Tenesmus reliefs?

I just realized that the thing I've been feeling my whole teens up until now actually has a medical name: Tenesmus. I just thought it was all in my head, and that no one else knew how it felt, but now I'm hoping I can really be rid of it! It's such a pain (not literally), not being able to tell if you really have to use the bathroom or not, I sometimes feel like I do, but then very little or nothing comes out at all. And even though I know that I don't really have to use the bathroom, it's still the most annoying feeling to have. Would someone please tell me how I can solve this? I've tried looking on the internet, but I don't wanna be on methadone or anything...

I'm taking pentasa stool pills that are helping against the inflammation, there's no more blood, but they don't seem to be helping with this at all. What have your experiences been with this? Is there a way to get rid of it? How did you get rid of it? I just want to have hope that there's some way out there to be rid of this hell...

Well, I meant that no one else felt like I did all the time, because I was constantly feeling like "didn't I just go to the bathroom? Why do I feel like I have to do it again after just one hour?". You didn't really answer my question... Are you saying that it's normal and that I should just learn to live with it, or what?

Did it go away for you? Because I've felt it off and on for about 5 years without a major break (more than a few days or so). And I can't have been inflamed constantly since then, can I? And since there's no more blood in my stool, how will I know when I'm no longer inflamed?

Nagelbitarn, I have Tenesmus as well and boy is it annoying.

As some of the others have said, Tenesmus does come and go based on how much active uc inflammation is present. So, when I am uc flaring it is much, much worse than when I am not and things are good. When I am feeling pretty good, uc wise, Tenesmus mostly goes away for most of the day. The exception is I tend to have that Tenesmus feeling for a few hours after waking up and then it usually goes away and I am fine for the rest of the day. I drive to work with that feeling, I just empty out best I can before leaving, and then I've learned to ignore that feeling on the drive. I just monitor that feeling and make sure it doesn't get worse during the morning commute, and if it does start a rumbling, gurgling, or otherwise start to sound worse on the commute then I stop at the nearest bathroom to play it safe. Pretty rare for me to stop during my commute, usually it is just a nuisance (I think of it is as a rather annoying head-game that uc plays with me). Usually by the time I finish my morning tea at work that feeling goes away.

That said, however, I occasionally have bad days where that Tenesmus feeling persists all day long. I just have learned to ignore it when that happens. And those days, I take precautions before leaving the house or otherwise being away from the toilet for a while. I just sit on the toilet to make sure I am truly empty before leaving, have a change in the car in case the worst case scenario happens haha.

I haven't found anything that helps,

For me tesenemus was a sign of worse things to come, meaning a major flare.

Please get those rectal suspension enemas. They will nip that problem in the bud.

stool pills meaning what exactly? you mean suppositories?

q

When did you start them? ?

q

Nagelbitarn said...
My DREAM is to one day just be able to go to the bathroom one morning, and then be confident in not having to go for the rest of the day, just once. How will I know when I'm in a remission (if it ever comes)?

I think we all dream that we can be normal, just one bm per day and then be done for the rest of the day (some here have achieved this status and are in a solid remission, meaning free of uc symptoms; it eludes me though). Some are in remission with 2-4 bms a day. I guess it varies for some.

Nagelbitarn said...
I've never really had periods when I have been free of this [tenesmus] feeling.

Typically, uc is bad when you are first diagnosed, and most respond well to the first round of treatment. So your tenesmus would be bad when initially diagnosed and get better as the pills heal you. Uc is a disease that even under the best conditions will act-up or flare, and when it does your tenesmus and frequent need to poop returns in full swing. That is what I was referring to. Are you new to this disease/recently diagnosed?

iPoop said...

Nagelbitarn said...
My DREAM is to one day just be able to go to the bathroom one morning, and then be confident in not having to go for the rest of the day, just once. How will I know when I'm in a remission (if it ever comes)?

I think we all dream that we can be normal, just one bm per day and then be done for the rest of the day (some here have achieved this status and are in a solid remission, meaning free of uc symptoms; it eludes me though). Some are in remission with 2-4 bms a day. I guess it varies for some.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this forum will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the former UC sufferers will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood and not have to get up to run to the washroom.

I have a dream that GODZ will come from the heavens and smite the UC away so we can consume the holy gluten in peace and harmony without the nagging of diet fanatics.

I have a dream today.

You could also try a course of steroid rectal meds.