Brief Summary
This video discusses the symptoms of dyssynergic defecation, a condition where patients experience difficulty with bowel movements. It highlights that patients may strain excessively, spend long periods on the toilet, and feel incomplete evacuation even after multiple bowel movements. The video also points out that common laxatives often don't work for these patients, and they may resort to physical maneuvers or enemas.
- Difficulty with bowel movements despite frequent visits to the toilet.
- Ineffective straining and a sense of incomplete evacuation.
- Standard laxatives provide little to no relief.
Symptoms of Dyssynergic Defecation
The video starts by explaining that patients with dyssynergic defecation usually have difficulty with bowel movements. When patients say they have "constipation," doctors need to figure out exactly what they mean. Often, these patients spend a lot of time on the toilet, like 20-40 minutes, straining a lot, and still feel like they haven't fully emptied their bowels. The stools are usually very hard.
Interestingly, some patients might even say they have two or three bowel movements a day. Many doctors think constipation means infrequent bowel movements, so they might not think these patients are constipated. But actually, these patients go so often because they can't empty their bowels properly and always feel the urge to go.
Some people have to use physical tricks to pass stool. They might push on their vagina or the area between their vagina and anus, or even remove stool manually. Many end up using enemas or suppositories to start or finish a bowel movement. A key sign is that regular laxatives or prescription meds don't work well or only work for a short time. It's important to recognize this problem because it's quite common.
