Post by povertyflats on Jun 3, 2019 15:58:32 GMT -8
Hello all, fresh T9 complete injury. 3 mos in. Having constipation pains i think? Curious to your feelings sensations. I have general tingling, distended feeling, odd pains left lower with breaths occasionally, leg spasm when touching pelvic area.. odd I know, just curious to others constipation sensations as I had never been constipated before the injury. Thanks! Forest
povertyflats, hi. I’m paraplegic. I use a lubricated vinyl glove to remove feces. What is your level of injury? Can you walk? Can you use your hands? We need to know a little more about you to give good suggestions. Also, I take cascara sagrada, an herbal laxative about every third day. Prune juice sometimes. Flax seed oil also keeps intestine lubricated.
are you still in(patient)? If so, did they show you any bowel management? Do you take laxatives?
When does your pain ("left lower with breaths occasionally") occur?
I remember I had extreme cramps and pain on a regular basis one hour after each meal during the first months after my accident. Tell us a little more about your problems. As vintage said, we need to know a little more about you to give good suggestions.
By the way, have you already seen a continence nurse?
Hi Forest and welcome, since that you have been classified as a complete, I assume that you have no movement whatsoever or sensation below your level of injury, if not and you do have some sensation in your lower extremities, it means that you're an incomplete. The feeling of being constipated can vary from person to person depending on level of injury, being that your injury level gives you full use of your hands, do you self stim or do you use laxatives? There have been many people who when constipated can suffer from worse spasms. As r0hbart, said, the more you tell us, the more we can help
Post by povertyflats on Jun 5, 2019 8:43:48 GMT -8
Thanks for the replies and sorry for the lack of information. I am a complete injury, t9 level. No movement below my belly button. I am home now, i was a fast track patient at Craig hospital, only being there for 2 mos. During my time there i never got ahold of my bowels. I had a colonoscopy because of my age (50) which showed nothing out of the ordinary. I have full use of my upper extremities and perform my BP digitally. I take senna and fiber pills, thats about it. If I use any laxatives I get Invols. My concern is my lack of output, I have some, very minimal compared to my intake. I have had several KUB xrays when I "feel' constipated and all have shown what they say is "moderate" stool. When I feel this way is when the tingling and leg spasms occur by touching my lower belly area. Like the nerves are upset? The tingling is nonstop on my left side only with annoying pains also, causing sleeping issues now as the slight pain while breathing is there also. My lower right side goes from sensation to no sensation without discomfort which is what I hope most of you feel? Anyways I have an appt with my PCP this Friday, will discuss more with him. Hope this makes some sense to some of you. Thanks
defecography (MRI with contrast agent of the bowels) could show which parts of your colon or bowels do not work properly. Defecography works like any other MRI scan. The only difference is that they fill gelatinous contrast agents into your bowels (colon). Once the bowels are filled you have to try if you can get any bowel movement. That's the way they can detect which parts of your bowels do work properly or which parts of your bowels are paralyzed.
There are several kinds of bowel management depending on which part of your bowels are affected. Some use laxatives others irrigation or suppositories. Others perform their bowel care digitally.
Knowing and understanding what is causing your constipation helps adjusting your bowel management.
The tingling and leg spasms are probably due to your spinal cord injury, there have been many who have those tingly sensations and then get more recovery, I hope thats the case for you because recovery can and usually takes a long time, for me, it took me 18months all up to get to my optimum recovery, there have also been people who have noticed improvement for years after the initial injury date.
I've also wondered over the years that my bowel output seems to be less than what I eat but I've surmised that it must be normal because I havent had any issues with it for the last 21 years since my accident. I do know that my bowels empty a hell of a lot slower than when I was able bodied and there are many times I feel bloated because of it.
There could also be another reason for your feeling of being constipated and to why you have spasms when touching your lower belly, although I have lower sensation from my injury site down, my body likes to react as though it's more sensitive than an able bodied person, if I pat my leg (even gently), it jumps as though I had given it a minor shock, the heightened sensitivity is just another side effect of a SCI
Please let us know how things go with your PCP.....the more questions you ask, the better you will feel with knowledge learnt