Gas and stink - 1 week post op

[persephone300]

Any advice on the above?

My stomach feels so bloated and gassy it's horrific - when does it settle? I'm told it will, but the wind pain is by far the worst at the minute. Any suggestions on how to get it to settle?

I've read the posts about bag burping - but so far not really sure what that means - I assume it's opening it to release some air when the bag gets filled with it? My bag so far doesn't seem to fill with air just me, which is awful.

Also, the smell, my god, I heave every time I empty the bag - please tell me this WILL get better and I won't just become immune to it? I'm sure I was told it doesn't smell as bad as poo - my god it smells worse to me. So far mine is coming out mostly watery - although has been more formed at times - I'm not sure I'm eating enough (as I was throwing up most days in hospital), but I'm working on it. It is worrying though when the bag keeps filling, I hate feeling anything in it at all.

So far, all is going ok I think, one week on, I'm also hoping the noisy squelching settles down when the wind goes and I stop having to "check" myself every 2 minutes to make sure I haven't burst.

 

[katiesue1506]

Your first week or two especially you'll have mostly liquid output till it regulates. I was basically just "dumping" liquid output (it was a dark green bile color). The docs said this is mostly "bowel sweat" and not real output. Once you start eating and the intestines start relearning how to process the food it starts to thicken up. I would imagine they have you on imodium and fiber? For me they prescribed 3 imodium daily (one before each meal) and 2 doses 3 times daily of fiber before each meal to slow and thicken output.

I feel like the green bowel sweat stuff smelled a lot worse than my normal output. Also keep in mind once you get all your ostomy supplies at home there are things that will help with smell like the Hollister m9 drops or the Hollister lubricating and deodorizer. I'm sure the other companies probably make stuff for odor too. I mean ultimately poop is poop and its gonna smell like it . I would liken it to babies' poop... a little worse of a smell than normal human poop.

When I first got my bags I was attempting to burp it from the bottom, but I've learned its a lot easier to burp by lifting the baseplate from the bag at the top (only if you have a two-piece).

Also gas right now is good for you... it means your bowels are waking up and moving! Encourage the gas!! I'm surprised they let you eat solid foods if you were throwing up. My docs wouldn't let me eat til they were certain I wouldn't toss it back up because they said if you start throwing up you put yourself back to day one. Make sure you are keeping an eye on your liquid intake and chewing everything completely... super crucial especially the first month.

You will become less noisy too once you figure your diet out. Give it time girl... I'm only one month post op and I've already gotten a ton better. The first week out of the hospital is when you learn the most about everything.

 

[Terriernut]

It sounds like you are still full of air from the surgery itself. And no, it's not unusual, and yes...it HURTS! Best thing to do is walk. But if you're not getting rid of it, they need to make sure it's just gas and not fluids!

The stink is much worse as stated above, in the first month. Yes...it will knock you senseless, or should I say you WISH you were senseless (or noseless). It does get better! But honey...I'm sorry...your shit will always stink. :rof: Ok, sorry for that! I think it's worse cause we are like sitting (or standing) there and it comes out right in front of us and there simply is no hiding from the stink!

Once your bowels settle a bit, your output will get more thick. This can take some time! Can be weeks and weeks. One week post op and your body is not ready or recovered, and neither are your bowels. They've been traumatized.

While you're laying around, take a look through all the threads on the stoma subforum (hey...we're an entertaining bunch!) and see if you are not just amused, but heartened.
Major HUGS sweetheart. You are doing great!
:ghug:

 

[persephone300]

Thanks for all this. I have a one piece at mo so not sure re the burpin. They kept encouraging me to eat in the hospital cos they said it wouldn't start working til I did. It was thicker output then. I'm actually quite terrified bout sleeping. It's been filling with gas and water rapidly all night and i'm terrified it's going to burst in the night on me, would it? And no, they've not given me anything to thicken or fibre or additional pills, but it's prob cos it was thicker a few days ago and it's now like water.

 

[katiesue1506]

One way I've ensured I won't sleep through a popped bag is I drink a ton of water before bed. It's sorta like an alarm "hey you gotta pee!!" and then I can get up and go pee and empty my bag... then I drink a lot more water before I fall back asleep. Kinda weird, but it works

 

[Terriernut]

KatieSue....I have that pee alarm thing too! And a darn good thing. Yes..we do have to get up in the night to empty or we could have a blowout.

I am surprised they had you eating right away to be honest in the hospital, especially when you were vomiting! At the very least you should be on a low residue diet, for the first several weeks.

Dont be afraid to sleep! You will get to know how your body works. Alot of us try to not eat after a certain time to ensure that we arent having full bags in the middle the night. But yours being a new stoma, they can be unpredictable for the first month especially.

 

[GrantC]

Hi Everyone,
When I was in and still had high watery output they put me on a bag with tap on it that they could then connect to a larger bag that sat next to the bed. This was done overnight so that it would drain into that and their was no risk of the bag on my body overfilling and bursting. It is not very relaxing when trying to sleep and worrying about the bag exploding.

As for smell, well Terriernut has summed it up quite well. I am 20 days post op and no improvement. Tend to ensure windows open, freshner to hand and a quick flush help...

Also output will thicken in time. Mine took about 12 days post op to be right. You will have some dodgy days in between.
Katiesue what Fibre are you on? Do you take Loperamide/immodium as well as that? I ideally would like to get off the drugs as much as possible.

Good luck Persephone300. It starts to feel a bit more normal in a short space of time.

 

[katiesue1506]

Katiesue what Fibre are you on? Do you take Loperamide/immodium as well as that? I ideally would like to get off the drugs as much as possible.

Yes I'm taking Imodium with the fiber three times daily before each meal. The fiber I took in the hospital was called Nutrisource? and it was in little packets but I couldn't find that at the store so now I'm just taking 4 teaspoons of generic Benefiber before each meal.

 

[persephone300]

Thanks for all this. Today has been a bit of an up and down day. I was wondering if the bag fills with air too much whether it just pops - so you've answered my question. Yikes! It has seemed to change texture and colour several times today which is weird so hopefully going in the right direction. Mood has been up and down too .

 

[katiesue1506]

It makes me happy when I eat chocolate because it makes it proper poop colored and I feel like a normal person again I hope your mood lifts a little... chocolate seems to help that too if you can pilfer some where you are

 

[persephone300]

Sadly, food seems to have lost all pleasure now that I don't feel like a "normal" person.

I was fine mood-wise all day, just in the evenings it is hitting me at the moment.

 

[Jaano711]

Hi
Itis a lot of ups and downs. A few things I have found that help the output thicken are jelly babies, cheese/ cheese cake, pasta, rice and rice pudding. I am afraid that your out put smells different depending on what you eat, and takes on the colour of your food more readily than before. It is a bizarre colour when I drink the blue Gatorade zero. Beet root is also pretty spectacular. You can get drops or tablets for your bag to neutralise the odour, I like the dansac windless tablets they seem to work well for me at the moment.

I find soda drinks give me LOTS of gas so I avoid them if I'm going to be in public. I make homemade cannelloni and that is great for thickening my output, especially if I have a slice of cheesecake. I also always have some jelly babies with me for energy and thickening..

Don't fret, it's all new and like a baby takes time to get into a new routine, and read the different signs your tummy/ Stoma gives you.

Hang in there
Janette

 

[Samboi]

Hang in there Persephone.
The first couple of months are a little hellish.
Looking back - I have no idea who I even managed to get through it.
It took a long time for my body to adjust to the change and that included gas pain, vomiting, endless nausea and watery output. My sense of smell has also been heightened by the ileostomy - so I am not sure that everything is as stinky as I seem to think it is.

Be patient.
It will settle.

 

[Susan2]

... My sense of smell has also been heightened by the ileostomy - so I am not sure that everything is as stinky as I seem to think it is.

You also have to remember that it is now in front of you - right under your nose, as it were - so it can seem worse to you, even if it's not.

My "output" - gas or otherwise - smells worst when I have been eating fish.

 

[persephone300]

Thank you for all your support. I do seem to be weepy in the evening. I also wonder how well I'm doing, I'm not sure. My mum thinks I need to be out walking - thinks I'll feel energised and better for it - I get shattered walking from the bedroom - she doesn't seem to get it. Maybe I shoould be doing better I dunno.

 

[Terriernut]

Ah...nooooo, you have to do things very incrementally. You can walk, but take it slow and easy. I must assume your mother has never been cut open like a christmas turkey then!?

Honestly, it took me 6 months to feel back to 100%. The first 3 months are one step forward, one step back. After the first 6 weeks you can resume normal life, but it may knacker you. Patience with yourself is the name of the game after that surgery. (that my friend is the hardest part!)

Feeling up and down is also normal! Major life changing surgery? Hello? Are you supposed to feel like you won the lottery? No! Never mind the fact you had General Anesthesia (which takes awhile to leave your system) you are on pain killers, and probably other meds. These things mess with your head.

Please, be patient with yourself as you go through your ups and downs. You've been through alot, it will take some adjustments. But you ARE doing fine! :hug:

 

[GrantC]

I can agree completely. I am in a similar space as you. I am breaking up the days into segments so that I enjoy the good times and write off the bad. I have parts of the day where I feel right as rain but follow this up with sudden tiredness or weakness which is frustrating.
Slowly does it I think will work.

 

[Samboi]

Oh yes - this surgery is real day at a time stuff.
It takes a long time to recover and you really have to pace yourself.
I also took six months to fully recover.
It is a surgery that really knocks you around and takes a great deal of patience to get better from.
So be kind and gentle with yourself.

 

[Misty-Eyed]

.

My "output" - gas or otherwise - smells worst when I have been eating fish.

THIS!!!! It just literally stinks of rotten fish. Weirdly, fruit is nasty when it comes out too. It smells of a horrible strong citrus smell!

Weirdly the gas either smells the same as the output - in varying degrees of strength or smells of nothing much at all.

 

[MsOJ]

I made a seafood feast of prawns and crab washed down with a glass of wine, needless to say my output smelly, liquid and plentiful. Glad I wasn't planning on going out that evening!!!