My colostomy is 8 days old!
I keep getting a lot of pressure in my stomach. Mona (stoma name) is very, very windy! I am taking 3 Laxido drinks a day as I suffer from slow transit. Just wondering if anyone else has had this?
The only thing Mona has produced is yellow liquid even though I have started adding some carbs back into my diet!
You have liquidy output and you are taking a laxative? I'm by no means an expert, but it sounds like your system is all cleaned out and all you're doing is keeping your system basically empty by pumping laxatives into yourself daily.
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No no no, I don't mean like a full-on bag of liquid. I mean, I have eaten normally for the past 2 days and all I have passed is about 2 tbsp of yellow liquid.
Oh, that makes a difference. I can go nearly 2 days without any output sometimes. I just hate seeing people take a bunch of medicine if it's really not needed. Your ostomy is so new and healing, I'd hate to see you taking stuff if it's just your system healing and no real issue.
Oh no, I wouldn't take it for the sake of it! I've taken laxatives for the last 3 years due to colonic dysmotility. My surgeon and colorectal doctor put me on the Laxido as they don't want my colon completely dependent on it. Since having the colostomy 8 days ago, I haven't once filled a bag past a quarter. But obviously, now I'm eating more regularly and I'm getting pressure in my stoma, it's a bit daunting.
Hello Ashtonleigh, I also have a colostomy from rectal cancer. I experienced decreased output as you did until I talked with several people in my support group. Everyone there highly recommended building up my gastric flora. The suggestion was eating sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) with spinach salad every evening in the dinner meal. Do this for 3-4 months regularly, then occasionally. This will feed your probiotics in your intestines and help your digestive output. I also highly recommend drinking at least 3-4 glasses per day. You really need to sip on the water throughout the day. If you drink a full glass all at once, you will flush out your intestines, leading to decreased absorption of nutrients. The choice is yours, but this works very well for me.
If you do need a laxative, I recommend Miralax, but I have not needed that once I started my fermented cabbage and water treatment.
Best of luck.
Do
Hi Ashton, are you seeing any improvement yet? It does seem like a long time without much output, and if you are also experiencing discomfort (pressure), I'm wondering if you are not experiencing the same dysfunction of your bowel that you had prior to surgery. You and I have such a similar history, and it wasn't until after my colostomy, when the doctors realized that my colon was still not functioning the way it should, that it was recommended that I get an ileostomy. I'm wondering why your doctors thought your colon would function properly after a colostomy. Was the option of an ileostomy discussed at all? I think you should be talking to your ostomy nurse or surgeon. The day I got my ileostomy was the first day in many years that I did not have to use any kind of laxative, and I still have not needed anything. I just have to drink lots of water, but being free of laxatives and having good normal output has been wonderful. Can you reach out to a nurse or doctor?
Terry
Hello, sorry, just seen this reply. What a day! My stoma has been functioning properly today! Nine days post-op and it's finally producing genuine output! The stoma nurse and surgeon still want me to take 3 Laxido drinks a day. If I start with blockages and constipation from the stoma, that's when the ileostomy is required. They just wanted to give it a go first with the colostomy to try to save having any of my bowel removed, with me only being 24x.
Oh, that is such good news!! And it sounds like your doctors are on it, excellent!
