Hi All.

[pferries31]

Hope your all well. Quick Question. I no longer feel as though my bowel works properly. Sometimes feels like it's non functioning. I have Achalasia and underwent the oesophajectomy. Can Achalasia occur down the other end of our digestive system ??When I asked a health professional they said no but considering I had a period of no bowel movements for 6wks (which I was disbelieved about, as said that's impossible). So frustrating when you get that look like your bloody crazy. Mind you I did fight for years to get diagnosed, so no great surprise. Just wanted people's input.

Thanks

P xx

[AlanWare]

I too have suffered this following my op. I have found that codeine causes the bowel to stop acting as it should. I use glycerine suppositories to soften and Dulcolax suppositories to start bowel moving again. Due to continual pain in my upper back due to the op, I am having to take Dihydro codeine as it is the only one that works.

[strangetimes]

My understanding is that the surgery involved in an oesphagectomy can cut /damage the vagus nerve ( which I understand is not one nerve but made up of lots of nerves ) .

And I think the vagus nerve controls how the bowel functions .

So this could be what's causing your problem . I think sometimes the effect is that the pyloric sphincter*doesn't function correctly and that food doesn't pass through the system as it should and is delayed .

*"The pyloric sphincter is a band of smooth muscle at the junction between the pylorus of the stomach and the duodenum of the small intestine. It plays an important role in digestion, where it acts as a valve to controls the flow of partially digested food from the stomach to the small intestine"

I know when I had an endoscopy for a stretch that the surgeon noticed I still had food in my system that ,bearing in mind I'd been fasting before the procedure ,should have cleared .So he did a pyloric sphincter stretch to help overcome this .

This is all as I understand it ,I hope I'm not giving wrong information .Hopefully it might point you in the right direction for help .Sounds like you need to go back and see a better informed HP .

[Hidden]

Achalasia is associated with the way that nerve cells operate the muscles involved in peristalsis (contracting and relaxing to push the food down), and the vagus nerve system does control most of the digestive tract. I have heard an achalasia specialist say that problems 'downstream' can reduce the effectiveness of the way that the oesophagus and the lower oesophageal sphincter (between oesophagus and stomach) works. So bowels and stomach need to empty well for an oesophagus to work at its best. Motility is as important for the lower digestive tract as well as the upper part.

But the oesophagectomy will have cut the vagus nerve system, and to have had this operation your achalasia would have been at a serious stage, so I suppose the answer is that it is possible that the motility in your bowels could be affected.

But if you are eating, and nothing has come through the other end for 6 weeks, it sounds like either constipation or a medical rarity. I think a GP would be able to tell if you had serious impacted constipation for as long as that by feeling your abdomen, and it could be quite important to know where any blockage is occurring. Constipation can be quite serious as a condition.

Are you feeling nauseous? Does your breath smell as if there is fermenting food stuck in your system? Have you been sick, to empty your stomach? Does the medication you are taking have side effects of causing constipation?

I suppose that the answer is to keep up your nutrition / food intake and then try progressively increasing laxatives, with something like an enema as a last resort. This process can be distressing, but you do need to sort it out one way or another.

[Firstsister]

Thank you for this information. I have been studying this disorder as much as possible since I was diagnosed with type 1 achalasia two months ago. I have been refered to a specialist in Dallas Texas. I have to say that I've been dealing with w lot of anger at having this problem. A lot of emotion comes with dealing with it. It's kind of a helpless feeling. Apparently there's no idea about how one gets it. I expect I'm not the only one who feels like this.

[pferries31]

Thanks for comments. I do take oxynorm medication and I know that it can bung you up but I very rarely feel like I need to go to toilet. I have over last few weeks seen my stomach become larger and larger almost to point of looking pregnant, ha. I also have piles and been self medicating and found that I have gone to toilet more in last couple of days than I have in weeks. I don't like to mention it to GP as it's never ending issues and he must b sick to death of seeing my face.. during my last admission a consultant noticed on an xray a narrowing of my bowel and they went in other end for a look but said because I didn't have a proper bowel prep beforehand so they couldn't tell and that was the end of it. I am due to see my lung consultant next month due to mass on left lung and will take it from there.. I just seemed to have put it to back of my mind and probably should push for further investigation. Thanks for replies, will put this to surgeon Mr Park next time I see him. Sorry Alan, also meant to say that quite often anything more than a snack seems to come back up if I bend over and some days I do feel quite sick

xx

[chris_usa]

Since you mentioned no bowel activity for an extended period, you are likely referring to an ileus, probably caused by your surgery. If your abdomen is distended now, you possibly have had damage to your bowels, and food is not moving through normally, causing your feeling that bowels aren't working.

If you are having any other symptoms such as fever or general sickness, this could be a very serious situation. Several of the things you mentioned are not routine, and should not be ignored. Please keep pressing for answers. \wc

[pferries31]

Thanks Chris, yeah your right I must have it investigated and will look into it. I know it's my health but you come to a point where you stop complaining as your never taken seriously but I will push as it's bad enough with Achalasia and issues since op. Surely I can't be that unlucky. Thanks for responses folks

Hope your all well

P xx

[Terri1962USA]

Hi. I have had Achalasia since age 9 and am 9 years post esophagectomy and trust me when I tell you this has happened to me dozens of times and the only doctor who believes me is my Cleveland Clinic surgeon who knows I am being truthful if I have no activity for 3 or 4 weeks. You must tell them you keep a journal of food intake and BM records and you are 100% sure. This is 100% true from Achalasia and vegas nerve damage and can be easily resolved with motility drugs. MY surgeon finally got my gastro doctor to address these motility issues before it progressed to a blocked bowel which it will and then you will have to have surgery. This situation is an immediate health crisis that needs your attention and first priority. Make your GI doc believe you. And do not accept their excuse that they can't get a good enough colonoscopy exam to see what is going on and help you. I have also been told this literally for years by every Gastro doctor until I finally found one that helps me with this issue WITHOUT a successful exam.