# Could Hernia Surgery make my IBS worse?



## elvajoy (Mar 10, 2004)

I can't spell, a year ago I had hihanl? hernia surgery due to acid reflux. It was a laperscopic?procedure that was supposed to take 45 mins. It took over 4 hours. The Doc said that I had the biggest hernia she had ever seen. She removed the herina sack which she said was unusal. She said that my galbladder was fine. After reading some of the posts here about trouble after galbladder surgery I'm wondering if there is some relationship. I am SO SO HAPPY that I found you guys yesterday. I don't know anyone else with IBS, I assumed that it was pretty rare. You guys have given me courage to be more open with my family, friends and most important my Dr! OK enough gushing(bad pun)!I've had the symptoms of IBS since I was 16, I'm 51 now. In the last 5 years it's gotten worse and since the surgery a year ago, it's been horrible! I'm in the middle of a complete work up right now with my family practice Doc. I have a UT that I wasn't aware of. She is refering me back to the Gastro Doc that did my colonospy and upper GI before my surgery.Thanks for all of your support!


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## HereIam (Mar 1, 2001)

Elvajoy, Welcome and glad you found support and info here that is helping you. I can't imagine how hiatal hernia (I have one too) surgery would cause IBS to kick up. Those of us with trouble after gb surgery are this way because of the gb being gone--not because of the surgical act itself. I take it that your D is worse since the surgery? You probably had a ton of antibiotics related to the surgery and perhaps this has messed up your gut. Try taking some acidophilus for a few weeks and see if that makes any difference. That's the healthy bugs that need to colonize our intestines to keep everything working properly. Also, how much of your stomach was removed that was making up the hernia? Your D is very long standing and I imagine you've tried many things over all these years to try and resolve it. I bet you've already done the diet adjustments and tried every med on the market. Let us know what your symptoms are now and what has worked or not worked over the years. Maybe something will ring a bell with someone here.


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2004)

hi, i'm curious what your hernia symptoms were like and if they abated after surgery. i'm sorry, i don't have any advice about the ibs post surgery question.


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## HereIam (Mar 1, 2001)

Joan, A hiatal hernia happens when some of a person's stomach forms a pouch that pushes up next to their esophagus. It can have no symptoms or many and those symptoms can come and go. Mine can cause terrific burning that extends covers the entire right side of my chest and goes up into my throat. It also makes it difficult for me to swallow large pills and when it's at it's worse I can't swallow anything that is hard. If I swallow something that gets stuck on it, I get pain in my back around my shoulder blade. At times it also causes severe stabbing pains in my chest. I manage mine through self-chiropractic adjustment, as I have learned that the surgery for it is not always successful.


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## elvajoy (Mar 10, 2004)

Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you, have been out of service for 2 weeks with the BIG D!!I had symptoms for over 20 years. They included:Heartburn, when I laid down the acid would come up my throat, bad taste, painful. I slept on a wedge to keep my head up. I threw up often. I had times that I had trouble swallowing, food would get caught or stuck going down. I'd choke and it was very painful. Meat was the worst. I took Zantac and that helped with the pain from the acid(not from the swallowing issue). However, it's my understanding that the Zantac and other meds like that, neutralized the stomach acid but the acid was still there. What I didn't know was that having that acid coming up my esopagus, throat and into my mouth was causing big time damage. I was constantly being treated for cough and laryngitis. I was always hoarse. I had tons of dental problems, my teeth were rotting away!If I had known that it could cause permanent damage I would have had the surgery a long time ago!! Last week I listened to a tape that I had recorded 15 years ago and you would not realize it was me! The change was so graduel that I didn't hear it happening. I used to have a decent singing voice. It wasn't like I was professional but I sang sometimes at church ect. I really enjoyed choirs and groups but that talent is gone! I could have some more surgery to repair my vocal cords but there is no guarnate that it would help and there is the risk that it could make it worse so I'm not doing that! My mouth is full of bridges now and I'm still having trouble. My denist was always on me for not taking better care of my teeth. He didn't believe me that I brushed several times a day as well as floss. I gave up pop, almost all sugar ect. but it didn't help! Since the surgery my D has been lots worse. It's present just about everyday. I just think there has to be a relationship but maybe not. My Doc doesn't think so!Good luck to you!


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## SusanLawton (Dec 23, 2003)

Elvajoy,I had laparoscopic surgery for a ventral hernia (in my navel) about a week before Thanksgiving last November (2003). I have IBS-D, but I was relatively symptom-free - until I had the surgery. From that point up until about a week ago, my D was out of control. Nothing else had changed in my life - nothing. Now, it could be purely anecdotal, but I feel certain that during the procedure somehow my colon was irritated - either by the instruments or perhaps by the mesh patch which was used to repair the tear - and that is what caused my D. The D was so bad that I was unable to control the symptoms with Bentyl, Levsin, Levbid, Imodium, or even Lomotil. I changed my diet, and ate nothing but white rice, bananas, white bread, and chicken breasts. While that helped, it didn't stop it. What seems to have stopped it cold is the addition of Citrucel capsules into my diet. I started taking them last week, and for the first time since November my stool is "normal".







Susan


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