Ok, here's my current scenario. About 7pm till about 11pm, I begin to get bad stomach cramps that travel left to right across the top of my abdomen area. It happens like clockwork every night. It doesn't matter what or when I eat, it is the same every night. My ileostomy surgery was on the 12th of July, and these cramps started about two weeks after I got home from the hospital. I had my post-op and told the doctor about this. He was not concerned and said everything was all "angry" in there and will take time to get better. These cramps are beginning to wear me out! Did any of you have this issue? It seems when the cramps get done, the stoma empties out really fast in several bursts, and the pain stops. I've taken ibuprofen, Gas-X, and taken my other pain medications to help it, and the heavy hitter pain meds are the only ones that help it. Any assistance with this would be helpful.
Hello freedancer and thanks for an interesting post.
From waht you describe about how the pain goes away after the stoma empties, it sounds as if the peristalsis (the pushing muscles) haven't quite got back into a routine to push the faeces through more gently and consistently. I find it interesting because when I get severe cramps it is usually during the irrigation process when the harder faeces have been expelled and it is just the liquid that is left. Given time, it does get pushed through in exactly the way you describe - 'really fast in several bursts and the pain stops'. This makes me wonder if the peristalsis has more of a problem with liquid than it does with solids.
Just a thought!
Best wishes
Bill
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Freedancer, hi! How are you this morning? It has not been that long since you had the surgery. Sounds good that you told your doctor, so he's in the loop. No one wants to take heavy painkillers unless they have to. Obviously, he knew you were going to need them, so take them when this pain gets to you. I can't really tell you at this time if I had that sort of pain. All I can remember is pain!!! Hang in there. The body is still waking up, and if it doesn't get better, go back to the doctor!!! Hope this helped!!! Freedancer, have a great day!! Angelicamarie
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Hi Freedancer,
Consider looking at your mealtime habits. If you're only getting the pain at night, perhaps you're eating too much at one time, or the food from earlier in the day is "backed up."
On an empty stomach, food passes through me in about 4 hours. Sometimes (if I overeat) I get a kind of pressure pain, down around my right side, just before "poop" finds its way out of the stoma.
Your system is very new to the changes, and there still may be healing and or scar tissue causing the pain. I'd try smaller meals and track what you eat to see if anything specific is causing the discomfort. I can have soup or pasta and not have any discomfort, but sometimes too much fiber, like corn or salads, can cause some distress "passing" through. Best of luck to you. Marsha