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Hi everyone. I would like some help with another question. Have temporary iliostomy but output is mostly runny. Tried immodium( think I posted about this before) but can't tolerate it. Tried all the foods etc. no luck. Doc trying me on codeine. Strange thing happening though. I am nearly 7 weeks down the track and pain is much better. Weird thing is that the codeine is causing me pain at incision site on left ( which has been fine before codeine) , and iliostomy site . It's as though codeine is slowing it down too much. It's bad after I eat. Then feels a bit better until I eat again. I'm phoning stoma nurse tomorrow, but thought someone could explain to me if this can happen. It's just since I started the codeine. If is that I will have to go off it. Can anyone help,please? .

You shouldn't necessarily be needing coedine for pain at 7 weeks, nor should you be using it as a bowel slower. I was off opiates about 2 weeks after surgery, but everyone heals at different paces. Ileostomies come from the small intestine, so it's always going to be less formed. The best way to form it, for me, was always to eat foods that firm things up. Things like potatoes, rice, oatmeal... There's sort of a happy medium with these things. If it's too formed, it's very hard to empty and clean the pouch. If it's too thin, it can feel like it's filling up very quickly. how long do you have the temporary for? If you have a lot of pain at the incisions after 7 weeks, you should go to your surgeon and get checked out. Perhaps there's something more going on. Too slow can be a sign of blockage, and pain behind stoma too. Are you having a normal amount of output? You should probably empty about 6x+ a day with a loop.

Well the codeine was def causing me more pain, slowing things down too much. so I'm off it now. I am concerned reading some posts that I should be feeling better. I am still very fatigued 7 weeks down the track. And still dealing with some pain. And generally not feeling great by any means. But I have been told that is quite normal. Before this I was an extremely fit 62 year old. Excercised every day, great health, normal weight, until diverticulitis caused the complications that lead to this. I am desperate to be more mobile but I'm finding it difficult. By the above posts, I'm nowhere near this stage. Anyone got any input on recovery times?

Thanks notsosicklygirl . Thank you for that. I need to hear I'm doing ok. Bit flat today. I get the reversal in 6 weeks, if everything is ok I do have to admit I am still taking a very small quantity of endone. I mean literally a quarter of a 5 mg tablet. A couple of times a day. I couldn't take a lot of it anyway, it makes me sick. I know it's not ideal because it's hard to get off it. I am eating all the thickening foods I can so hopefully they might eventually work. I can't take Immodium. Horrible side effects. How mobile do you think I should be at this stage, without overdoing it?

I don't know how much the output is. I've never been advised to measure it.

I'm in Australia , so maybe they don't do that. They did it for the 2 weeks I was in hospital. I wish someone had advised me about food too, because I'm now getting colicky pains after certain foods. The ones I love. Pasta with garlic, onion etc. cauliflower . No one told me about this stuff. It's very painful. Should I be eating a very bland diet?

I did that yesterday. Did make a difference. No colicky pain at all. Just struggling with the dehydration today. Can't seem to get on top of that at all. Very watery output all day yesterday. I feel it today. Shaky, headache, nauseated. I've tried everything . Electrolyte drinks , plenty of water . Eating the right foods. I m seeing surgeon on Tuesday . He may have some more ideas to thicken it up, although I don't know what's left to try .