Sporadic fecal incontinence

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My first incident was on an airplane. How embarrassing is that? Incidents at home when I can't make to it the bathroom and my clothing is soiled. The next TOTAL embarrassing incident was walking across a public area in Portugal when I was on a trip and was with 2 other women and I exploded. Got to the public bathroom and my friends went and bought me some slacks. Now I have started taking an Imodium AD like pill I get from Amazon much cheaper and just as effective. I take 2 every other day and 1 on alternate days. I seem to be mostly ok except when I eat too much, or something my body isn't used to or something with mayonnaise (seems to be a trigger). Then a couple of times a month I don't make it to the bathroom and this continues that day until I have nothing but watery fecal matter.
Help! I want to travel but am terrified.
Who has suggestions.

 

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Foods are triggers for me. Over eating is a trigger. And my urinary urgency will cause me fecal incontinence.
So, I clean eat.....big factor in health since I have eliminated white sugars, white flours and processed food. I eat more small meals per day, and higher fiber foods. When on Tovias for OAB, it helped, but I couldn’t handle side affects from any of the meds.
Currently in a research project with a nerve stimulator. It has not aided me “yet” with either issue.
On a side note, I do travel. I just clean eat, stay away from anything greasy. And plan for bathroom breaks.

 

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I couldn't agree more it is embarrassing, but as my sis in law said, its a normal bodily function. Ok sure I agree with that, but that doesn't mean its acceptable to have it happen in public. I cannot take Imodium, as I constipate just like that. And if we cannot get that corrected, then I must report to the hospital for inpatient.
Your best bet is to give you some confidence, is to wear pullup protection daily, or at least when you traveling. I can travel, but my PCP told me personally I do need my caretaker with me at all times, for other health related issues. I really haven't done much thou since more health issues have also came into play.

 

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@nmentz

I have the same problem at times. I've had a couple public accidents. Certain foods trigger my attacks. Lately, I can get instant diarrhea from tomato sauce. I love to eat Italian, but I don't anymore unless I am at home.

I used to have a sensitivity to lettuce and fried foods, but they don't bother me so much anymore.

Dairy does not bother me, but certain brands of ice cream do. It is unpredictable. So, that is another thing I won't eat unless I am home.

Add more fiber to your diet. I eat a tablespoon or two of wheat bran every morning. It helps my colon function normal, and absorbs excess water. I also take a couple of Immodium before going to a restaurant.

Since I know my triggers, I have my problem mostly under control. I hope you can do the same. Good luck.

 

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I have bowel incontinence caused by injury from childbirth. It has taken me a while to adjust, in the beginning it was debilitating because I also have IBS, and so I was having accidents multiple times every day. I've since eliminated dairy, sugar, and most carbs from my diet, and it has helped tremendously with my IBS. I also take Immodium before long car trips, plane rides, or any time when I might be unable to quickly access a toilet. I learned this from several bad experiences including an accident on an airplane as well as in a car full of friends. I still turn red when I think about those incidents. Even with all the precautions I take I will still have accidents because I have difficulty controlling even regular BM's. So I wear protection when I leave the house for sure, and even at home sometimes if I'm feeling particularly sick.

Travel can be tough, but is manageable for me, I just have to take Immodium, watch what I eat, and wear protection, and be aware of where restrooms are. Doing all that I will still probably have an accident if I'm a distance away from a bathroom, but if I can eliminate the loose BM's it becomes much easier to deal with changing. My husband is very understanding, and knows what my issues are so we just deal with it as it comes, but even after all these years it is still somewhat soul-crushing to have an accident but I can recover more quickly now.

 

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Kim, Boomer, Sylvia and Jamie:

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT. This is such an embarrassing subject I have not felt comfortable sharing this with people,
I will see my doc tomorrow and get his thoughts.

Nancy

 

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Yes, it is definitely one of the most embarrassing medical conditions out there. When I first went to my primary care doctor about it, I could only bring up that I was having diarrhea, and it wasn't until my third visit that I broke down and told the doctor about the issues I was really having. She handled it all with grace, and made it easier to talk about.