Feeling Pressure with an Ostomy: Is This Normal?

Why do I feel pressure like I have to go to the bathroom as usual, but have an ostomy?

What type of ostomy do you have? Do you have any colon left?

Hi Jallan1,

How long have you had an ostomy? You will have mucus discharge from your rectum from time to time (unless you have a Barbie butt). This is normal. You might have some gas too until the bacteria in your rectal stump die off.

I sometimes feel the "rectal urge" when my stoma is pushing output into my bag, but nothing exits the rectum. Our bodies are still adjusting to the ostomy. Healing takes time. It was 6 months post-op until I felt somewhat normal again.

There could be 2 reasons. Like Crappycolondiaries was thinking, if you have a rectum, you will have continued periodic discharge and will occasionally pass something. If you do not have a rectum, then it is a phantom rectal syndrome, assuming no radiation or malignancy.

Phantom syndrome is for me too!

I literally don't have a bladder anymore, but sometimes I feel the need to go pee, ahahahha.

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

This is probably normal mucous discharge, and urgency will lessen with time and go away. Read below:

https://www.meetanostomate.org/discussion-forum/viewtopic.php?t=29731

Daniel

I'm only a few with my stoma, mucus I have been told is normal and will settle. I get massive urges to want to sit on the toilet and poo even though I know nothing is coming from that area anymore. I've been told it's normal; it's like if you lose a limb, people who have will tell you they still feel it there.

It will lessen. For the first three months or so, I had urges and even a couple of accidents to where I wore adult diapers when I slept. That went away after the first three months. I still get minor urges, but the mucous output has lessened to where I only pass some every two to three days or more. However, there is a minor seepage to where I often have to wipe it clean when I empty my bag. I have an ileostomy, so emptying is a very frequent activity. :-)

Daniel

I also have mucous discharge from time to time. It feels like I need to have a full BM, but just little blobs come out. Some days it's often, and then sometimes a week will go by without the urge. My doctor joked, "Now you know I reconnected you properly!"