Bowel problem

[stillinger]

Has anyone with a spinal cord injury (SCI) experienced this problem (I am a paraplegic in a wheelchair): despite fairly regular BM's (induced, for me, by suppository) I have a continuous (all day), overwhelming urge to defecate, without any apparent immediate pressure from stool; it is mild only in the morning before bowel progam, intensifying immediately thereafter for the rest of the day and persisting through the time I go to bed (i.e., lie down) until I fall asleep, although being in a supine (as opposed to sitting) position alleviates it. It has resulted in essentially no bowel accidents by day or night; thus (and for other reasons) my doctors tend to believe it is a neuropathic (or neurogenic) pain, although it is unrelieved by neuronton (or any other approach, including acupuncture). Important addition: I have a baclofen pump in my abdomen, installed a little crooked (although doctors don't believe that that is harmful or relevant). I've had the pump and the bowel problem, although the first signs of the latter appeared before the pump, for about 2 years. The problem just keeps getting worse, to the point where it's driving me up the wall.

[angel7]

RIS,

I sometimes have the same feeling. It is worse when I have a fairly good bowel movement. Most of the time it is my roids I am feeling. But sometimes I wonder if it just phantom pressure. Remembering the mornings bowel movement.

Deb

[snoskrz]

i too have that problem when i use a suppository such as "the magic bullet"..the only kind i can use that doesn't cause discomfort is fleet liquid glycerin suppositories. i don't know if this will help you but won't hurt to try. hope it will work. pat

[bugg162]

You may want to look at posts, Central Pain in this forum,also pain.com. I have this intense urge/fullness/burning/pressure sensation in pelvic/bladder as well as bowel. Feels like I have to go NOW pretty much constant, varies in intensity some but always there..drives me up a wall, also very embarrassing and difficult to describe something almost indescribable to Doctors. I get some relief from Elavil, mostly helps me to sleep after I actually fall asleep...extremely difficult to get to sleep or much else, SO distracting. It has been humiliating to seek treatment. I don't have much info for relief, but know that you are NOT alone. Take Care, Cheryl http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif