Colostomy and constipation

[ejl10]

Hi everyone,

I've got a bit of a head scratcher. Got my colostomy in early November, and it has gone pretty well until recently with regular reliable output morning and evening. A week ago Sunday I was traveling through Buffalo NY, and we decided to gorge on chicken wings. That night I had a very large output that must have been due to the wings. Monday I had a bit of looser stool in the morning, but then nothing. I took 30ml of milk of magnesia starting Wednesday with no effect. Day by day I began feeling increasing pressure/discomfort.

On Friday, with still no output, I Googled "colostomy constipation" and found advice to call my PCP if I went 8-12 hours with no output. So I did, and she sent me to the ED. There they gave me a CT scan that showed bad constipation but no obstruction. They sent me home with orders to clean out with magnesium citrate. Saturday morning I drank it, and for most of the day suffered with the ugly (but expected) results.

By Saturday night everything seemed stable and I resumed normal life. No output came on Sunday, and I chalked it up to the full clean out the day before. But then nothing Monday, and now nothing as of Tuesday afternoon (began milk of mag again), and I'm feeling pressure/discomfort again like I did last week. Getting scared.

I don't yet have a GI doc (scheduled in March), and I'm reluctant to ask my PCP again since she seems out of her element on this subject. Any idea what is happening to me and why?

Thanks in advance!
Emmett

[ot dave]

Hey Emmett,

You might introduce a stool softener into your daily routine. If you're not having obstructions, and just constipation, a stool softener might be useful. Also, with a colostomy, you might be interested in giving irrigation a try. Read through the sticky notes on the irrigation forum for just about all the information you could want on irrigating! Irrigation might help alleviate some of your constipation without the need for a stool softener.
Hope that helps.

David

[steiconi]

I agree that irrigation could help. Check out the UOAA irrigation board at viewforum.php?f=12

Drinking more water might help, maybe psilium fiber (Metamucil).

Keep magnesium citrate in the fridge; it tastes better cold. I've always thought a little gin would help the taste.

[Diane C]

Maybe try Miralax instead of the magnesium citrate. Be sure to drink much water with it. Psyllium gives me so much gas -- as do flax seeds. Or warm up prune juice (don't over-do it). I had that at a skilled nursing center and it worked -- every few hours during a long night-- after surgery when we wondered about a blockage. DO find a good GI doctor asap. Mine is fabulous. Good luck.

Also concur about irrigation and the forum.