Hello @dc10 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I'm sorry to hear of your problem but happy that you found Connect and are looking for help and answers. On Mayo Connect we encourage everyone to advocate for themselves and to seek out the best specialists for their problems and most importantly to ask questions.

We actually have two discussions on Connect regarding this topic. If you click on these links you will see what others are saying about this problem.

https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/chronic-small-bowel-obstruction-from-adhesions/ and
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/chronic-small-bowel-obstruction/

As you read these posts from Members who have also experienced this problem you will undoubtedly get some good information. If you find a post especially helpful, you can click on the "Reply" box and post a question or comment to that Member. I would like to invite two Members who have been quite active in these discussions to join you. Please meet @thull and @nancybev. Both of these Members have had repeated surgeries and have lots of practical ideas on eating, drinking, and exercises that will help with this problem

Most of us who have this problem have had repeated surgeries (or at least one surgery) of the digestive tract which is had led to these obstructions. If you are comfortable sharing more, will you let us know if that is your case as well? If so, could you give us some background on how many surgeries and over what time period?

I look forward to getting to know you better. Will you post again and let me know how you are doing?

I am currently in the hospital with my 6th SBO. They began 3 years ago and are becoming more frequent. I’ve had all the tests that gastroenterologists do, all the endoscopes and colonoscopies. They think I have some scar tissue from a laparoscopy that I had back in 1980. When I feel an obstruction coming on, it’s like a moving train that I’m unable to stop, and progresses to the point where I’m so violently ill, that I have to get to the hospital to get pain and nausea medication, and of course, the terrible NG tube. My obstructions have resolved on their own in the hospital with their usual protocol, but I have not had any helpful information from the numerous doctors I’ve seen about how to prevent them. It is beyond frustrating and I basically don’t know where to turn to get help with this. Otherwise I am very healthy, but to say that it’s impacting my life is an understatement.