# ibs after colostomy



## David

My father, age 75, successfully beat colon cancer, with his colon removed two years ago. Since then, he has experienced ibs. Any information or treatment options?


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## AnneMarie

David, my father has had an ileostomy for about eight years now and he has also battled watery stools and gas with his. However, he is ever so lucky to be alive.For whatever reasons, Prevacid helps keep things somewhat slowed down for him, as well as Questran. Also, his GI doc has given him clearance to take as much imodium as he needs when necessary. Although my father feels that lomotil works much better for him.I find it funny that many people with IBS feel that having a colostomy/ileostomy will make most of their IBS problems disappear. I know from watching my father that it doesn't. He still has to find a way to manage it. The only advantage he has over me is that he never has that urgency or that worry over finding a bathroom in time.







AnneMarie


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## Feisty

My son (age 28) has had an ileostomy since the age of 15 (it saved his life--all of his large intestine had to be removed). One thing to remember----an ileostomy is fashioned from a piece of the small intestine. A person will never have "formed" stool from an ileostomy. The small intestines job is to absorb the nutrients and the large intestines job is to absorb most of the fluids from food and drink, before sending the waste through.Therefore, waste from the ileostomy is going to be in a liquid form and contain more odor, and gas. That's "normal", so to speak.People with ileostomies must make sure they replenish their fluid on a regular basis, since they loose so much more because they don't have any large intestine to help absorb that fluid back into their bodies. They should try to avoid dehydration as much as possible, even when they are in the throws of severe diarrhea (which my son gets frequently). His Docs at Mayo Clinic told him that each time he gets severely dehydrated, a little more of the internal organs are damaged; and, over time, will create other health concerns.David,I know several people who have colostomies and they deal a lot with IBS type symptoms, too. But, they have been able to developed some what of a "pattern" or "habit", so that they can irrigate themselves everyday at a certain time and be somewhat worry free for the remainder of the day---except when they get a real bad IBS attack.Wish I had more info to help you. Sorry.


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## KatieCC

I have UC, I had a total colectomy and I had an ileostomy for a while between my two surgeries (ileo-anal anastomosis)You said he had all of his colon removed, but you said it is a colostomy? A colostomy means there is still some colon left... if all the colon is taken out it is an ileostomy.What exactly do you mean by IBS symptoms? Does he have pain or something else or just that it puts out alot?People with colostomies only have a "regular" bowel pattern (and possibly are able to irrigate) if they have a good bit of colon left, enough to dry and store the poop. This is a total guess on my part but I would guess you'd need a couple feet of colon left (or more) to have a regular bowel pattern or be able to irrigate.An ileostomy has no colon to dry or store the poop so it comes out very liquid, many times throughout the day. A colostomy where the person has only a little bit of colon left is very similar to an ileostomy, it is liquidy and there is alot of output, and the bag has to be emptied a number of times during the day. (or, if you're like I was, every time there's an ounce of anything in it!)anyway my point here, lol, is that if he has an ileostomy, or a colostomy with not much colon left, it's normal. These types of ostomies will never have a regular bowel pattern, or thick stool, and will have to wear a bag all the time (not be able to irrigate). As long as it's not coming out so quickly he can't stay hydrated, it is totally normal. Taking immodium can help make it thicker and not come out so fast. My surgeon had me take 8 immodium a day with my ileostomy (I had some serious hydration issues) Kate


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## AnneMarie

Kate and Feisty - you don't know how badly I wish my father would read these posts. He's been dealing with the watery stools and the ileostomy for years, but he still has those days where he thinks he's abnormal because everything he passes is in liquid form. Deep down, he knows it's normal for him, but he just sometimes has those days when he's really "dumping" as he calls it, and he gets really bummed about it.BTW Kate, it's not uncommon for my dad to take about 8 imodium on a bad day too.AnneMarie


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## Feisty

Ann Marie,My son does a lot of "dumping", too. Most times it starts around 4 a.m. and goes on until late in the morning. then it will slow down some, but it isn't long after he eats and it starts all over again. This seems to be a "regular" pattern for him. But, when he gets major diarrhea, it just keeps running right out---his appliance will even come loose. And then he has to try and change his appliance in the middle of an episode of "D"! He doesn't take much Immodium because he gets extremely nauseous from it. I wish he would because it would slow things down a little for him, but he knows best what he can handle and what he can't.The Docs at Mayo Clinic left a 6 inch piece attached to his rectum---in case he would ever want to try a J-pouch procedure (internal pouch). I wish he would consider trying it. The worst that can happen is that he would have to go back to the external pouch. But, unfortunately, with little health insurance coverage, he just can't afford it. And the Doc told him it would have to be a 2-step procedure with 6 months healing in between procedures if he would want to go for it.He lost all of his large intestine due to some rare form of bacteria. It wouldn't even culture! He was so deathly ill. We are lucky he even made it---they didn't think he would. They have no name for it and he's only 1 of 3 in the world that have had this. It's scarey--to say the least. Each of the three diagnosed with this were born with Hirshsprung's Disease and continued to developed problems as they got older. All three are also males. He's the only one in the U.S. The other two are from Europe.


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## KatieCC

Feisty- I have a j-pouch. I'm not extremely thrilled with it because it doesn't quite work like it's supposed to... have you been to j-pouch.org? it is a great site on this type of surgery.Kate


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