Need help or guidance...Gas Pains/ No BM

Today makes a week for me and I am having horrible gas pains and I am unable to have a BM without taking a laxative.

I do a lot of walking, drink plenty of water, taking stool softeners and Gas-X. I just need something (food, juice, fruit) to help stimulate a BM. also need relief from the gas....

Any suggestions.....

Minna,

You've got the right ingredients, so just keep doing what you're doing! Remember your body has been through such trauma and it does take a few days to sort itself out. But it's clever, it will sort itself out!

I've yet to hear of any sisters who can top my 10 days post op with no BM and I found it really frightening, as well as uncomfortable, especially the last 3 days! Because I was still in hospital due to complications from my TAH/BSO, my gynae called in a bowel surgeon to see me.

The bowel surgeon said that 'ileus' of the gut (paralysis of the normal squeezing action of the gut) is common after abdominal surgery and usually lasts 24-72 hours BUT (or should that be, BUTT!) in some cases it lasts a bit longer. He said as long as I was passing gas and not vomiting excessively he wasn't going to worry about me at all, and I shouldn't worry about me either!

He was right, eventually my gut woke up (I had been using all the usual stimulation you mentioned - stool softeners, laxitives, enemas etc) and very quickly went back to normal.

So as I said, keep doing what you're doing, and trust your body. It's really very clever, just a bit sleepy at the moment.

Love,

Sorry to hear what you are going through.. I know all too well about the pains as I am still having them 9 days after surgery.. For the most part look through the forum on what to eat.. Don't eat normal foods as your system has gone through a total reconstruction and you are rebuilding all of your muscles to surround again. The pain you are feeling is normal.. I have them and the hardest thing is when you go to the bathroom that inner person inside could be holding back and not letting it out. It is very painful however don't give up.. it will get better (says me who feels like I am pooping razor blades) due to my own stupidity in eating foods I shouldn't be... There is a diet at the beginning of the forums and surprisingly it was similar to what they were giving me in hospital to help out along with gas-x.. Don't be afraid to take gas-x to help out as I too felt it both ways and only last couple of days was I able to release (no activia either) lol.. The pain on the other hand after talking to friends that have gone through the same is very normal and actually a lot take a good month to feel things getting better.. I read in a thread 3 steps forward, 2 steps back.. Well it is true.. I can see why people can get depression as the hormone overload is something else and the feeling of wanting things back to normal.

You are not alone my hys sister... Keep your chin up and keep writing :-)

I ate prunes & drank prune juice myself. That is like a laxative to me. It sounds like you are doing all the right things. Your body just needs time to catch up. As far as the gas pains, they were the worst part & other than time I never found anything that really helped. Sometimes warm peppermint tea eased the gas a little bit with the gas-x. I hope you are feeling better soon.

I had that problem too after surgery. It took 9 days for me to have a bowel movement. After my surgery some of the sisters here suggested watermelon. I had my husband buy some. It worked for me. I ate a bowl for dinner and the next morning things were running again. A word of advice... continue to take the stool softeners for one to 2 weeks after surgery and drink lots of water. I didn't and take that advice and I was in more pain than I had after the surgery.

Good luck! We all know how you feel.

Yvette
TAH/RSO 9/3

Thanks I will definitely continue to do that. I will be so happy when this is over....

Well, I have had trouble in this area since the surgery. I have tried about everything that I have came across as suggestions, and it seems to be only temporary relief. Here's what I have found to work now...Magnesium 250 mg. I take one at bedtime and one in the morning. It works. I do not take it but every 3 days or so. I also eat 6 prunes a day. Seems to be working for now.