Anyone have your bowels just stop working?

[JAVISI]

Dear Friends,
I have myoclonal Cerebellar Ataxia, a stiff heart and neuropathies,
I could go onb but I will get to the point. My bowels do not want to work. I do not take narcotics. I take 3 ducolax tabs daily, and miralax 1 and 1/2 capfuls daily. I wil still have to buy mag citrate to get things going.

I had to have a colectomy due to a perforated bowel. I have chronic left sided pain that is attributed to a spastic colon. I take 3 different types of acid reducers, but I still get what feels like acid reflux. My gastro Dr thinks that I am not having reflux but that I have a neuralgia of the stomach and bowel> Has anyone ever heard of that?

I used to have chronic diarrhea, now my bowels have just plain stopped, even enemas don't work. I also have swallowing problems, I tend to aspirate. What is going on with my bowels. My meds are not working, so I question if they are being metabolized right?

Would appriciate any ideas, Thanks in advance, Javi:o

[Cry Tears]

Bowels not working!
Yes...I've had this happen where my intestines, digestion comes to a halt.
Nothing goes thru...just sits there for hours, days not moving....then backs up!

I've even vomited stool...caca, doo-doo! So I know what "it" taste like!
I even grossed out an ER doc one time...went in vomiting poop...he tried putting an NG tube down me and I "got" him, puked all over him when he tried putting it down my nose...he threw up...his hands that is, had them medicate me, then transfered me to another hospital on hour drive from there!
I was the ONLY patient they'd had in that tiny hospital, but the ER doc there couldn't deal with my case so he transfered me to my usual hospital where I'd been many times before with gastro problems.
I have this problem only once in awhile...where my digestion stops completly.
They're thinking was narrowing area I have from original surgery sites where they've resected bowels....
Perhaps that small narrowed section of intestines gets "plugged up"....
then slows everything down till it begins to back up...then I'm vomiting poo.
Is horrid, nightmare when this happens.
I also have very active Crohns disease...so who knows whats going wrong!
I've found releif by being on a gluten free diet...if only I'd stay on it! I have no self control, so hard time with it.
Perhaps you have narrowing and same type problem in your gut as I do,
afterall this is part of post surgical problems when you've had any type gut surgery...
scar tissue can form and wreak havoc on your intestines and digestion!
Hope you get releif soon.
Hugs, cheryl

[lor]

A few yrs ago my bowels stopped working. I was in so much pain & I didn't know why. When they did a test, they saw I had lots of 'stuff' still in me. They gave me an enema & had me get a colonoscopy(sp). That Dr found I have a long sort of long twisted colon.

[ainee]

Jarvi,
I used get quite constipated - I found by taking one teaspoon of brown vinegar in juice, water or in food, once a day, helped. Sometimes when a bit off normal, I take the dose twice a day.
Research has found that vinegar stimulates the saliva glands and also helps to stimulate the muscles in the intestines - digestion starts with the saliva - so getting the saliva glands working should ease constipation.
A friend also said vinegar helped her diarrhoea.
ainee.

[JAVISI]

Dear Friends,
Thank you all for the kindness and support! I am willing to try anything at this point. I got out of the hospital 2 weeks ago with a impaction. I had to drink a gallon plus of go lightly they usually us it for a bowel prep.

My Gastro wants me to have a colostomy, to remove my colon so I would have it for life. I am scared I do not want that but with the impaction my bowel was so full it was close to bursting. I could have died. One more time and I will have to have the colostomy. I really don't like thinking about it but it always seems to be in the back of my mind.

Many thanks again, Javi:)

[baqtrvl]

I have had so much trouble with my "pooping" for so many years. I have neuropathy and I do wear the pain patch. As you know that has it's own issues. I would go a week maybe a week and a half before going, I take Miralax but still have trouble. The narcotic makes my inside go to sleep, that was the feeling. I would never have the urge. I would have to make myself try and go(sorry for the graphic thoughts). I would breakout in sweats, get very hot, almost pass out and sometimes throw up. Well anyway I recently had knee replacement and the home health care lady that comes and checks on me was talking about this as one time I was really needed to go. She told my husband to get Milk of Mag. Which I did and by that evening it had worked. She also told me that I should try Activia that her people that she checks on told her it really works. I have been on it for a month, I also eat a small pkg of oatmeal every morning. I poop every day or at least every other day. I can't remember the last time this has happened, many years ago. I now swear by it. It has changed my life. I no longer feel bloated all the time, I don't have all the side effects of constipation. Try this and see if it helps you. I know everyone is different but for me it is a blessing.

[one busy mommy]

yeah , when i gave birth to my daughter 1yr 1/2 ago today to the day actually (she's 18 months today!!) my intestines stopped working !! I had to have an emergency c -section at 8 months pregnant so she was born 1 month early! She was totally fine no problems, thank god ! Me on the other hand had a lot of complications and 2 days after i had her my bowels /intestines stopped working! I had a fever and kept throwing up . They had to put a verry paaainfulll tube up my nose for one day, they wanted to do it longer but it was hurting me so they took it out . They did this to get all the stuff out of my intestines through my throat and down in my stomach . Still to this day almost every time i eat ,i have diarrhea ! I don;t know if my intestines are still recovering and getting back to normal and i should take a stool softener or what?

[JAVISI]

I now take 3 laxatives religeously. I know have diarrhea but that is much better than being in the hospitol with my stomach hard as a rock and being in such pain. The only thing I don't like is that they are all stimulants, which give me stomach cramps on a daily basis!

I had a stomach tube but my body rejected it so it had to come out. I then had the tube down the nose, for a few much! That is so uncomfortable. I finally told the Gastro that I could no longer take it. So I took it out. So I can relate about the tubes!

Thanks again for all of the replies!
Javi

[FP02]

A good remedy for constipation is something we call power pudding.

Mix equal parts, prune juice, oat bran, and apple sauce. It is quite palatable and will keep in the fridge for a few days. I usually make it up in 1cup of each ingredient. All you need to do is take a few tablespoons with each meal. You should start being regular after a few days.

This is something my mom used when she was taking meds for cancer.

I also have adhesions and this helps with that too.

Mar

[Mark N]

Laxatives help me but I have to use enemas to initiate a BM and you may have to add that to your strategies Javisi. Diarrhea has its own issues if it continues long term. I use Miralax every day and an enema each day to maintain some type of bowel function. My trouble is nerve damage exacerbated by the use of opiates for pain.