Pain and Blockages with Stoma - Seeking Advice and Support

Hi all, well I've had my (Eric) stoma. I had a full one with a stump left, if you get what I mean. Since Feb last year, it's been a real tough year. And this year, I've had 2 blockages in less than 2 months.
I mean, I eat all the right stuff and drink plenty. I had real bad pain the other day for 24 hours. I was sick and the pain got really great. I went to the hospital to be told by the X-ray dept DCS that no blockage was seen on X-ray. So, I got discharged the next day after being in for a day. They said to me blockages and pain are what I need to get used to and gave me painkillers. Well, what I need to know from other people is:

a) When you start getting pain from behind your stoma and it's only pure liquid coming out or nothing is coming out and you're in pain, when do you say enough is enough and go to the hospital?

b) How do I avoid keep getting blockages? I eat the right stuff, okay? My stress levels are huge at the moment. Surely it's not the stress that's doing it, but I just keep going and trying my best to get through the day.

c) I have a hernia just above my stoma, and my stoma nurse says it's not a good idea to get it fixed because normally it doesn't do much. And as I've only had my stoma for a year, they don't recommend it. I'm waiting for support to help with it, but the bulge is big and people notice my stoma, which seems to put females off big time when it comes to dating or dining with someone special ;(

So finally,
D) If there's anyone out there that likes my profile, feel free to mail me. LOL. Because trying to meet women when you have a stoma seems to be at a dead loss ;(

Would love to hear people's comments.

From Tall Geoff

Hey dude.
I understand about the female thing. Don't feel bad, you aren't the only one that is finding out about the bag and girls don't match up. I too have had my little friend for over a year now and it is a permanent friend. Now, with the pain meds, there is a drawback to them. It causes harder stools and can lead to a blockage. Here in the US, we have like 14 states that approve medical marijuana. Maybe that would work better for pain than the pills. Sorry, can't be much help. Good luck and better health to you.

Hi Geoff (and Eric),

It could be that you have a slight twist/kink in your small intestine or an area that is smaller/narrower. So foods, when they reach that area, cause pain. That's why the x-ray wouldn't show anything ... others, correct me if I'm wrong ... but a food blockage would show up, the twist/kink/narrow spot wouldn't.

Are you remembering to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew? If you have a touchy intestine, it will be all the more important that by the time you swallow, the food should be real mush -- absolutely no chunks or bits. Toothpaste or looser consistency. Ask me how I know!

Give the food chewing a try. If you still have the pain ... keep at the docs and even maybe revisit the surgeon.

2nd on watching the pain meds ... they can be so constipating (and addictive sometimes).

All the best.

Hi, welcome. I am a nurse, not an ostomy nurse, but I have an ileostomy and know all about food blockage. I have had them several times, and I do know that hernias can cause blockage. I would recommend speaking to a surgeon or a good internal medicine specialist for another option. It just seems reasonable to me that repairing a hernia could help prevent the blockage.

Hope things get better. Mine did with time.

Eddie

Hi there Tall Geoff, after having 3 surgeries in three months and waking up the third time with an ileostomy, the beginning of a lot of trial and error but within the first year I started getting really sick and copious vomiting that was green and really sickening. So one of the local surgeons said "I can fix this for you Ed, but it means another surgery," at that time I didn't care, just make this go away, and true to his word I've never had a blockage since and I really push my diet, (what diet) to the limits, I never did find out exactly what he did but I think I remember something about a kink in the ilium but the surgery was a cut from groin to breast bone, somewhere along the line I developed some nerve damage, probably from two earlier spinal surgeries, it was a case of instant pain down from hip to tip of my toes, so for over two years I have managed to cope with the help of some mighty fine drugs. I think you got some mighty fine replies from Eddie and Beatrice, and I agree with them, so haul your ass back to a surgeon and see if you can get some answers, and we hope the best for you , Ed

My Ostomy Journey: Ryan | Hollister

Hi Geoff

I have 'blockages' about every 3 months where I am impacted in my colon beyond my ileostomy - They damn well hurt! I generally go to A&E, get a good dose of morphine and cyclizine to stop me being sick and am generally okay the next day if a bit tender ....

I think that my blockages are due to the mega hernia I have, so yes, I would say it does have an impact (though my plumbing is slightly different to most!), a bit of support is a good idea and will help to disguise it a little too....

Stress - yup, I would say that it does have an effect (sorry!) I also have Fibromyalgia and whenever my stress levels increase, so does my pain in my muscles including my abdomen ... if stressed your body is in 'flight or fight' mode so it is ready to respond to the next threat. It is not easy to get rid of stressors I know, but I am convinced it has an impact...

Could maybe also have some surgical adhesions which may be causing a problem?

You say you eat the right stuff - does that mean you are eating high fiber and a healthy diet as in your 5 a day etc??

Saying that 'you will have blockages, get used to it and the pain,' to me is worthy of a complaint!

Hope that helps a bit?

Rach xx

Many of us here suffer blockages from time to time, and some of us have found ways to avoid them. My first blockage (after five months from the major surgery) was caused by stray loose tissue (or something of that nature) that gathered at and around the stoma site. As mine was an emergency operation, things like that occur. My doctor reluctantly had to open the site again and remove more of my colon, and re-attach it. Not saying that is what may have happened in your case though. Even I still had a couple blockages afterward because I didn't adhere to any sort of diet (like not eating a lot of popcorn, not chewing good enough, and not eating large chunks of thick beef).

I have since been able to control any onset, or potential onset of blockages (knock on wood, still). It is important that if you feel like something like that is trying to happen (and you will know), you should try some of the things mentioned on this site (stooping with your knees to your chest for a moment, drinking only a nutritious liquid or soft diet for a couple days, sitting in a tub of nice warm water to ease your stomach muscles and to relieve stress, drinking tea or grapefruit juice without the pulp, etc). You probably should not take pain medication as pointed out here (causes slow motility and constipation), and maybe relax to some soft classical music on occasion (it helps me anyway).

It may sound ridiculous to some, but we have ways to control what our bodies do (to some degree), and each and every one of us have the ability to figure out what level of control we actually have.

Good luck to you and (Eric)

I have an ileus and a colostomy. It was a big shock to find out my good eating habits were making me sick. I loved raw vegetables and fruits. I found my solution—a HealthMaster—a whopping big blender (?) that I bought off a TV infomercial. That thing could blend cement.
I drink my raw stuff now and no problems with blockage since.

I have a massive hernia too—I would look pregnant if it was more centered. No answers here—I don't know what to do either. I would widen my circle of friends—the gals you have been seeing sound like a real shallow bunch. The kind of woman really worth your time will not care about the hernia. That sounds trite but it is true. Keep looking.

I hope this helps a little—God bless—you are not alone.

Hi, women seem to be put off by a stoma. I can't seem to meet anyone who understands. It would be nice to hear from someone who is also experiencing these things.

Hi Tall Geoff - I thought you had met someone nice - what happened to that?

I've only had one blockage since my colostomy 2/09, and that came from fresh pineapple. I had to irrigate all day to get it to flow. At the time my surgeon recommended going on a daily stool softener. I didn't need to do that (just stayed away from pineapple!) - but maybe it would help you, especially if you are on pain meds.

Hi Tall Geoff.

I know what the pain is you're on about, I experienced my first blockage beginning of Oct.... It wasn't very comfortable. At first, I knew something wasn't right, my husband called the hospital to see if there is anything to do or if we should come in, etc. They told us to wait it out, if I got worse or vomited then to come into ED asap. Well, I had stuff all sleep that night, my stoma output was nothing overnight, the next day I was in tears. I didn't move out of bed by the time my husband arrived home from work, he put me in the car and I was admitted into the hospital straight away. The x-ray showed a block just before the stoma, my surgeon wanted me to be kept in the hospital overnight for observations but I refused as my stoma output was starting to work again. Biggest mistake I ever made as I was back in the hospital again the following day. I know what caused mine, so I'm never going to be eating an orange again any time soon. I'm in the process of post-op still but also preparing myself for another surgery beginning of Dec. I am sorry that you're not having any luck with the ladies, but give it time, some of us can be really understanding and I am lucky to have a man that stuck by me the entire time.

Hope you feel better soon.

Brooke =)

I'm lying on my couch as I write, waiting for a particularly bad blockage to clear.
Mine is due to my hernia repair in March. We think that the mesh has shrunk, squeezing my intestine partly shut, so that my poop builds up behind it. At times, my output is like a thin ribbon.
My surgeon told me to use a stool softener daily until the revision surgery is done on the 15th of December.
So until then, I'm in a constant state of blockage, just the severity varies.
But Panadol usually keeps the pain to a minimum.

I was wondering since you're a nurse and all my doctors are too busy right now. I just had an emergency ileostomy four weeks ago and now I have a really sore lump about 3 inches above my stoma and getting blood like half an ounce a day from my butt that started two weeks ago. Think I should go to the emergency? Probably, but I hate the 10-hour wait, so I just need an opinion.

I would go to the emergency room, it doesn't hurt to get it double checked. Yes, it's a long wait, but maybe not if you tell them you are recently out of surgery. It is also peace of mind.