It’s 3 weeks after my open hemorrhoidectomy, and it is hard to expel stools . Tips?

Posted , 5 users are following.

hi all, thanks for sharing your experience and tips. its now 3.5 weeks after my surgery and while i dont have pain during bowel movements anymore and there is just a bit of soreness down there, the problem is that it is extremely difficult for me to expel stools. i will have a strong urge to go but then nothing comes out even with pushing. my doctor says it is part of the healing process as the new granulation tissue is perhaps impeding the stools. but mentally it is a challenge cause i dont feel at ease until i can do a proper bowel movement. i am tied to my home more as the urge to go is frequent and when I am on the toilet bowl, it is like a battle leaving me shaking and sweating with all the pushing sometimes. it takes multiple tries with a lot of strong pushing and recently enemas before i can get most of the stools out. i am also worried how long this will last and whether i will have to face this ordeal every day. wondering if anyone has had to go through this and when it will go away!

0 likes, 8 replies

8 Replies

  • Posted

    up the water intake 3+liters and up the fiber...you essentially want it to slide right out. No straining

    • Posted

      thanks for the tip. i actually stopped the fibre supplement my doctor gave me because i was worried that it was bulking up my stools too much and making it difficult to expel. you think i should restart it?

    • Posted

      yes! I had the same problem, I was taking way too much fiber supplement and not drinking enough water, causing me to strain and not fully pass everything..I was taking fiber supplement in the morning and the afternoon and at night... and let's just say things were getting jammed up... as soon as I cut it down to once after dinner,with 3+lt of water daily... everything changed. do not take in pill form, I use metamucil in powder form and it works great

    • Posted

      i'm so relieved to hear that you went through the same thing. i will up my water intake and try psyllium in the evenings. i think i didnt increase my water enough because i had trouble peeing earlier since peeing and pooping are now going hand in hand. thanks again.

    • Posted

      im telling you, made a huge difference. i will say tho, i had 2 grd 2 , and had them banded. No surgery. Same outcome aftermath. Quite sure your ordeal was much worse. But the end result is similar. When its swollen,its very hard to tell if you have to go, also feels like a dam balloon is up there. So you end up straining thinking your not done ...which worsens the issue. So again, upping Fiber only works if theres enough water to water slide it out!😆. literally want to sit down and it slides right out,any undue straining is just going to put more pressure on the already wounded area. I also try to eat some prunes, and leafy greens.

  • Posted

    Hi! what kind of procedure did you have? Stapling?

    I had the same problem and I was kind of crazy as I thought I had stenosis (kind of common if you have stapling procedure, which I had). I had to use enemas as stools didn't come out on its own and pushing was painful and weird (it was not the same 'push' sensation I had before the surgery). No matter the fiber or water, I needed the enema.

    I went to the doctor and he indicated everything looked fine and it was to get normal on its own eventually. And it actually did. After 1 month and a half of the surgery things started to get normal, I still feel that bowel movement is a little more complicated than before (I have to push stronger) but I don't bleed anymore and I don't have any pain after the act, so I'd say I don't regret the surgery.

    • Posted

      hi, mine was an open surgery (Milligan-Morgan) because the hemorrhoids were grade 4 and thrombosed. Stapling was not possible.

      yes i was also worried about stenosis! but my doctor stuck his finger up my ass a few days ago to test whether his finger could go in and whether i could clench the muscles down there. thankfully he says it is not stenosis.

      i am so glad to hear that you went through the same thing as it is a physical and mental ordeal. i am pushing so much and nothing is coming out. yes the push for me also feels weird, as if i'm not pushing into the hole first but more into some wall. so you had to use an enema every day for a month and half?

  • Posted

    i would also recommend taking magnesium powder supplement in the evening.. ideally one with magnesium citrate as the main ingredient. it helps to draw water in the colon (keeping stools soft) as well as relaxing your involuntary muscles and aiding peristalsis to easy emptying.

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