No Output from Colostomy - Need Help!

I had a permanent colostomy 5 days ago. No output whatsoever. Has anyone had this happen and how did you fix it? Dr sent me home with Dulcolax and Miralax but I'm thinking prune juice which is what helped before surgery. Anyone?

Hi. I have had 5 surgeries and I did not have any output for 7 or 8 days after each surgery. My colon does not like to be messed with and it goes to sleep after surgery. It just takes awhile for the colon to wake and get moving again. You should be fine. If you have any more concerns, I will be happy to share my experiences with you. Take care.

Hello keepers51. It took a week or so for me to have output after my surgery, (Colostomy) in spite of the laxatives. After that I went to the stoma  nurse and she poked around a bit. She said I had a blockage  and she physically loosened it so that it passed through the stoma. I continued to have problems with hardened stools at the stoma end but, having been shown how to shift them I wasn't too worried. Nowadays, (years later) the output still hardens towards the stoma end and this (I believe) is down to the process of the liquid being absorbed through the colon walls more quickly there.  My own problems have been resolved by irrigation (daily)  However, it is now obvious that the stools are harder nearer to the stoma because the irrigation process expels the output in an order of hard- soft then liquid everyday.

I don't know if my re[ly is of any use to you in your own situation But I thought I would chip in anyway.

PLease note that I found my original solution via the stoma nurse. 

Best wishes

Bill

Dr. kept me in the hospital until I had output. I was using Laxaday but do not need it anymore.

Hi all, I was told to chew gum and drink fruit juice to wake up my ostomy after I had surgery. Good luck.

How to Stay Hydrated with an Ostomy with Collin | Hollister

I had almost no output for a week after surgery. I too, think this is normal but would keep a close watch on it.

Pup

We probably don't think about it but  there's around 5 feet of large intestine for stool to travel before it exited the old way.  Don't know how much of your colon was removed but there'se still a significant distance to travel.  Not sure if it moves that quickly except when the big D attacts.

Mike

You need to understand how the bowel works. It knows to squeeze because the part before it just did it. If the surgeon has to man-handle your bowel that's like throwing a rock in a pond. The ripple goes both ways. Now throw two rocks in and see how the ripples interact. Now imagine that's your bowel playing digestion slinky! I've never had a resection where they tried to give you food within two days and even then; you can't go home until you've had a BM.

I've had surgery in three separate states and that's been the protocol each time.

Dave

Ha! I had output within a day of surgery. Too much of it, if you see what I mean... I would be slightly worried that the longer it waited, the harder it would be to pass.

Hope everything settles down soon - best of luck!

Thanks to everyone for their reply. Output did begin on the eighth day. This is now four months after receiving my colostomy. With hundreds of hours of research on the internet and my own experimentation, I have begun to feel more confident I will be able to exist confidently with my stoma. For me, I have not had problems with the appliance leaking but once. That occasion was a result of pancaking causing pressure over the stoma. Pancaking is a real challenge to correct, but I have been able to get pretty good correction with diet control. Diet and preparation of the bag are key. And application of lubrication has so far corrected my problems.

Thanks for sharing your good news, keepers.

Mike

So happy for you Keepers. I have used many different lubrications. All seem to work well enough. I do irrigate now so really don't need any lubrication. But the Adapt does work as well as smells good! I say the cheapest and easiest that works is always best! I use store brand KY jelly. (Don't go there Bob, I know you are thinking about it) haha

Take care,

Puppy

Thanks for the reply. No, won't go there. Never have owned, used or touched the stuff, only heard the many stories. How do you get the KY inside the whole surface of the bag?

Hello again, Puppyluv. I received a notification that you replied to my question about KY inside the bag. But looking in my inbox, it is empty. Guess I don't understand how to receive messages. Although it has worked in the past. But thank you.

Regards,

Bob (keepers51)

Weird Bob, I can see the reply. Strange things happen sometimes on this site. It will mysteriously appear again! Lol Just wait a day! Lol

Puppy