Extremely Painful Bowel Movement

[slb1980]

For the past year or two I have been experiencing extremely painful bowel movements that typically come around the same time as my period.  I can usually tell when one of these episodes is about to come on because i get a strange heaviness and strong aching in my buttocks.  The symptoms always include chills, nausea, a lot of pain in my rear section (not so much in the actual stomach area) and stomach contractions.  These contractions are very similar to the way your body contracts when you're about to vomit.  

I've noticed a clear/ yellowish discharge when I wipe and I've also noticed stringy white discharge that looks like little bits of tissue or lining.  These episodes usually come on very strong and urgent, but usually keep me in the restroom for 20-30 min, several times in one day.  And the actual feces never seem as though I've been either constipated or had diarrhea.  They look more like little shreds of normal consistency feces.

At first, I just blamed it on my period and figured I would have to learn to deal with it.  However, I have now been experiencing it for the past 2 days and I'm not even on my period.  I've mentioned it to two physicians- one dismissed it by saying "many women have a difficult period" and the other thinks it will subside with a fiber supplement.  I have started taking the fiber, but I just a have a feeling there is something more to it.

Background info on me: 29 year old female, 5'5", 115lbs, no children, not a smoker, casual drinker, lactose intolerant.

Is there any light you can shed on this description?  A friend of the family was experiencing painful bowel movements and finally went to her doctor about it.  She found out she has colon cancer.  This recent event is motivating me to do something about my own pain.

Thank you!

[hippiebeachbum]

I had similar problems for "years" and told about the same thing.   Finally I was diagnosed with Endometriosis.   I had the surgery and was painfree for 12 years.  That was 25 years ago.  Its back and now having surgery again.  The "key" trigger was hormone related would affect the bowels.   Endo does that ... here's a great site
http://www.endo-resolved.com/symptoms.html

good luck

[hunziez]

Do u ever have 2 push or strain or grunt 2 get the poo out? if u do u might b constipated (what i am right now)

[slb1980]

Usually, being "regular" for me is 2-3 times a week. I've been taking the fiber drinks, but didn't realize at first that I needed to up my water intake. This lead to me feeling like I'd eaten a cinder block. Thankfully, things have settled down now.

Thank you for the helpful info and advice. I was beginning to wonder if anyone would know what I was even talking about.

The true test will be in a few weeks with my period. I'll keep you posted.

[ggreg]

Well, if your bowel movements only happen, say, once a week or longer, then it's probably constipation... the white discharge is the mucous the intestines make to get a lot of waste out.  If things get really backed up, it can make you feel quite sick when it's ready to come out, you'll get shaky, have pain in the lower guts, you'll sweat.  So, the way to ease transition of waste is drinking more water, exercising regular, and the fiber suggestion from the doc, that usually takes care of it.  Also, check side effects on any medicines you're taking, some can dry you out and cause constipation.

Assuming you do not have a growth or cancer as you are worried about, then the pain is usually caused by swollen tissues or hemorrhoids where the waste comes out, which those result from straining, and they come and go.  Some plain KY jelly put on there after you bathe will suffice for the day, so when you do go, it'll be less painful to pass.  Preparation H will shrink the hemorrhoids, too, if that's what is going on, but you only use that ointment as needed.  Often a person who has hemorrhoids will get some bright red blood when those tissues tear.

But let's say you do have a growth or cancer.  Usually this is accompanied by dark red blood and/or lots of it.  Generally docs go at this in steps, first by doing a stool sample to look for blood, next by doing a scan and/or barium enema to see in a picture any abnormalities, and then a colonoscopy to visualize real-time any blockage.  If you catch it early, it's one of the easiest cancers to cure.  

I hope this info will help you with this, and if my comments about the number of regular movements you do have is actually a daily thing and not delayed by, say, a week, then you could bypass what I said about water, exercise, fiber, and hemorrhoid treatments, and instead get a referral to a gastroenterologist and he'll give you all the tests necessary to determine if you have a growth or cancer.