Difficulties holding poop in

Post Reply New Topic

No I don't poop myself, but when I need to do to the toilet, I literally need to go. If I need to go but I'm somewhere where there are no toilets near, like on a bus journey, I start feeling nauseous and I get a feeling of pressure in my bowels and it feels like it's just going to come out. I think it's usually caused by a gas build-up too, and sometimes it feels like my bowels are going to burst like a balloon and gas might come out uncontrollably. I do not want that to happen in public because it's very embarrassing (particularly when you have social anxiety), and the smell can be unpleasant for others, especially on a bus or train.

What can I do before what I fear actually happens one day? God I hate gas.

Dietary changes(avoiding beans, onions or excessive garlic), taking lactase ezymes with milk if milk is a trigger. There are digestive enzymes like Beano that you could try and medication like Simethicone(which is OTC in Canada) to treat gas. If you have diarrhea on top of gas, even after using these solutions, you could try adding in some psyllium husk or psyllium metamucil into your diet.

I don't have diarrhea normally, it's just I produce so much gas that it becomes too much to be able to hold in and I've been able to get away with it so far by carefully releasing the gas when no-one is near and luckily it comes out silent. It is often odourless, but can smell obviously if I need the bathroom (although the smell is not unhealthy). I don't think I'm lactose intolerant because I've cut out dairy products before to see if it made any difference and it didn't. Even when I've eaten light meals consisting of foods that are gentle on the stomach and aren't supposed to be gas-producing, I've still suffered gas overload.
But I can't cut out vegetables, fruits and natural herbs and spices, because these foods are what contain goodness and are good for the immune system. Plus I'm supposed to be dieting and adding more healthy foods into my diet.

Are these things available in the UK? I don't know much about this sort of thing. Where would I get it from? The pharmacy or Tesco's?

I'm willing to bet any store that has a baby section will have Simethicone drops available.

I agree with some of the other posters that you should start with dietary changes. Also, when you are going to be out of the house for a while wear disposable incontinence undies. They are for both bladder and bowel issues. If you don't want to be seen buying them in stores, have them delivered to your home. Many stores will do this, including Walmart, and Walmart carries a number of different brands, sizes, and several different styles.

You should also try to use the bathroom before going out, and if you are going to be out a while you could try taking an anti diuretic, but you shouldn't take that on a regular basis, as taking such meds too often isn't healthy. That's why you should also use the disposable undies.

I've got bladder issues, and occasional bowel issues, so I have to use disposable undies all the time. I buy Walmart's store brand pull on style briefs and usually have them home delivered, but will pick up a pack or 2 at the store sometimes.

I know how it feels to try to hold in the poop till I can get to a toilet, so I hope I've been able to help.

I recommended pelvic physiotherapy once before, for your Gynaecology issue.
It would help with what you describe, as well.

I’ve been reading about pelvic floor health recently and I guess it’s pretty common for people to have issues here. Many things can contribute to the dysfunction: poor posture, stress/anxiety, constipation, trauma, chronic pain. If you don’t have access to a pelvic floor physiotherapist there is quite a bit of info online. I just bought a book and some roller balls and plan to work on that area myself. I tried it out for a few minutes the day before my period started and I didn’t have any pain/cramps, which hasn’t happened since I was a teenager. I’m not sure if it was the cause but it gave me some motivation to give it a solid try.

I'm seeing numerous issues here between the OP and the responders.
.
So... if I get this right... the OP has an issue of late recognition of the signal for impending BM, and unpleasant amount and smell of intestinal gas build-up.
.
For myself... and I'm a 59 y.o. male...
It took a better part of my life to finally come around to working hard at recognizing the earliest signs that I was ready for a BM.
Throughout my life, I've been prone to... "Oh... feels like I might have to poop." Which my response would normally be to go back to whatever else was stealing my focus, until the next brain-bell 'DING' signalling the BM was nearing the station... as it were!
Typically ignoring THAT signal also... I would eventually get the feeling a BM was DEFINITELY imminent!
Then all the rushing to find a bathroom (or suitable secluded outdoor dump spot), sometimes waddling to it while trying to concentrate on my sphincter muscles... down below... on and on....
.
So... working hard... I've been training my brain to take the early signals and boost them up the priority ladder.
.
The gas production issue... or perhaps over-production?...
I believe I tend to swallow a lot of air... and not just when I'm sleeping. Could this be an issue for you as well?
Certainly there are dietary contributions to the gas issue, as others have mentioned.
There can be a significant medical concern for some people with serious gas issues as well.
.
See if you can determine if you are gulping/swallowing air in inordinate amounts. Some will likely come out as burps... while some can make it's way into the intestines and come out as farts.
.
Follow what others have said about assessing your diet and what foods may be more likely to help your intestinal bacteria produce excess gas.

Um, no, it's not serious enough to need disposable underwear, as I've never actually pooped myself.

No, the problem is gas. What happens is when I need to poop, I sometimes feel a gas pressure, which makes me feel like the poop is going to come out. But instead it's just gas trying to escape (God, this is an embarrassing subject) and I have social anxiety so farting isn't something I like to do in public or in company, but it's difficult to hold the gas in. So it makes me want to dash to the toilet.

It's all very well advising me to avoid certain foods, but the foods listed by Hannah Bagrich are foods I'm advised to eat to help me stay healthy. It's difficult to know what to eat to stay healthy if you have to avoid gas. God I hate gas. I wish our bodies had special enzymes that dissolved gas so that farting was non-existant.

Oh, and I can't burp by the way.

No burping... okay.
.
Despite my years working in medical careers... digestive system issues was never in my line.
Have you seen a Gastroenterologist?
I'm now wondering if this can be an issue of bacteria... high or low... that a slight change in diet might help.
.
And perhaps because I've worked in various medical fields most of my adult life... EMS, Laboratories... I don't find body topics the least bit embarrassing.
I mean... everyone has an entry and exit hole! Nothing unusual about that. I've long wondered why so many cultures have created such a distaste for discussion of issues like this one?
We could certainly advance more by open discussions... thereby, allowing a much larger data bank to be made of how many people actually do certain things, have certain issues, etc.
.
Anyway... hope you find some sort of help to alleviate your concerns!

So you're embarrassed about farting, if you feel one coming nothing wrong with going to the toilet to avoid doing it around people...but if you don't make it its not a big deal, everyone farts you can just say 'sorry' or 'excuse me' if it comes out around people and most will be mature to move past it.

Also idk could be something wrong if you can't burp, as far as I knew its a fairly necessary bodily function.

Saying ''everyone farts'' doesn't help me feel any better about doing it around people, especially in public. Where I come from, people are grossed out by people farting because it makes you look like a rude person. Most people do get embarrassed about farting in public, especially if they smell. I don't like strangers farting either, it gives me a sense of social discomfort for some reason, even though I don't know them. And most of my family would laugh if I farted, being so I've never really farted in front of them. My aunt is on the spectrum and she has a bit of an odd obsession about farting, so I don't think I would ever hear the end of it. My dad used to fart a lot in front of my family but nowadays he doesn't, and when I asked why he said, ''everyone will make a big deal about it, that's why.''

And if you Google ''inability to burp'' you will be surprised at the results. In fact there was a thread on WP somewhere about it too.

Well there is no healthy way to hold farts in, so the only real options are try to get to a bathroom or just away from people if you feel it coming or say excuse me if it happens. Actually trying to hold it in will make it more likely for poop to come out when you can't continue holding it which would be far more embarrassing than the fart itself. It happened to me once, luckily I was going swimming in a river with cousins at the time so I had my swim suit to change into and just threw the underwear in the trash but yeah that was embarrassing.

Also there may be others with an inability to burp, but that doesn't mean its not problematic. I can't imagine needing to burp but not being able, can't imagine that would feel very good.

Joe90: Other than you being embarrassed, what would happen if you started farting in front of your boyfriend when you have to?

the older i get, the more sudden and urgent the signal gets. also the more often the choochoo trains arrive at the station. i've had up to 4 shipments in a 12 hour period.

I haven't farted in front of him. Well, he said he's never heard me fart, and even if he did he probably doesn't really think about it too much and forgets. But even so, I still don't want to do it deliberately in front of him.

I'm just private about it. I know everyone farts but there's a time and a place when it comes to farting, which is why it's very rare to hear or smell farts in public places (where I live anyway). Literally, if you do fart in public everyone will stare at you, some looking disgusted while others laughing.
I remember one time I was at a cinema, and I was sitting near the back, and these girls were in the row in front of me. One of them kept farting, and each time she did everyone in front got distracted away from the movie to turn around and look.

So no wonder a lot of people are too afraid to fart in public.