UOAA Discussion Board

Hello,
I am a iliostomate due to cancer (after years of UC). My (irreversible/proctocolectomy) surgery was in March of 2021, and I have been doing quite well post-recovery. Normally I have very thick output and I rarely have to be concerned about what I eat.

I am isolating after a positive PCR test on Thursday. I have flu-like symptoms with a mild cough that worsens at night. I took one, four-hour mucinex DM tablet around 4 this morning and woke up a few hours later having slept well, but with a full pouch of watery liquid output. Could this be from the Mucinex? I have tried searching the web for info, but with no real results.

Does anyone else think there should be a lot more ostomy information out there? I mean, the bulk of it pertains to post-surgical experience and blockages. That's all really important, but when an ostomate is sick, or hospitalized for something not pertaining to ostomy, the web help is sparse.

Thanks!
Pa

Hello Pa & welcome to our Discussion Board. I agree wholeheartedly that even medical staff often lack pertinent knowledge of ostomies. And unfortunately, many are reluctant to update what they do know. But on a brighter note, our UOAA has done a fine job over the years as they seek to rectify this very real problem. Here is a link directly to the website: https://www.ostomy.org/
There you can find a great deal of up-to-date & very practical info on all things ostomy.
Having a shortened small intestine with an ileostomy, I also have had problems with absorption of meds & the resultant diarrhea. Please speak directly with your pharmacist about this issue. They may be able to confer with your doctor regarding a possible substitution.
Thank you for posting. I am glad you found us.

@To Dream a Dream

Thanks, very much. Yes, I found the discussion board through the UOAA. I've poked around the site a bit and do find it helpful.

I only wish that my Pharmacist and Doctor had any answers! And my PC Dr. doesn't really take the time to get that involved, sadly. I just wondered if anyone here had a similar experience when using cough meds (other than cough syrup). I'm back to normal output today, so I'm thinking the problem must have been connected to using mucinex DM (which stinks because it has always helped me when I've had a nighttime cough). I will ask my pharmacist about any other, similar medications that might be helpful without the negative side effects.

~Pa

Glad to learn you are settling down. As you probably are all too aware, dehydration is a very real & present danger to anyone with an ileostomy. I usually fall back on the ole home remedies (I'm dating myself again) like warm tea with honey/lemon & gargling with warm salt water before progressing to the heavier over the counter stuff. I had problems with Mucinex being so irritating to my tract. And once years ago, I resorted to something called Thera-Flu. (A packet to be mixed up with water.) When I tried to drink it, I literally was afraid that it had been tampered with & poisoned. It tasted that bad & seemed to pinpoint a very tender spot in my right abdomen.
Hopefully, your symptoms will subside & you will continue to improve overall.