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Looking for ideas

So I know this is not the proper way to go about things, but I'm willing to try anything. Here is a little about myself. 25 year old Marine veteran about to go into law enforcement after finishing my degree. I'm extremely fit and have a solid diet that no nutritionist could bad mouth. I work out and run 5-6 days a week and eat my correct amount of calories and macronutrients. I do not drink or smoke anymore and I only take multivitamins. I also have Graves' disease (hyperthyroidism), which I had removed with radiation iodine. I take synthroid everyday to keep it stable.
Now the problem..
2 years ago I had an upset stomach after a night of drinking, and had a rough visit to the toilet. Later that day I experienced the first appearance of the devil. By devil I mean clear, odorless discharge from my rectum. I went over a year without telling a soul. I even got use to have to change undies often and wipe a few extra times daily. Then it got a little worse an it was clearly seen through my gym shorts at the gym, but never talked about. I'm sure no one cared and probably assumed it was just sweat. Well this discharge is apparently here to stay and I have had enough. I've went to several doctors, was treated for constipation (which I didn't have lol),a colonoscopy (came back perfect), and then I started rubber band litigation to remove the hemorrhoids that were suppose to be causing it(they aren't). I had a flexsig this morning which showed nothing and I will get the biopsy results back next week. My last hope is that it is something in the microscopic tissue that can be fixed. I don't want to have to deal with this problem, during the police academy. Any ideas that I could look into would be greatly appreciated. My doctor constantly says surgery for the remaining hemorrhoids would do nothing. He even referred me today to another doctor for a second opinion. Any comments, ideas, dirty remarks? Guns up, Semper Fi.
 
Have doctors ever taken a sample of the discharge for testing? That should at least be able to tell you exactly what it is.

For dealing with it in the mean time, there are various kinds of incontinence pads, if the volume of discharge is small, you should be able to get away with very discreet pads. Changes of underwear shouldn't be necessary.
 
Have doctors ever taken a sample of the discharge for testing? That should at least be able to tell you exactly what it is.

For dealing with it in the mean time, there are various kinds of incontinence pads, if the volume of discharge is small, you should be able to get away with very discreet pads. Changes of underwear shouldn't be necessary.
No he hasn't, even though I've insisted. I always bring different ideas up to the doctors I've seen (3). They all seem to already have a prescripted lecture for me. I've got ways of dealing with it, but I just want it gone.
 
I have discharge from my perianal fistulas. To make sure it does not leak onto my clothes, and also to protect my skin, I am fold a piece of gauze in half and stuff it in my butt crack. For good measure, I also wear a panty liner/maxi pad in case any escapes that.

My favourite gauze is from Target.
 
Are you certain haemorrhoids are not causing the problem? Have you been examined to see if you have a rectal prolapse? Are you able to see any different doctors? A colorectal specialist?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
For the record, I had the clear discharge you speak of for a couple months. It was an absolute nightmare so I feel for you.

I wish I could tell you what I did that changed things for me. I have made so many diet and lifestyle changes over the years that I can't point to what finally made the difference.

I hope you're able to get things figured out soon.
 
I have had banding for almost all of the hemorrhoids, and it never even lightened up and the doctor told me after my flexsig Friday that he doesn't think we should band anymore since there has been zero progress. He is the "top" rectal specialist in Memphis. He referred me to a stomach doctor. I still have hemorrhoids, but I've always had them. I'm an athlete and avid weightlifter. Most people have hemorrhoids, but not very many have a discharge issue like me.
 
For the record, I had the clear discharge you speak of for a couple months. It was an absolute nightmare so I feel for you.

I wish I could tell you what I did that changed things for me. I have made so many diet and lifestyle changes over the years that I can't point to what finally made the difference.

I hope you're able to get things figured out soon.
Haha it's good brother. I've learned to adapt. I can't even remember what life without this problem is like. It's just strange to me that it can't be figured out. I mean I never had any issue like this until that one day and it was in full force.
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Have you ever had poison oak or poison ivy where you skin weeps a clear fluid? That's what I pictured going on inside my intestines. Whether that was correct or not I have no idea, but I always felt it was some sort of allergic reaction.
 
Yeah I could see that. I'm fine if I'm standing still or in a cool environment. It happens as soon as I get hot or start moving around. It gets hot down there like its swollen.
 
For the record, I had the clear discharge you speak of for a couple months. It was an absolute nightmare so I feel for you.

I wish I could tell you what I did that changed things for me. I have made so many diet and lifestyle changes over the years that I can't point to what finally made the difference.

I hope you're able to get things figured out soon.
I've had mystery mucus too. It was no problem for me as it was so short-lived, and not really discharge as it would only come out when I relaxed certain muscles. After my first stoma surgery, for a few days, every time I went to pee, all this completely clear, odourless mucus would come from my rectum. Everything I passed (from stoma, bladder and anywhere else) was being collected, measured, tested. The nurses were at a loss to explain the mucus. Later, I had another surgery, this time my rectum was completely disconnected from the rest of my digestive system. But same thing, for a while I was using a catheter and didn't get out of bed at all. But as soon as I was able to pee normally, every time I did mucus came from my disconnected rectum. And again, nurses had no idea why - it was quite a lot of it too. Doctors tested it, and said it was just the normal mucus released by the bowel, there was no infection or anything, but for some reason the surgery was making my rectum produce a lot of it that would somehow pool up until I relaxed my pelvic floor muscles to pee.

Again it stopped completely after a few days. And unlike some people with stomas who still have a rectum, I never pass any mucus, and haven't since those days in hospital.

I don't know why your doctors wouldn't want to take samples for testing, my doctors couldn't wait to run tests, I think they were worried it was an infection.

I also wonder if you should have tests run on your sphincter muscles and nerves to see whether you're unable to hold things in a much as you should be able to. Tests such as these: http://www.bowel-control.co.uk/diagnosis/tests/index.htm
 
Well I thought that too, but the doctor said unless I have had nerve damage or something then that's likely not the issue. He gave me some enemas and after I had used them he asked did I have a problem holding them in, which I assume was a test of the sphincter. I am almost certain my problem has a simple solution, but pen pointing the solution is rather tricky
 
Have you tried anything like glycerin suppositories to completely empty your bowel? If something like that did help, it would need to be an on-going treatment, not a one-off. But if you were able to get all the mucus (and everything else) out, you may then be able to go a while with no discharge. Though it could also be terrible, you have to be quite brave to try laxatives because how you react is unpredictable, but if you find the right kind/dosage for you they can be very effective.
 
Yeah I took linzess for about a month, but it didn't do the trick. Whatever happened that day I had the rough bowel movement is the singular reason. For example if your walking down the street all happy and healthy and then I kick you in the leg and break it and now your limping. I damaged something that day. Although I tried changing diets and different medicines, I have never believed they would work. Hemorrhoids was the obvious answer, but the doctor has destroyed tons of them and I am paying 300$ per banding and having no results. I am currently waiting for the biopsy to come back and I have read that there is a chance it's something in the tissue or something. I was a heavy drinker when all this began.
 
Heavy drinking can cause issues with either the bacteria of the intestines or the bile production both of which could lead to mucus. I've experienced mucus before, it was linked to fat intake or temporary dairy intolerance which is usually a bile issue as well.

You said you've tried elimination, has dairy been included in this?

Have you tried probiotics? It -may- be effective but imo probiotics are still such a grey area, it's hard to suggest which ones to try. I would use a broad spectrum with many strains in it rather than a targeted one.

If it's a bile issue you could try psyllium husks or metamucil and see if there's any improvement. They're both safe and cheap so not much to lose by trying them.

If it shows to be effective you can continue taking psyllium husks and try adding supplementing taurine.
 
Thanks for input. I have eliminated dairy. I only drink almond milk unsweetened, and as far as probiotics go I assumed they were for constipation but I did go through a yogurt phase of that counts but there were no results. I also used metimucil for a while and it did nothing either.
 
Sure can.
Post workout 730am Protein shake made with whey protein, a little Splenda, and almond milk
10 am protein shake with whey protein and water
1pm turkey patties with avocado and usually a wheat wrap
4pm grilled chicken and hummus wrap
8pm protein shake whey and almond milk and possibly scoop of natural peanut butter
Sometimes I buy a protein bar throughout the day.
 
Can I ask what brand of protein shake you use?
Also your diet seems fairly low in fibers and may be lacking in micronutrients, do you take a multivitamin?
 
Interesting. Gold standard gets a tentative seal of approval for me for not having any extremely bad ingredients.

I can't really find anything in your diet that looks like it would trigger mucus in someone without food allergies to wheat or nuts so it may not be dietary.

Is there maltodextrin in your your multi or your protein bars?
 
No, they're quest bars which are suppose to be the healthiest out there.
I just can't wrap my head around how it can be anything related to diet or supplements or anything.
I never had an issue like this. Then after one bad bowel movement it has been here ever since. I feel like it had to have ruptured or torn something in there.
 
Besides trying to find a doctor who will take a sample, it may be worth trying to find one who will assess you for rectal prolapse. There are various stages and types of prolapse, some don't involve anything you can see on the outside at all, and may not be detected by tests like scopes if they only become apparent when you strain. Sometimes doctors miss the diagnosis. Mucus discharge is a common symptom.
 
He actually diagnosed me with rectal prolapse my first visit with him and then he just started treating the hemorrhoids and never brought up the prolapse again
 
Rectal prolapse is one of the few things I've heard of that causes leakage of mucus, but since he was paying so much attention to haemorrhoids, I guess it's unlikely he'd have missed a rectal prolapse.
 

Lady Organic

Moderator
Staff member
have you ever had a rectal MRI to rule out a fistula?

im also thinking about ground flax seed which could possibly help absorbing the mucous or liquid? maybe a silly idea, just thinking...

it seems your diet is very high in protein, you dont eat fruits and vegetables?
 
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