Hello dear ladies,
I am 5 days post my debulking surgery which went quite well. So far I have not had major issues… except bowel problems. Now they are talking about post op ileus or intestinal paralysis. Has anyone experienced this complication? What was done to treat it
Hello Lara1
I’m so glad your op went well for you.
I suffered post op ileus and my GP wanted me to go back into hospital but when I refused agreed to give me Cosmocol powders on the understanding that I had 24 hours to turn it around.
The ‘regime’ was quite a challenge as I could barely swallow but I managed it and turned a corner the next day and was able to pass wind/burp and started to have gurgling in my stomach. This lead onto being able to go to the toilet the following day.
It was about a week before I was back to normal as I had a couple of days of diarrhoea once I started to go.
I hope this helps best wishes xx Jen
Hi SuffolkJen,
Thanks for sharing. How many days post op did you have the Cosmocol?
I was given 2 Movicols a few hours apart yesterday and after the second one I ended up vomiting and having to have my stomach emptied. I also tried a glycerine suppository which didn’t work. I pass gass but I have no urge to go whatsoever.
Hi Lara
I came up from my op late on the Tuesday evening. I was fine on the Wednesday, and by the Thursday I was discharged. During the hours that it took for my meds to be ready before being discharged I started to really bloat up massively. I pointed this out and said I couldn’t pass wind etc but as I was on a day ward they were determined to send me home. I then started being sick in the ward but they still sent me home.
I then went from Thursday night all over the weekend in a really really bad way. My husband spoke to GP on the Monday who prescribed suppositories. These didn’t work and when my husband called GP again she came out on a house visit and was quite shocked at the condition I was in. Her first thought was to admit me but agreed to let me try the Cosmocol.
So it was around 6 days post op I had the cosmocol, but I should never have been discharged in the poor condition I was in 2 days after such a big op.
Also my diagnosis was unexpected they thought it was a fibroid and it had to be separated from my bowel during surgery so they knew they’d put the bowel to sleep so my symptoms were a red flag! 🚩
Oh, you really went through a difficult experience! But you were also lucky to turn it around on your own!
I’m still in hospital because of this issue.. they’ve given me erythromycin to stimulate the intestines.. and still pumping my stomach. I hear rumbles, feel cramps, pass some gas but that’s it. Not sure how I can go when there’s nothing left in the pipes and I can’t eat or drink.
At least there’s a little going on inside with the rumblings etc I hope that’s a positive. One thing I forgot to mention was I went cold turkey on pain relief as that affects ability to go. I wouldn’t recommend it and as you are in hospital they probably won’t allow it but I think it probably helped me.
I really hope you turn a corner soon and they get you back to normal.
Take care xx Jen
Hi Lara , you have my sympathy I was in a similar situation a couple of weeks ago following surgery. Are you in hospital or at home? I was in hospital, after being sick I had a drain put into my stomach for a couple of days which gave stomach and bowel a rest. Given IV fluids and on day 7 post surgery bowel started working again just before the team were going to give me an enema. Hang on in there, I know it’s horrible, it will get better. Xx
Hi Sunsetime,
I’m still in the hospital. I really hope it starts working soon!
How are you feeling now?
Hi , I know the feeling, wind but nothing happens, I was so relieved when it did , once my bowel started working again I felt so much better, 2 weeks on I’m home and out for short walks recovering well, bowel back to normal. I did take the suggestion to eat soluble fibre not insoluble fibre which I think really helps. Xx
So happy for you! I’m really looking forward to going home and seeing my daughter.
One last question about the tube - I’m noticing red stuff which looks like blood also passing through, beside the green bile.. did you have that?
I don’t remember anything red , my nose did get very blocked which caused some bleeding, but not in the bag, just green bile. I remember wondering how my bowel could get going again without eating or drinking, but it did. I’m also with Suffolk Jen view that pain relief slows everything down. Once the pain relief was reduced I found bowel movement easier. They will get your bowel going again. Completely understand how much you want to be home with your daughter. Really hope things move for you soon. I thought the operation would be the hardest, but found the post operation complications the toughest. Once I got home and slept for hours and hours I soon felt so much better. You will get there, keep in touch and let us know how you get on . Xx
The last paracetamol dose I had was this morning so I’m not on a lot of pain killers as I am not in a lot of pain. They’re giving me erythromycin which they say it’s supposed to help with bowel movement. And apparently it’s given while the nose tube is on. Did you have something like that?
Sorry for what you're going through. Erythromycin is an antibiotic I think so don't know why they would give it to you to get your bowel moving. Do they think you have an infection? x
Hi candyapplegrey,
Apparently it’s used as a treatment for ileus due to its side effects - cramping and diarrhea. Except that in my case it doesn’t do much, beside producing gas and cramps. Plus it started giving me other issues so I asked them to stop it last night.
your doing really well with managing the pain. I didn’t have any medication to help with the bowel, the plan was to give enema to get my bowel moving, however just in time my bowel started moving . I accidentally pulled the nose tube out so I was worried , but fortunately it all worked out ok and I didn’t need the tube putting in again. Hope you manage to get some sleep I know it’s not easy with the tube in. Xx
It sometimes just gets stunned from being handled so resting it for few days usually lets it recover.
They also removed my appendix. I wonder if that too has something to do with this horrible constipation?
They’ve given me Movicol again and a couple of enema like products to put in which did get something out. But it still feels like a long way to go to a decent stool. Or even diarrhea. It all feels horribly contracted and stunned as you say.
You are still very early days, the most inflammation post op kicked in around day 3-4 and obviously takes a few weeks to settle back down. Not unusual for debulking to remove appendix, omentum and for some peritoneum too so our insides take more of a bashing than we appreciate. Took me a gew laxatives and a couple of weeks to start opening bowels properly and once it got going I stayed on docusate for a few months to help keep it soft while all the inflammation settled. Hang in there and take it one day at a time. You will have some good and some rough days over coming weeks but things do get better x
Thank you for sharing, so helpful! Were you on any diet during those months of recovery? I am really wary or solid foods now after my Friday experience.
Appetite was not great so I just ate what I fancied but I found fish or chicken with veg or salads easier than heavy food. I avoided high fat foods as they gave me abdo discomfort as my gallbladder was irritated by the surgery so was also upsetting my liver function and causing abdo pain ( hard to work out between gallbladder and normal post op pain most days).
Hi Lara,
Yes, I had this - and had lots of laxatives! I started to projectile vomit green bile so they put a tube down to my stomach via my nose and the bile went into a bag. I got over it in just over a week but they wouldn’t let me go home until I’d passed a proper motion.
You might not get that bad but you shouldn’t be sent home until you are passing again. If you are passing wind this is a good sign as it suggests some movement.
Good luck, it’s horrible to have this as well as the usual pain after surgery, my thoughts are with you.
Iris🤗
Hi Iris,
Thanks for sharing. Did you have your appendix removed by any chance?
I also vomited Friday afternoon after having eaten small meals for 2 days starting 3 days post op. None of that food was digested and it just had to come back up. So I’m starting to think maybe it’s not only bowel movement but also a digestive problem after appendix removal.
Sorry to hear you're experiencing this and hope they find something to help soon.
Update - I took several laxatives yesterday and they worked! Lots of cramp, gas and diarrhea during the night and morning. It’s not ideal but at least the ileus seems to be getting better. I’m hoping they will remove the tube today and I’ll be able to have a bit of food. Haven’t eaten anything since Friday, feel so weak.
Sounds like quite a night, but good to hear bowel working again. Fingers crossed the tube can come out soon . Hopefully some gentle food will help, I started off with soup. Best wishes for your ongoing recovery, hopefully you will be able to get home to your daughter soon. You’re doing really well . X
Thank you so much for your support! And everyone else’s. It has really helped me get through this weekend. Soup is also on my menu! Tea, and a bit of yoghurt. I’m hoping to get home by Wednesday.. with lots of prescription laxatives. Hopefully I will be able to manage this at home.
So pleased to hear your getting better. Once I got home slept lots and have kept to a diet of protein and easy to digest foods, well cooked carrots, broccoli, soft fruit, wholemeal bread, nothing with pips , seeds or skins which is harder to digest. That’s just for now until I’m confident my stomach and bowel has recovered. I have been drinking lots of water too. Best wishes xx
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