Painful pooping - how long does this last?

Hello Lululeo 

Many of us are so familiar with that feeling of broken glass - coupled with 'acid drops', mucous that burns.  I used to drum my feet as I used the loo (my rear end submerged in lukewarm water in the Sitzbath).  It took two or three weeks until it eased but only slightly, I was still having painful bowel movements nine or ten weeks later.  But this was my experience, we are all different.  I hope very much that you join those (and there are many) who found relief much sooner than me.

My own theory is that everyone's back passage is affected in different ways, and I can only assume that internally I had open sores that took longer to heal.

I very much hope that others join in with better experiences than mine!

Gentle hug

Irene xx

Hi Lululeo I remember those poos, i always described it as passing razor blades dipped in acid. I had my first pain free poo on day 10 after treatment finished. Sending hugs. Xx

Hi Lululeo, 

Well done on completing your treatment, it’s very hard and you should be proud of yourself for coming this far. 

I also remember the pain of going to the loo, it was excruciating.  It felt, at the time, never ending but after 2/3 weeks it did improve. 

Just remember, it WILL get better but give yourself time. I was so impatient and pushed myself far too early on in my recovery. Listen to your body and be kind to yourself. 

Big hugs 

Hi

Well done on getting this far though your journey..

As a few people have said every one is diffrent..

For me it wwas about 6 weeks afterwards..then gradually got better... if im honest i used to poo in my sitz bath.. pooing in the warm water was so much easier and hurt less..

Its hard not to get stressed about how much its going to hurt.. i drank lots of barley water and I think that helped ..i also took movicol a few times when it was a bit hard..

Sending lots of positive thoughts 

X

Hi Lululeo ,

As has already been said everyone is different in their recovery so it’s difficult to gauge when things will feel better. The first week or two after that last session the radiotherapy continues to build in your body so things can get a little worse before they get better but healing can happen pretty rapidly after that. 

You’ve already received some great advice regarding using the sitz bath with warm water to ease things a little, I also used movicol regularly to keep things on the softer side & lathered on the creams provided along with an aqueous cream in between uses. 

Be kind to yourself over the next few weeks, don’t try & over do things, sleep when you need to & lots of R&R as this is when your body will do it’s repairing.

Sending lots of healing thoughts your way.

Nicola 

Thank you everyone for the replies. It really helps to hear what you’ve all been through and how you’ve coped. I seem to now be in a phase where I have intense itching around my buttocks. My guess is this is due to healing skin, so maybe a good sign but it’s driving me bats when I try to sleep! Painful pooing is still there, though maybe a bit less intense the past couple of days… 

Hi..

Try using bepanthan..its a nappy cream.. it worked a miracle for me 

Xx

Hi Lululeo , for me this was definitely the worst part of recovery, I was always posting on here, hoping for a miracle. 
It was about 6 weeks for me . It really does ease, although you think it never will.  I am 13 weeks post treatment and no pain at all going, poos are still irregular, but can cope with that. Take care xx