Fecal impaction

[Orchid99]

Hi, I've just had results of my ct scan and the gastroenterologist has said I have alot of stool in my bowel despite my complaint being loose yellow stools and cramps. So he said it is overflow diarrhoea and told me to take 8 sachets of cosmocol 1 day over 5 hours followed by 1 sachet a day for five days to clear the impaction. I'm really nervous about the first day quantity as I have never taken this medication before and scared it will make things worse, I thought they did enemas for impaction, anyone else had this experience?

[cristinita]

god no idea! all i know is best to follow their advice and if unsure go back to them to get questions answered? don't let it stay there anyway! it was ultimately constipation and undiagnosed diverticulitis that led to me having a perforated bowel and therefore colostomy! after 10 years of IBS...

[swarke22]

I went and had a colonic. I lost five kilos. Problem solved.

[Cathy10 in reply to swarke22]

Yes.. They use Polyethylene Glycol (cosmocol ect) to get things going for impacting. Children can sometimes suffer from constipation terribly for years and they use the same medication. They are doing ongoing research with Polyethylene Glycol but so far no prpven adverse effects have been linked to it. Cosmocol will soften the stool. It's standard practice around the world in modern medicine..

[swarke22 in reply to Cathy10]

I don’t believe that will clear all the old stuff. It sticks to the sides of your bowel for many years.

[Orchid99 in reply to swarke22]

I had a colonoscopy in February this year along with barium meal and I had to do two bowel preps for that, I felt alot better for 2 months after then my symptoms came back, so this impaction has only been building up the last 7 months

[Cats15 in reply to Orchid99]

Maybe the answer is to have colonic irrigation once per month.

[Flowers55]

Hi Orchid, you have exactly the same as I have. I've had low pain cramps with yellow diarrhoea for 2 weeks. One of the Drs suggested it could be overflow diarrhoea. Everything I eat comes out as yellow diarrhoea. I feel for you having the sachets but I think the Dr may be right. I'm going back to my GP to follow up on overflow diarrhoea. Please let us know how you get on with the Cosmocol and good luck.xx

[grandylynda]

Yep and clearing it is horrible but do it before you get completely blocked up. I didn't realise what was happening to me until I was and ended up in hospital. Enemas don't work if its too far up

[Orchid99 in reply to grandylynda]

I'm still passing stools daily just not old stuff so I'm not completely blocked yet. Did you take cosmocol/movicol, what was your experience with it? I took moviprep before for colonoscopy and that was fine no cramps just lots of stool, is it the same with cosmocol?

[grandylynda]

Not sure if I have had cosmocol. I was having the runs after surgery to remove oesophageal cancer meaning I now have less food pipe and less stomach. Between that and ibs I hadn't realised that somewhere it became overflow. Or may be it always was to some extent because in my opinion they left it far too long after surgery to get things working.I had CT scan when admitted to hospital. They thought an enema would do the trick but that failed 2 days in a row. After that I was on massive doses of about 3 things . When things started happening I was very glad I was on the private wing with my own bathroom. This was simply because they needed a bed on the surgical ward and by then had found surgery was not required for me. I was in hospital 6 days so, whatever it takes, grin and bear it! I went home with Monaco. I didn't have a colonoscopy at all

[wigglewoggle]

I've had cosmocol for bad constipation before - although not 5 sachets in one go! One sachet didn't always work for me when the constipation was at its worst. I've found it relatively gentle. Good luck

[Orchid99]

Update. Had the 8 sachets of cosmocol followed by 1 a day for 5 days and it has not cleared the build up, so now I don't know what is next but I'm worried they are going to leave me like this over the Christmas period

[VerdePurdy]

Hi Orchid99, I think I might be suffering with overflow diarrhoea. How did they resolve it in the end after the Cosmocol?

[Orchid99 in reply to VerdePurdy]

Hi, unfortunately its not been resolved as yet and I am still suffering. I've had two rounds of 8 sachets clear outs with cosmocol in the last month and on 1 sachet a day now, but I'm still getting loose stool attacks with cramps, not everyday but I find its worse after either higher fat intake or fibre (not sure which) but I feel fat is a problem as I've been told to enrich my food with oils, cream etc because I'm so underweight, and a few days ago I made shakes with dairy free milk, ice cream, peanut butter and nesquick powder for the calories and for a couple if days I felt worse, since stopping that I feel better. My doctor said I am a complex case and they normally see this in children, he has referred me back to gastro as they said if the cosmocol don't work they will do transit studies as it could be a problem with how my gut is moving food through. To be honest though, I can't remember the last time I had a solid bowel movement, dispute being told I'm constipated.

[VerdePurdy in reply to Orchid99]

Bless your heart I’m so sorry that you’re so poorly! I hope it resolves quickly and you feel better really soon.

[Orchid99 in reply to VerdePurdy]

Thank you