Can anyone offer any advice???

[Lhamlin4]

Hi, I had emergency bowel surgery a few weeks back - it was twisted bowel and they removed that section. After 2 weeks in hospital I was discharged. My stomach was so swollen nearly 2 weeks later (I looked 6 months pregnant). I am now back in hospital and after a scan have been told I'm badly constipated and have slow transit constipation - been given an enema and can only go home when all cleared out! Have to come back in 2 weeks for a further X-ray and if still not functioning properly then may have to consider surgery to remove colon! This terrifies me! Has anyone got any methods they use to get the bowel working and prevent constipation? Has anyone tried colonic irrigation or hydrotherapy? Do these help?

Getting very scared! ☹️

Lisa x

[WoolPippi]

I only know only a bit. Serotonine speeds up colonic motility, dopamine slows it down. With your stress your dopamine is high right now. Try to increase serotonine by taking 5-htp which is its precursor.

For emptying the colon vit C is best (like 2 grams of the stuff, thats right 2000 mg).

Magnesium-sulphate empties the colon too but also stops motility, adding to your slow transition problem. Only take this if you need to vacate, not if you want to have functional bowels. Most of the laxitives work the same way and have the same problem.

Massage your intestines (quite deep/hard) works too for slow transit but is probably not possible with your recent surgery.

Lastly: air gets trapped in the bends of the colon and refuses food to pass. Air can be diminished by eating FODMAP diet and by rolling on different sides in you bed. Coax that bubble through the traject. Passing gass = victory yell.

Last lastly: try and study the x-ray to learn how your colon is shaped. It's most probably not the reversed horse shoe we see in all biology books. Learning your particulas shape gives ideas where stuff gets trapped.

Oh, third lastly: your colon is coated by a mucus, this is important to support. Eating chicken stock or bone derived gelatine gives you the best digestable building blocks to help heal.

Hope you feel better soon. You are in a pickly right now. Best wishes!

[Lhamlin4]

Thank you so much! All very useful! Did you see a dietician to follow the fodmap diet? X

[Hidden]

Hi there, I was constipated for quite a long time and someone on here suggested I had Linseeds soaked in water. I now soak a rounded dessertspoonful in around a 3rd of a mug of water and leave for around an hour to soak, then drink. This works for me and I also think that it's helping with tummy pain as well (I have only just recently discovered this).

Very best of luck to you

[sickandsore]

I'm really surprised that after surgery the consultant didn't recommend you took laxatives or stool softener to help you empty properly, post surgery due to pain meds you would naturally get constipated!

I'm assuming you have been following a careful diet and of course post survey you wouldn't have been so mobile, this would increase likelihood of constipation too.

You need to increase fluid intake 2 litres a day minimum. Eat little and often avoiding gas inducing foods like beans, pulses, onions anything spicy. Have you spoken to a dietician at all? Might be worth asking to see one for guidance.

I totally feel for you, my mum had lots of bowel surgery and eventually lost all her bowel and had a colostomy, this worked better than keep having vowel surgery which is very painful, scary and the recovery as you know is awful.

I really feel you need more support with all this and see your Gp for advice, some seratonin boosting meds might be helpful whilst you recover and get back on track.

Fluids, gentle exercise, possibly movicol to boost fluid flow through the colon might also help. I really hope the enema helps, been in hospital in pain myself had enemas which did help but the pain is awful. Bless you.

I was advised by a bowel surgeon myself that a once a month colonic irrigation or prescribed enemas for home could be helpful for chronic constipation if no other reason for it could be found.

Really hope you feel better soon and can avoid more surgery.

Take care