I've had a colostomy for 4 years. For the last year, it fluctuates between no output and having diarrhea! When constipated, I get painful moving lumps around the stoma that the consultant says are unpassed stool and to take laxatives! I did this last week because the pain was terrible, and boy, did they work! 2 Laxido, and I had diarrhea very badly for 3 days! Then I had to take Loperamide, and now I've had no output for 5 days! It's just a vicious circle! Does anyone else suffer from this sort of thing, please?
Hamsterly
Sep 19, 2025 6:08 am
Justbreathe
Sep 19, 2025 11:00 am
Ileostomy here….I find a daily dose of psyllium fiber powder, the same as Metamucil, keeps output more consistent….Initially, the doc suggested this; however, early on in my journey, 5 years ago, my emergency surgery left my head spinning, and probably most advice sailed right over my head. This site helped to stop the spinning head. If you are not already taking fiber on a daily basis, you may want to ask your doctor about it - then do what your own body responds to….Not to dis the docs, but in my experience, sometimes they get it wrong…..jb
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Posted by: iMacG5
Hi Crossley. Ya know, I think it’s all about feelings. I don’t mean the pain feelings which could control everything. I mean the feelings inside our heads, our hearts and even our souls. I mean the feelings of who we are now compared to who we were; how we accept our situation or maybe we don’t. My wife asked how I felt and I said, “like crap”. She asked what hurt and I answered, “Nothing hurts, well, everything hurts, I don’t know, It all sucks.” That was a long time ago. You question if your feelings are normal. How normal is it to relocate your butt hole to your belly where it’s usually in the way of your belt and, you know. But that’s where we are and for lots of us we are so much better off than we were before, physically. Emotionally, psychologically, well, that might be a different story. I believe talk therapy is wonderful if we could find a real empathic or sympathetic listener. So guess what! I found MAO and began “talking” with a keyboard with some of the wisest, kindest most sympathetic and compassionate folks on the planet. Regardless of where we’ve been, lots of folks here have been there and worse places and found their way back healthier and happier. We really do help each other.
Keep “talking”,
Mike
Karliegirl33
Sep 19, 2025 1:10 pm
Hi
Yes, I have suffered from chronic constipation for years. I have had a colostomy for 17 months now and find that a capful of Miralax in my coffee every other morning helps to keep my output consistent. If I forget to do this, I will eat baby prunes to get things moving. Yes, a vicious cycle indeed ☹️
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SusanT
Sep 19, 2025 1:13 pm
Don't take the loperamide. When you get diarrhea after the laxative, let it run its course. Drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated. Include some oral rehydrating drinks for electrolytes.
Alternating the laxatives with loperamide sets you up for a vicious cycle and can lead to permanent problems.
Adding psyllium fiber, as suggested by JB, should help both the diarrhea and the constipation and is a much safer approach. Doing that consistently should allow you to stop taking the laxatives.
KeyoW
Sep 20, 2025 2:26 pm
Try bananas or peanut butter (if you are not diabetic). It will help with slowing down diarrhea. Also, try warm lemon water and senna tea. They will help with constipation. I sometimes use a very small dose of a laxative if all else fails. For example, if the laxative says a full dose is a cup, then I do 1/4 to 1/2 of the recommended dosage followed by some warm lemon water. Yes, the cycle of constipation and diarrhea seems to come as a packaged deal when dealing with an ostomy. I've been dealing with this for 27 years now, and the older I get, the more frequently it happens.
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