Diarrhea Post Surgery

Please specify what kind of surgery, if colon cancer surgery, how much of the colon was removed and if undergoing chemo so commenters can understand the issue.

Assuming some degree of colon surgery was done since you posted in the colorectal cancer group...

Since the purpose of the colon is to remove fluid from the poop to make it semi-solid, the more of the colon is removed, the more difficulty there is with diarrhea. This is a fairly common thing.

My colon was entirely removed - one thing Mayo suggested was to take a thick, barely drinkable slurry of Metamucil to help absorb the fluid and thus tighten up the stool. Amount and frequency depends on the patient, diet and amount of functional colon that remains. Using this requires much experimentation.

Second, I found that certain things aggravate the diarrhea - sugar/high fructose corn syrup beverages and foods are troublesome. Some heavy cooking oils cause troubles, others are OK in moderation. As usual, these things will vary depending on the patient.

I would suggest asking his surgical team/post-op care team to address this and maybe refer you to a dietitian.

An internet search may be helpful as well, but try to stay with credible sources.

Hope this helps.

To add to @rjjacobsen 's comment, I'd say that beef and pork has a type of fat that, in many people, accelerates the metabolism and lead to a form of diarrhea.

A clinical dietitian might help you set up a diet that would help your father.

@browen, you may be interested in these related discussions:
- Diarrhea after colon resection: How long does it last? Any tips?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diarrhea-after-colon-resection/
- What is a good diet after colon surgery? Are probiotics good?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diet-after-total-colectomy/
What type of surgery did your dad have? How is he doing?

Thank you very much for your detailed explanation. I am not sure how much of the colon was removed but it was at the lower part. Also, he is unable to take solid food. He is mainly on a liquid diet. He is taking something like a meal replacement called Diben and Supportan. He is taking the TS-1 oral chemo. Has anyone experienced swollen fingers taking this chemo regime? He can't even grip or turn a door knob. I wonder if this is another underlying condition and not the side effects of the chemo besides the teary eyes.

I'm sorry about your dad's situation and wish I could help but I have no knowledge of nor personal experience with this TS1 chemo.

I did a little research and found this link about TS1:
https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/medicine/ts-1
One of the components of TS1 is Tegafur which is metabolised to 5-fluorouracil (a.k.a. 5-FU) which has the following side effects: see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorouracil
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea (see below for details)
Mucositis
Headache
Hand-foot syndrome
Myelosuppression (see below for details)
Alopecia (hair loss)
Photosensitivity
Maculopapular eruption
Itch
Cardiotoxicity (see below for details)
Persistent hiccups[18]
Mood disorders (irritability, anxiety, depression)

"Diarrhea is severe and may be dose-limiting and is exacerbated by co-treatment with calcium folinate."

Note the "Hand-foot syndrome" which has these symptoms: reddening, swelling, numbness and desquamation (skin sloughing or peeling).

I did have 5-FU as part of my chemo via infusion and it is very tough on the body especially the nerves and senses such as feeling, taste, hearing and activities such as swallowing. I had severe balance issues as well.

Non-technically, I've heard it described as a poison which affects everything in the body in an attempt to kill off the weaker cancer cells. The healthy cells get beat up and recover, the cancer cells die.

I'm thinking your medical team should be informed of these symptoms ASAP if they are particularly severe.

Hope this helps!

Hi there,
Thank you so much for taking the trouble to research for me. We got my dad admitted yesterday as his diahrrea has not stopped. His stool is liquidity and he can't even eat. He seems to be better today. The oncologist is monitoring and took stool sample as well. Hopefully, his condition will continue to improve. I believe he is also going through some depression.