Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

Hey @troyhenn22. when I posted that I was determined to stay positive. Fast forward to 2021 and I’m still determined to stay positive🥴 The saying “ignorance is bliss” has kept my attitude from faltering. I have learned a lot on how to eat,drink,exercise and sleep to keep my body healthy. It is a learning process, huh? Glad to hear u doing well. virgo52

i had bowel resection jan2019. ,2weeks after got wound infection , had vac pump for 6 weeks , now 1year 4 months still little twings x little sorness , so doc says 6weeks to 3 months /? bowels always good from day 3 and still good , But took me this time to recover ,,
good luck to all xx

Hello @angel1972

I would like to add my welcome to you as you have recently posted on Mayo Clinic Connect. As you know, we are not medical professionals, but patients like yourself, who seek to encourage others as we share our experiences with health problems.

I am sorry to hear about the chronic pain you are experiencing. Chronic pain can be tiring, whether you take pain meds or not. It is a very difficult problem for all of us to live with. I'm just wondering what type of doctors you have consulted about this pain. I'm guessing that maybe you've only consulted with GI doctors as the GI tests you have mentioned are all GI-related.

As you have not found any relief, I'm wondering if you have considered consulting with a pain specialist or perhaps a pain clinic? These are usually found in larger research hospitals like Mayo Clinic and/or university medical centers. Here is some information about Mayo's Pain Rehabilitation Center. https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/pain-rehabilitation-center/sections/overview/ovc-20481691.

If you read this website article you will see that they do help people with abdominal pain. Perhaps this might be a good option for you if nothing else has helped.

If you would like to make an appointment at one of Mayo Clinic's three locations, here is information about appointments, https://www.mayoclinic.org/appointments?

I would encourage you to check into a pain center at Mayo or in your own vicinity, if that is more convenient, and see if they can offer you more help. If you would like some information about members of Connect who have been helped at Mayo's pain rehab center here is a link to that discussion, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-pain-rehabilitation-program/

I hope that you find some relief from this problem. I look forward to hearing from you again. As you are able, will you post an update?

I had my total colectomy about 4 months ago. I also am getting those pains. My doctor prescribed gabapentin a medicine for nerve pain. I don't take it often but when I do the pain isn't so severe. You have to take it before bed because it does. make you drowsy. Not sure if that will work but you might want to ask your doctor if that might help. Hope you get some relief.

Hi @angel1972, and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You will see I moved your post to an ongoing discussion about pain after colon surgery. This is so you can connect with others like you that have been through similar situations.
Have you found anything at all that gives you some sense of relief?

Two years after surgery I have painful flare ups on my left side. CT scans and blood work always show no issues but I have a burning on my left side. It’s painful, the first time I felt it was about 3 weeks after surgery they said it was epiglottis appendigritis, fatty tissue tangled in nerves and with weight loss pain would stop. Two years later I still have pain even with weight loss. I’m frustrated with no answers anyone have similar issue? I’ve had colonoscopy, ct, mri, X-ray and bloodwork but no one can give me an answer. The only thing they give me is pain killers and muscle relaxers but all that does is knock me out.

Hello, was the bacterial infection the cause of the pain after surgery? thank you

That is what is holding me back from making an appointment. I have been vaccinated for covid19.

Hi I have Crohns disease diagnosed at age 12... I've experienced everything to do with IBD... Anything you ask but now I have one major problem.... I have bowel movements every hour about 20 per day... I always used to take loperimide and it helped but a few years ago I could not take it because it makes my small bowel cramp really badly... I'm waiting on a doctors appointment with mh surgeon recently I took a colonoscopy... It showed a obstruction... I'm on the public health system here in New Zealand and while it's free it takes a long time to get seen... If I was in USA my medical insurance would be too much for me to pay... I need something to slow my bowel down.... I feel like a baby and I need a nappy it gets kinda humiliated but I can't let it bother me.... I've heard of metamucil... I have a question and maybe you could help me understand if it could help? How does it feel? Does it slow your bowel without imodium? On other posts I've been listening and following so I guess I've decided to respond now.... I've had multiple comparative diagnosis so I ask anyone following this thread let's talk and see if we can help each other. God bless Martin

You may be having nerve pain. When your new colon is holding stool it can put pressure on nerves and if there was any nerve damage during surgery, it feels like a hot poker. I was having some really bad pain above my scar and mentioned it to my surgeon at our bi-monthly zoom office visit. He agreed that was probably it. He put me on a nerve pain med called Gabapeten. I used it for a few nights before bed and now I'm not having the pain. I still have alot of pills left so will hold on to them in case it comes back. I take just a teaspoon of Metamucil in the morning and before eating. Seems to help. Also I have loperaminde 2mg which is imodium that helps with loose stool. Good luck I hope you find some relief.