I had a proctogram done in January. It’s a test envolving the doctor putting a thick substance into your rectum and while you “poo” it out they xray you to see if your pelvic floor etc are doing what they should.
So my results came back saying that mine isn’t working properly and I think (have only read the report so a bit double dutch) my muscles are not relaxing when they should be making it impossible for me to have a BM. This has resulted in me being constipated for about 12 years. Usually going once a week but sometimes it’s once every 5 weeks.
So my question is…do you think this could be related to the MS? Is there any treatment?
Thanks in advance x
Constipation is a fairly common symptom of MS, and also a common side-effect of some of the drugs used to relieve symptoms.
I would say it’s quite likely to be related. Then again, chronic constipation is quite widespread, even among people who don’t have MS, so I wouldn’t say it’s a foregone conclusion. It might be unrelated.
Dietary changes, medication (e.g. stool softener), and some forms of exercise might all be suggested.
Once a week is not great, but at the limits of “normal”, I think. Once in five weeks is definitely not OK, and needs urgent medical intervention.
My mum (a non-MSer) has had similar problems all her life. Recently (in her 70s), she’s finally confronted it and been prescribed something (I can’t remember which one it is, but loads of MSers take it too - I know I’m going to kick myself when somebody posts the name), and she has been a lot better.
It’s still very dose-sensitive, and if she gets it wrong, she can have the opposite problem, which makes her quite nervous about going out on social occasions - e.g. restaurants - as she doesn’t like public loos as it is.
But overall, I think she wishes she’d sought treatment 30 decades ago, and not just ignored it!
Tina