CD, rectal prolapse, flat stools.

I've had CD for many years. Most of the time I have diarrhea but during the time that I take anti diarrheal medication bringing some form to my BM, it's usually flat stools, which I had for many years. When I had my resection I was so looking forward to normal shaped stools after the surgery but it didn't happen. I thought they must have operated on the wrong section. My GI, after ruling out the more serious causes of flat stools said he doesn't know why, but that sometimes when the lumen is damaged one can get flat stools? He also said that I have a slight rectal prolapse and after researching it some, I'm more apt to think that rectal prolapse is the cause of my flat stools. After all my problem is in the bend where the small bowel joins the large, but it is the large bowel that removes the fluid before it exits, so really there is nothing to make the stool flat unless there is a problem in the large bowel which I was checked for and there was not, so that leaves the exit, which must be swollen enough, or of a misformed rectal wall to squeeze it into a flat form. Also occasionally I have rectal leaking, just a bit, not necessarily stool, sometimes what appears to be a clearish fluid and this is a symptom of a prolapse. Things do tend to get a little swollen usually after an attack of inflammation or constant diarrhea. Aren't hemmoroids similar to rectal prolapses, afterall they both produce swelling?

Does anyone else have this problem?

my poos are usualy about an inch long and about as big around as a pencil I found out on my last cat scan that I have a portion of collapsed bowel. I just had surgery in may to remove my illeum so the GI is sending me to a crohns specialist at John Hopkins University. My appointment is tomorrow. So I have weird shaped poo but I think it is just another one of those wierd crohns things. But def. talk to your doc about it.

Dusty good luck on your appointment. I feel bad for you, especially since you just had surgery, another appointment and more bowel problems is all you need. All the best and let us know how the appt goes.

Thanks Daisy, just another day in the life of a crohnie I guess. I have been in a constant flair now since 2008 was praying for remmission with the surgery just didn't happen. Hopping this new doc can figure it out.

No one else with similar problems? I've had CD for 31 years now, I never had prolapse problems until the last few years, maybe it's caused by long standing crohn's disease? Chronic diarrhea and inflammation, afterall how much abuse can a butt take?

Dusty hope your appt went well.

Went to my appointment yesterday and the specialist said that I shouldn't have been taking pentasa since it is used for crohns of the large bowel and mine is in the small bowel. She ordered a colonoscopy for next wednesday and we will go from there on how to proceed. She didn't comment on the size and shape of my poos she said she wanted to look inside first. Will let you know what she comes up with.

You do that & all the best.

Mines are pencil like to. They look pale (yellow) and sometimes rectangular (flat). Very smelly.:redface:

I am also very curious about the reasons for the color and shape. I’ve taken a picture once and decided to show it to my doctor, but then I didn’t dare to do it.

IBS can also cause pencil or ribbon like stools. I'm not really quite sure why, but heard that it's not uncommon to have crohn's and an irritable bowel with it?
Yellow stools are probably caused by an increase of bile, but there may be other reasons as well (diet, medication). Mine vary in color, but the one color one should look out for and mention to their doctor is black as that may indicate bleeding from within. But blueberries and other dark berries and beet leaves etc...may also darken stool color.