Pain and Discomfort with Pouch Contents: Seeking Advice

Does anyone feel pain when the contents enter the pouch? Sometimes mine feels uncomfortable and other times I don't feel anything at all.

I know it is not from my diet and I usually have pasty or softly formed output.

Sometimes I can feel when it is working and outputting. Not pain exactly, except for those times when I cut the faceplate just a wee bit too close to the stoma, and I can actually feel when the stoma expands to pass waste - right up against the faceplate! Do you think that might be what you are feeling? I do know that it is hard to describe the feeling of actually passing waste that I sometimes can tell. I guarantee you when doctors tell you there are no nerve endings in the intestine so the stoma doesn't feel anything and there can be no sensations coming directly from the stoma - they do NOT know what they are talking about! So. Pay attention to your body, and your stoma. Be aware of feelings from your stoma. They may not be the same as you are accustomed to from other parts of your body, and you may have to learn to re-interpret them as you get to know your little friend on an up-close and personal basis. It is possible that a confused nerve ending transmits a signal that SOMETHING is happening, and your brain doesn't know what it means, so interprets it as pain. That also happens when you have neuropathy, and some of the nerves try to grow back and send very mixed signals, so that slight pressure feels like pain to your brain. (Yes, my neurologist and I have had some VERY interesting conversations. What doctors DON'T know about your brain far outweighs what they DO!)

At any rate, I would venture to say that if you don't get very sharp pains when you are outputting, you probably don't have any real issue. If you check that your faceplate is not butting up tightly against your stoma, you should also have no problems from that arena as well.

Sometimes I feel cramping in my transverse colon. I had an emergency colostomy when my descending and sigmoid colon ruptured. I used to feel terrible cramping in my lower left abdomen when I would get constipated, which was over half the time, since I had UC, IBS, and diverticulitis. They removed 18 inches of my colon and gave me a colostomy high left in my upper abdomen beside where my belly button used to be. It is much better, but if I allow my water intake to drop below 90 oz, I get constipated and can develop blockages. However, if your output is soft, I don't think that is happening to you. I agree with Dana. We know much more about our stomas and bodies than our doctors do because we live with them. They only study them in books and operating tables. My doctors here in Arlington, Texas, agree with me on that point and only offer advice in emergencies or when I ask for it. Good luck and I hope it gets better right away.

Whatever you eat, your stomach will process differently from ours. Whatever you drink affects the processing of whatever you eat. It is infinitely amazing how food affects us all. As far as stuff going from our different colostomies to our bags, there are other options... drop a note...

Sometimes it's like a big, hard poo. Sometimes it's a sudden bag-breach episode,

Hey Hanaleah,

No, I can't say I feel pain, but I can agree that sometimes I feel uncomfortable when my bowl is getting ready to take care of business.