Painful bowel movements

Bellen

Hello all - Has anyone had extremely painful bowel movements?  I have been using Anusol HC but do not find that it is effective enough.  Also taking daily baths to help.  I actually had open, bleeding skin due to diarrhea after my last chemo, so I need advice for the skin and probably have an internal fissure as well.  I have bowel issues due to prior pelvic radiation years ago, and all the damage it caused to my intestines and skin. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.  

SandiaBuddy

Psyllium

It may be simplistic, but I find a spoon of psyllium seeds in the morning keeps things moving along smoothly.  As to the bleeding, I used vaseline and sometimes baby powder to lessen surface irritation, but that has not been too big an issue to me.  Good luck with this.

Trubrit

Radiation damage

I also have radition damage and still suffer today from many bloody movements.  I have tried the heavy duty stuff, like Balmex (an adult version of Desitin), but its so thick and greasy, I only tried it once and then binned it. 

I do use organic Witch Hazel when the sores get too bad. It dries them up. I also use Bert's Bees Vitimin E oil. But most of all, I go commando as much as I possibly can. Being a woman, I can wear a skirt/dress and not have anything touching the skin. 

It is very hard for me, at least, to keep my diet fiber filled so that ALL of my BM's are soft and creamy. So, I enjoy the good ones, and suffer throught he bad, until I get my act in order and have soft serve BM's every day. 

Have you tried using a Sitz Bath? They are wonderful, and really helped me through radiation. 

I think its a matter of trying different approaches, until you find something that works just for you. 

Tru

abrub

I had an analysis fissure

That was wickedly painful.  Nupercainal ointment helped a bit. My surgeon lo prescribed à compounded car diem cream (yes, the heart med) to apply to keep the anal muscle more relaxed. However, I was correctly told that I wouldn't heal until I was done with chemo.   I now have a bidet toilet seat which makes  life much better. No longer wiping is much gentler on my sore areas, tho I haven't had a fissure since stopping chemo.

Trubrit

abrub said:

I had an analysis fissure

That was wickedly painful.  Nupercainal ointment helped a bit. My surgeon lo prescribed à compounded car diem cream (yes, the heart med) to apply to keep the anal muscle more relaxed. However, I was correctly told that I wouldn't heal until I was done with chemo.   I now have a bidet toilet seat which makes  life much better. No longer wiping is much gentler on my sore areas, tho I haven't had a fissure since stopping chemo.

I have a bidet

and I couldn't live without it.  I am glad you mentioned that, Abrub. It really is a great help on sore tissue. 

Tru

Woodytele

Laxative

i too was having painful movements after they gave me meds (Lomotyl) to stop frequent bowel movements, ( my potassium levels were low which they thought was from going to the bathroom so much), I had blood in the stool, and baths seemed to help ease the pain.  I suggested laxatives to my onc and they agreed it would make my bowel movements easier, and allow healing.  Specifically, Citrucell in the morning, then Miralax in the evening.  This made things clear up for me, just a suggestion.  This made the movements softer, and easier. 

Bellen

Painful bm

Hi all - Thank you for your suggestions.  Plan to talk to my Onco next appt also.  I have a small bowel stricture - scarred area from pelvic radiation, which can cause extremely painful spasms if I get a blockage.  I follow a low residue diet - little fiber, no seeds, nuts, grains, fresh veggies, etc.  So I can't use the usual bulking laxatives/foods and have to be careful not to set up my system for a blockage - so have more complicated issues from the chemo cocktail than maybe others.  Also had taken miralax every day because I suffer chronic constipation, but the chemo is messing up my usual protocol.  I bought a sitz bath and will start using it, and get some witch hazel - no alcohol in it.  Told to try 1% hydrocortisone for the fissure.  Has anyone used anything else to help heal? The bleeding skin has healed I think.  I wonder if I could use aquaphor on the external area to help prevent.  Thanks everyone.

NHMike

Bellen said:

Painful bm

Hi all - Thank you for your suggestions.  Plan to talk to my Onco next appt also.  I have a small bowel stricture - scarred area from pelvic radiation, which can cause extremely painful spasms if I get a blockage.  I follow a low residue diet - little fiber, no seeds, nuts, grains, fresh veggies, etc.  So I can't use the usual bulking laxatives/foods and have to be careful not to set up my system for a blockage - so have more complicated issues from the chemo cocktail than maybe others.  Also had taken miralax every day because I suffer chronic constipation, but the chemo is messing up my usual protocol.  I bought a sitz bath and will start using it, and get some witch hazel - no alcohol in it.  Told to try 1% hydrocortisone for the fissure.  Has anyone used anything else to help heal? The bleeding skin has healed I think.  I wonder if I could use aquaphor on the external area to help prevent.  Thanks everyone.

Mine run more to constipation

Mine run more to constipation than loose as well. I have been taking Miralax on and off through Chemo and it sometimes helps and sometimes doesn't. The radiation seems to have loosened things up though. I think that my wife has a sitz bath from having kids and I may ask her if she can find it for me. I am just wadding up toilet paper and dribbling water on it and dabbing for now and that seems to have a decent result. I have a bunch of Aquaphor samples next to me from the radiologist but haven't decided on it yet. My wife said that it's petrolatum so maybe a jar of petroleum jelly would work as well. The print is too small on the tubes for me to read. There's also a packet of Udderly Smooth. I've only had the burning for two days and it is possible that it gets a lot worse.

Also ordered a coccyx pillow to sit on in the car and at home while working. Hope it helps.

Annabelle41415

Aquaphor

Aquaphor was a life saver for me.  Also Calmoseptine (sp? ask your pharmacist as it is behind the counter) for this as this is a heavy duty base to put on the anus to help protect it and barrier it from acid from the stools and constant bathroom issues. Hope you feel better soon - it can be so painful and I've been there.

Kim

PamRav

Calmoseptine

Calmoseptine ointment.  Hard to find but worth the search .  Sensitive skin baby wipes.  Just don't try to flush them they'll clog your sewer lines .

lizard44

Emu oil

During radiation I used emu oil- my radiation oncologist  approved its use and said he'd  found it was quite effective for many of his patients. I'd been using it for years to deal with burns, sores, etc. so it seemed logical to continue using it during radiation. I continue to use it for the  sore skin from the bowel problems caused by chemo.  This  study  dealt particularly with  radiation burns  during  treatment for breast cancer, but  it gives an idea of emu oil's  effectiveness: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25936812

Bellen

Thank you for suggestions

Hi all - Thank you for your suggestions.  I just don't want to use a product that would make my situation worse or more irritated - don't need that added issue to deal with if the skin area has a bad reaction to a product.  It sounds like the products you have mentioned can be used on the skin in that area.  Just have to be careful about treating internally. - usung Anusol HC right now - finding the gel more tolerable than the suppositories.  And.....hoping that I can stay on top of this in the future to "prevent" issues, instead of having to deal with trying to heal open skin, internal pain from possible fissure, etc.  Adds to all the other side effects.  Also last chemo, it was suggested by the nurse that chewing ice chips during the 5Fu push has helped with mouth sores.  I get awful mouth conditions - took 3 wks last time for mouth feeling better and had a few mouth sores and very sensitive teeth.  So I tried it - will see if it helps.  So far seems a bit better.  Thanks again, and best to all.  

Annabelle41415

Bellen said:

Thank you for suggestions

Hi all - Thank you for your suggestions.  I just don't want to use a product that would make my situation worse or more irritated - don't need that added issue to deal with if the skin area has a bad reaction to a product.  It sounds like the products you have mentioned can be used on the skin in that area.  Just have to be careful about treating internally. - usung Anusol HC right now - finding the gel more tolerable than the suppositories.  And.....hoping that I can stay on top of this in the future to "prevent" issues, instead of having to deal with trying to heal open skin, internal pain from possible fissure, etc.  Adds to all the other side effects.  Also last chemo, it was suggested by the nurse that chewing ice chips during the 5Fu push has helped with mouth sores.  I get awful mouth conditions - took 3 wks last time for mouth feeling better and had a few mouth sores and very sensitive teeth.  So I tried it - will see if it helps.  So far seems a bit better.  Thanks again, and best to all.  

Miracle Mouth Wash

Ask for miracle mouth wash - only your oncologist can order this.  Most pharmacies don't know what it is but the hospital should.  It will help with mouth sores big time.  Don't let that go as it can help within a couple days.

Kim

phuckcancer

my husband deals with this

my husband deals with this issue daily the pain of GI issues is almost unbearable.

Bellen

Mouthsores

Hi Kim - I have Koolstat for mouth sores - it is a mixture - nystatin and lidocaine that you swish and swallow.  Got really bad heartburn when I swallowed recommended dose - cut back to small amt swallowed.  Is this the same as miracle mouth wash?  Even if I don't get mouth sores, my mouth feels awful, sensitive. Also, always swishing with baking soda and salt mixture.  And my stomach feels pretty bad (think it is the irinotecan chemo).  

Annabelle41415

Bellen said:

Mouthsores

Hi Kim - I have Koolstat for mouth sores - it is a mixture - nystatin and lidocaine that you swish and swallow.  Got really bad heartburn when I swallowed recommended dose - cut back to small amt swallowed.  Is this the same as miracle mouth wash?  Even if I don't get mouth sores, my mouth feels awful, sensitive. Also, always swishing with baking soda and salt mixture.  And my stomach feels pretty bad (think it is the irinotecan chemo).  

Miracle Mouth Wash

I'm not sure if it's the same, but this "Miracle Mouth Wash" was mentioned on this website years ago, and from a different part of the country so I'm sure it's not local here.  Ask your oncologist.  The Miracle Mouth Wash was not to be swallowed (don't think, but never did).  It worked really well.  Don't suffer as there is something out there that can help.  Just couldn't do the baking soda method - hurt too bad.  Good luck and let us know if you can get the other "wash".

Kim