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Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-10 15:57:37
by ArmyVet1975
I had colostomy surgery 6 weeks ago. For 4 weeks I had a very small amount of mucus discharge from my rectal stump. Doctor said it was normal. He suggested I get some panty liners. Being a 63 year old male this seemed kind of extreme as the leakage was only a couple times a week. I folded up 4 squares of TP and placing it between my cheeks and I'd change it every time i emptied the pouch. Not a big deal.

After my last visit with the surgeon 2 weeks ago the flow has increased dramatically. One night while getting up to urinate I felt the discharge gushing from my rectum on the walk to the bathroom. I couldn't stop the flow. I cleaned up, changed underwear and went back to bed. A few hours later... repeat. Ever since I've had this heavy flow. I have to change the 4 squares every couple of hours which is completely saturated and has a foul odor. It also only has a slight yellowish brown color which seems normal. My concern is the constant heavy flow and odor.
Is this normal at this early stage of my recovery?
Is this temporary?
Do I need to consult my surgeon? (He's retired and volunteers at the VA once a week.)
I don't know anything about panty liners but I'm guessing they aren't going to stop this heavy flow?
Do they make a product for those of us with this condition?
If not, I need suggestions on what to buy. I can not continue smelling like this.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-13 07:41:33
by CamposPaulaK
I do not share your experience but I do know product. (I'm having my urostomy with ileal conduit tomorrow morning and I've been totally incontinent with urine for years now.) Anywho, there are two product types that may work better for you. The first is a pull- up. These no longer work fir ne because they can't take my volume. To me, they are a glorified pad with a paper underwear to hold them up and somewhat in place. The second is a brief/ diaper. The enclosed pad is much larger, more absorbent and cover both the front and back much better. If you have an "accident" it's much more likely to be contained although the cleanup us still a chore. (I use underwear over top to help keep them closer to my body.) Hope this helps, and good luck!

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-13 13:09:05
by ArmyVet1975
CamposPaulaK,
Thank you for your reply. I will look into these products. Good luck with your urostomy tomorrow. Wishing you the best possible outcome.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-13 15:46:25
by Don60
This is a common problem for those of us with a rectal stump following a colostomy. In my experience, the frequency and amount of output varies considerably and unpredictably. I have found that taking one loperamide (OTC) per day minimizes this output to the point that it is not a problem. Good luck.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-13 16:15:03
by ArmyVet1975
Don60,
Thank you. Loperamide (OTC) = Anti-diarrheal. I will give this a try. Thanks again.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-14 20:39:48
by ArmyVet1975
I saw my doctor today. It appears that I have an abscess above the rectal stump and its draining. I got a script for antibiotics. If this doesn't work more drastic measures will be taken. Now I feel stupid but relieved that I may not have this discharge forever.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-15 22:51:46
by BillGK
Lucky you - abscess is draining w/o having a drain installed.
Further lucky you - sounds like your infection is localized if you aren't having fever and chills.

I predict a happy ending. (But what do I know lol.)

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-16 10:14:29
by ArmyVet1975
Thanks BillGK, Hopefully the antibiotics is all I need. Not looking forward to a rectal catheter if it doesn't.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-19 22:55:43
by Diane C
I hope the antibiotics help with a possible abcess. If that's not the issue, please ask your doctor about diversion colitis. MANY ostomates who retain their rectal stamps, eventually leak a brown mucus possibly with blood ftom the snorectal area. The reason for this is that the anorectal area is no longer receiving helpful short-chain fatty acids. Those acids are now diverted from the anorectal area and are in the stool in your pouch.

Posts exist on this board advising how to wash out the area. That's called lavage. You can use water enrmas, too. The anorectal area confronts inflammation and doctors may prescribe Canasa suppositories or Rowesa enemas to calm the area down. Those did not help me.

Fecal transplantation has been in the news to help those without ostomies to cure a disease, Difficile C. As far as I know, the FDA has only approved this transplantation for Difficile C. If queasy, the rest of this paragraph may be unsettling. Some ostomates like me were told to use our fecal output and insert it back into our rectum by use of an enema or other means. Because my sphincter muscles weren't working well, this was a difficult and messy option. But it's a way to repopulate the anorectal canal with the short-chain fatty acids.

A few of us opted to have our anus and rectum excised. It's not an easy surgery but worked for me. When the brown mucous was excreted, I also had cramps and am glad those are gone.

It disturbs me that surgeons don't warn new ostomates about diversion colitis which seems common. It's frightening to see the brown leakage when it's only supposed to escape from the stoma but it is not stool but mucous due to irritation ftom diversion colitis.

Hope you and others find the info helpful.

Diane C
,

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-20 11:05:52
by ArmyVet1975
Thank you Diane C.
The drainage has almost stopped after a week of antibiotics. Hopefully this will clear up my problem. It's only been 8 weeks since surgery and I'm still adjusting to this new lifestyle.
I'm sorry you had to go through that. I can't imagine the difficulties you're been having this past 20 years. Your info will remain here in case I or anyone else needs it in the future.
Thanks again.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-26 10:06:02
by rickmurtagh
Butt Leak may still haunt you from time to time. I have a failed jpouch (permanent Cleo) that still creates enough mucus to cause me issues from time to time and here it is more than ten years later.... It happens sometimes, somewhere, to some people. One more thing on your resume that few other people have. :)

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2021-09-26 10:41:48
by ArmyVet1975
Resume. Nice! lol

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2022-06-27 16:07:33
by cosmo123
I've had an ileostomy since 2010 thanks to a jack wagon ortho doc who pumped excessive antibiotics in me after surgery so I got c. Diff., went septic and they removed 4ft. of my colon. That aside, 12 years later my asshole still leaks a marvelous bouquet of stink-ass, bloody fluid. This latest episode has been dripping for 7 months. Trying a course of flagyl but no change so far. So I purchased plenty of "Poise" pussy pads in a purple package and placed them perfectly in my pants. But it still sucks.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2022-07-04 16:11:43
by BillGK
I do fecal transfers, typically twice a day. As far as I know I “invented” this because I’ve described it to two different colo-rectal surgeons at Mayo, along with two primary care physicians, along with two gastroenterologists, and not a one had ever heard of such a thing - to a person, they loved the idea and they all told me “keep doing it!”. I got the idea from reading about fecal transplants from one person to another for things like curing c.diff. I thought, if my problem is the lack of short chain fatty acids to nourish the rectal stump, and the medical community solutions are foreign substances such as steroid suppositories, Canasa, Rowesa, specialty lab concoctions, antibiotics, saltwater, on-and-on, why not transfer my own output to my rectum - a rearrangement of nature, lol, rather than introducing foreign stuff, nearly all of which I tried, and none of which ever worked for me. I’ve devised a method that is absolutely free of messiness. Takes about 10 minutes, tops.

It allows me to live my life w/o daily, ongoing misery. I feel normal almost all of the time. Since I was out of other conservative options, it’s lucky for me that I thought of this. The only thing left was removing the rectal stump, a big surgery. Once the belly has been compromised by surgery another surgery is no sure thing. In my view another surgery may be a situation of trading a set of known problems for a set of unknown problems, and I think that there are a number of ostomates that will confirm this view. Until I can’t find conservative management methods I’ll manage my problems conservatively.

Re: Rectal Stump Discharge

Posted: 2022-07-04 16:29:29
by ArmyVet1975
BillGK,
That's excellent information. I'm sure there will be others that may find that useful. Good on you to do your own research.
It's been 9 months since it posted this thread and I'm having no problems now. It was an infection that antibiotics cured. I was freaking out because all this was new to me.
Thank you to everyone who replied. I appreciate everyone's information.