u/GrilledViking

Hi all,

Thanks for taking a read.

Possible new ostomate in the future...depending on some things. Long story short, I had a sigmoidectomy 4+months ago. Was doing pretty well the first month of recovery, then all of a sudden the bowels decided to kind of turn off. It´s been a struggle since. Many Er visit, Gi doc appointments later I can only have a bowel movement around every 3 to 5 days, that´s with using something like bisacodyl or golytely. Daily bloating, nausea, pain, etc has left me wishing I never got the surgery (was for diverticulitis), as I literally feel worse now than prior.

Whatever the case...I´m still working with GI and some testing....Defecography, Anal mamomentry, etc. THough my surgeon , who has been great, has set aside a Sept. date for me to get a loop ileostomy If we decide it´s the best route.

Seems like I´m heading that way....I´ve tried prescription meds for the dysmotility...to no avail. One more to try. But honest.....If an ileostomy will give me even 50% of my life back I´d do it. My diet is terribe, I´ve lost weight, strength, etc. This whole ordeal has taken just about everything from me.

So, I guess I´m just looking for any advice, opinions, experiences with a loop ileostomy. I know it will be quite a change...but I´m looking for any solution.

Thanks!!!!

Hi.

Not sure where to go from here. I know people have gone longer or have worse symptoms, but I'm seriously getting to the personal end of my tolerance.

Background. Briefly, I had my sigmoid colon removed for chronic diverticulitis just over 3 months ago. Recovery started well....then out of the blue became constipated. Not horrible, but mostly passing small volumes of stool randomly throughout the day. Bloating and some discomfort followed. Ct scans and scopes showed the surgery healed nicely and no structural issues. I had success here and there with magnesium and miralax, but nothing long term.

Enter my GI. Saw them early June. Put me on a regiment of fiber supplement, colace and dulcolax 10mg every 2 days if I didn't have a bowel movment. Actually worked pretty well at first. The dulcolax would induce well formed logs and I would feel decent the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, that has become a thing of the past. While my GI doc says it's safe long term, I'm not sure. I take the dulcolax now and it seems to be causing more cramps, and not really working until 12 to 13 hours later...whereas it used to work within 7 hours. I have not movements the days in between. Gas buildup when i try to sleep, and discomfort throughout the days. It feels like my colon just decides to not move stool , there's never any poop at the rectum unless I take a dulcolax. I've been to the ER 2 times this week already for large stool burden. One time of which they gave me golytely. This is crazy.

My gi recently prescribed linzess...but I'm waiting on insurance approval.

I really don't know what to do. I know sometimes meds are necesarry....but I don't want to be on them. Most people with this surgery poop normal, I don't know what happened to me. Prior to the surgery I typically had 2 or more bowel movements a day. NEVER an issue. This change is so disheartening and life restricting. I keep searching, but the more I do it seems the more doors close and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this. I got in for a second opinion with a motility doc...but that's not until November.....I'm teetering on the edge. I was told I would feel so much better and would get my life back after the diseased sigmoid was taken out....but I feel worse off now. I don't want to die, but I can't go on like this.

Thanks for reading, thanks for your support, thanks for any advice....

Take care

Hi,

Still struggling with the post surgery (Sigmoidectomy) constipation. Currently on a regiment of colace daily, a dose of fiber powder daily, 500mg magnesium oxide/day and if no bowel movement in 2 days take 10mg bisacodyl per my GI Doc.

Thing is, while the bisacodyl works fine, it typically gives me a near clear out, I don't have any movement on the other days. This leaves me a bit bloated and uncomfortable until the next time I take the bisacodyl.

Gi Doc now wants me to take 5mg on the days in between. I've voiced my concerns to my doc, seeing as i've been on this for a month, and there's really been no improvement. I'm concerned that my doc is pushing me down a stimulant hole that I won't be able to get out of, despite them saying it's safe to use long term. I'm not sure.

I've never had a problem in my life, up until I was a few weeks post surgery. Now it feels my life is spiraling downhill into a constipation hole if I make the wrong choices.

Trying to decide to keep following my GI docs recommendation, and risk becoming dependent on stimulants...and eventually a dead colon....or go at it on my own and just see what I can do?

Thanks for reading....I'll take any bit of hope advice or encouragement!!

Hi,

I posted about my issues a few weeks ago...so I won´t go into too much detail. But, Long story short I´m on a regiment from my GI Dr. for constipation following a sigmoid colectomy 3 months ago. Started it earlier this month. It´s basically taking colace daily, a dose of fiber powder daily, and if no bowel movement in 2 days take 10mg bisacodyl. This is in hopes to fire up my slow moving colon post surgery.

Well, aside from one time when my colon decided to push out 3 big bowel movements on it´s own (man that was great), I´ve needed to take the bisacodyl. My Dr recently had me add 500mg mag oxide, but after a few days that hasn´t had an impact. So I still need to take the bisacodyl. Fortunately, each time i take it before bed, I end up passing huge logs the next morning.

I´m due to take it tonight...which will be the 6th time this month. I´m getting concerned that I´m already dependent on it? I definitely don´t want to be on it long term...and my Dr. isn´t concerned right now...but I´m worried nonetheless. How long does one have to take it to become dependent?

Thanks!

Hi everyone. First time posting here. Just looking for insight or if anyone has / has had similar experience.

Long story short...I had my sigmoid colon removed due to chronic diverticulitis. This was in early April. First few weeks of recovery were good. Then my bowels seemed to just kind of stop. I went from having 4 to 5 loose stool per day to hard pebbles.

Doc told me to do miralax. I did miralax dose per day for 2 days and it worked ok. It makes my stool mush though and hard to pass. Eventually I had to up it to 2x per day. So I stopped.

So I tried some magnesium oxide. A 400mg cap let me have a great poop a few weeks ago. So I kept taking them...but it fizzled out after a few days.

At one point I felt a bit backed up so I did a single dose of milk of magnesia on a Sunday. The next 5 days I had amazing poops in the morning. Then it just stopped. Only thing with the MOM it gave me some soreness. And at the end of those 5 days everything just stopped and I had I suppose what you could call rebound constipation.

Finally got into seeing a GI person and they suspect dysmotility with visceral hypersensitivity. Right now I´m on a regiment of colace, metamucil 1x per day. If no movement in 2 days I take a bisacodyl.

Well, I´ve basically had to take a bisacodyl every 2 days for the past week. Not sure I´m a fan of this.

If I take nothing, I will poop...but it´s pebbles and finger sized poops throughout the day. No cohesive logs or anything. With some days no movements.

Only things I haven´t tried that I can think of are mag citrate, and actually being consistent with any magnesium.

Anyhow, it´s quite fustrating, as prior to my surgery I easily went 2 to 3 times a day. Big size logs.

Gi says to consider a motility test in the future, but in the meantime looking for something that will get me regular. My bowels seem to work when there´s enough there...it´s just getting to that point. And my gi doc and PCP both say more fiber...like every other doc of course.

Anyhow. Thanks for reading. Any and all responses or ideas are appreciated and welcome!