UOAA Discussion Board

I just take it as a given, but maybe its not normal. I've forgotten normal to be honest.

I get quite significant cramping with a bowel movement - I have a permanent (although loop) sigmoid colostomy. I get very noticeable muscle contractions below my colostomy prior to a bowel movement but I get incredible pressure/cramping behind my stoma and sometimes the whole lower left quadrant of my abdomen/back goes into spasm. Most often I just get dull pain, like period pain or early labour.

I also have a lot of diarrhoea, I rarely have anything resembling a formed stool.

It has always been this way although I've become more aware of it in the last year or two. Just wondered if anyone else is the same or whether I really should be pushing this with my doc.

I don't have pain with bowel movements. I will occasionally get some cramping just before a bowel movement though. That sounds like what you are describing, more of a muscle cramping than injury pain. You might have a crimp/turn in your colon just before the stoma that kind acts like a dam, and requires more forceful peristalsis to get it past that point. Not a blockage, but something that, with enough force, can be moved out of the way in order for the bowel to move. Those are just my first impressions of what you are describing. Always check with your doctor though.

David