Living without a rectum

[TMM]

I had my rectum removed 2012, I have my colon and I don't wear a bag. I do however have a lot of problems, I'm usually good in the AM but develop HORRIBLE constipatiom in the PM. I now use an enima every night . I have a lot of pain afterward . Is anyone going through the same thing and/or any suggestions . My doctor said I have to learn to live with it.

[CRguy]

Welcome to the forum.

My doctor said I have to learn to live with it.

Maybe find a new doctor ?

Check out tammylayne posts about doing daily enema in the morning instead ?
If evening is not working for you ... why not try the morning ???

Best wishes
CRguy

[ab123]

No rectum here. I do alright by taking a couple tablespoons of Metamucil before bed and drinking plenty of water throughout the day. I have found that my body has improved over time, so don't lose hope. Experiment with different foods or perhaps walking after eating, which helps me.

[TMM]

Thank you for your encouragement ! I have tried the capsules and I do drink a lot of water. Maybe I will try the mix. Also I will walk , I've heard walking helps, but I'm lazy... lol. I have to take immodium before we go out to dinner. It's crazy it's so unpredictable and that's the part that I find most difficult . Thanks again for your response!

[ab123]

I've tried Metamucil pills but even if I take like 20 of them they basically don't work. The mix is totally different for me and it works.

[TMM]

Thanks for that I'll try it !

[TMM]

Have you ever tried stool softners? My doctor suggested it. I have tried them but I wonder if the Metamucil works better.

[ab123]

Like Colace? I did early-on after the ileostomy take-down, but not lately - haven't needed it. But yeah it works and I can't recall any side effects. Definitely something to try.

[sadysue]

I am over four years since my reversal. I have no rectum. I still make adjustments to what foods work well and those that don't. There were days I would be running to the bathroom with diarreah many times during the day Other days I was so constipated, always feeling like I had to go and never being able to pass anything but walnut sized poop. Literally I felt like I had a rock stuck in my butt. Sorry, I know that's gross but that's how painful it was. Last May, I saw my primary doc for a routine check up and talked to her about the constipation problem. She told me to drink Kombucha (never heard of this before) and said I would probably never be constipated again. Well, she was right. I still deal with occasional diarreah but constipation has disappeared. I go like I did before cancer most of the time - comfortably and once or twice a day. I buy Latte Kombucha (Amazon) or Kombucha Wonder Drink (Walmart), the green tea flavor. I think the Amazon drink works better for me. I don't drink it every day, maybe 3-4 times a week. Good luck.

[TMM]

Thank you so much for your response ! I will defiantly look into that ASAP !! I feel your pain I have had the same thing " rock in the butt" is a perfect description ! I will let you know how it goes ! Thanks again and good luck !

[Nik Colon]

Like any meds, not everything works the same for people. I have done many...fleet enemas, mag citrate, lactulose, dulcolax, mirilax, probiotics, etc, etc. In the beginning I needed more enemas and harsher like mag citrate. Later went to mirilax 4x the norm a day, now do probiotics, unless need harsher not often. It will take some time...a yr or so for me to figure it out somewhat. What I would imo suggest is mirilax to start. Increase your dose as needed then cut back, then maybe try probiotics later. You can pretty much live on mirilax if you need to so that's why I say start there (my daughter was on it for many yrs even b4 my dx, she is doing better now with age and doesn't need it). Anyway, you need to find what works for you. Again, what may work for one person may not work for you. Try some for a few weeks, if not working, try different until you find what does work. Then adjust from there.

[TMM]

Thank you. It's been 4 years for me. I am finally getting some kind of grip on it. My new doctor explained in detail and now I have more of an understanding of my condition , I am now taking stool softener at her recommendation and a warm water enima when needed. It's seems to be helping . My BIGGEST problem is when we go out to dinner and especially a glass of wine . So I take immodium before I go out , it's just usually once a week. like everything else in life I have to learn to deal with it , it could be worse ! Thanks again for your input! Every little bit helps!!

[TMM]

Has anyone tried a probiotic for severe constipation?

[Buckeye]

I use a probiotic daily along with Metamucil . My GI doctor told me to use align. It is a P&G product that only contains one good bacteria. He only recommended that particular brand. He said the other ones contained several different kinds of bacteria not all of which are good for you . It has worked wonders for me. I must admit I do have about 2 inches of my rectum, and i will continue to take align the rest of my life. If you have a Costco membership or know someone with one I highly recommend getting it there. It isn't cheap runs about 65 dollars for 3 months supply.

[chrisca]

Metamucil helped me too. I now use psyllium seed powder, purchased in bulk from the health food section of Kroger. It's cheaper. One teaspoon after breakfast and one after dinner. I mix the breakfast portion with fruit juice. If out of the house or after dinner, I add 1/2 teaspoon of Tang to flavor it. It helps to carry a bottle with a portion for dinners out and use it regularly. Pills often absorb too much water, leading to constipation. Mixing the powder with about 6-8 oz. of water works very well to improve the stool quality.

Next up, ask your doctor for MRI defecography. This test will tell you a lot about how the bowel is working during the elimination process. It revealed a problem in my case that we are working on with a pelvic floor physical therapist. I suffered for 5 years with issues such as ribbony stools and long times on the John and we are now making progress thanks to this test. It is worth traveling to a place that does it if you can't find it locally.

Also, you'll need to work on food sensitivities. I found out over time a long list of foods I can't eat due to them revving up the bowel too much. I suspect that chemo made me allergic to a number of foods.

Finally, the amount of food consumed will affect the strength of the propulsive contractions of the bowel. Big meals, often at parties or holidays, were miserable. I now bring doggie bags to restaurants and parties and take about half of the food home instead of trying to eat it. I get an extra meal later, and have far better results.

Doctors are poorly educated for the most part on managing LAR syndrome. I found this out the hard way.