For the past few weeks I've been having a strange feeling in the rectum after a BM. It feels as if there's something else in there but on gently checking internally all I can feel is soft tissue that's covering the anal canal. I'm so worried that it's a hemorrhoid that I'm feeling, and I'm even more concerned that it could be a rectal prolapse. The feeling of fullness after a BM is so confusing that I end up getting off the toilet rather than straining, and then have to go back in an hour or so to complete the BM. Any advice is appreciated!

That sounds exactly like an internal hemorrhoid to me. And it's much more likely to be that, than anything else more serious. Can you get in to see your doctor soon? Just to know for sure what it is?

Thanks for replying! I called up the only decent CRS I know of and they gave me an appointment in June. I'm on the wait list but I suspect it's a very long list. My PT said she couldn't feel anything internally and that it's probably a minor prolapse, but not to worry too much. Well I am worried because a prolapse sounds a lot worse than a hemorrhoid!

I think the big reason I'm worried is that the main symptom of hemorrhoids is supposed to be bleeding, and I never see that (though I do see mucus occasionally, sorry TMI), which makes me worry it's something else. I'm planning on taking a diosmin supplement to see if it will help things.

I'll ask the PT tomorrow if she knows any other good doctors I can see. I'm just really reluctant to let an unknown doctor stick things up there.

The way you described the texture, and the fact that the area feels full (?) after a BM, made me think that it would more likely be a hemorrhoid. If your PT has already investigated though, and determined that it isn't, perhaps it is a minor prolapse. Not TMI at all, that's what this board is for, lol! I had internal hemorrhoids for about 30 years, and they very rarely bled. Sometimes there was mucus, and at other times, not. I would say that mucus was much, much more frequent than blood.

I fully understand the reluctance, so maybe you can have a verbal consultation with someone new. Discuss the symptoms, and see if he/she can guess at a diagnosis without a digital rectal exam. And if you then feel comfortable with them, you might allow just a gentle probe.

Thanks for helpful suggestions. :) I'll try not to let my fears get in the way of getting a diagnosis. From what I've read, internal hemorrhoids can sometimes hide during a digital exam, so maybe the PT couldn't tell for sure. When I feel internally with a finger, I can feel a lot of 'extra' tissue up there, but I have no idea if that's normal or not.

How on earth did you handle them for 30 years? I find it so difficult already - I have to be very careful not to strain because I honestly can't tell sometimes if it's tissue or BM.

I have to admit that it wasn't easy, but the cure was just too frightening to contemplate. I did have a few easy ones banded, but the big ones were extremely nasty. All had thrombosed and caused me incredible pain after every BM. It got to the point where I had no choice but to have the operation. And unbelievably, the pain afterward was exactly the same as what I'd been experiencing for the past couple of years, lol. I'm totally pain-free now though, and am so glad that I finally had to go through with it.

But no, I couldn't always tell if I had more "up the pipe", or if it was just the sensation of same, but I learned to live with that too, and go again soon, if need be.

I hope that you can at least see someone, before June.

Glad that the surgery fixed everything for you! I'll definitely try to see someone before June.