Questions about bowel movements

[tdht]

Hi all. I'm a new member. Allow me to give a back story of myself before I ask my particular question.

I was diagnosed with Crohn's at the age of 15/16. I'm now 31 years old. I never had any surgery except for anal dilation due to a narrowing of the passage back there. My disease lies solely in my Colon. It was just affecting the sigmoid and descending, but my last colonoscopy showed inflammation throughout. I never had any small bowel activity.

I have taken sulfasalazine, mesalamine, and prednisone... currently on Humira on an every other week dose. Humira works best and I tolerate prednisone very well if I have to be put on that for awhile. Mesalamine and sulfasalazine didn't do anything. I also take iron supplements three times daily because my blood work showed low iron levels. And I take Lomotil just to ease diarrhea and cramping. It works a lot better than Loperamide.

Currently, I feel great. The best I felt in years! I have been hospitalized for Crohn's at least 5 times in my life (each time for 4 to 7 days). I don't have any stomach pain, bleeding, and I use the bathroom once or twice a day. Usually I have to use the bathroom in the morning pretty urgently, but the rest of the day is calm.

Here are my questions. I hope you all can give me some good answers or point me in the right direction!


I know that Crohn's destroys the lining of the intestines and the whole purpose of medication is to stop this destruction and allow it to heal. I know that the colon's job is to absorb water, create feces, and store feces.

My stools are always very soft to mushy when I'm feeling well, and watery/bloody during a flare-up. I never have sausage-shaped stools that are firm with some girth to it.

* Even though I'm feeling great with no belly pain, no blood, once or twice a day bowel movements, and the fact I'm taking iron supplements (which constipates people) and Lomotil (which slows down motility), why at best my feces are mushy with no "normal shape'?
(I'm slightly jealous of my GF who regularly has well-formed stools that sometimes are a "work of art" LOL)

* Is there anything natural I can take that helps heal the intestinal lining so maybe it does a better job at absorbing water from my stool matter?
(I've heard about L-Glutamine but some people say that's a gimmick)

* I've tried a fiber supplement (Metamucil) in the past but stopped because it didn't give my stools any form plus it was too thick to drink down. Just today, I bought some Benefiber which is great because it truly has no taste or grittiness. Is it true fiber is "supposed" to "bulk up" stools?

* Did anyone here suffer from non-formed stools but then started passing well-formed stools? What did you do/take?

* My doctor told me I could feel great with no active signs but my colon could still be inflamed. This is hard for me to comprehend because if my colon is still inflamed, there has to be some sign. Is it true what she said?

I apologize for the long post, I like to be thorough.

 

[tdht]

36 views, no responses? Did I ask the wrong questions? :ywow:

 

[ronroush7]

I tried L-glutamine. That was a while ago and I cant remember why I gave it up. I didn't like Metamucil too much.

2

 

[scottsma]

I use psyllium husk capsules.I think they work ok.Notice I said "think"
IBD is different for all of us.When I read your thread I felt quite envious,hahaha.
My B.Ms are never the same two days running.I also use loperamide,regularly,but try not to use it daily,if I don't have an early appointment.
What I'm saying is,everyones output is like their fingerprints,Completely unique.
As long as you feel well and there is not too much blood and mucus,then I would say you're doing ok.Of course,someone may come on and tell you something different.
Keep well and best wishes.

You'll find threads on Psyllium in the forums search box.

 

[shamrock15]

In my case I have had several surgeries that speed up the passage time and reduce water absorption. I find when I am on medications that slow bowels that I have increased absorption and better formed stools. Don't think a doctor will prescribe morphine regularly for that though!

 

[The Real MC]

I was having loose stool, but when I stopped putting butter on my toast for breakfast my stools have been more formed and regular. I cut way back on fast foods and fried foods for the same reason.

 

[ronroush7]

I was having loose stool, but when I stopped putting butter on my toast for breakfast my stools have been more formed and regular. I cut way back on fast foods and fried foods for the same reason.

Sounds like you might be intolerant to milk products. I can't do fried foods either.

 

[The Real MC]

Sounds like you might be intolerant to milk products. I can't do fried foods either.

But no other dairy products bother me - including milk.

It is not milk that is the offending common ingredient between butter and fried foods - it is saturated fat.

 

[ronroush7]

Ok.

 

[scottsma]

I had my gallbladder out a couple of months ago so eat very little fat.I have been using low fat spreads since they came onto the market,but have started to use butter as my diet is so limited (pre-diabetic).A LITTLE of what you fancy is good for your mood.Luckily I'm not dairy intolerant.

 

[ronroush7]

I had my gallbladder out a couple of months ago so eat very little fat.I have been using low fat spreads since they came onto the market,but have started to use butter as my diet is so limited (pre-diabetic).A LITTLE of what you fancy is good for your mood.Luckily I'm not dairy intolerant.

We use vegan buttrr

 

[Kat123]

Hi tdht,

Do you think you could still have some minimal inflammation and that is what is causing the loose stool? You say how can you have inflammation with no signs, but you *do* have a sign in the loose stool. Did you ever have formed stool since your diagnosis?

I guess the only way to know for sure would be a colonoscopy. I assume you had treatment and are feeling much better since your last colonoscopy where you say you had inflammation throughout the colon.

I have colonic and perianal crohn's and am having the same kind of symptoms at the moment, i.e. loose stool and urgency but usually only in the morning. I also have some mild abdominal discomfort, but nothing like what I'd get during a full flare. I think it's difficult to know when to do something about it - i.e. take steroids, I'm on Humira, Azathioprine and mesalazine already. Last time I had a flare I had these minor symptoms for a year or so before hand and ended up developing a full flare and a perianal fistula. So I'm wondering if treating sooner than later is best...

Have you tried probiotics?

 

[ronroush7]

Hi tdht,

Do you think you could still have some minimal inflammation and that is what is causing the loose stool? You say how can you have inflammation with no signs, but you *do* have a sign in the loose stool. Did you ever have formed stool since your diagnosis?

I guess the only way to know for sure would be a colonoscopy. I assume you had treatment and are feeling much better since your last colonoscopy where you say you had inflammation throughout the colon.

I have colonic and perianal crohn's and am having the same kind of symptoms at the moment, i.e. loose stool and urgency but usually only in the morning. I also have some mild abdominal discomfort, but nothing like what I'd get during a full flare. I think it's difficult to know when to do something about it - i.e. take steroids, I'm on Humira, Azathioprine and mesalazine already. Last time I had a flare I had these minor symptoms for a year or so before hand and ended up developing a full flare and a perianal fistula. So I'm wondering if treating sooner than later is best...

Have you tried probiotics?

I use probiotics.

 

[tdht]

Hi tdht,

Do you think you could still have some minimal inflammation and that is what is causing the loose stool? You say how can you have inflammation with no signs, but you *do* have a sign in the loose stool. Did you ever have formed stool since your diagnosis?

I guess the only way to know for sure would be a colonoscopy. I assume you had treatment and are feeling much better since your last colonoscopy where you say you had inflammation throughout the colon.

I have colonic and perianal crohn's and am having the same kind of symptoms at the moment, i.e. loose stool and urgency but usually only in the morning. I also have some mild abdominal discomfort, but nothing like what I'd get during a full flare. I think it's difficult to know when to do something about it - i.e. take steroids, I'm on Humira, Azathioprine and mesalazine already. Last time I had a flare I had these minor symptoms for a year or so before hand and ended up developing a full flare and a perianal fistula. So I'm wondering if treating sooner than later is best...

Have you tried probiotics?

If loose stools is MY symptom of inflammation then that's my ONLY symptom. I have tried probiotics.

The last time I remember having a well-formed stool was 14 years ago when I was 17. Since then, my stools have always been mushy or watery (during a flare-up). Some people who have Crohn's go into remission and start having "normal" looking stools again.