mucus discharge from rectum

[Zenobia]

Hi, Gaters,

Excuse me for being so quiet. I need to remind myself to keep up and be more regular here.

I've been irrigating for nine years now but have never read anything about mucus discharge from the rectum. I've been challenged by my own discharge having taken various forms over the last 4-5 years. In a nutshell, my own discharge first appeared as solid shapes (about the size of deer scat) over which I had no more control containing than I did poop before my colostomy and these were annoying because they were unpredictable in emergence, smelly like rotten fish, and very sticky/messy. After a time the "solidity" of these mucus balls disappeared, evolving into just a mucus flow -- still unpredictable, still smelly, and so thick and sticky the discharge would sit on the surface of a liner pad in my underwear and not be absorbed by the pad at all ... so I would always feel like I had wet myself until I could get to a bathroom and clean myself up. Most recently the mucus changed to a flow which which is no longer smelly, clear in color, and just annoying due to the quantity of its flow; liner pads now are effective but still a bother.

I spoke with my colostomy surgeon to ask about solutions to this condition. I was advised that removal of the rectum and accompanying stub of my sigmoid colon was the only sure solution ... so I signed up; I really wanted to be done with having to always be looking for a bathroom again; I certainly had thought those days were over once I got the colostomy. A few days ago I came down with a case of severe bronchitis which has pretty much zapped me of all my energy; I've had to cancel the surgery and forfeit the price paid for two non-refundable roundtrip airfares to Seattle because it's unlikely I can get rid of the bronchitis before the surgery date.

Interestingly, the flow of mucus I'd been dealing with has diminished since the onset of the muck in my head and lungs ... so now I'm wondering if the mucus flow has once again gone through yet another transformation ... and perhaps will continue to do so(?) and dare I hope that this evolvement might continue in my favor?

So, I am asking, has anyone else who still has his/her rectum had any experience with this and what advice and/or tales might you have to share? Has your output lessened or increased over time?

~Zenobia

[Don60]

Did you use a codeine cough syrup to treat the bronchitis?

[Zenobia]

Hmm, dunno. The bottle lists dextromethorphan as the active ingredient and the cough syrup is a simple over-the-counter -- no Rx required.

[Don60]

So, no. Not sure if dextromethorphan affects mucus secreted by cells lining the colonic mucosa. Perhaps just being ill had an effect, temporary or otherwise. Hope it lasts.

[Zenobia]

Ha, me too! Thanks, Don.

[Zenobia]

For those interested, this thread has been moved to the General Ostomy Discussion site. More ostomates jumped on it up there. ~Zeno

[Zenobia]

FYI -- Today I placed "Rectal Mucus Update" on the General Ostomy Discussion, sharing what I've learned since last fall about diet -- specific foods I eat which make a huge difference in the amount of mucus my body now produces. Just wanting to let you know ... you might want to check it out.
~Zenobia

[Angel1]

Does anyone have a mucus ball that will not come out? I wonder how to break down? Have had surgery before.