How you progress after small bowel obstruction?

[Yellowfellow]

Hi All,

I'm now on Prednisolone, Pentasa and Azathioprine after a flare up Small Bowel Obstruction. However I still find abdonimal pain after food & digestion, I understand that Azathioprine needs to take 2-3months to work.

I need some confirmation and assurance from you guys here...In a few months time do Azathioprine really take effect and reduce my abdonimnal pain? Does Azathioprine really work?

Thanks,
Yellowfellow

 

[Irene3]

Hello, don't be discouraged by this, but for me it did nothing. Except made me super sencitive to sunlight, to the point that 5min with sunscreen on, and I'd still feel like my skin was burning. Pred is horrible, and if your still having a lot of pain, then you may have a stricture. I had many obstructions before finding out 70cm of my bowels were too far damaged to keep, and Pred led me to believe, because I wasn't obstructing, even though there's pain 'I should be ok'.
Have you had ct, and scope to find out where you were obstructing? GI will no doubt say Imuran will take time, but if you find the pain is only getting worse, ask for further tests. You could be put on something else, and save your self a surgery down the track that way. Best wishes, hope it all settles.

 

[Yellowfellow]

I had CT scan and x ray done, the doc told me that there is no scarring, only inflammation that caused the blockage.

Currently on 25mg Azathioprine, in 1 week time will increase dose to 50mg and subsequently up to 100mg, but I still experience pain at the abdominal when food is digesting and passing down. Not sure how much 25mg of Azathioprine is going to help me.

Hello, don't be discouraged by this, but for me it did nothing. Except made me super sencitive to sunlight, to the point that 5min with sunscreen on, and I'd still feel like my skin was burning. Pred is horrible, and if your still having a lot of pain, then you may have a stricture. I had many obstructions before finding out 70cm of my bowels were too far damaged to keep, and Pred led me to believe, because I wasn't obstructing, even though there's pain 'I should be ok'.
Have you had ct, and scope to find out where you were obstructing? GI will no doubt say Imuran will take time, but if you find the pain is only getting worse, ask for further tests. You could be put on something else, and save your self a surgery down the track that way. Best wishes, hope it all settles.

 

[stella_luna]

I've been on 150 mg azathioprine for 2 years now. It's worked wonders for me with no side effects at all. I've had 3 colonoscopies in that time, and all of them showed no inflammation and a terminal ileum that, as my GI doc likes to say, "you could drive a truck through it." This is in contrast to my first colonoscopy, where my colon was essentially so inflamed it was swollen shut, and could not be accessed even with a pediatric colonoscope.

 

[Yellowfellow]

thanks stella, I really hope that as time goes my condition will be better after my doc slowly increase my Azathioprine dose. I'm quite impatient now because I'm on 25mg for about 2 weeks and have not seen any results. Maybe I have to wait for the dose to go higher and wait for a few months to see the results/inflammation to cease.

Yellowfellow

I've been on 150 mg azathioprine for 2 years now. It's worked wonders for me with no side effects at all. I've had 3 colonoscopies in that time, and all of them showed no inflammation and a terminal ileum that, as my GI doc likes to say, "you could drive a truck through it." This is in contrast to my first colonoscopy, where my colon was essentially so inflamed it was swollen shut, and could not be accessed even with a pediatric colonoscope.

 

[stella_luna]

Maybe. My first colonoscopy after starting aza was after I had been on it for 6 months, and also getting to my full dose took a long time . . . I started on 50 mg for 2 weeks, then 100 mg for 2 weeks, and then moved on to 150 mg. It does take a while to kick in. Hang in there. I hope it works for you.

 

[Grant]

It all depends on whats caused the obstruction. If its inflammation then Aza may well do the job, but scarring is different. Balloon dilation via a Colonoscopy can help. Or it may have to be removed surgically.
I think Yellowfever you need to know what caused it.
Best Wishes
Grant