Bowel movement post surgery.
Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi,
Had my surgery yesterday and all seems to have gone well. Home today :-)
Just wondered how soon after surgery did people manage a bowel movement?
I feel very swollen and can't even sit comfortably on the loo never mind try a BM although I have terrible tummy ache!!
I have taken movicol and lactulose with no joy yet so just wondered if other ladies have had to wait a few days before they have managed to go!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences, it's very reassuring!
Trina xx
0 likes, 36 replies
terrie70298 trina1980
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trina1980 terrie70298
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Laura3333 trina1980
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Hi Trina,
It's early days and you will feel very swollen.
The anaesthetic is still in your system and slowing you down, as will any painkillers you are taking.
If you feel really uncomfortable, up the movicol sachets to two, and see if that works.
Drink a lot while you are taking lactulose, it takes fluid from your system into your bowed, so you need to keep your fluids up.
The first few days are hard, just rest, lie down, and let the time pass, it will get better.x.
trina1980 Laura3333
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Ellie1943 trina1980
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Hi Trina. I felt just the same even though I took Senakot the day before the op and no food for 12 hours prior also. You will be swollen inside still plus the anaesthetic has slowed your system down. I used a glycerin suppository after a couple of days to get 'things' moving! After the first quite difficult bm I was ok. I also used hemerroid ointment to help the suppository slide in easier. It also contains 'Lidocaine' which is for pain releif and really helps. Hope you soon feel better. Pollyanna
trina1980 Ellie1943
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Thank you Pollyanna! It's so frustrating needing to go but being unable to!! X
Ellie1943 trina1980
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I know but it's all part of the recovery process. Your body is not ready yet to get back to normal. I was told, even though a laparoscopy heals faster it's still major surgery and we need to take things easy after as with any op! Mine was April and I still have 'strange' aches n pains at times. I also have a rectocele prolapse which needs fixing but I'm waiting until I feel stronger before I have that done. He said August at first but no.... not ready in body or mind just yet.
liz21379 Ellie1943
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Hi, I felt as if I desperately needed a bm the day after surgery but it was another 2 days after I actually went and I'd been taking laxido 3 times a day since the day after surgery. Nurse told me it was taking so long due to fasting for op and reduced food intake after op. When it did finally happen it came in earnest lol. I'm 11 weeks post op and still take laxido every other day as I got constipated once and it caused a lot of bleeding. I can go without them but after 3-4 days bm's get hard so not wanting to do any damage. Drink loads and loads of water. Remember to take things easy as op takes a lot more out of you than you think X
liz21379 trina1980
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trina1980 liz21379
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Thanks Liz; that's really helpful, I will try and let nature take it'd course and not worry too much!!
liz21379 trina1980
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Re going back to work I'm 45 a bit fat but reasonably fit and strong ( I couldn't run 5k but I could walk it gently). I work 2 X 8 hour shifts a week so just part time in a large supermarket between the checkouts, customer service desk and self scans. I went back to work at 8 weeks as was feeling quite well but in reality I was nowhere near ready for an 8 hour shift. At the end of my shifts I was totally wiped out for the next 24 hours and I wasn't doing anything physical or any lifting. It has taken me to the 10th week to feel anything like back to normal but I still take things really careful x
trina1980 liz21379
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lisa52462 trina1980
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trina1980 lisa52462
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Thanks Lisa; that's pretty much how I feel! Good to know I'm not alone xx
trizwizz trina1980
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Hello there.
?I had my surgery on a Monday mid morning - had a bm early that morning. Actually managed to eat a bit that day (rare for me after surgery), did drink lots of water to keep the catheter flowing! They had "packed" up the vagina so I think I couldn't have had bm even if I wanted to! Was given lactulose on the Monday night in hospital, discharged on Tuesday evening. Prescribed lactulose and movicol. Still drinking lots of water. Had a bm Wednesday morning. Due to the lactulose - it was soft - and due to the movicol - all moved along quickly!!! I was prescribed lactulose and movicol for two weeks whcih helped until things and diet moved back towards normal.
?Yes there seem to be random ached and pains, and as others have said, seem to be because of gas pumped in, being held in an un-natural position during the surgery - makes the muscles ache! Just the anaesthetic slows things down too.
trina1980 trizwizz
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trizwizz trina1980
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Ooooh - 14 weeks on and it's difficult to remember. I think it was 15ml lactulose at night and a sachet of movicol - can't remember if that was at night or in the morning! After the prescription had run out I think there were a few times I took some fybogel. I was advised to get some laxatives in the house before the surgery. I wasn't aware that I would be prescribed any. The surgeon was very clear - "no straining for two weeks." Typically I don't have any problem with constipation at all but anaesthetic is a killer for bowels!