I’ve just come out of hospital. I was admitted as an emergency for bowel obstruction. It was so painful. Investigation showed scar tissue adhesions from my initial operations. Thought I’d share this important advice:
It began with constipation and like the majority of people I took laxatives. No!
The consultant told me that was not good. Laxatives make the system work harder pushing food through the bowel and when your bowel is blocked it causes more problems because it’s just not going anywhere!
I was really surprised to be told to avoid high fibre! All the things I thought were good for me were actually working against me: nuts, broccoli, whole meal breads etc.
I’m now following a low fibre diet from one of the NHS sites. I’m on Stage 2 of the regime which is clear soups, scrambled eggs, ice-cream, yogurt and similar. So far so good. I’m conscious of the need to eat healthy food, little and often which is a challenge so I’m taking vitamins.
It was a terrifying experience and I dread it happening again because they don’t want to operate as it’s caused by adhesions from scar tissue and more ops would exacerbate the situation 😕.
I’m wishing myself and any fellow blocked bowel sufferers 🤞🏻 good luck.
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JustKBO
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So glad you’re recovering, it must have been painful. Thank you so much for posting your story, passing on advice like this is very much appreciated. X
I'm sorry to hear you also had this problem. The same happened to me. One thing that's different is about the laxatives. I was not told to stop them. I've been taking laxatives, up to five or six a day for the last nine years. Perhaps I should look into this. I was told it was very important that I 'go' every day because of bowel damage. I still don't. My blockage was about four or five years ago and I haven't had another since, luckily. I was told it could happen again at any time.
I wish you luck and hope you don't get another. xx
if you find out anymore about laxatives please let me know. Did you have a nose drain or was awful don’t think I’d let them do it again. I « go » every other day now 😳.
I'm didn't have a nose drain. I was so sick there wasn't anything left to drain. I wasn't allowed to eat for a week until I passed something, then I was discharged on a low fibre diet. They said it could happen again at any time. x
the drain was supposed to alleviate the pressure on my bowel. I’m a bit sceptical but I’m ok at the moment so have to believe I went through medieval torture for a reason 😂
hello Im going through the same thing right now. Mine is also partial. I’ve been following the low residue diet like you, which in some ways is great cos I can eat pizza & chips but keeping the bowels moving can be tricky (steamed spinach minus the tough bits, carrots & French beans work well) I can also recommend cashew butter (smooth nut butters in general) for healthy protein. Egg noodles, white rice & white sourdough go down well too.
Mine is caused partly by a hernia (inguinal) & I’m being taken off avastin (I may need an op) which is really scary, as it’s the only thing that’s kept the tumours & ascites at bay. If anyone has any experience with this situation, plse respond! Thx.
Anyway good luck with your recovery! I Hope it’s the last one for a long while!
I am in the same situation than you and like to thank for your advise, too. What I find really hard to accept ist the pain. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for sharing. That was what happened when I came out from hospital from surgery. I was constipated a few days prior to my surgery, given lots of laxatives at the hospital, then surgery. No bowl movement 1 week after my surgery, I was discharged without bowel opening, then when I can out of hospital, I had excruciating pain in my tummy, a few days later, rushed into A&E at the local hospital. They were going to open me again but I refused. Ended up I had picc line on right arm, fluid on left arm, NBM for 2 weeks until my bowel opened. It was nightmare. On top of that I had a tube tuck from my nose to drain "green stuffs" from my stomach... Never again. I now often constipated and hard stool. Thought fiber was 👍 good. Now I know. I will look into this. Thanks !
it might depend on the kind of laxatives. Some work by stimulating the gut. Some work by adding fibre. Some are stool softeners. I would imagine the latter to be least problematic.
I had a bowel blockage but mine caused by cancer inflaming colon. Also have cancer in pressing on the lining of small intestine. I have to take docusate daily to keep things moving. For the blockage I was in steroid drip and nil by mouth for 3 days then given suppositories. Told to take senna when needed. Also on low residue diet hard as also vegetarian. Definitely can’t have spinach!! Have high protein shakes and take a multivitamin.
Agonising stomach pain, tube down the nose which was awful, emergency surgery and 3 weeks in hospital afterwards. It was at the start of Covid so I wasn’t allowed any visitors and it was worse than the original shock of being diagnosed and having debaulking surgery.
I stayed on low fibre diet for some time but frankly I’d have never gone again if I’d stuck to that!?! I found it very scarey trying to work out what to eat or not as, same as you, my surgeon said it could happen again at any time.
I now take 2 Docusate twice daily which is a softener not a laxative and have introduced some fibre back into my diet. Living with fingers crossed!!
Glad you are through it, it’s such an awful experience and 🤞 we never have to experience it again xx
I agrée it was worse than chemo in a sense. I hope we never have to go through it again but I had it 3 years ago, then a year later and now twice in a month. 🤨
Hi there,Sounds like a tough experience to go through. I was given very clear instructions post debulking surgery to stick to a low fibre diet to let the stomach recover and yes it seemed counterintuitive to avoid the foods we consider most healthy.
I was told that it can take up to a year for the stomach to recover because bits get glued together. But I didn't stay on low fibre for a year, just the initial few weeks.
I’m 5 years in and my scar tissue seems to be getting worse but I’ve had some interesting tips in these replies and will try to put them to good use. Thank you.
Thank you dear . I had this December 21, 10 month after debulk operation. And yes its was very terrifying experience followed by nil by mouth for a week , tube trough my nose, low fiber diet etc. Now 15 month later that all forgotten and fiber back into my diet in moderation. They should seriously advise people about low fiber diet after such serious operations, but they never do and if you ask they say " eat normally or small portions offten"....
I've never had a bowel blockage but take a natural stool softener every day to keep things moving it took a lot of trial and error finding the one that actually works as I have struggled with constipation my whole life the blessing was that that is the only symptom I had I asked my internist for a prescription to get me to go she told me you need a pelvic ultrasound thank God. This may sound far-fetched but I read an article written by a Ob/Gyno that deals with estrogen driven issues like endometriosis she advises to try to have a bowel movement everyday because excess estrogen is stored in the stool. I found that very interesting.
Hi there, I have had three bowel blockages in my life. The first one was after a ruptured appendix, the second one after my debulking surgeryand the last one was on New Years Eve, I believe my last one was from the big meal that I ate which included steak. I believe it could have happened from not chewing thoroughly and just a big meal. Anyway, they sure are painful and I didn’t like having that nasal tube going down to my stomach. That is such a miserable procedure and so uncomfortable while it is in. I also have much scar tissue and that also creates the problem. Here’s to my fingers crossed that you don’t go through that again. Take care, Donna xx
I know it isn’t a good feeling. I so wanted to yank that tube out, because it was so annoying even turning your head. Over here in the U.S, they call it the NG tube( short for nasal gastro ) up the nose and down to the stomach - terrible
I sometimes feel like I have a blocked bowel, I get very constipated taking parps and laxatives made me not feel well. not looked back now since drinking a glass of prune juice everyday.
This has happened to me twice. The second time it happened I got sent to A&E the first day of the junior doctors strike 🙄. It resolved itself in the end. My Oncologist says that it was a twisted bowel that righted itself. I asked about low residue diet and she says it is very boring and could result in constipation. Having had bowel cancer 12 years I am brainwashed into thinking I must eat fruit and veg,
One thing I will flag up for you is that Ovacome has an information sheet about bowel blockage and how to deal with it. (Called diet for a blocked bowel) I suggest you take a look. . I spent ages on t internet trying to find this information. I have compromised by eating lots of soups in the form of vegetables. No hard stalks, skins or seeds. It’s a tricky situation and you have to adapt solutions to your own circumstances. Good Luck 😃
im in exactly the same position, no warning and no constipation for me. Came on so suddenly! I was sooo lucky not tp have surgery, i was cleared with a liquid drink after being scanned and xrayed… low residue diet for foreseeable future . I do hope your feeling ok now and managing the diet, it dors seem such an unhealthy way of eating but if it prevents another blockage i guess we just have to stick with it.
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