Need advice for ileostomy blockage at home

Hi,

It's been a long while since I have posted. I have an ileostomy and may possibly have a blockage going on. Please remind me of what to do at home to try to get beyond it. Thanks

Drink a big glass of water. Walk around, sometimes just movement can get things going. If that doesn't do anything, lie down, use gentle pressure with your fingers, pushing all around your stoma, use a hot water bottle, or heating pad to warm the area. If still no action, drink a warm bottle of Coke, full sugar, not the sugar-free stuff. Just a small bottle, 8-10 ounces I think they are, should be enough. That has always worked quite quickly for me. Good luck and let us know how things go!

Terry

...and if what Terry suggests doesn't work, I find that milk or ice cream gets me loose.

Hi there, I hope you're better now. I have had 2 blockages in 2 years, and I know it's not very pleasant and a bit alarming. On both occasions, I tried all the aforementioned exercises and warm bottles and baths. What worked for me was fizzy juice. It was Pepsi one time and Fanta another. That was just because that's all that was available at the time. The first time, I had 4 cans over the space of an hour, and I could hear and feel all the gas bubbling around inside. Indeed, the gas was the first to exit before the blockage began to clear. I am not sure if that was too much juice, but it worked for me. I hope you are sorted soon.

I eat a spoonful of frozen grape juice concentrate... works immediately.

How to Adjust to Life with an Ostomy with Bruce | Hollister

Good to know.

Thanks everyone for caring:) I knew and used a lot of the suggestions mentioned, but there were a couple of new ones I will add to my "tool bag". I had a rough few hours. It was bad enough that my old trick of drinking hot liquids (aka coffee) did not work as usual, but did induce vomiting. I was debating going to the ER because of possible dehydration, but in the end all is clear and working again. Because my stoma is in the odd place of in the middle of my abdomen, between waist and pubes, a heating pad is difficult to employ. Instead, I opted to lay on it and wrap the end of it over one side of the abdomen, then the other. I believe that the problem may have come about from not staying conscientious on my fluid intake. Plus, I have just started a prescribed detox and have now decided that one of the pills will not be necessary in my case. So many don't understand how people with an ileostomy function differently:)

So glad things worked out for you! Lesson to self, I guess, keep up that fluid intake! I'm pretty sure it's what got me in trouble one time, and I did end up in the hospital. I'm pretty conscientious about it now!

Terry