Rectal Discharge with Ileostomy: Common Experience

Have ileostomy. Still have colon. Sometimes still have small rectal discharge (poop), usually very liquid type. Surgeon said it's normal due to colon still producing mucus and poop. You would think the medical field would make you aware of things like this. But they don't. Just about all ileostomy people have a discharge if they still have colon. Hope this helps someone.

Hello hoestabe. Thanks for your post as this subject hasn't come up for a while so it will be useful information for those who are newbies.

I had lots of problems with anal mucus at first, what with the volume of it and the awful smell. However, I controlled it by irrigation and after about 9 months I diminished the irrigation until it was no longer needed at all. I still get a clear, non-smelling mucus discharge but this is contained by incontinence pads.

It's an 'interestingly' different life we ostomates lead!

Best wishes

Bill

Hi Honest Abe

I have no colon at all but I still get a discharge

I had my ileostomy in September 2015

My colon is all gone, leaving a 'rectal stump'.

For the first 6 months, I had an occasional feeling that I needed to crap

and produced a waxy white/yellow non-smelly mucus lump or two.

No big deal, no problem, and luckily no pads as my anus still does as it's told yay!

Since then, it's gone a bit more liquid.

I have just had a routine flexible sigmoidoscope exam and it showed no problems

just some slight inflammation of the mucus wall for which they prescribed Mesalazine suppositories.

So good luck to you

and I hope this is of help to others

Nick

I was on another stoma site and numerous people kept asking about the discharge being not normal. They were all worried about the discharge. I assured them it was normal. Several said they were going to their surgeon anyway. Been there. Just trying to help. God bless.

Hi all,

I've had my first surgery when I was 15, but they couldn't complete the procedure, and I was left with an ileostomy, and the diseased colon left intact. That meant that I was still bleeding rectally from the ulcerative colitis, and also had a drain on my abdomen, for the cut end of the colon. Very messy, 3 months. The next surgery, they removed the diseased colon, but left the rectal stump. I had ongoing mucosal drainage from the rectal stump (which I was told was normal) for the next 4 years, but I also had intermittent bleeding (and pain) from the disease...and it never healed. So when I was 19, I finally had the final surgery...removing the diseased stump along with the anus. I've never regretted that. All the above was 50 years ago. Good luck to all of you.

Marsha

Sounds like you have been through it!

We found this site researching about rectal discharge. My husband is 2 months post-op from ileostomy and all at once had liquid from his rectum. Being a nurse, I was aware that this could happen, and the surgeon was not concerned. But naturally, my husband was upset and is curious if this will continue forever? He had a bit for the past 3 days, but the last day it appeared to just be mucus.

They don't tell ya crap....I remember when it happened to me 1st time shortly home from hospital sit on toilet at 2 am and bang all I could say was no no no thought something was really wrong scared the hell out of me.....just to find out oh that's normal....ty for posting