Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

Hi @nelliekittyhaven, this must be frustrating to be limited in your movements and activities due to frequent bowel movements. While 10 months may seem like a long time, our GI track can take a while to adjust. The bowel movement experiences vary dramatically post surgery for diverticulitis. Some people deal with constipation, others diarrhea. I've had stress without surgery lead to a prolonged period like the frequent soft stools you describe.

Here's a short list of similar discussions that illustrate the various experiences:
- Small Bowel/Ileocecal Valve Resection: 10 months post-op and no relief https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/small-bowelileocecal-valve-resection-10-months-post-op-and-no-relief/
– Colon Resection for Diverticulitis and Chronic Constipation
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/colon-resection-for-diverticulitis-and-chronic-constipation/
You may also wish to connect with members in this related discussion:
– Seeking support for recovery from diverticulitis surgery
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/seeking-support-for-recovery-from-diverticulitis-surgery/
May I ask what your surgeon suggested to do? How are you doing today?
- – Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/three-months-after-colon-surgery/

I'm tagging a few fellow members, like @suziq52 @anniegk @ppat4pr @ono @blbanner @jlstjohn

Nellie, how are you doing now?

Try to wait it out. I had similar problem. Surgeon said nerve pain after 2 diff CT scans showed nothing. Now, 10.5 months post op, I get very occasional stabbing pain and I cancelled a pain specialist because I am fit and active and did not want to get dependent on drugs for the rest of my life. Mine was really bad at 3-5 months, but got tolerable. New normal that no one told me about.

I am eight weeks out from colon surgery and I have painful gas that moves around my lower body.

<p>Transanal flush post sigmoid colectomy for FREQUENT bm</p><p>I had 20 inches bowel resection sigmoid colectomy 10 months ago to remove a build up tissue blockage caused by repeated divirticulitis attacks. I currently have 9+ bm's a day- soft, not diarhea, just pencil like stool in the bowl. I wear a pad for leakage because if I dont use the bathroom about every 1.5-2 hours, I soil the pad. This is so frustrating to me because I am very active and athletic, and this has changed my life. The surgeon never mentioned this side effect. If I carry anything heavy or stress my body, I often have an accident. I rarely feel when I have soiled the pad, but if I feel the sensation to defecate, I usually only have 1-2 minutes to find a bathroom, or there is a disaster. I currently only eat 1 meal a day, but that doesnt seem to change anything, and have had gluten and lactose issues for a long time, so I am careful. Someone mentioned a transanal flush. Has anyone with my similar issue ever used this, and is it helpful?. I am a very fit 66 year old and cannot imagine tbe rest of my life being tethered to nearby bathroom facilities everywhere I go.</p>

Cholestyramine and Imodium together seem to work for me. I take the Imodium about every 3 to 5 days, depends on what I eat. Still can't get salads, my favorite! 🙁

Me too. Need to take Metamucil and movicol daily or else I don’t go. Anything you’ve found help?

Thank you for the reply, my doctor said it was because the nerves were severed that tells the brain to run to the bathroom and it will take sometime or maybe never for the brain to react.
The Imodium seems to work the best so far, it works for 3 to 5 days then back to accidents.
The hardest thing is not being active like I was prior to the operation.
It sure would have been nice to know all the problems that came with this operation.

I have similar issues and had been trying to live with the diarrhea without taking anything, the natural approach. It certainly wasn’t working for me. I started to take Imodium, which helps but there’s a rebound effect. My only advice is to try to eat small meals and listen to your body, just assume you will need to use the bathroom after every meal and snack and act accordingly. Take the time to take care of yourself. For right now and for a long time to come your body won’t be as it has been in the past. You will come to a new normal and it’s difficult but you may have to accept that change so you can move on with your life. Learn to listen to yourself and your needs and take care of yourself at this time in your life. Keep in touch with a proactive doctor who listens and has good suggestions for you. Reach out
to those who care about you. You will get better.

This is how I feel. It’s been right at a month but I think I have got acid reflux

Thanks for your reply.