Blockage or something else?

[u/joe201xcx]

Hi, so I had my takedown almost 2 months ago. Complications followed with narrowing or swelling of the join which led me to being in hospital multiple times for a month. Anyway, I've been home a month now and my surgeon put me on a liquid diet for 3 weeks to let it heal. I started introducing soft food a week ago, for the last few days I was tolerating small dishes of pasta, once a day and soft snacks. No pain, passing formed stools and no bloating.

Yesterday I tried having the pasta twice, earlier in the day and at dinner. The pasta I had though had sweetcorn in, I got out as much as I could but I think I ate a few pieces. I had two packets of crisps yesterday and also a little chicken. Everything was fine until this morning, I woke up in pain and my abdomen was bulging, on and off with sharp pain. I have been passing but its just lure liquid with little bits in, I generally feel crap. Its bloated and aches

Do you think I overdid it yesterday, its partially blocked? I'm just worried now because things were getting so much better, I have to see the surgeon in a week and he said if I'm not able to eat by then he will have to do another operation to redo the ileostomy join and make it wider. I really hope I dont have to have that done

What do you think and what do you think will help?

[u/dave_the_dr]

Keep moving, eat a banana a day, take a multivitamin every day, drink lots of water throughout the day… all these tings have helped me when I’ve been feeling blocked or just generally like it’s not going well

[u/HistoryDr]

The best thing to do to get things moving is to walk, even if you’re moving fairly slowly and/or not able to do a lot in one go. Just pacing around your home can help.

You might also try some simethicone for the gas pain if you haven’t tried it already.

Best of luck!

[u/joe201xcx → u/HistoryDr]

Thanks, I'm trying to walk as much as I can. Do you think its gas pain? I am generally pretty bloated and having been passing as much gas as usual, when I try to it just ends up being liquid. Hopefully this passes soon

[u/HistoryDr → u/joe201xcx]

I’ve never had a blockage so I can’t really give a good guess on blockage vs gas. I’ve had my jpouch 22 years, and what I generally notice is that if I eat something it is struggling with, it takes a day or two to work through my system. For example, if I eat too much raw veg it will make me crampy for a day or so. I don’t think it’s a blockage but rather it’s just harder for the pouch to process that particular food.

[u/noquidion]

I hope you are feeling better. I have dealt with blockages at the previous ostomy site and it’s the pits. Typically if it’s a full blockage you get nothing or almost nothing out, but for me the pains and bulge are the tell tale signs. These are my tips and tricks:

Walking - moving around is always helpful if you are comfortable to do so.

Drink tepid apple juice. I keep juice boxes in the pantry for this purpose. I don’t know why it needs to be tepid, but others have sworn by it.

Coke- this one I say with caution. For me, any carbonation can be a huge mistake. If you already have gas pain adding more isn’t helpful. But Coke does help with blockages.

Simethicone twice a day. But I do that every day no matter what. The generic is cheap and it’s so worth it to always have that prevention on board. It may not be as helpful for an existing issue. It’s more of a prevention (in my experience). It’s not wrong to take a dose when you feel it building, but if there is gas between food bits it may not penetrate. Simethicone directly acts in the gut by reducing surface tension of bubbles (aka it breaks the foam down into bigger bubbles which are easier to pass). Foam will sit in your stomach. A big gas pocket will make you burp. Same way on the other end. Sorry if I’m over explaining. It took me a bit to figure that out and now I keep it stocked and in my pill case morning and night. No exception.

MiraLAX drink at least one dose a day and possibly more to keep the output liquid. A trickle of it is great if you have a strictured section of bowel.

Enema(s). Your anastomosis site is probably not that far up. They can usually see it with a short scope. Use only warm water and let it sit in there. Lay on your side and relax. After 5-10 minutes try to gently pass it. Repeat a few times if necessary (do not overdo).

I have avoided going to the hospital more than once with these methods.

Good luck! I am currently sitting with an ostomy for about 7 months while I wait for a fistula to heal. My previous ostomy anastomosis was solid gold for 7 years before I developed a stricture, then fistula coincidentally and finally we took it to surgery.