Is it normal that i put my finger up my anus to poop

58% Normal
11 Comments

I am 35 years old and I am not exactly sure when this all started. I use my finger to help me poop. I am embarrassed and ashamed that I do this to my body. (Please excuse some of my spelling errors below.)

I recently went to the doctor's after dealing with a rectal prolapse for at least 8 years. During my last delivery in 2008, the OBGY noticed the problem. She recommended colace and PT. I never went to the PT. I recently asked her for a referral and this time she gave me a name to a rectal surgeon.

I met with the surgeon and now I have to get a colonoscopy, a polp removed, an ekg, blood work and am getting surgery to remove two sections of my colon. I will be in the hospital for 3-5 days away from my children. After that it will take 6 weeks to recover.

Although I am a little worried about the surgery, I am more concerned that I have to take it easy for 6 weeks. Weight is a major concern for me and I exercise all of the time. I watch what I eat and eat at least 20-30mg of fiber a day. There should be no reason why I can not go to the bathroom without my finger. Another concern is that after I get the surgery, will I do this to myself again. I need to put a finger on the problem literally and find out why I started and how to overcome it.

I didn't tell the rectal surgeon that I do this. Should I? Did I do more damage to myself then he could assess in an office exam? Are doctor's aware that people are doing this to themselves? I am so scared.

So if you are doing this, please find a way to stop. If you find a way to stop, please share how you did it. This is a topic people do not want to talk about, but after reading 147 postings I think I am not alone.

Thanks for listening.

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58% Normal
Based on 166 votes (97 yes)
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Comments ( 11 )
  • coolbabe
    13 years ago

    go to this link! hopefully should help you and you may get some awnsers!

    http://isitnormal.com/story/i-have-to-put-my-finger-up-my-anus-to-signal-the-sphincter-to-poop-33688/

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    • scared423
      13 years ago

      They removed the polp. The next step is my surgery. I haven't done "it" for about a week. After reading more entries that you recommended, I think I am going to tell the surgeon. I think my game plan is to print out several postings and give them to the surgeon. I think I will wait until after the surgery as I want him to do his best work and not hold an undesirable opinion of me. Although, I get the impression that he wouldn't and he would use this information and put it to good use. This would be an excellent case study and in the long run would help a lot of people.
      My other plan of action is to show my husband this website. The other day while trying to get more answers, my husband asked what I was doing. I blocked the screen and snapped at him. Then I cleared the history, so he couldn't spy on me. If I can't be honest with him, then I will create even more problems besides my other end.
      Well, I am feeling more confident that I will kick this problem. I just need to make sure I don't replace it with another problem. I lost 6 pounds since the colonoscopy, which was 4 days ago. Although this makes me very happy, I need to keep myself in check.
      Well wish me luck. My surgery is at the end of May.

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    • scared423
      13 years ago

      My husband has know for a long time, but never really talked to me about it. He would drop a comment here and there about how much toilet paper I was using or say something about "how much I like sticking my finger up my butt." However, this is not true. I find NO pleasure at all. I am ashamed and embarrassed.

      We recently had a heart to heart, but never did either of us say the exact problem out loud. We just used the words "the problem." He said if I go through with the surgery, than I am going to have to stop. I agree. Since talking, I haven't done this "act" much. Only going into the lower canal, barely at all. I haven't really gone to the bathroom and I feel I should go everyday. In a way, the need to go was like making myself throw up. Now I am more gassy and feel like I am going to gain 100 lbs since I have not forced myself to go. So I have really been watching what I eat now.

      I wonder if many of the people that have this problem, have a problem with self image and weight. In High School, I starved myself frequently until my swim coach had a heart to heart with me. Then in college, I tried making myself throw up after I went on a chocolate binge. I decided never to eat that type of chocolate again and never tried it again.
      So my newest addiction is running, walking, and lifting weights. I watch my calories, but eat a healthy diet. I eat tons of fruit and tons of vegetables. I am the poster child of "health", well poster "adult."
      Another thought I had about why some people do this and some don't, is if there was any past abuse. I think I started doing this to myself around 19 when my family found out that my Grandfather abused several family members. It only happened once, but I had to find ways to get sent to my room when he came to visit. This strategy worked, but...... my parents thought I was a mouthy child. In fact, my personality is very quiet and reserved, but I would bring it on so I wouldn't have to be around that bastard.
      I am trying to figure out the reason. I know if you can find a reason, you can find a solution. I think my best bet is counseling.
      I read a few postings on what others have tried. Please do not hurt yourself by cutting your fingers. Please find someone you can trust or find a counselor.
      Well I am still scared to death from having the surgery. Hopefully, I will have the guts to tell the surgeon. They should know, maybe they could do a study on it and find out why this is occurring so much. I will do my best to tell him or maybe I will have my husband tell him.
      Thanks again for listening.

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      • CrazySouthernGal13
        9 years ago

        How did your surgery go? How area today? I'm scared to death to tell anyone this... But I'm hurting myself. I was also abused by two men. My babysitters father when I was five and my dad when I lived with him for a year in the seventh grade :(
        I'm not alone...

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  • Helpwiththis
    7 years ago

    So I have healed from my fistula surgery and the seton I had in fell out last night! But I got my MRI results back and I have pelvic organ prolapse. So I have to do physical therapy to try to strengthen the muscles. If you are doing this to yourself (as I did for many years), tell someone. It is so hard and embarrassing to tell someone, but make yourself. Don't wait until you have a problem and are in pain. Talk to your doctor, see a rectal surgeon and tell them. The doctors don't judge - they have heard it all. They will help make it right. And if you get this problem into the light by telling someone, it no longer has control over you. You can stop. Just be honest and get help.

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  • Helpwiththis
    7 years ago

    I had this issue for years - I would put toilet paper around my finger to get myself to go to the bathroom. I was embarrassed and ashamed for almost 10 years with this problem. I recently had fistula/abscess surgery and I'm getting an MRI to see if I have other issues. I'm also going to see a GI doctor. If you are doing this to yourself, make an appointment with a rectal surgeon and tell the doctor what you've been doing. I now have freedom from this problem and am praying that I have no further issues.

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  • Healthbutt
    11 years ago

    I CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU, PEOPLE!!! I had to "get the poop out" for years until I got Ulcerative Colitis, a horrible autoimmune disease of the colon. I wondered if I had done this to myself. However, a natural health practitioner helped me understand that a severely damaged intestinal flora (from antibiotic use) causes both these problems. What you all need to do is find a natural health practitioner that can rebalance your gut flora... your colon will then become stronger and will poop on its own. If you've already been told you have IBS, IBD, or any other autoimmune disease, or health problem, this is the key to permanently curing these conditions as well. Just don't go to an M.D. They'll just give you drugs, cut you apart, and ignore the underlying cause. Here's the website where I found my natural doctor: www.unsinc.info Ask for one in in your area who has "advanced clinical training."

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  • scared423
    12 years ago

    So you told your doctor the full story before you had the procedure? I never got the nerve to tell my surgeon. He removed a section of my colon. I am still having problems going to the bathroom. He took me off stool softeners because I will go a little bit and then my stool is mush. I keep wiping and wiping, but don't have that full urge to push, but I know I haven't completely empted my bowels. I explained this to the docotr but he said that is probably my bowel patterns. I don't feel like having to wear a pad for skid marks. I am frustrated because he wasn't listening to me when I tried talking with him. The only thing that helps is using a laxitive and then I don't have to go for three days. However, I am not sure if taking a laxitive every three days is healthy. I guess I will have to do some research and try to find another doctor in the area.

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  • abcdefg333
    12 years ago

    Hey, so I was also one of the people who posted in the other story from the link above, but it has now been for some reason closed to more comments. Although I posted this there, I am going to go ahead to and copy and paste what I had written and post it here, so that people can actually respond and write something back to me.. Here is what I wrote..

    Hey everyone, it's probably been over a year now since I last posted on here. The last time I did it was during my pregnancy and my baby is 1 y/o now. Anyway, I also had the "finger" problem which lead to hemorrhoids and of course even more complications during pregnancy and after labor. I just wanted to update everybody on where I am today with this. Even after having my baby and having been diagnosed with stage 2 hemorrhoids I continued to use the finger to help myself go. It was nothing sexual for me, more of that I needed to be fully emptied out or fully satisfied or whatever. I began looking for a female proctologist and it was not easy, as most doctors in the field tend to be male. I felt that being female myself, that I would feel more comfortable opening up and talking to a female doctor. Now, for those of you who don't know. A proctology doctor is someone who specializes in rectal surgery and other similar procedures. After about a year of searching I was finally relieved to have finally found a proctologist who was not only female but was also seeing patients in my hometown. This was a blessing. A few months ago I went to see her, and she suggested that I schedule a procedure called HALO (hemorrhoid artery ligation operation), which would eliminate my hemorrhoid problem and being so young with the right/high fiber diet after, I may never have it reoccur again. I did a lot of research and even saw videos on the internet of what this procedure would be like and decided to do it. It's been 9 days since I had this done and I am currently recovering. There is definitely a lot of pain in the rectum, but I was put on some very strong pain meds,so it's manageable. The opening is really tight now, and it would be really hard for me to use my finger the way I used to. I have gone to the bathroom a few times and although still painful, it has been a success without using my finger. They say I should be going on a daily basis, but for now it's only about every 3 days or so. The full recovery process can take up to 8 weeks, for the anus to fully return to normal, but the pain should ease in the next few days, hopefully. I am drinking fiber 3 times a day to soften the stool and if for some reason that doesn't work they said to take a laxative before bed that day, which should help me go the next morning. I can't tell you, that I am 100% satisfied with my decision until I've fully recovered, but so far I think it has been a step in the right direction. I really hope that this helps some of you out in some way, and I will keep you all updated in hopes that I will not continue this habit

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    • StickyFinger
      1 year ago

      i have the same problem and considering surgery, can i have an update on what came after your surgery, i mean did you do it again because of the "urge" to do it

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  • scared423
    12 years ago

    Just frustrated. I want to go to the bathroom normally.

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