Can constipation cause these other symptoms???

[dazedmom]

My teenage daughter recently was treated (with stool softener & high fiber diet) for a rather thorough case of constipation.  It had gotten bad enough that she couldn't hold food or water down for more than a few minutes... but after 48 hours of treatment, she was better.   The chronic backache she'd had for several weeks was also relieved.  

What struck me as odd was that within 2 more weeks, other symptoms she's been struggling with for several months also went away... a wobbly right ankle, numb spots in her right leg and left forearm, numbness in her right foot, severe fatigue. The drs have tested her for a lot of autoimmune disorders--including MS--without coming up with any abnormal results at all.   So the stomach xray showing the constipation was the only "real" thing they've found.

Is it possible that something related to the constipation could have caused sensory problems and ankle wobble?   I'd appreciate any thoughts---

dazedmom

[Bmatvich]

Hi there yes yes and yes...I am 42 I have struggled with chronic constipation for years and every time I get seriously backed up I get numbness and tingling in my legs. Sometimes arms as well. Severe backache, dizziness, joint pain, brain fog. Etc and it all goes away once the stool isn’t putting constant pressure on my nerves. People don’t get how truly sick you can become from holding that much toxic junk in your body.

[jwhite64]

This is happening to me. Pass a stool, get major pain initially lower middle abdomen. Then pain goes to left of belly button area. Pins and needles arms, hands, legs and feet. Even stomach area sometimes. Lots of gurgling after bowel movement too. And nausea.

[dazedmom]

oh wow.  That left-thigh nerve pain sounds exactly like something she has been complaining about since late July.  As do the fuzzy thinking, etc.  

But, yes, all the other symptoms left too.  It could be coincidental, of course, but I was just curious.  We finally have neurologist appts this week and next, but I'm not quite sure what the docs are going to look at, now that she seems all well!

dazedmom

[Fuzzz]

Besides fatigue, I found chronic constipation can cause a slight incoordination, weakness, and fuzzy thinking.  I also had severe nerve pain in my left upper thigh that turned out to be from a constantly full sigmoid colon.  The condition was called meralgia paresthetica (anterolateral femoral cutaneous nerve).  But all that condition causes is lightening-like jolts of pain in the outside of the thigh, worst when arising from a seated position.  It could not explain ankle, foot or forearm symptoms.  

All these symptoms went away for her?  

[dazedmom]

don't think we have anything like celiac disease. She had some dairy issues when she was younger, but they seem to have resolved.

dazedmom

[25years]

I had similar thing as a teen... Maybe the toxin levels of the bowel content? Can cause fatigue etc.

[CalGal]

Any history of celiac disease in the family?