Problems months after colon resection surgery: What Helps?

Posted by joyce1 @joyce1, Feb 25, 2017

Three months after colon resection I had a severe stomach cramp this morning and have not had a bowel movement yet. This is the first time this has happened. So far things have been good.

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@kanaazpereira

Welcome to Connect, @adrianspa and @josita19. You’ve shared some great insights – thank you so much!

@adrianspa, peppermint tea may have some health benefits. The tea itself has not been studied enough to make any scientific conclusions, but peppermint extracts have. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peppermint-tea
However, although mint tea can help some digestive conditions, like indigestion and gas, it may hurt others, such as heartburn due to gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275944.php

@josita19, your doctor could be right about scar tissue. We have several discussions about the complications of scar tissue, which might interest you, @tracy430 @idkaren and others in this group:
– Severe Bloating and Distention https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/severe-bloating-and-distention/
– Tips for managing chronic Small Bowel Obstructions https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-for-managing-chronic-small-bowel-obstructions/

How do you cope with or manage the pain, @josita?
@adrianspa, how often do you drink the tea during the day? Could you tell me a little more about eating papaya in the morning, as you mentioned?

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Josita:
I know after stared solid food I get sharp pain and.burning my lower pelvic side. And I have ready my peppermint tea and drink with my small meals. After Breakfast lunch and dinner. I don't take anymore tramadol. First when I weak up a warm water with one squeeze lkey lime.
Waiting 30 and eat breakfast. Around 10am you blender papaya and Kefir yougurt to put good bacteria in your colon. You drink one cup a day only. I belive pain comes when I starting eating crunchy foods or beans. The skin on those beans after digest are painfull. So big NO for beans for now. And no more constipation or pain. Today are 3 months after my surgery.
I hope this info can help you too.

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Welcome to Connect, @adrianspa and @josita19. You’ve shared some great insights – thank you so much!

@adrianspa, peppermint tea may have some health benefits. The tea itself has not been studied enough to make any scientific conclusions, but peppermint extracts have. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peppermint-tea
However, although mint tea can help some digestive conditions, like indigestion and gas, it may hurt others, such as heartburn due to gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275944.php

@josita19, your doctor could be right about scar tissue. We have several discussions about the complications of scar tissue, which might interest you, @tracy430 @idkaren and others in this group:
– Severe Bloating and Distention https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/severe-bloating-and-distention/
– Tips for managing chronic Small Bowel Obstructions https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tips-for-managing-chronic-small-bowel-obstructions/

How do you cope with or manage the pain, @josita?
@adrianspa, how often do you drink the tea during the day? Could you tell me a little more about eating papaya in the morning, as you mentioned?

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@idkaren

Tracy I am starting to regret my surgery also. I know I needed it but I am in more pain than before resection

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Hi everyone, I’ve had 2 colon resection surgeries recently, one in 2016, the other in 2017 after a routine colonoscopy detected carcinoid tumors (one each year) in the terminal ileum area of small intestine. Surgeries and recoveries went smoothly but after several months I had sharp pains off and on, in same area.
My doctor says the scar tissue can cause pain. Also, hernias can develop easily after surgeries. I have one in the navel button area and it hurts sometimes, especially if pant waistbands are snug. I had laperascopic surgery, but the cut in navel area is a tad larger than the other 2 smaller incisions. I believe having incisions in that same spot weakened it and it herniated. So, repeated incisions and scarring could be causing your pain...I would follow up.
I hope that helped, Good Luck!
Josie

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@idkaren

I had colon resection..laparoscopic AND open due to adhesions on Jan 4. I thought I was healing great. But now it has been 8 weeks and I have hot pains all across lower abdomen and stabbing pain where surgery was. I just had a THIRD cat scan and they say EVERYTHING looks fine...but I HURT and I BURN. I am SO frustrated!

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On 1/25 was my Sigmoid resection. When I got the same symptom you mention a old Grandma from a Family friends told me to Drink
Organic Peppermint tea, this will help me improve my digestion and strong spasms gone. all people who has this surgery ending with gastrointestinal spasms, pain and inflammation, It was a bless in my life drink this tea. I buy caffeine free Organic Peppermint from Traditional Medicinals. Also works amazing when people as irritable Bowel Syndrome. For my Constipation I eat PAPAYA early morning and next a cup of Lemon warm water and my digestive system change amazing now.

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@idkaren

They removed 10 inches of my SIGMOID COLON. I had a CT scan in Dec to figure out my pain.one when I went in the hospital Jan 2 and one Dr 20 to see if there is a reason for my pain. I have been radiated for sure😆

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I have had two CTs since my surgery due to pain. They couldn't find anything either.

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@travelgirl

@idkaren what part of your colon did they remove and how much?
How many ct scans have they given you? How is your blood work since surgery?

They removed my cecum. The large sack like portion that the appendix dangled from .. I know the secum was responsible for pulling certain vitamins and liquids from the food. So some foods now process differently..

Different parts of the colon all offers different ways to process food..

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They removed 10 inches of my SIGMOID COLON. I had a CT scan in Dec to figure out my pain.one when I went in the hospital Jan 2 and one Dr 20 to see if there is a reason for my pain. I have been radiated for sure😆

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@idkaren

Thank you. No my Dr has not advised me of AMYTHING.. it's like I did your surgery..your CT scan is normal...go away. I have had two UTI since my surgery and I am seeing a urologist wed to check that out. Right now I am VERY discouraged!

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That's exactly how surgeons react to complications that don't involve the surgery. Mine told me that I'm healthy and recovering well. I'm not.

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@travelgirl

@tracey430 Probably the best way to describe the issues would be after eating. It was like food didn't agree with my body. My stomach would swell up with gas after eating. My right side ached a lot. Like I was having a gallbladder attack. But my gallbladder was fine.

Sometimes i would eat food and with in 20 minutes I was on the toilet with diarrhea. Then I would feel sick..

Eat small meals if you can .. Stay away from processed food. Processed, soft cheeses, spicy and creamy foods kill me. Coffee and sodas are now a big No.
Keep track of what you are eating to see what causes you to feel pain. Cause I could normally eat in the past made me feel sick after surgery.

It took a long time to heal. I am not sure how old you are but the I can tell you at 53, it took like I said over 2 yrs to get back to normal.

I think being anxious after having the surgery didn't help either. The unknown of what was to come? Could also of messed with my body.
Cause I obsessed over what had just happened to my body. That didn't help I don't think?
Plus I kept reading everything online making myself even more freaked out. Online you tend to see the most severe cases of everything mentioned
When I played DR. Google it magnified my symptoms.

I hope this helps you?

Try keeping track of how you feel after eating. Is that when you feel the pain?

Jackie

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This helped a lot. I've been severely constipated since the surgery. I have no urge to go without laxatives. I was prescribed LInzess and told to take Milk of Magnesia when I need it. I need it at least every three days. I get horrible stomach pain that feels like trapped gas. I can't eat when this happens and I've lost a lot of weight. Sometimes it happens before I eat, at times after. Gas-X helps, but the pain leaves me afraid to eat anything.

I was told my surgery would "give me my life back" and that I would be able to eat what I wanted. So far, that's definitely not the case. I also obsess over this and spend way too much time online trying to diagnose myself. I expected my body to have changed after the surgery, but I didn't expect chronic constipation and abdominal pain.

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@idkaren what part of your colon did they remove and how much?
How many ct scans have they given you? How is your blood work since surgery?

They removed my cecum. The large sack like portion that the appendix dangled from .. I know the secum was responsible for pulling certain vitamins and liquids from the food. So some foods now process differently..

Different parts of the colon all offers different ways to process food..

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@travelgirl

@idkaren . I also went to see a dietician too. I had her research why illnesses and she helped with which foods to eat and those not too.
Many of the foods in my normal diet. Like hot peppers. Aggravated the issues..
Did your dr give you foods not to eat for awhile and slowly introduce back in your diet?

Asparagus did not settle well in my system. Now I can it.. I notice beets take awhile to digest now. When before surgery I never had an issue..

But do let your dr know about the issues after eating. Keep a log of your foods..

Wishing you the best. It takes time to heal. So don't panic..
Jackie

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Thank you. No my Dr has not advised me of AMYTHING.. it's like I did your surgery..your CT scan is normal...go away. I have had two UTI since my surgery and I am seeing a urologist wed to check that out. Right now I am VERY discouraged!

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