Adhesion pain post colostomy surgery - seeking advice

I would like to know if anyone else has problems with adhesions post colostomy surgery. I had my op in 2008 due to horrendous problems with ulcerative colitis and adhesions from prior surgeries (these being mainly due to several emergency twisted bowel ops). Unfortunately, when my surgeon did this surgery, he nicked the bowel and I had to go back under 24 hours later.

I had thought that this would end my adhesion pain - being told the barriers they used should stop adhesions - but apparently not. While life with a permanent colostomy is not the worst thing, the debilitation I suffer from pelvic pain from adhesions is horrid. I am on constant high levels of slow-release morphine and also panadeine forte. I cannot sit for long, and travelling any distance (+15mins) in a car is shocking.

On top of this, I still have ulcerative colitis in the rectal stump and am on regular antibiotic treatments to stop infection. My surgeon is adamant that he will not operate to extract this portion of the bowel as he feels my susceptibility to adhesions would not guarantee me a good outcome.

Does anyone else have any of these issues?

Oh hell yeah... adhesions, bloody hell! I'm with ya. 2008 was my 8th bowel operation. I thought I was going to be great after that. I have written in plenty of adhesion forums and sure as hell will reply to more. I understand I'm on ENDONE everyday, but tramadol addiction for nearly 3 years last May (cold turkey)... I have had Lyrica. I dunno where you're from, but in Oz they are sooo expensive. Also, the awful thoughts you think you have with an Osto, well, they get worse on Lyrica. But it seemed to have helped for about 4-5 months, then BAMM, my weight shot up. I needed quadrupled the Lyrica that stopped helping. Suppose I should have read the warning of that drug as well. Plus, $$$. So now I'm on Endone 20-30mg's a day. I don't even know if I have another addiction, but I know when I'm running out, I start to panic. My GP gives me 180 tabs. That's sooo much. I'm up for another operation. I'm begging not just for the hernias to be rid of or at least help, but the adhesions. I'm terrified that they could be worse. And like you, they don't wanna touch you with a ten-foot pole after they cut you up so many times. So yeah, standing, sitting, whatever, it's awful. What about a Valium or two to keep the muscles loose? I know when I have been very stressed, my abdomen through to my back is in agony, so I'm guessing stressing doesn't help. I asked about adhesions being trimmed back, but told by 3 doctors that it's touch and go if you suffer so bad. I've heard it's like long strings of cement inside you and it grows and/or connects to other tissue. Okay, my rant is done. But yeah, hunny, I do suffer A LOT and get PISSED OFF TOO... sorry about the rant, was "just sayin". xxxxxxxxx VALIUM I'M COMINNNNNNN XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX ALL THE BEST DARLS MOOZA XX

Hi Mooza,
I was about to have this chat on the chat line, but I think that if I do it this way, others might pick up as well. After seven abdominals, I have serious problems with adhesions, but that was the same before I had the final end chop done, so it was well worth reducing the risk of cancer returning to a defunct and diverticulated stump. It has been three years since my end-of-line surgery and in that time,
going through hell with the unexpected death of my husband, which created incredible stress levels, I am managing to function on a really good mix. 2 imipramine 25mg at night.
Transtec. 35mg buprenorphine patches, paracetamol x2 4 hourly and only the occasional
tramadol, to cope with breakthrough pain. I wish all of you who have had multiple surgeries,
everything you would wish for yourselves. I have come to the above recipe with the aid of some
very compassionate cancer pain specialist. Chat with your G.P.s

Love to all
Marilyn

Hey pusscat, you ding donged me and didn't speak. What happened, darlz? ????????????

Oh no worries i am coming up for my 9th operation and that is my number 1 cxoncern ..So to anybody and everybody watch out how you lift things i was lifting heavy boxes for my ostomy assoc for 4 years ,wondering if that cause the monstrosatys oh shite u know what i mean i just wanna see the tops of my legs these Hernias hurt like a SOB ,Yep tried patches but i cant stop the pain just morphy myself up and thats driving me nuts ....Now i understand all the HERNIA forums i used too read i have seen some monster ones from members who come in to collect their supplies like HUGE and i always had sympathy for one guy who had a basket ball of a hernia with a last name like stomm i thought he really got the shitty end of the stick already stomm get it poor bloke xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ..Oh i have crohns disease and that bloody ulcer on the left side with my stoma aint letting up as yet .Not sure of your medications australians call some meds different names but TRAMADOL runs shivers down my spine that was a shocka to cold turkey from BIG TIME xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx look after yourself i understand 15 minutes in a car i was helping drive to the country 3 hours to the border of victoria and NSW omg i kept getting out the car at every petrol stop and layed on the ground didnt care about the stares i got either ...I wasnt on any tabs in 2008 till 4 months after the colectomy which i regret to this day xxx moozeeeeeeeeeee have a great day its 6;15am here cant sleep grrrrrrrrrr Oh one more thing going to rehab for pain was an absolute joke ...........I went doing excersizes totally off my tree on tramadol and ran around the gym ,even begged for a drug rehab place they said i could do the 3 year tramal addiction on my own a-holes i did but still a-holes have u tried a tens machine kinda helped a lil bit but expensive to Buy its good for around the neck part to relax though massages still didnt help but the pressure felt nice for the 15 minutes i had anyway wish those docs put up with wat we have just for 1 week now that would be interesting as they wouldnt be able to work standing up or sitting down im so angry bout adhesions so fingers crossed my surgeon can do somthing like concrete strings im told ..Ajack hammer might help HAHAHAH seeya putty cat xxx moozeeeeeeeeeeee

This is Zack in Michigan with an adhesion story too. When I had my ileo in 1977, I got/contracted/whatever/ adhesions so soon (same week as surgery) the doc had to go right back in and fix it. I was really sick. I ran a post-op temp so high they packed me in ice.

I didn't even know adhesions could develop so much later.

If I read it right, you need more surgery but with a history of adhesions, the doc doesn't want to risk the complication.

I KNOW I'D SEE IF OTHER DOCTORS THOUGHT I WAS SUCH A RISK FOR ADHESIONS, THEY TOO WOULD FORGO NEEDED SURGERY. It's your risk, not theirs.

This is Zack again; went back and read again. None of us ever did expect a "guaranteed good outcome". When my doc said it was time for the ileo, it wasn't about a good outcome; it was the only thing to do. My UC had flared, and it was 10 years on. CA was the more or less "guaranteed outcome" to be expected then.

I'd still see if other docs also think a life in pain and on drugs is it for you.

Hey, thanks for posting, Zack, and to your if they were in pain..... Shit, yeah, they would have surgery. They can't screw up me, I'm already screwed. Pardon the pun. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Shite, Zack, that's shockin, hey !!!!!!!!!

Hey Mooza, how did your surgery go? Are the adhesions any better?

Pussycat xxxx

I was diagnosed with adhesions on my small bowel last year. I have no large bowel because it was removed in 1996 because of ulcerative colitis. I have had a J Pouch for 15 years, and multiple small bowel obstructions, which means I have had a lot of surgeries. My J Pouch failed after 15 years and I was given a permanent ileostomy on 3/15/12.

To answer your question, I have severe adhesions. I had to quit my job at 56 and go on full disability. I will never not have adhesion pain. I had to accept it and I am in pain management now and I don't work. Can't sit either by the way. It was hard to accept but I did. Every surgery makes the adhesions grow more. Terrible.

I go to a website for support called adhesions.org. It has helped me just like this website will help me with the ostomy now.

Good luck,
Betty