can't pass gas post op 4 days

I have been unable to pass gas since the surgery. I can feel it in my stomach but is very hard to pass. I have taken meds for constipation and that hasn't helped any. Is this normal? HELP please!

Sorry I can't help only sympathize with you. I am having the extact same problem and if it wasn't for the gas pains I would be feeling pretty good. I came to post the same thing. lol
I have tried Gas X, fibre, green tea, walking and nothing i working. I have glycerine suppositories but I don't want to take one everyday.
Hope other than that you are healing well.

Missing -

I was miserible in the hospital from gas. I think that was worse than the incision itself.

My moms neighbor said, tell her to get on her left side. I was like are you crazy? But as it got worse, I tried it. It hurt getting there but the gas passing and the associated relief was almost immediate (maybe 5 minutes or so).

To get there, I did the following once I got home. I put a thickish pillow along the left side of my body. I put another pillow across my belly. I then held kind of held the belly pillow with my left hand and used my right arm as kind of a wieght to roll into the 'side' pillow (DH says to say, I don't remember this, that sometimes he kind of gave me a little nudge).

It was a little painful along the incision to 'get there' but between the 2 pillows, once I was on my side, it wasn't bad.

Hope this helps.

Julie

I didn't start passing gas until I started laying on my side. It was the last thing I wanted to do but it did work. I also massaged my upper belly as much as I could tolerate and that seemed to work. It took me about 5 days to finally go, and the gas pains were definitely the worst!

I love this site. I was coming into post the same thing! My gas is finally passing slowly. But its when I bend over. As sad as this sounds, I feel like I'm going to explode. I feel the same as all of you do, if I could just pass this gas, I know I'd feel better. And also the spasms would stop.

I know the pain of not passing

I was in the hospital for 5 days because:

• I couldn't go home until I ate 2 regular meals.
• My would not clear me for solid food until I passed
• I could not pass - even though I walked every hour.
• They gave me all kinds of liquids and nothing helped.

All of a sudden, late night on day 4 - I finally got what I needed -

I got 2 meals and then they let me go home.

Blessings on you .... I that you get relief soon.

When I was in the hospital they gave me a drink called a Prune Fizz - it was prune juice mixed with 7-up that was warm. The nurse said that warm drinks (I also drank tea) sometimes help to pass gas, along with walking and rocking in a rocking chair if possible.

My mother said that her doctor told her to take milk of magnisium and stool softners.

Hope this helps!

I had gas issues as well, didn't actually have a BM until almost 5 days post op. I agree,the gas pains were almost worse than incision pains.
Anyway, old nurse trick here to help with BM. half a cup strong coffee, warm prune juice, and a dose of milk of mag all mixed together. Nasty looking concoction, nasty tasting too, but I have never seen it not work.
Good luck, and I hope things are moving soon

Had the same problem post op. Didn't thing anything was wrong because I was having small watery stools. 2nd day out, went back to ER pain was so bad, I couldn't stand to be touched. I had tried gas-x, mylanta, MOM, Phayzyme, sprite, alka seltzer +. Found out from the x-ray, I had a small amount of stool trapped at the bottom of my colon. They tried a suppository with no relief. I was then given an enema. HAHAHAHA RELIEF AT LAST. I have not had any more problems with passing gas since. Call your Dr. though because I did not think it was safe to give myself an enema so soon after surgery. And they did wait until after the xray to make sure it was not an obstruction of another type. Hope you get to feeling better

I was told I couldn't leave the hospital until I passed gas and could eat a meal. I had virtually no appetite for the first 3 days. Finally, one of my nurses told me that part of the problem was that I wasn't walking enough. Walking helps everything start moving again. So, after walking up and down the hall several times a day and taking a stool softener twice a day, not only did everything start to work again, but it also increased my appetite. I was in the hospital for 4 days. I was able to eat soft food and even had a tiny BM the morning I was discharged.

Also, I'm told drinking plenty of fluids helps. Along with all the other good advice from the other sisters, hopefully, you'll start 'loosening up' real soon!

Take care!