anyone having problems with IBS after surgery

I was wondering if is normal to have alot of ibs problems after surgery, I have had a upset stomach for several days I am not sure if it is was all the pain meds or if the surgery caused my ibs to act up. I have been eating fruit and fiber and do have some constipation that I use miralx for. I usually don't have a problem having a bowel movement. any suggestions would be great

HI Sun,
I have IBS, but judging from all the posts about this issue, you don't have to have IBS to get an upset tummy, constipation and/or diarrhoea after surgery. Do what ever you normally do to help it settle. Giving yourslef time and getting plenty of rest are also important. If you are still needing pain medication, that may be contributing. For me the most important things were having small portions, drinking lots of water and herb tea, walking and using heat packs to ease abdominal cramps. The heat packs also helped me with gas and constipation. That's not the case with everyone, so you might need to experiment to work out what suits your body. If you search for IBS on the website, you'll come up with a huge range to choose from.
Good luck
J

I found mint tea really helps with the gas pains, but have had lots of bowel troubles. Prunes and colace definitely help with constipation, but then I wind up with a round of diarrhea. I'm hoping that with time, I'll be able to find a balance. Hopefully, you will too

Yes it is normal for that to be a problem after this surgery. I didn't think I would ever be regular again but things have gotten better. The gas was my biggest problem. I think our bodies are just very irritated from being put to sleep & it takes a while for everything to get working right again. Hang in there. It will get better. Best wishes.

Thank for all your reply's I will start drinking some tea and see how it goes

The intense gas has been the biggest problem for me also. Having IBS, you know that those gas pains are horrible, let alone having a major surgery on top of it! I do think the tea and lots of water may help. I'm also using Dulcolax stool softeners AND Gas-X dissolving strips and they've helped. I think the bowel is just plain mad and it takes awhile to get back to normal. Today is day 11 for me and I today is the FIRST day I've had TWO normal, full, bowel movements in a long time! I had to do the 'lamaze' breathing to get through it, but I felt sooo much better afterward! Good luck!

I have Crohn's, so BM issues are a major concern for me too. My TVH + A&P repair were 6 days ago and I was amazed that all was well. No constipation, no problems urinating - smooth sailing...until yesterday when I realized that I wasn't urinating all that much (was drinking a lot) and today, the painful BMs started. I'm trying to increase the amount of fiber and to keep drinking - praying that it will help. Guess if so many sisters are experiencing this issue, it's part of the deal and will pass (but it's soooo uncomfortable right now...).