Guest Voice: Dealing with digestive and urinary problems in MS
My bladder and digestive system are like a bad amusement park
Aranzazu Calzado didn’t sign up for the "amusement park" that MS built inside her body, but she does get to decide how to ride the roller coaster. (Courtesy of Aranzazu Calzado)
We all have stomach or bathroom issues from time to time. Eat the wrong thing, catch a bug, drink too much coffee, and your body will let you know. That’s just life. But when you have multiple sclerosis (MS), digestive and urinary problems aren’t occasional; they become their own world. They’re like a roller coaster ride you never signed up for.
Sometimes it feels like my bladder and digestive system are operating a full amusement park inside me, complete with rides, tricks, fake alarms, and sudden free falls.
MS is often called the “disease of a thousand faces” because no two people experience it the same way. Even within the same person, symptoms can change each week. Two “faces” I deal with daily are bladder urgency and digestive unpredictability. Glamorous, right?
Paying attention to my body
Imagine feeling like you have to constantly go to the bathroom. Not once in a while. Not just after a big water bottle. I mean all the time. At first, I always ran to the bathroom when I felt this way — just in case. But here’s a favorite trick of MS: Most of the time, nothing happens. My body just loves to cry wolf.
Over time, I’ve gotten better at telling the difference between “just kidding” signals and the real deal. But when it’s real? There’s no negotiating. I can’t finish the text or wait five minutes. I must go now.
Everywhere I go, I’m automatically mapping out bathrooms the way some people scan for movie theater exits. At restaurants and airports, or walking around the city, I know where every restroom is.
It’s exhausting, but sometimes almost funny. My body is the prankster who’s constantly joking until suddenly, it’s not joking.
The digestive side is like going on two rides at once: a Ferris wheel that never moves and a roller coaster that drops without warning. My muscles usually don’t work properly, and constipation will set in. I’ve tried everything, but sometimes my body simply forgets how to cooperate. And then, just as suddenly, the ride switches directions and urgency hits.
I’ve learned what helps me balance things out. Staying hydrated is essential, not just for digestion, but because water helps with nerve conduction, which MS constantly disrupts. Fiber helps, too, but I learned not to overdo it. Too much, too quickly leads to accident territory. Now I add it slowly, paying attention instead of panicking. It’s not perfect, but it helps.
At home, things are easier. I know my bathroom, routine, and pace. Traveling, though, is another story. And I love traveling, long trips, faraway places, and new cultures. It takes preparation, but it’s worth it.
Before a trip, I sometimes take medication to clear things out so I’ll have more control over my bladder and digestive system while on the move.
My suitcase includes quiet little companions: Depends or similar products. They’ve saved me more times than I can count. Today’s versions are discreet and comfortable, hardly different from regular underwear. They give me peace of mind in airports or on long drives where bathrooms aren’t guaranteed.
For a long time, I felt embarrassed. Backup underwear? Really? But now I see they’re tools that allow me to keep traveling, exploring, and living fully. There’s no shame in doing what helps me keep moving. Now I bring these products everywhere.
MS has forced me to pay attention to my body in a way I never did before. I’ve learned to listen closely to differentiate between when it’s tricking me and when it’s serious. I’ve had to let go of embarrassment and replace it with preparation.
I used to be so worried about what people thought of me. But most people don’t notice, I realized, and the only one who needs to understand is me. Being more conscious of myself — not in a self-critical way, but in a self-aware way — has made the difference.
The truth is that lots of people deal with bathroom issues. Planes, new foods, sitting too long — it happens. For those of us with MS, those inconveniences just take on bigger proportions.
Some days are harder than others. Some trips go smoothly; others test every ounce of patience. But with MS, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s finding ways to live well within the chaos.
So yes, my bladder cries wolf and my digestive system can’t decide if it wants to freeze or race ahead. But I refuse to let that keep me from living. I hydrate. I pack my safety nets. I prepare before trips. And I remind myself that it’s OK to do whatever I need to feel secure.
MS may run the amusement park inside me, but I still get to choose how I ride. Choosing humor, preparation, and determination is what helps me move forward, even when my body is busy playing tricks.
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About the Author
Ian R
Thanks.
I’ve learned to manage bladder issues as follows:
- double voiding. Before going out I urinate, then wait 5 mins, and then go again. This method works for me - ensures I can go 2-3 hours without needing to urinate again.
- always working on the basis of the worse case scenario. On a long flight I get out of my seat to go to the toilet and ten people do the same, so I’m then in a queue. Or, I know there’s a toilet at the train station or the shopping centre, but when I get there the toilet is shut or being cleaned. I now use a pad that goes in normal underwear. MS knows that there’s no point letting the urine be released as it will be caught by the pad. Whereas before, if I got to the toilet and it was shut or being cleaned, my bladder would decide not to hold on to its contents.