www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey, up until now, my problems have been mostly urinary, but I'm wondering if theres something up with my bowels also. Is it normal to feel urges to defecate, and go to the bathroom quickly or risk an accident? I did'nt have one, but i sometimes wonder now days whether if i stood still, what would happen in my diaper. I have pooped my pants in the past, but its rare. It has happened twice in my adult life that i know of. Should i see a doctor about this also? Messing myself accidentally hasn't happened very often, but i do have constipation. i dont mean to be a hypocondriac. But how would one know if one did have a bowel control problem? When i wore underwear, i saw something strange near the back, not really fecal stains but not something normal.

Also, i sometimes spend a long time in the bathroom pooping.

Today, im not sure, i really dont know for sure whether if i did nothing i would have loaded my diaper. I would hate to find out.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

To understand what is causing the problem your doc will need to do several tests. It could be something you ate, or maybe a touch of IBS that comes and goes. Regardless of the cause,.... if you have urge and do nothing you will probably fill the diaper sooner or latter.

I think it may have something to do with being in diapers 24/7. I typically don't use my diapers for defecating... but I have noticed that over the years my body's desire to do so has gotten stronger. It is like my brain has completely accepted that "diaper = toilet" and is perfectly willing to let me do whatever needs doing right where I stand. Sometimes it does take a conscious effort to hold back.

Your bowel habits can also be attributed directly to your diet. Do you eat a lot of meats and cheeses? Those can cause constipation and other issues.

My suggestion to you... eat more fiber. Granola bars, cereals, salads, fruits & veggies in general. Not only is it healthier for you... it will help regulate your bowels. They do make fiber tablets as well if you prefer to take your daily dosage in pill form, but I'd reccomend trying the food approach first.

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~~PuddleGuy

As far as tests go, I DID have a colonoscopy in 2006..for rectal bleeding, turned out to be probably hemmorroids. I never did tell the doc about messing myself accidentally, because it doesn't happen that often. Is it normal to poop one's pants if one delays defecation for a half hour if the bowel is full?

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Sociologygeek,

I think it pretty much depends on he habits of the person. There are several reasons why you might be having these problems. I'm pretty much bowel incontinent now due to loss of muscles control so when I feel the urge there is no waiting before I start to go. Its just very difficult to say what could be causing your issues and it can be as easy as something you ate. If you continue to have problems you should probably have the doc check it out. Skin care and odor control are two big issues for anyone that fecal incontinence. Good luck

That really depends on the consistancy of your feces. Not trying to gross anyone out here... but sometimes it hits me and I know I should head to a restroom within the next 20-30 minutes in order to avoid a problem... and sometimes it hits me and I can wait till I get home, even if that is a few hours away.

How often does this happen to you? Is it triggered by eating?

You might have a bit of irratible bowel (IBS) going on... or it might be a food allergy of some type.

Just out of curiosity... I see that you attend a university, do you eat the food served by the on-campus dining hall?

No joke here... when I was in college if you ate at the dining hall you'd better be near a toilet within the next 30-60minutes, because you were going to need to go after you ate that stuff. I think they put laxatives in the food... no matter what you ate you were having a bowel movement within the next hour, guaranteed.

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~~PuddleGuy

I would avoid using the diaper for fecal incontinence. For heavy and even moderate urinary incontinence there are definitely life advantages to just going in diapers and not worrying about toilets, but it is very hard to have a social life with fecal incontinence. I have ulcerative colitis so I do have occasional fecal incontinence. I am fortunate that it is usually happens right when I get up from bed in the morning. That way I can shower right afterwards. The only other times I have trouble is if I am sick with the flu or I eat spicy stuff. In the rare times it has happened in public I typically drive right home to shower since I stink and my skin gets irritated in a few minutes.. I can't see managing frequent fecal incontinence successfully using diapers. I personally would rather choose a colostomy.

jgrover, i agree. I don't consider myself fecal incontient, because i dont poop my diapers on a daily basis, if ever.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

I'm not 100% bowel incontinent,......but close. I would NEVER consider a colostomy to manage this issue. For some it maybe necessary, but I can manage fecal incontinence with diapers. I have been bladder incontinent since 1986, and little by little have become bowel incontinent. I would be the first to agree what works for some people may not work for others. Skin care and odor control are two very important aspects that need proper attention for anyone that is fecal incontent. Your bowels don't work the same as your bladder so you don't have the frequency issue. For some, having a daily bowel routine works in helping to managing the problem. If I was NOT able to properly provide skin care and odor control then I might share your thoughts about a colostomy. Skin condition can be very different from one person to the next. For me, if I have to wait a few hours before changing I can do so. However, I can't stay in a wet and messy diaper for hours on end but I can occasionally wait a few hours before changing before I begin to develop any skin issues. I take meds that control odor, and as long as I don't have any skin issues I can wait. For that reason, it really has to be an emergency for me to change in a public restroom. Everyone is different in how that manage fecal incntinence, and again, what works for me may not work for others.

I spoke too soon about not messing my diaper... it happened today. I don't know what happened exactly. I was taking out the trash, when i felt an urge to defecate. i tried holding it in and went on with what i was doing. On my way back, it got stronger, and i felt a lump in my pants.. i dont know what to do, it could be a result of last night digitally evacuating my bowels, which i sometimes do if constipated. I dont know. I don't think its a result of that, because i remember stuff like this happneing when i didnt do that. As for what i ate this morning, i ate raisin bran. Could it have been brushing my teeth accidentally swallowing toothpaste. Could have been diareeah. the stool was pretty loose. could it have been the suppositrory i took last night for hemmroids. I just dont know.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II