Hello,

I had my td done jan 30. Once I woke up I was surprised to find that my stools are soft but formed. I was under the impression that the problem would be holding it but I find myself straining to go which causes alot of discomfort.
Is there away to avoid this to make passing easier? With immodium it almost feels like I am constipated at times but if I don't take immodium I go in small sputs 20 times a day. Even with immodium taking about eight pills I am going about 15 times. Many times these are very small movements to large amounts of gas.
The gas leads me to ask this also: Will there be a time when I can pass gas without feeling the urge to move my bowels? I can't tell the difference and many times when I sit and pass gas I'll pass a very small amount of fecal matter.

C

It took me quite awhile to distinguish between just needing to pass gas and/or having to pass stool. So.....until you're sure of the difference in signals, be prepared by going to the toilet! I find gas very helpful in pushing stool out of the pouch and subsequently out of me! When I don't have gas, I don't feel as empty!

C-Bread, have you been checked by your GI or surgeon for a stricture? A simple digital examination should tell them if you have. When I needed dilating I had the same symptoms as you.

If that isn't the case then perhaps drinking more water might just help soften the stool without giving the dreaded butt burn or itch.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Shell

C-Bread:

I still have the same reaction when I take Immodium and I had my TD is Sept 2005. You are still quite soon out of TD and your body has much to learn with regard to the is it gas or stool question. Over time you will learn to fairly well distinguish between the two.

I think Shell is right you might want to check with your Doc to make certain nothing is brewing in there.

Good luck with your continued recovery.

Thanks for the advice.

How soon should I insist that my doc take a look. Because I had pain before surgery they said they took good looks at everything and that I was good to go. Would any strictures or other problems manifest themselves so soon after surgery and beginning go again?

C

I seem to be having a similar problem, I seem to be straining to empty my pouch 50% of the time and my butt is throbbing by the end of each day.
I just finished a round of Cipro and while I was on it things calmed down, I'll be calling my doc tomorrow and informing him and hopefully he'll have some answers, I'll keep you informed.

Donagh

C,

I find that immodium and lomotil slow things down enough that I empty like you are describing if I don't eat fiber with my meals. If I eat fiber with my meals, it really helps to form the stool and to move it through without the strain and little spurts.

Gas... good luck with that. I read where 80% of people can supposedly distinguish between gas and stool after a year. I find that even if I can distinguish between the two, there is rarely only gas there so I don't fart much outside of the bathroom.

With probiotic supplements, I find that my gas is kept at a minimum (except for times when I get an intestinal bug of some sort) and I don't have many days like you describe of going to the BR because of all the gas - though I still have those days occasionally.

You could have strictures, or even pouchitis too causing emptying problems. But it seems to me you would want to try fiber and/or cutting back on the immodium first. Or, if the doc can't find anything - you can try those things after.

If you are having to strain to pass soft, formed stools, I'd check for a stricture. They can be missed if there has been no digital exam. Be careful with the straining; you can cause pouch prolapse this way.

Jan

C-Bread,
Okay so I talked with my surgeon yesterday and he wants to dialate my pouch opening as he thinks this could be the cause and to be safe he placed me on another round of cipro, I forgot to ask why.
He didn't think my problem is from a stricture as he had to dialate me when the did the take down a month ago. I will be meeting with him on Monday to review the procedure, I'm hoping this is just day surgery but I'm unsure.

I'll keep you posted on my progress,
Donagh

It is not too uncommon for strictures to reform and a month is not too soon. Sometimes I think surgeons overestimate the effectiveness of their treatment.

Jan