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Do you talk about your bowels?
A lot of people with MS have bowel problems. And, according to a study, a lot of those people don’t want to talk with their doctor about them.
How about you? Have you talked about bowels with your neurologist, or are you too shy to do that? Does your neuro ask about this kind of symptom?
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5 Replies
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Wow
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I talk about my bowel to people close to me, which is just a small number. Can I talk here about it? Yeah why not lol.
Sometimes I don’t go for 4 days, then all hell breaks out. And then repeats. MS affects my bladder as well, but I have pills for that, Oxybutynin which helps with the sense of urgency. They really help as a cannot move fast.
It just gets better and better doesn’t it.
Jilly PPMS CC
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I did not mean to say WoW… In a disrespectful manner. I can relate to having difficulty. 25 years later (PP MS) I can tell you without hesitation, it doesn’t get easier. If anyone has an approach to manage this please share with us.
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I doubt anyone took your “wow” the wrong way. I’ve never had a problem talking bladder or bowel problems with others with MS. Those without it often seem more embarrassed than I do.
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Being a newbie to MS (less than 2 years into the diagnosis), it just came to my realization just this month that MS affects the bowel. I have been pleasantly surprised to learn this and glad to know about it now because I have struggled for soooooo looooong.<div>
My doctors never told me about it, but from the alternating periods of constipation and diarrhea, bloating that has taken me to the ER and the sudden jolts of sharp abdominal pains that I thought for so long was ulcers(even took meds for), I’m glad to realize that I have irritable bowel syndrome.
It took time to realize this but I am glad that I now know because I can start taking the correct measures to take care of my belly. I am also more aware that my mood can also be greatly affected by my bowel state so I can be much calmer when the rumbling or bloating is on, just tell myself that what I am feeling does not define who I am.
I wish doctors told their patients that MS didn’t just affect the brain and spine, that there are all these little elements of disease that affected our daily lives, our mental state, or psychological state of being. That we don’t have to wait for an episode threatening blindness to realize we are living with MS every single day of our lives. That living with MS is just that, living with MS.
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