Toilet/Diet

[cmoc]

I had three and half foot of small bowel removed 6 months ago due to adhesions from an appendix op 25 years ago, I have the 8 inch vertical scar, open surgery.
Can anyone help in the toilet department?
Before the surgery, I used to eat a dessertsp whole linseeds with oat cereal every morning and that, with an oatcake and cheese, mid morning, fishcake at lunch, fish or meat and veg at teatime and scone for supper, not only was fine for my migraines but kept me regular.
I daren't go back to the linseeds, so am eating allbran morning then some veg (not hard veg) and taking laxido since I got totally bunged up a couple of weeks after the op. I have got the laxido down to 2 teaspoons, but my bms are all over the place.
If I take less than 2 teasps laxido, I get bunged up, sit there straining and nothing moves, then a lot of days, I am OK on 2 teasps laxido, now, suddenly I am getting the odd day of 5 or 6 trips to the loo with horrible stomach pain remaining (obviously too much). Darent leave off the allbran or laxido completely or will get totally bunged up. My migraines are back and I have horrible constant tinnitus.
What do you guys take to keep regular.
Any advice welcome.:ysmile:

 

[shamrock15]

I think you need to have a good meeting with both a GI and a nutritionist. Following a surgery, it can take a long time to get everything settled down again without the added complications of dietary changes. Your bowels, being significantly shorter, do not work the same way anymore. Keep a diary of how you react so you are not going on memory alone. Document everything - anything that goes into your mouth needs to be recorded. Doing that you may have a shot at figuring out what happens. The pattern may be based on eating two or three days previously, not just the current day.

Each person is going to react differently. I have to really watch my water intake. If I go above 3 full glasses and maybe a couple small glasses, I will pass watery stool. I can't do anywhere near the fibre intake you can. I need regular beef - two times a day fairly regularly. Unfortunately, most of this you will find only through experimentation.

 

[CrohnsFighter]

I've always been on the constipation side from day one. I tried a few things over the years. I finally found 1/2- 3/4 cap full of miralax a day helps me out big time. Ymmv. I've been on it for at least 3 years now.

 

[cmoc]

Thanks for the replies. Crohn'sfighter, I will definitely keep the Mirilax in mind, try to get off this Laxido.
Shamrock15, good advice. I am keeping a diary. I couldn't really see anything significant that started off this bad stomach. I was eating a few onions in the mince, not a lot, and I took half a potassium tablet and a digestive enzyme the day before but I cant see any of that would have caused such a problem. Stomach is still hurting, but is full of Gas and bloated for some reason, which started, after the 7 times on the loo. I have practically lived on fish since the operation, sometimes mince,
I do have a few chips etc. but don't eat a lot of hard solid food now. This stomach is really sore. A while back I tried ground flaxeed but that just bunged me up more! You are right, everything has changed a lot. Sounds like, you are the opposite to me, too many bms. yes, beef would bung me up. Without the laxido I don't go.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[shamrock15]

You may want to look at increasing your fluid intake to some extent then. If you do it a little at a time, you may find a sweet spot for it. My GI also recommends a tablespoonful of mineral oil orally at night time when things don't move easily. It is inert, both of these are non-chemical ways of trying to make things flow easier. Aside from that, maybe try stool softeners? note: I am not familiar with laxido - don't know if it is designed to increase frequency or change consistency.

 

[CrohnsFighter]

You may want to look at increasing your fluid intake to some extent then. If you do it a little at a time, you may find a sweet spot for it. My GI also recommends a tablespoonful of mineral oil orally at night time when things don't move easily. It is inert, both of these are non-chemical ways of trying to make things flow easier. Aside from that, maybe try stool softeners? note: I am not familiar with laxido - don't know if it is designed to increase frequency or change consistency.

I went down the mineral oil road off and on for years because it was prescribed when I was young and it was available without prescription. I took 2 Tablespoon's. For me it was not a reliable consistent solution (I would still become constipated). I also had a bad experience at a family gathering when a fart turned out to be oil Was not something I needed at that age. I continued to take it until I was turned on to miralax, and would never go back. YMMV

 

[cmoc]

I started adding flaxeed oil about a month ago, to try and cut down the laxido, got up to 2 x tablespoons but it did nothing. I did have lovely soft skin though:biggrin: I think it was giving me more migraine so I stopped it.
The fart turning to oil made me laugh.
I have been looking at Magnesium Citrate powder form, its supposed to help with insomnia as well, which I suffer with.