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holding in diarrhea

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 2/16/2008 2:56 PM (GMT -8)
3 years ago i had an urgent case of diarrhea, but i couldn't get to the bathroom until over an hour later so i was holding it in all that time. after that i started to get incomplete evacuation. i can't empty myself fully and im not sure if my anal sphincter muscles are pushing/relaxing when i have a bm. it started out as incomplete evacuation and eventually turned into full blown constipation and incomplete evacuation. could i have permanent nerve or muscle damage for holding the urgent diarrhea in for so long? what tests should i request to check? ive already had stool sample, ultrasound, x-ray, sigmoid colon test (?) and blood test. i'm under 18 so doctors take me even less seriously.
Posted 2/17/2008 12:37 AM (GMT -8)
WOW...even before I became sick with crohns and then IBS I could never in my life really hold in D, especially for that length of time...it's pretty hard to hold in liquid D in the rectom/anal department...I thought that was unheard of.

You should definitely seek medical attention because of the symptoms you are now experiancing.

:)
Posted 2/17/2008 7:56 AM (GMT -8)
it was extremely hard to hold it in. i wonder if i have permanent damage or shock or anything. ive been to many doctors, allopathic and holistic. nothing helps.
Posted 2/17/2008 8:12 PM (GMT -8)
Do you feel it tighten/loosen when you squeeze/release it?  Sounds like they took you seriously as you had some great tests to check this out.  I'm NOT a doctor but to me it sounds like constipation problems.  Perhaps you could try Metamucil or Citrucel (both are fibre supplements) for at least 3 months and see if you notice a difference.  Be sure to drink lots of water when doing this.  I also found this site http://www.bowelcontrol.org.uk/causes.html which talks all about the symptoms of sphincter damage.  Good luck.

 

Posted 2/18/2008 7:36 AM (GMT -8)
I have held in D before. Just seems to make my D for that day worse when I finally release it.

I don't think you can really, permanently damage yourself doing that--else I would be damaged because I've held back bowel movements (D and normal) plenty of times (used to have a phobia about pooping in a public restroom).

It could be that you have IBS-A, which is IBS that alternates between D and C. There are a number of people on here with that problem, and they can altnerate every day or two, or switch only after having months of one kind. And some people with IBS start out having one type and then switch, for no apparent reason, to the other type and are like that for years.
Posted 2/18/2008 11:21 AM (GMT -8)
Interesting what Keriamon has said on this thread. I am normally very soft in the BM department but today have been quite the reverse - constipated and windy. Very strange and very unwelcome but there you go!
Posted 2/20/2008 12:54 AM (GMT -8)
I also seriously doubt that one episode of holding in diarrhea could cause further problems years later. I mean, I swear I have to try hold in my diarrhea at least five times a day or I'd be reamed out by my classmates for being so disruptive! Definitely sounds typical for IBS, though...or some sort of pelvic floor dysfunction or a problem with the 293847 sphincters in the GI tract (that's a slight exaggeration).
Posted 2/29/2008 5:43 PM (GMT -8)
the problem with incomplete evacuation started as soon as i released the diarrhea i held in. i had 1 full week of diarrhea after i let out my first one. when i had the diarrhea, it felt incomplete and once the diarrhea stopped (after antibiotics) i always felt like it wasn't complete whenever i crapped. eventually more and more crap got backed up into my system because there'd always be a great portion that can't come out. the doctors didn't ignore my problem completely but they honestly could have done a more thorough job with the testing. i have yet to have a sitz marker, colonoscopy, barium enema, the balloon and the defecograph. thanks for the site and all the help. the reassurance that holding in the diarrhea isn't likely the culprit is good. i'll report back if anything.
Posted 3/6/2008 10:09 AM (GMT -8)
What was the sigmoid test?
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