CONSTANT WIPING

I am pretty sure this is not irritable bowel syndrome but I am 28 years old and ever since I can remember after a bowel movement, I have to wipe endlessly. Throughout most of the day I am back in the bathroom wiping, eventually bleeding. Now some days are a little better than others and I've tryed a few different cleanes with not alot of success. The first cleanse did work but the problem soon returned. I need more of a solid stool, it always comes out kind of greasy. I have also tryed numerous fibre supplements that do not help. I eat generally healthy and drink lots of water. I have asked several doctors for advice and had a stool sample that came back fine. I am so frustrated and could really use any advice.

Carell asks a good question: are you just wiping because you contantly don't feel clean or are you using that as a euphamistic term for having diarrhea (euphamisms are not necessary here!)? I sometimes feel wet/not clean, even though the toliet paper comes back clean. The best I can figure is either I'm getting a false sensation from my nerve endings (and you have a lot down there), or I do have something wetter than usual in the anal region, it's just inside even though it feels like it's on the outside. If you constantly feel wet down there, it may be due to hyperactive nerve endings or not getting everything flushed out of the last bit of your intestinal tract. Whatever you do, you should not wipe until you make yourself raw. If the toliet paper is clean, then quit wiping, no matter what it still feels like. In addition to trying wet paper, wet washcloths or baby wipes you can also try the tissues with lotion in them to help soothe any skin irritation you may have on your bottom. It doesn't take much wiping to make your bottom raw.

If your stools are too loose and/or too frequent, try calcium (Caltrate 600 w/ vitamin D). That has helped a lot of people firm up and lessen their stools. Start with one a day and see if that helps any.

Oh, and you don't ever eat any sugar-free or reduced sugar products, do you? Sugar alcohols (xylitol, mannitol, sorbitiol) can give you soft, greasy stools (even just sugar-free gum or mints!), as can WOW! potato chips (olestra) and OTC diet drugs. If you are on any supplements or vitamins, you should drop them as well unless specifically prescribed by a doctor. Aloe vera is a laxative and magnesium is to some degree as well. I have gotten diarrhea from taking vitamin C supplements. So you never can tell what your body may not tolerate very well.

Hi fishcat,
Welcome to HealingWell!!
I use baby wipes. You can also try the hemorrhoid wipes, those will soothe any inflamation, rawness or burning you might have.
Initially I thought you were a greasy junk food eater, because that's what causes the unending wipes, but you're not. I am stumped. What do the doctors say about this?

Hi wolcott,
Instead of Benefiber and Citrucel, my doc suggested Psyllium. She said it was much easier on the gut (gas wise - hopefully leakage wise as well). It may be worth a shot trying. My GI said you can find it at most health food stores.

  Fishcatyou need to keep a journal of for one month on all foods you eat.  Log which foods daily and log the better dayas on the john.

I myself found that a mixture of almomds and cashews light roasted with less salt has acheived the desired results.  I thinking that it may be some knd of annomaly, I stopped for 3 weeks and the problem returned.  I started again on the nuts and everything was better.

I eat about a half of cup of nuts about an hour before bed.  Maybe it will help or maybe you can string together your own concoction for some relief.

Good luck though and sorry to hear about your troubles.

 

Hi there fishcat,
I am new here I was originally diagnosed with CD, but I suffer from reaally bad diarrhea and I also have a prolapse so I feel like I am never done so to speak,and I have tried all the fiber bulking stuff and they don't work, so GI finally put me on "Cholestrymine" (sp) and I am supposed to take one pouch ( I mix it with orange juice cause it is orange flavored powder) every day,but it was starting to bind me up, so I drink one every other day and (knock on wood) seems to be working better then any other thing I have tried...Ask your doctor aout it...
Cyndi

For anyone with this issue, I'd suggest cutting way down on your diet for a few days to see if it helps. You can cut back to the BRAT diet, which is pretty much the most nutritionally balanced diet with the most easily digestible foods. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. If you can make it through a few days of that, and if you notice a difference, you know it can be helped with a diet change. Sometimes I throw in some really basic chicken breast, to get a little more bulk.

First thing is document all, then find a good Dr. that actually cares and suggest reasons. Meanwhile wear a pad if you are having leakage all day or small accidents. I use cottonelle wipes. I have 4 to 20 BMS a day. Have had IBS-D for 32 years. I carry my wipes in my purse. Have to use them or cannot get clean and that is miserable and makes you sore. It is soooo hard and expensive to find a good Dr. but that is the key. To be honest for years I got most of my good advice on here. Nothing helped my frequent, loose stools but this forum sure did help me figure out what to do and gave me the courage to do it. Just knowing you are not alone. Maybe ask around about Drs. before you go to one. I just got SSD for my IBS-D so I am feeling so lucky not to have to ever have another accident at work again.

Been having the same problem too, very frustrating. Feel like that video of the guy showering at the beach and someone keeps putting shampoo on his head, just never ends.
Going to try some of these things, hopefully I can figure it out.