I feel like my body has been invaded by terroristic aliens. I can feel expanding and contractions, bubbles bursting, cramping…. I would like to know will I ever go back to feeling blissfully unaware of my intestines. How long after reversal surgery will that happen if ever. Please answer honestly.
Thank you
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How long ago was your takedown? For me it took a year for my intestines to calm down and stop the spasms. The body does adjust but it takes time
We are so lucky they dont have nerve endings that can cause pain, because the pain of the ileostomy and now would be so much worse.
Am in agreement with Kurtis. I think it took about a year for the cramping, noises and churning to stop. I can recall riding in the car and every time we went over a chuck hole or bump, I'd wince in pain because of the jostling. It did calm way down after that first year and didn't require any thought throughout the day, nor did it bother me. -- Rose --
Thank you all.
I am 11 months post take down hopefully it will settle down soon. It really bothers me most when I go to bed at night it just gets all active and won’t let me sleep even though I don’t eat after 6pm. Any suggestions on how to quiet down the gut activity at night please share. I having such a hard time falling asleep, don’t want to take sleep meds everyday.
Worried every thing has taken my body twice as long to heal as normal so I am concerned it’s going to be another year but sure hope not. I am also still dealing with and open ostomy wound site that had been treated by wound care specialist unsuccessfully and revised once by colon surgeon once but still not healed up so now getting ready for another wound revision. Ongoing nightmare, so sick of it all. Thanks for letting me vent.
You’re still early in the game! I would try the meta mucil wafers if you have not yet! Does wonders for me. I take one package when I first wake up before anything and one in the afternoon. I also only take 2-3 Imodiums a day. That’s down from 8-10 Imodium just 7 months ago. Part of the overload on Imodium was trying to get my fistula repair to heal after 6 months. Anyways next month makes 2 years since my takedown, so hang in there! It was not fun the first year and half but it was all worth it now
You might try taking a couple of Loperamide capsules/tablets before bed to see if those will slow or calm the gut action. --Rose--
A small, fatty meal (e.g. a spoonful of peanut butter) at bedtime might slow the gut down for you. It may be worth a try.
I also take no bowel slower during the day, but I do take Lomotil at bedtime, when I most want the gut to slow down.
@Brigitte posted:Thank you all.
I am 11 months post take down hopefully it will settle down soon. It really bothers me most when I go to bed at night it just gets all active and won’t let me sleep even though I don’t eat after 6pm. Any suggestions on how to quiet down the gut activity at night please share. I having such a hard time falling asleep, don’t want to take sleep meds everyday.
Worried every thing has taken my body twice as long to heal as normal so I am concerned it’s going to be another year but sure hope not. I am also still dealing with and open ostomy wound site that had been treated by wound care specialist unsuccessfully and revised once by colon surgeon once but still not healed up so now getting ready for another wound revision. Ongoing nightmare, so sick of it all. Thanks for letting me vent.
I believe that vitamin c helped me alot to heal.I take a 1000mg tablet with echinacea 5 days a week.I remember my surgeon looked so pleased when he saw how well my ileostomy wound had healed.they left the wound open with a drawstring like stitch to let it drain and it closed within a month.
Hi Brigitte,
I so understand your feelings. I was/am a lifelong IBS/IPS sufferer. I have never known a time in my life where I was/am unaware of my bowels. ☹️
Nowadays I cope with this pouch by taking Imodium at breakfast, dinner and bedtime.
my pouch is quiet from the morning until the late afternoon as the first meal of the day has transited thru my system.
eating no later than 6 PM has also allowed me to sleep thru the night as my last BM is typically at 1 am.
I think you will find a lot of the tips/suggestions useful. It took months for my body to adjust and for me to figure out the food, medicines and schedule that worked best me.
I take gas-x before bedtime, and that helped a great deal.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention gas-x. I take it three times daily and it has eliminated 95%+ of my gas.
When I first had my takedown I thought of the movie Gremlins.as there were rules to follow like not eating after a certain time or certain foods or else the calm mogwai jpouch became full of gremlins.
