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What Causes Persistent Rectal Rumbling?
Question: Hello,
I can tell you in advance that my problem is very uncommon and maybe difficult to solve, but I have to find a solution. Maybe you will think that it's not a big problem, but it is actually ruining my life and I need to find a solution...
So, the problem is that I'm experiencing rectal noises : it's like rumbles in my rectum. In fact, it happens almost every time I have some gas in my rectum : indeed, when I hear those rectal noises, if I force myself a bit, I can usually make a fart and then the noises disappear. But I don't have too much gas : I fart approximately 10 times a day, but the problem is that before almost every one of those farts, I will have those noises until I can finally evacuate the gas. The problem is that when I'm in class or in public, I can't fart, and then the noises will keep again and again and won't stop until I can finally evacuate it.
I have these noises for 3 months now. I never had that before (not a single time !), and now it happens all the time. I don't understand why, I didn't change anything in my life... If it was something natural or normal, why am I the only one to have it, and why did it happen suddenly 3 months ago (and by the way, I have the feeling that it's becoming worse and worse as the time elapses). That's why I'm sure there is something abnormal in my rectum, a malformation or someting like that... but see below for my hypotheses.
I can already tell you the following things :
- I have no pain at all (I never felt any pain in any part of my digestive system), and I have no other digestive problem (no discomfort other than noise, and almost no other symptom of IBS).
- I have sometimes "diarrhea" (or not really diarrhea, but loose stools, or at least stools that are not hard enough), but I go to the toilet once a day anyway, so it's not so abnormal.
- As already said, I don't have more gas than normal people, so the problem doesn't come from an excess of gas (an evidence of this : even if I do only one very small fart in one day, this fart will almost always be preceded by a lot of rectal noises, caused by this little quantity of gas in my rectum). And another evidence is that I never heard anyone having those kinds of rectal noises, even people doing a lot of farts next to me.
I did some research about this subject, so I can give you some tracks so that you can say if the following are impossible, possible or highly probable ?
- Gas flowing through liquid (loose stools) in my rectum and then each time that it moves in this liquid, it makes noise. It would make sense, but I don't always have loose stools, and even when my stools are hard, I still have rumbles (maybe a little bit less, maybe not, not sure, but I still have some...). So I'm not sure about this, but do you think it could be due to some liquid in my rectum (due to loose stools or not), and air flowing through this liquid ?
- Gas being "stucked" in some small corners of my rectum, and then when it escapes (or just when it passes through a small place in the rectum), it makes noise. This is also possible, but why would I have those "small places" in which gas can't flow without making noise ?
Again, I read a lot about this and found some tracks (so if you could tell me if you think some are possible or not, it would already help a lot) :
- Inflammation in the rectum that created some malformations in the rectum, and gas can be trapped or pass through these and then make noise.
- H pylori, polyp or skin blocking places in the rectum.
- Diverticular disease that created "pockets" in my rectum, and again, air gets trapped in it.
- Other malformations in the rectum...
- Another possibility is that it would be due to the composition of the gas : I swallow some air (aerophagia), so maybe its composition is different than air created by the colon, and maybe this difference in composition would imply that it moves differently in the intestines (and in the rectum) and then it would make noise, where normal air doesn't... but it would be rather strange. And again, even if I swallow some air, I still, in the end, have really few gas in my rectum, so it can't be due to the quantity but maybe to its composition ?
Other details about me that could be linked to those problems (or not) :
- I'm very tall, very slim, I don't eat a lot.
- I have a scoliosis. It was treated so this is not a problem anymore, but my spine is deviated and so some of my organs are not exactly where they should be.
- I also read about a lot of drugs like activated charcoal, simethicon etc, but as I said, I don't think that the problem is due to an excess of gas (I will always have some gas in my digestive system like everyone), so these are, in my opinion, useless.
- I'm a little bit lactose intolerent, but I almost eat no lactose and even when I do a strict diet without lactose, it doesn't seem to change anything.
So in the end m question is really : what can cause so little gas to make so much noise in my rectum while other people have more gas and never have any noise... ? Can it be due to the above mentionned ideas or not ? And if the answer is "you need to do a colonoscopy", what would you search for (so that I can tell that to my doctor and he accepts to do it) ?
Thanks a lot in advance.
I can tell you in advance that my problem is very uncommon and maybe difficult to solve, but I have to find a solution. Maybe you will think that it's not a big problem, but it is actually ruining my life and I need to find a solution...
So, the problem is that I'm experiencing rectal noises : it's like rumbles in my rectum. In fact, it happens almost every time I have some gas in my rectum : indeed, when I hear those rectal noises, if I force myself a bit, I can usually make a fart and then the noises disappear. But I don't have too much gas : I fart approximately 10 times a day, but the problem is that before almost every one of those farts, I will have those noises until I can finally evacuate the gas. The problem is that when I'm in class or in public, I can't fart, and then the noises will keep again and again and won't stop until I can finally evacuate it.
I have these noises for 3 months now. I never had that before (not a single time !), and now it happens all the time. I don't understand why, I didn't change anything in my life... If it was something natural or normal, why am I the only one to have it, and why did it happen suddenly 3 months ago (and by the way, I have the feeling that it's becoming worse and worse as the time elapses). That's why I'm sure there is something abnormal in my rectum, a malformation or someting like that... but see below for my hypotheses.
I can already tell you the following things :
- I have no pain at all (I never felt any pain in any part of my digestive system), and I have no other digestive problem (no discomfort other than noise, and almost no other symptom of IBS).
- I have sometimes "diarrhea" (or not really diarrhea, but loose stools, or at least stools that are not hard enough), but I go to the toilet once a day anyway, so it's not so abnormal.
- As already said, I don't have more gas than normal people, so the problem doesn't come from an excess of gas (an evidence of this : even if I do only one very small fart in one day, this fart will almost always be preceded by a lot of rectal noises, caused by this little quantity of gas in my rectum). And another evidence is that I never heard anyone having those kinds of rectal noises, even people doing a lot of farts next to me.
I did some research about this subject, so I can give you some tracks so that you can say if the following are impossible, possible or highly probable ?
- Gas flowing through liquid (loose stools) in my rectum and then each time that it moves in this liquid, it makes noise. It would make sense, but I don't always have loose stools, and even when my stools are hard, I still have rumbles (maybe a little bit less, maybe not, not sure, but I still have some...). So I'm not sure about this, but do you think it could be due to some liquid in my rectum (due to loose stools or not), and air flowing through this liquid ?
- Gas being "stucked" in some small corners of my rectum, and then when it escapes (or just when it passes through a small place in the rectum), it makes noise. This is also possible, but why would I have those "small places" in which gas can't flow without making noise ?
Again, I read a lot about this and found some tracks (so if you could tell me if you think some are possible or not, it would already help a lot) :
- Inflammation in the rectum that created some malformations in the rectum, and gas can be trapped or pass through these and then make noise.
- H pylori, polyp or skin blocking places in the rectum.
- Diverticular disease that created "pockets" in my rectum, and again, air gets trapped in it.
- Other malformations in the rectum...
- Another possibility is that it would be due to the composition of the gas : I swallow some air (aerophagia), so maybe its composition is different than air created by the colon, and maybe this difference in composition would imply that it moves differently in the intestines (and in the rectum) and then it would make noise, where normal air doesn't... but it would be rather strange. And again, even if I swallow some air, I still, in the end, have really few gas in my rectum, so it can't be due to the quantity but maybe to its composition ?
Other details about me that could be linked to those problems (or not) :
- I'm very tall, very slim, I don't eat a lot.
- I have a scoliosis. It was treated so this is not a problem anymore, but my spine is deviated and so some of my organs are not exactly where they should be.
- I also read about a lot of drugs like activated charcoal, simethicon etc, but as I said, I don't think that the problem is due to an excess of gas (I will always have some gas in my digestive system like everyone), so these are, in my opinion, useless.
- I'm a little bit lactose intolerent, but I almost eat no lactose and even when I do a strict diet without lactose, it doesn't seem to change anything.
So in the end m question is really : what can cause so little gas to make so much noise in my rectum while other people have more gas and never have any noise... ? Can it be due to the above mentionned ideas or not ? And if the answer is "you need to do a colonoscopy", what would you search for (so that I can tell that to my doctor and he accepts to do it) ?
Thanks a lot in advance.
Brief Answer:
This is as per the anatomy and physiology of the rectum.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query, an elucidate history and well researched subject.
Read and re-read and understood your points of views.
Let us go to your main question: So in the end my question is really : what can cause so little gas to make so much noise in my rectum while other people have more gas and never have any noise... ?
First of all let us stop comparing your problem with others as everyone is different.
You will have to understand the anatomy and Physiology of the area under consideration. The gas although small acts as a stimulus in the rectum as it recognizes gas as not a normal occupant hence wants to expel it. It starts contracting and relaxing to expel the gas which in turn causes the turbulence felt by you as rumbling. This will continue till the gas is expelled.
Your explanation has all the answers within it. You have aerophagia and it is possible that there may be a small disturbance in the GI flora allowing the gas forming bacteria to thrive more, producing more gas which is normally pushed forward to enter the rectum and hence the rumbling.
All other theory put by you is the rarest of the rare to occur at your age of 20 and in the place called rectum.
I hope your ultimate aim is to get well and not finding the reasons and explanations.
Hence I would advise you the following:
Consult your Doctor, have a clinical evaluation and examination, go for the tests of stool, blood and urine as routine, any other investigations as advised by your Doctor, start on the proper treatment and if the problem is solved, you need no further investigations.
Colonoscopy and Barium enema study are done only if felt necessary by your Doctor. You certainly should discuss with him all the aspects and see what he says.
I hope this answers your query.
Please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you need to or if you feel that there is a gap of communication.
This is as per the anatomy and physiology of the rectum.
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
Thanks for your query, an elucidate history and well researched subject.
Read and re-read and understood your points of views.
Let us go to your main question: So in the end my question is really : what can cause so little gas to make so much noise in my rectum while other people have more gas and never have any noise... ?
First of all let us stop comparing your problem with others as everyone is different.
You will have to understand the anatomy and Physiology of the area under consideration. The gas although small acts as a stimulus in the rectum as it recognizes gas as not a normal occupant hence wants to expel it. It starts contracting and relaxing to expel the gas which in turn causes the turbulence felt by you as rumbling. This will continue till the gas is expelled.
Your explanation has all the answers within it. You have aerophagia and it is possible that there may be a small disturbance in the GI flora allowing the gas forming bacteria to thrive more, producing more gas which is normally pushed forward to enter the rectum and hence the rumbling.
All other theory put by you is the rarest of the rare to occur at your age of 20 and in the place called rectum.
I hope your ultimate aim is to get well and not finding the reasons and explanations.
Hence I would advise you the following:
Consult your Doctor, have a clinical evaluation and examination, go for the tests of stool, blood and urine as routine, any other investigations as advised by your Doctor, start on the proper treatment and if the problem is solved, you need no further investigations.
Colonoscopy and Barium enema study are done only if felt necessary by your Doctor. You certainly should discuss with him all the aspects and see what he says.
I hope this answers your query.
Please feel free to ask for further relevant queries if you need to or if you feel that there is a gap of communication.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I took an appointment to gastroenterologist, but I have to wait several months and my problem can't wait so long...
Could I ask you to check this : http://www.iffgd.org/site/manage-your-health/symptoms-causes/noisy-tummy
They say that theoretically, there are 3 conditions for noises to happen : gas + liquid + contraction. And if I'm right, we should not have liquid in the rectum (except when we are sick or have diarrhea), which would explain why people normally don't have noises in the rectum.
So, based on this article, maybe the source of my noises is that I have some liquid in my rectum : stools not hard enough probably (or something else ?)
On Bristol Stool Scale, I would say that I'm type 5 (which seems to be at the limit between "normal" and "diarrhea").
What is your opinion about that ? Do you think the noises can come from that even if I don't have real diarrhea ? And if not, how can gas make noise in a closed system, in the absence of liquid ? (With a rectum without malformation, it should be impossible...).
Thanks in advance.
Could I ask you to check this : http://www.iffgd.org/site/manage-your-health/symptoms-causes/noisy-tummy
They say that theoretically, there are 3 conditions for noises to happen : gas + liquid + contraction. And if I'm right, we should not have liquid in the rectum (except when we are sick or have diarrhea), which would explain why people normally don't have noises in the rectum.
So, based on this article, maybe the source of my noises is that I have some liquid in my rectum : stools not hard enough probably (or something else ?)
On Bristol Stool Scale, I would say that I'm type 5 (which seems to be at the limit between "normal" and "diarrhea").
What is your opinion about that ? Do you think the noises can come from that even if I don't have real diarrhea ? And if not, how can gas make noise in a closed system, in the absence of liquid ? (With a rectum without malformation, it should be impossible...).
Thanks in advance.
Brief Answer:
As explained below.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the link, it says the same thing that we two are discussing.
Please read the article fully.
It also says that some are unaware of and some are aware of it. Since your stool is
type 5 on Bristol scale , all the conditions favor for the thing that you are having.
Rectum also absorbs or secretes lots of fluid as per the condition and hence you are correct in thinking so. Diarrhea is a condition where the stool comes out before it is concentrated or have excessive water secreted by the colon and rectum and intestine.
If there is a gas in closed system, then only it can cause noises.
Colonoscopy and/or barium enema can show for any anatomical defects you thought about.
Medical field is based upon the facts, hence the necessity of investigations. Please go for the tests as advised.
At least go for stool test for 3 consecutive days and let me know the reports.
As explained below.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the link, it says the same thing that we two are discussing.
Please read the article fully.
It also says that some are unaware of and some are aware of it. Since your stool is
type 5 on Bristol scale , all the conditions favor for the thing that you are having.
Rectum also absorbs or secretes lots of fluid as per the condition and hence you are correct in thinking so. Diarrhea is a condition where the stool comes out before it is concentrated or have excessive water secreted by the colon and rectum and intestine.
If there is a gas in closed system, then only it can cause noises.
Colonoscopy and/or barium enema can show for any anatomical defects you thought about.
Medical field is based upon the facts, hence the necessity of investigations. Please go for the tests as advised.
At least go for stool test for 3 consecutive days and let me know the reports.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok but my appointment is in one month and I have exams next week... 5 exams of 4 hours during 3 weeks.
I noticed that I had less noises when under Immodium (maybe thanks to the inhibition of peristalsis --> less contractions --> less movement of gas --> less noise) ?
If so, maybe Buscopan would be more efficient.
What would you suggest me to take (immodium and/or buscopan, which quantity, and when : morning before exam or last night before exam ?). I'm not sure about the time it takes to make effect, and the duration of those 2 drugs...
I noticed that I had less noises when under Immodium (maybe thanks to the inhibition of peristalsis --> less contractions --> less movement of gas --> less noise) ?
If so, maybe Buscopan would be more efficient.
What would you suggest me to take (immodium and/or buscopan, which quantity, and when : morning before exam or last night before exam ?). I'm not sure about the time it takes to make effect, and the duration of those 2 drugs...
Brief Answer:
Take buscopan if it is helping you.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow-up question.
Immodium is taken only if you have watery diarrhea.
Buscopan is relatively better and to be taken 1 hour before the exam.
Buscopan works for 4 to 6 hours.
Immpodium works for up to 24 hours.
Take buscopan if it is helping you.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your follow-up question.
Immodium is taken only if you have watery diarrhea.
Buscopan is relatively better and to be taken 1 hour before the exam.
Buscopan works for 4 to 6 hours.
Immpodium works for up to 24 hours.
Note: Revert back with your health reports to get further guidance on your gastric problems. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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