that you get down on forearms and knees - rest your forehead on your hands - and rock gently side to side for several minutes three times a day. Treat this as a kind of meditation - slowing down and really relaxing. The point of the exercise is to reposition the bowels so the sigmoid is better oriented. A few WW exercises (pelvic rocks, circles, firebreathing) could only help. When you stand up, try to stay in WW posture.

I believe the tendency to retain stool in the sigmoid is a similar problem as retaining urine in a prolapsed bladder. The sigmoid drops so low that it’s now much lower than the entrance into the rectum, so stool must travel uphill. Increased pressure from retained stool in the sigmoid eventually dilates and desensitizes the valve-like function of the rectosigmoid junction, adding to the dysfunction.

The solution? Tip the pail of water over completely to empty by getting into the position described above.

I believe anxiety is a very accurate body-mind signal that your bowel is in trouble. We have heard this very same anxiety from others with similar symptoms.

Like other forms of prolapse, this will take time to affect. Be patient. I believe once you see how your symptoms improve with these measures, your anxiety will resolve.

Wishing you well,

Christine

Dear Christine,
I would like to try what you have suggested here, but I don't understand this exercise properly.

"I would suggest that you get down on forearms and knees - rest your forehead on your hands - and rock gently side to side for several minutes three times a day."

It means that firstly I should get on my forehands and knees and than I should lie on my side and then back to hands and knees and then again I should lie on my other side?

Thank you for your attention!

Budahazya

I don't believe Christine is suggesting that you lie down during this exercise. Stay on forearms and knees, and rock side to side. - Surviving

Here's the recipe for Brazilian Cheese Bread... I eat half a recipe usually. That's when I notice best bowel movements!

1 1/2 cups tapioca starch
1/4 cup each heavy cream and water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp dried italian seasoning
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (or any hard
cheese), grated

In a saucepan, combine the cream, water, butter, and salt and bring to a simmer on
med/low heat. In a large bowl, add the tapioca starch, egg, cheese and italian
seasoning. When the cream/water mixture is heated, add it to the starch and stir it all together.
As it cools, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Use a cast iron skillet, or parchment paper, scoop
by large tablespoon and bake for 10-13 minutes.

Kiki, Maleissues, and others with this severe, bloating and gassy constipation...I know it sounds difficult, but if the urge comes while you are at home, I would also suggest defecating in this position - into a basin underneath/behind you.

I had wondered after reading your post, Christine, if this was also maleissues problem. Haven't seen him on here in awhile, but wish he could read this.

Surviving I might not understand the word rock. Is it similar movement to "sway" and "lurch" on our hands and knees?

Yes....It would be a gentle side-to-side motion. More of a sway than a lurch. - Surviving

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Wish we knew more about the valve between sigmoid and rectum. Glad to hear things are improving. :-)

I get those unhappy tummy symptoms every time after giving birth. and i clearly remember telling my sister last year when I was newly postpartum - 'you know what, i feel as though my organs are trying to reposition themselves or something and it takes them a few months.'

In fact, things dont start returning to normal till about six weeks or so after birth - which is when my pp bleeding tapers off and I start praying again (and getting down 20x/day into a position very similar to the pic Christine posted).

I do so hope you feel better soon kiki, unhappy tummy can make you feel literally like crap. :-/

I wonder too if perhaps giving the stomach a bit of a break would help, something like intermittent fasting which is all the rage these days it seems. I notice that fasting a few consecutive days yields such satisfying poos (sorry). its like you can feel your digestive system just cleaning and detoxing with each hungry growl and gurgle.

It's the middle of the night here and my response to you (which I just deleted) was bothering me so much I couldn't sleep! You have so much responsibility and I fear some of our suggestions (which are only that...there is no way we can know what is going on with you) might cause even more stress. Hope we have given you some ideas to work with and that you get well soon! A trip to your GP might be in order as well.

Hi everyone. Christine thank you so much for the above as after years of doing everything 'right' I still never ever have the urge to go yet if I use a glycerin pessary there is ALWAYS something there.
I am interested to hear more about a sigmoid prolapse and the best ways to manage this apart from the exercise above which I am excited to start.... I already eat a dairy and grain and fructose free diet (with the odd lapse here and there ;) ) and I wondered if there was more you could share or more information as I can't seem to find much on the net about it. I have a rectocele cystocele and uterine prolapse with adenomyosis and not being able to go without assistance makes it all a bit harder.
Sorry if I have hijacked the thread.
Many thanks xx

Hi Safely,

So sorry to hear you are still struggling. While rectocele and sigmoid prolapse are considered different conditions, they certainly have a similar cause - the untoward forces of intraabdominal pressure. Depending on the alignment of the body, internal pressures will increase at different points along the way, forcing the gut into pathologic positions. Rectocele occurs when the low, forward-curve of the front rectal wall increases - eventually forming a vaginal pocket that traps stool. Sigmoid prolapse happens when the guts are chronically shoved to the back so that the sigmoid droops downward, slowing motility and increasing constipation.

Another thing you might consider is the microbial population of your intestines. Balance of these microorganisms has everything to do with bowel health and your suspicion that hormones are playing a role in your symptoms is probably right-on. I presume you are breastfeeding and thus your levels of estradiol are lower than normal. Estradiol performs many functions in the body, one of which is balance of microbial populations by causing the secretion of glycogen. Glycogen is the animal form of complex carbohydrate, which feeds lactic acid-producing microorganisms, particularly lactobacilli.

I have discovered that raw, local honey (I say local because is contains bits of regional pollen which helps your immune system) is nature’s other perfect food for feeding the lactobacilli that keep our mucosal membranes healthy. A tsp of raw honey in a half cup of water taken before bed may help repopulate your gut with friendly bacteria, crowding out others that cause gas and bloating. Understand that “pure honey” in the United States may contain many harmful ingredients including high-fructose corn syrup. Best to find a reliable source of locally produced honey.

Hope you continue to practice WW posture and exercises, which will eventually move internal and external structures into their natural alignment.

Wishing you well!

Christine

This is yet another prolapse, Safely. Sigmoidocele happens when part of the small bowel gets shoved down in between the back vaginal and front rectal walls. It is very rare, but not unheard of in a woman who has her uterus. From my perspective, the logical response would be the same - keep the intestines held forward so they don't get pushed down into the "pouch of Douglass" or intestinal cul-de-sac.

The difference is a matter of centimeters, in terms of which exact area of the bowel has prolapsed. I think it is probably safe to assume - if indeed it is either enterocoele or sigmoidocele, which we have no way of knowing - that the bowel became malpositioned due to it being constantly pushed backward under your sacrum. The connective tissues that keep the vaginal walls and organs separated have perhaps been stretched to allow the bowel to squeeze into this so-called cul-de-sac. Gynecology often speaks in terms of tissues being torn and "avulsed" during childbirth, but I'm more inclined to believe that things stretch.

WW has re-described female pelvic anatomy to reflect the fact that the organs and pelvis are rotated forward 45-90 degrees from what is typically understood and illustrated by gynecology. This means that the cul-de-sac is actually at the back of the abdominal cavity instead of below it. The bowel gets shoved primarily back, not down. The work is holding the bowels, bladder, and uterus forward so the gut is released from being trapped underneath the sacrum. I am happy to know you have been able to verify this for yourself.

A rectocele take lots of time for the fascia layers to knit back together and the pocket to shrink. This is no different other than symptomatically. Baby your gut, constantly thinking of giving the loops of bowel room to un-kink and reposition. My guess is, in a year's time you will be drastically improved.

Christine

Interesting post, SH. This suggestion for pooping position caught my attention and I'm glad someone's tried it, so I can ask. You know how we're taught as kids to wipe our butts front to back, to avoid contaminating the vagina. Doesn't this position similarly expose the vagina to contamination from fecal matter? I suppose good hygiene is the answer here, though I admit the idea of doing this makes me a bit uncomfortable. I know that's a small and manageable concern if pooping that way gives relief. So please keep us posted, as I suspect you will be incorporating this into your prolapse management routine. I'm really curious and there is no TMI on this site, after all. - Surviving

I remember when I was practicing my half squat hovering over the toilet with elbows on the knees. My bowels were also starting to work more smoothly, and I ended up make a real mess on the back of the toilet. I then learned to start out half squat ,and when poo started coming out I lowered onto the toilet to finish.
I don't do that as much now, leaning forward slightly off the toilet seems to be enough for me to evacuate comfortably now without putting too much pressure on my prolapse.

I think so, yes. This isn't my area of expertise, but clearly your digestive system is rebelling against something that you are ingesting. Magnesium is usually discussed on here in conjunction with constipation, which you don't have. Lay off it for awhile and see what happens. - Surviving

PS, try googling mucus in stool. Tons of hits, some having more merit than others. Focus on the dietary suggestions.

I have also seen posts on here indicating that magnesium doesn't agree with everyone. Hope you are continuing the honey before bed as Christine suggested. - Surviving

I remember how good you felt after that first time pooping on hands and knees. Have you tried that again since? - Surviving

Dear SafelyHeld, I had almost the same problem for two years after having my second child so I can really understand your misery. Belive or not, after seeing many doctors, trying many pills also antibiotics, which helped nothing, it went away unexpectidly. Now I am sure it was maintained by itself, and when I had to concentrate on a bigger problem, it simply disappeared. Try not to be scared and annoyed even if it seems to be a stupid advice, when you can't rest because of your bowels. I think your problems will end when you don't pay too much attention to it. I hope it helps a bit.

Hi SafelyHeld, I'm sorry you're so distressed by this - it really comes across in your posts.

I wonder if you're doing something like this already, but wanted to suggest you try a meditation or other relaxation technique. This is probably along the same lines as what Buda was saying about it resolving itself when you stop paying it so much attention, but it's also pretty immediate - I know when I meditate it gets me gurgling and everything moving along so that I often have to stop in order to have a BM! Regular practise might at least take you away from assessing everything that might/might not be causing it... I get how frustrating that must be.

SH, I'm quite sure I spent a lot of time sitting needlessly on the toilet, before I identified the pressure sensation as a rectocele. Even now, because I have many dietary lapses, I have plenty of discomfort at times, and there are moments when I simply have to get into a position where my organs are literally hanging in my belly in order to tell whether I really have to go or not. I guess it's just something I've gotten used to over the last few years with this. - Surviving

Hi Safely,
RE: gurgling,gassy tummy (from your other post), I had this for a long time post partum. I don't take magnesium often, but if I do I definitely get very strange gurgling/gas weirdness. Have you tried mag. oil you rub on your skin. Gets you the magnesium without the gurgling.
RE: bowel pressure, when you know you don't have to go....I had this for ages postpartum, freaking out about prolapse etc. I think I mentioned this before, are you clenching your pelvic muscles? Really find a few minutes to lay on your back with feet on the ground and do some proper belly breathing, breathe in expand tummy and pelvic area...exhale everthything moves the other direction, keep doing it slowly until you feel everything release. Focus on where you feel the pressure (rectal) LET IT GO....breathe it away. I know that sounds cheesy but it works, I used to have this pressure 24/7...made me crazy.
RE: worse when laying on bed on back. I think the softness of the bed lets everything (bowels)slide down, tangle up under the tailbone and then into the vaginal space. Louise has written some posts about this. When I get this I immediately do the hands and knees rocking to get things back where they belong. (Read some posts about winding up the pelvis) and really visualise what is happening with your "bags of jello".
Hope you feel better!

Before kids, once a day, twice tops. After kids, multiple times throughout the day. Some time in my 40's or early 50's I think I had a bout of something akin to food poisoning, and my bowels became very sensitive after that. Stress and diet seem to have the most effect on things; rectocele doesn't have any impact at all. Hey....think back.....any major gastric disturbances that you may have forgotten about? That can be a trigger for what many like to refer to as IBS. - Surviving

Having had constipation most of my life, my bowel movements were very irregular, usually every 2 to 3 days, sometimes 4. After dietary changes and whole woman work, I have a daily bowel movement. I have heard that it is quite normal to have 2 to 3 a day, but I am am very happy to have the one a day.
What is amazing is that after all that abuse on my bowels throughout the years, they were able to bounce right back into the smooth moving organs they were always meant to be in. Maybe I just got lucky in that or maybe the body can heal itself with just a little help.

Dear SafelyHeld, I am sure now, that the disfunction of our bowels are highly aggrevated by us focusing on that part of our body. I experienced that when I stopped concentrating on my bowels, they started working properly and my pain went away. That is what I meant by "it was maintained by itself"