Digestive nomenclature.

[Amethyst Wind]

Now this thread won't be pleasant if you're squeamish, just to let you know. It involves bowel movements.

Speaking from personal experience, when I have digestive trouble it means everything must go. My body won't let up until the pipes are empty y'know. Usually takes a few trips spread out over a couple of hours.

Imagery aside, my question is this: Between trips I can feel my body letting me know that there's still more to be shifted. The feeling is unpleasant and will only recede completely when everything that's gonna come out has come out.

I ask you medical types out there if this feeling has a name or not. The indicator that you're not quite done with your emergency venting?


Told you the topic'd be fun, didn't I?

On an unrelated note the captcha has been the same 4 times in a row now. It's getting lazy.

 

[Lilani]

I think when my stomach is upset I'm about the same as you, Amethyst. It starts with some funny noises, and eventually gets to a level where I know I'm going to be attached to the bathroom for the next few hours. And like you said, there are signs that things aren't done yet, even when you feel like there can't possibly be anything left in your entire system. I had a particularly bad spell last Thursday, and I ended up leaving in the middle of a class because I knew it wasn't going to let up.

As for actually medically diagnosing this, it sounds like you're just describing plain diarrhea (unless there is blood or other funny colors involved, in which case you want to see a doctor immediately), which can be caused by a number of things. On Thursday I think I just had some bad bread, but otherwise I might be slightly lactose intolerant, so sometimes milk or dairy products do me in. So if you are really worried about this, you're going to have to figure out the cause. Can you narrow it down to a food, or food group? Or a specific time or situation? I have heard of irritable bowel syndrome, which has a number of symptoms including diarrhea and just sort of happens for no reason.

But don't take my word for it. If you're really worried and want a solid diagnosis, see a doctor. And to make the visit more productive, write down specifically what is happening and any patterns you think you see in when it happens (how often it happens, if you tend to get struck at a certain time of day, or after eating some kind of food, that sort of thing). I believe stress can also cause bowel problems, if you're stressed enough over a long enough period of time.

 

[IndomitableSam]

Try testing out dairy, really. My intolerance developed when I was 15, and at first we thought it was IBS, or possibly Chron's. Thankfully it wasn't, but I was also never officially diagnosed. Now I'm careful about what I eat as there's dairy in everything. Doesn't mean I don't eat it, but over the 15ish years since developing it, I've learned to gauge how much dairy I can take in at any given time. Seriously, I picture it like a meter, because my body had subtle signs telling me how much dairy I've had/can take. If I'm clean of dairy, I feel amazing, then slowly my head will get a bit foggier, I'll feel more and more bloated, a headache might appear and finally, when I've passed my limit, it's time to find a bathroom. If it's bad, I have 3 rounds. If it's not so bad, it's 2. Never just 1. And usually it'll only last a couple hours, but afterward I'll be totally drained and freezing cold for a long time afterward. ... I was basically constantly sick for months until my system righted itself, so I'm well acquainted with the feelings.

Anyway... I have no idea what the word is for the feeling, but, yes, everyone else gets it, too.

Test out a lactose issue as well as gluten. Gluten's hard, pretty sure I (and my sister) have minor gluten issues, but my diet's already pretty restricted with dairy issues so I deal with it, but test yourself out and see how it goes.