How can I tell the difference between a blockage and gas pain?? I'm in a great deal of pain that hits me in waves about every 5 to 7 minutes. It seems to roll around from one side to the other and then either cause a huge cramp or exit the stoma but the stoma doesn't seem to produce much of anything. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
freedancer
Oct 20, 2017 12:38 am
Bill
Oct 20, 2017 5:29 am
Hello freedancer.
My take on this is that if, whatever it is, gas or other output, is not exiting the system then it is a 'blockage'. A person doesn't need to have a stoma to suffer with this problem and in my case the stoma has helped a lot in resolving it. I found that the pain from an accumulation of gas has nearly always been much worse than that caused by faeces. I say this because the agony of the gas is instantly relieved the moment it eventually passes out as a fart.
I have managed to ascertain the main cause of my own problem, which is that the powerful peristalsis muscles round the stoma have migrated across the hole and shut it so tight that the gas cannot escape until the pressure has risen to ridiculous levels. I have found the solution to be to wear a stoma plug so that it keeps the hole open and the gas can seep out whenever it likes.
I was fascinated by the recent post on colonic inertia, which may very well be another reason why the stuff in our gut is building up instead of being ejected. There are several other reasons why this might be happening, including things like diet, and other medical conditions but as I have no expertise in this field I will leave it to others to hazard a guess at other reasons for it.
Best wishes
Bill
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