Diarrhea and weight loss after small bowel resection

Did you son receive an ileostomy? If not please talk with your GI and surgeon about the idea of getting an ileostomy to rest his intestines. As far as a diet, please locate a dietitian to discuss the meterrian diet for the small Bowel intestine. My husband went through this, he didn't want to keep the ileostomy. I am not sure if he would have lived if he had kept his ileostomy but it would have given him a chance to rest his intestines. My husband passed away June 1, 2019, from complications of Crohn's disease that turned into Small Bowel Cancer. Trust me. Also, please contact AGA and NIH. God bless you and your son.

I think you mea “Mediterranean” diet, right?

My husband, now 80, has had 3 small bowel resections over the last 20 years. His last 6 months ago was because of ongoing ER & hospital visits for severe pain. The last sent him into surgery because the adhesions from previous surgeries were causing blockages when he ate solids. Adhesions happen with almost any abdominal surgery (which we had never heard about until a year ago.)
He's much better now despite a recent bout with c diff. He's on Creon now bc he tested as having exocrine pancreatic insufficiency which makes digesting food properly, hence no weight gain.
I don't know if any of this applies to your son but I bet he has a lot of adhesions!

"...which makes digesting food properly difficult"

Hi @lrobertrn and welcome to Connect. I thought you would like some articles with some great information to share with your son.
"Short bowel syndrome (SBS) occurs when the small intestine ceases to function properly due to trauma, disease activity, or when too much of it ..." --- Short Bowel Syndrome: https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/short-bowel-syndrome/
Open Bowel Resection: What to Expect at Home: https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx
25 pounds in 3 week is extreme! What did his doctors have to say about that?

Thank you so much for the article. Sounds like many of the symptoms he is experiencing. We have a follow up with a pcp on Friday so I’ll be sure to discuss with them.

Hello! My wife is 82 years of age, she was and is still sick, to too three years for the diagnosing of her bowel obstruction about 70 visits to the ER over the first three years, The first surgery was about last March of 2022 the found that she had adhesions from appendix being removed over 50 years ago, so they did the surgery, about a month later we were back by ER and told us she had a twisted bowel, so my wife reluctantly got that done, home for about 10 days and back again with same problems, then told us she had to have a resection of the small bowel, was done, in hospital each visit about 5 days, she was ok for a while till about 3 months ago started having severe pain nuasea, cramps in the area of the surgeries, She always has had, dierria, about 6-8 movements aday, she takes Imodium and other medicaton prescribed and has the reverse effect, bloating sharp,pain nausea and even her body gets itching and tingley, so we have one extrme to the other, as soon as she eats something she has to be near the toilet, they did a catscan and exrays two weeks ago and found nothing, but the pain and all is still there, One sugession by the surgeon was to have a laproscopic to see inside if there is any adhesions, or a clonostopy, The ER doctor told us the could not find the problem but the surgeon made this suggestion of a laproscopic. My wife is very sick! I hope you can give us some guidance. Guy