When Passing Gas Is a Struggle in MS
I always knew that MS had affected my 'tubes' because I feel things inside that other people don't. Hypersensitivity isn't just on the surface of my skin but also internally. I noticed it first when I got pregnant with my second baby, when I still didn't know I had multiple sclerosis. But that's a story for another day.
Of course, when I mentioned this to my doctor, he didn't validate what I was saying. He gave me that look again, like I had six heads. Ugh, it's so irritating! Then I remembered that I'm the one living with MS, not him. What does he know?
I can't even associate this with a particular food or anything else that could possibly cause this bizarre symptom. It's not a constant issue, but it's definitely real. I know that it's as if my esophagus is contracted or something, and I have to force the burp. I have to pretend that I'm burping for my esophagus to react, and then I burp for real.
Now, burping is not the only problem I have with passing gas. I also struggle with flatulence. I know, I'm a mess! It's simply impossible for me to 'break wind' without some help. What do I mean by that? Well, here's where it gets funny as hell. I need to manually crank it to 'let it out.' Hilarious! Oh, I can't stop laughing!
I should've included this in my three-part blog series about weird symptoms of MS. At least I know I'm not alone on this one because I saw a video of another MSer that struggles to break wind as well. So chill, I'm not that weird. LOL!
Spasticity and weakness in the pelvic floor muscles are associated with problems passing gas. This causes what is known as trapped gas. The anal sphincter, in charge of opening and closing the anus, is included in the pelvic floor muscles group. MS can also affect our lower gut, as changes in the nervous system impact the gastrointestinal functions.
During the process of digestion, the muscles in the esophagus, stomach, intestines, and rectum need to contract and relax. These involuntary contractions are called GI motility. Because MS interrupts the transmission of signals from our brain through our spinal cord to our digestive system, it slows down these movements and causes bowel dysfunction.
Ever since these issues started I've been having very loud, almost vocal, intestinal movements. You could hear it from a mile away. It's loud, prolonged, and comical. Frankly, it is quite amusing and entertaining. Oh, we all laugh so hard when it happens!
I almost forgot to mention my also loud voicebox or larynx. Oh my, this is ridiculous! Out of nowhere, this noise comes out of my throat inadvertently. Turns out that weak throat muscles involved in problems swallowing, or dysphagia, are related to these throat gurgles.
I would've never imagined, not in a million years, that I would be living through these things one day. What happened to me? How did I get to this point? It's super funny, but also super embarrassing.
All these physiological changes MS has put me through were completely unexpected. I wasn't prepared for any of this. I've been learning as I go. The reason why I share these experiences in my blog is because I'm sure there's someone out there just as puzzled as me, going through the same things.
In the real world, among the 'healthy ones,' this would be considered super weird. Our symptomatology is so different from others that we tend to not bring it up in any conversation out of fear of being embarrassed. But unfortunately, these are part of those invisible symptoms we have with multiple sclerosis that people have no idea we are dealing with.
Then, the non-validation or so-called gaslighting we sometimes get from our own medical providers — just because they can't connect the dots or because they read about it in a book but they have no idea what it feels like — adds to the frustration.
These dysfunctions are well explained in the literature, but they could present themselves in various odd ways and still have the same source. But if you haven't felt it in your own flesh and bones, you'll be clueless.
I never thought I could be so blunt. Opening up about this kind of thing gives me the validation my doctors won't. It also, in a way, makes me feel empowered. Why? Because I know now that there's so much more to multiple sclerosis than what any book or study can say. And that is something only I as a patient can testify to.
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